The Olde Field Preserve​

This 9+ acre parcel off Parker Road is a great educational site for naturalists wanting to locate a diversity of tree and shrub species in one location. The land is an interior lot given to the Trust because of its wildlife value. Open meadow and early succession woodland is used extensively by deer, songbirds, raptors, coyote, and other wildlife. In early spring, the understory shrubs are a yellow mass of tiny spice-bush flowers, and in mid-to-late summer, the fragrance of sweet pepperbush fills the air.

 

Access is gained via the east side of Parker Road, about 1/3 mile off Mt. Parnassus Road, past a picturesque old oak tree. The trail traverses a small wetland that drains into a roadside swamp. 

 

This preserve is part of the Lyme Forest Block Important Bird Area. 

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Counting steps as part of your exercise routine? 
Preserve-like terrain averages about 2080 steps per mile. The length of each trail is listed on the printed maps for each preserve available at the trailheads and downloadable from the interactive trail map and from each preserve webpage.