Pembroke is a town with many noteworthy sights, both natural and man-made, but how many can the average resident identify with few clues? That is what this series will explore. Each week you will see a photograph, perhaps just part of a photograph, and you will be challenged to guess the location. The following week, the location will be revealed, along with another challenge location.
Have fun, explore Pembroke for the answer, and keep on guessing! We will see how you do!
Here is this week's challenge:
And now that you are working on this week's challenge, let's see how you did last week...
Did you guess Willow Brook Farm? If you did, you are correct!
Willow Brook Farm's entrance is found on Route 14 (Barker Street) and can be easy to miss if you aren't looking for the Wildlands Trust sign. Navigating the trails is made easier by the kiosks that show hikers and casual strollers where they will be going, as well as giving a bit more history about the land as excerpted below.
Willow Brook Farm was first purchased by the Wildlands Trust in 1977. Described on the Wildlands Trust website, "Lying at the confluence of the Pudding and Herring Brooks in the Herring Brook Valley, Willow Brook Farm is among the most diverse inland natural areas in Southeastern Massachusetts. The area is extremely productive for wildlife and conserves an unusual freshwater tidal marsh, a habitat type of both state and global significance. Tidal fluctuations can be observed here, some 11 miles upstream from the Atlantic Ocean. Within the valley lies a wilderness of more than 2,000 acres that, as a headwater area of the North River, is critical to water quality downstream."
"Parking is limited at the trailhead, but once you are on the trail, you will find the terrain is mostly flat, with small hills. Bog boards and boardwalks throughout the trails require small steps up and down. Watch out for occasional rocks along the trails. A scenic overlook structure along the back boundary of the preserve is only accessible by a steep, winding staircase." (The Trust has a note on their website that the scenic overlook structure along the back boundary of the preserve is closed until further notice; climbing the tower is prohibited at this time.)
If you would like to learn more about Willow Brook Farm, as well as other properties of the Wildlands Trust, you can do so here.
