Marshall Joyce Wildlife Sanctuary - North and South Rivers Watershed Association

7 River St, Kingston, MA 02364, USA

Owned By: Town of Kingston

Directions

Kingston’s Marshall Joyce Wildlife Sanctuary is a 1.5-acre parcel of coastal forest and salt marsh, adjacent to the Jones River and Mulliken’s Landing. This property is intended more as a sanctuary for wildlife than for passive recreation, thus there are no trails. However, general viewing of wildlife is encouraged. A picnic area is planned for this site. Hunting is not allowed.

Features

This property was named for Marshall Woodside Joyce, painter and teacher best known for his seascapes, ships, landscapes and coastal scenes. Joyce was born in Medford, Massachusetts in 1912 and died at the age of 86 at his home in Kingston, MA in 1998. The conservation property was established in 2008 with Community Preservation funds.

This land is within the region of the Patuxet, members of the Wampanoag tribe, who inhabited the area around the Jones River now known as Duxbury, Kingston and Plymouth. To learn more about local Native American tribes, we encourage you to interact with their members. The Mashpee Wampanoag and the Herring Pond Wampanoag share information on their websites.

Trail Description

A very short, primitive trail (0.05 mile) leads into the woods from River Street, to the edge of the marsh.

Habitats and Wildlife

This small woodland, with hemlock, eastern red cedar, cherry and oak trees, provides a wildlife corridor between the Jones River and its salt marshes and Bay Farm Conservation Area, across the street. Look for birds feeding on berry-like cones on the cedar trees in the fall and winter.

The Jones River finds its source at Silver Lake and other brooks and springs in Pembroke, Halifax and Kingston. It flows for 7.5 miles through Kingston, and drains into the Atlantic Ocean at Kingston Bay, downstream of this property. Follow the Jones River Watershed Association for more information.