NSRWA Walking Club - Duxbury Beach

NSRWA Walking Club – Duxbury Beach
Saturday, March 9, 2024
10:00-11:30am

Join Walking Club Guest Host Roger Whidden for a winter walk on Duxbury Beach on March 9th from 10-11:30 am. Roger is a resident of Marshfield, where he owns and operates the Whidden School of Fitness, which focuses on martial arts. He is also member of the Marshfield Trails Committee, a nature enthusiast, an Appalachian Trail Guide, and a favorite Walking Club Guest Host.

We will be exploring Duxbury Beach, a 7.5-mile long barrier beach that extends from Marshfield in the north to Gurnet Point and Saquish in the south. It is a clean, beautiful, accessible place nestled between Duxbury Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. This land is within the region of the Patuxet Wampanoag tribe, who for centuries inhabited the area around the Jones River now known as Duxbury, Kingston and Plymouth. Numerous artifacts have been found on Clark’s Island, nearby. This beach has endured many hardships, including Hurricane Carol in 1954, the infamous Blizzard of ’78, which caused major destruction to roads and dunes, and the No Name Storm of 1991. Despite these hardships.  this beautiful beach is teeming with life, even in the winter months.

A 2018 survey indicates that the numbers of species observed on Duxbury Beach are as follows. Birds: 127, Mammals: 8, and Plants: 36. Some notable residents are the Snowy Owl, the Piping Plover, and the Least Tern. The latter two are considered to be threatened species by state and/or federal law. Like all barrier beaches, Duxbury Beach is dynamic. Sand arrives and departs at a slow pace. Here at Duxbury, the beach is moving westward toward the mainland. Unfortunately, due to heavy armoring of beaches to the north (sea walls), Duxbury Beach is not receiving its natural nourishment of sand.

We look forward to exploring this special property.  Please look for NSRWA Event signs for parking  prior to the bridge, on the Bay side of the beach off of King Caesar Road. Click here for a map.

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