NSRWA Walking Club - Burrage Pond in Hanson

NSRWA Walking Club – Burrage Pond in Hanson
Saturday, October 12, 2024
10:00-11:30am

Join us on October 12th from 10:00-11:30am at Burrage Pond in Hanson for an amazing walk with Walking Club Guest Host George Stanchfield. George is an artist, photographer, and plantsman with a passion for gardening in all its phases. He has worked for over 35 years in professional garden related work, from design to pulling weeds. This man knows his plants! You may find him wandering the trails of Burrage Pond in all seasons. Its broad vistas and intimate woodlands host a diverse amount of wildlife and flora that intrigue him most.

Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area in Hanson and Halifax, MA features over 2,000 acres of ponds, marsh, swamps and retired cranberry bogs with several miles of walking trails. It is managed by the state for fisheries and wildlife habitat, as well as open space. This is an excellent spot for bird-watching. There are more than 10 miles of public trails on the property, including a section of the Bay Circuit Trail. The trails are primarily the broad and flat dirt roads commonly found around cranberry bogs. This is easy walking, and a popular spot for horses and leashed dogs. The property was originally a very large Atlantic White Cedar swamp. In 1931, it was diked and otherwise altered for cranberry production. It is now composed of retired cranberry bogs surrounded by ponds and reservoirs, freshwater marsh, Atlantic white cedar swamp, and red maple swamp. The uplands contain the typical pine and oak, as well as some birch. Some of the flora identified here include: large whorled oogonia, calapogon, painted trillium, mountain laurel, bunchberry, and pink azalea. Fish species commonly found here include bluegill, yellow perch, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed sunfish, chain pickerel, golden shiner, black crappie, brown bullhead, and white perch. For decades this has been an important birding site, for its waterfowl, marsh birds, and migrating passerines. Wood Ducks breed here in good numbers, and Virginia Rails can be heard calling. There is an active colony of Night Heron. Among the 81 species catalogued in 2003 were Osprey, American Kestrels, Eastern Kingbirds, Warbling Vireos, Gray Catbirds, Yellow Warblers, Baltimore Orioles and Orchard Orioles. Also watch for Northern Harriers, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, and Merlins, as well as herons, egrets and ibises.

While we love dogs, NSRWA’s walks are dog-free in consideration of all participants. Please leave your pooches at home.

This event is FREE, however, registration is required.

REGISTER HERE.

The Walking Club is looking for guest hosts. If you would like to lead a walk on a local trail that you love, please contact Theresa Delahunt at volunteercoordinator@nsrwa.org, or visit our website at https://www.nsrwa.org/get-involved/

Address: 382 Pleasant St, Hanson, MA 02341, USA
Please NOTE that there are multiple entrances to this property.  We will be meeting at the entrance off of Pleasant Street!