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 We have these properties for you to freely enjoy:

  • Allenwood, off of Heywood Road a short distance north of the intersection with Tuttle Road, was gifted to the Trust in 2001 by the late Charlie Allen. You will find a kiosk there at the meadow trailhead which leads into rolling wooded hills and spectacular views of two farms belonging to Eric Starbard and John Allen. A bridge is yet to be constructed that will allow hikers to cross a brook to access the beautiful Wekepeke Reservoir properties beyond the 25 acres that comprise Allenwood.
  • Fitch Pond Floodplain, off Kendall Hill Road north of Chace Hill Road.  These 30 acres of marshland were donated to the Trust by Gary Griffin in 2005, and is best enjoyed on foot when frozen. If you have never explored red maple swamps in the winter, you are missing out on a memorable experience. The Trust has not yet constructed a trailhead, so it is perhaps best to wait until we do to avoid trespassing on privately owned abutting properties.
  • Hornbeam Conservation Area, off Hardscrabble Road which is off Justice Hill Road near the intersection with South Nelson Road. Donated to the Trust by sisters Shawn Morris and Lennie Paquette in memory of their folks Lenny and Pat Morris in 2010. Eleven acres of woodland and beaver pond offer excellent nature study and serves as a starting point to walk Hardscrabble Road – Sterling’s last unimproved colonial era road, which extends beyond some other conserved lands to Upper North Row Road.
  • Petit Conservation Area was very recently gifted to the Trust by Judy Petit in memory of her late husband Mike Petit. This picturesque parcel of 12+ acres includes meadows and woodland – including a scenic streamside hemlock grove on the banks of Justice Brook. Beyond is another 1,000 acres of DCR watershed land to explore.  Access is off of Justice Hill Road Cutoff at the Sterling/Princeton town line. It’s our newest acquisition, and the trailhead and parking spot will be developed this coming summer.
  • Poor Farm Conservation Area, bequeathed to the Trust by Georgia Drenova in 2013, is 52 acres of woodland, fields, and beaver meadow along the Wekepeke Brook. Access is off of North Row Road a short distance west of Calvins Lane. There is a right of way along the edge of a private hayfield which leads down to the Wekepeke. A bridge crossing is in the planning stages, which when finished will provide access across the brook to a nice trail system beyond within Wekepeke Reservoir lands. (This trailhead will eventually connect to the Allenwood trailhead when the stream crossings are in place.)
  • Wekepeke Path, near the intersection of Pratts Jct Road and Industrial Drive, was gifted in 1999 by Bill and Betsy Spratt. Park at the trailhead and take the trail in along Wekepeke Brook (known for excellent native brook trout fishing). A foot bridge allows you to cross the brook and walk along its bank, beneath towering pines and hardwoods to the impressive arched railroad culvert at the far end of this 9 acre wood.

 

In addition, the Trust holds Conservation Restrictions (CRs) on three additional properties totaling over sixty acres:

Sagatabscot Hill gifted by Arthur and Dorie French in 2001;

Fitch Pond gifted by Gary Griffin (and held now by him and 4 private landowners off of a private road; and

Brown’s Farm, gifted by Dr. Guenter Spanknebel in 2004 located off of Leominster Road along the Wekepeke Brook.

These properties are not open to the general public, but rather are preserved to quietly protect fish and wildlife habitat, as well as being managed as productive woodland and farmland.