This time of year we like to get out and explore the remaining wild or re-wilded areas near us. Today’s walk was in the Skunknett River Wildlife Sanctuary, a Mass Audubon property off Bumps River Road in Barnstable. There are a few different trails but I love the pond loop, which takes you through thickets of inkberry (Ilex glabra), pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), and young white pine (Pinus strobus), with intermittent pockets of red oak (Quercus rubra), scrub pine (Pinus rigida), and American holly (Ilex opaca). This property feels quite ‘wild’ with evergreen inkberries towering 6-10 feet tall. and stands of young white pine providing additional year round greenery. There is also a spectacular dense stand of Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) rooted in the pond’s swampy edges.
There has been some trail maintenance and new signage has been added, but thankfully no major ‘improvements’ that I’ve seen on some other Audubon sites. The pond loop (officially West Pond Circuit Trail) can be walked in 30-40 minutes and at times it feels like you are threading your way through tunnels of greenery. Some of the higher elevations provide some views of the pond.
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