By James Kinneen
Hometown Weekly Reporter
With more and more people flooding the trails of Needham in an attempt to stave off Coronavirus cabin fever, town residents and visitors are going to realize what a unique resource they have at their disposal. But if you’re not an avid hiker, you might not be sure what’s open, what the rules are, and what would be the best trail for you to get started on.
We reached out to the experts, Director of Conservation Debbie Anderson, Conservation Specialist Clay Hutchinson, and Conservation Chair Janet Carter Bernardo, to see what was going on and where people should be heading.
What’s open? Everything, they explained. No trails or trail parking lots are closed in Needham. Instead, the town is urging everyone to follow the guidance issued by the Governor’s office, use good judgement, keep dogs on their leashes, and maintain adequate distance from other hikers.
But that doesn’t mean the trails experts have been unaffected. Because of social distancing rules, a Living With Coyotes presentation was cancelled - a shame, as it was especially successful last year.
“One event we had been looking forward to was a Living With Coyotes presentation by a speaker we had come do the talk a few years ago. The presentation was well attended, and we got wonderful feedback. We were excited that the speaker was available and we had the presentation scheduled for the end of April. We will be re-scheduling.”
Another thing that was cancelled was the Conservation Commission-guided walks for town residents, wherein experts tell novice hikers what they should be looking out for on the trails.
“The Town of Needham is fortunate to have a Conservation Commission that is passionate about protecting wetland resources, open spaces and wildlife. We were in the process of scheduling commission member-led walks to various Town-owned properties that would highlight various environmental topics, ranging from stormwater and watershed management, invasive plant species, and bird watching to native pollinators.”
Where does that leave Needham’s hikers? Largely on their own - but the Conservation Commission would still like people to turn in any photographs of wildlife they encounter to be highlighted on their webpage. Luckily, Needham has two very interesting wildlife residents for people to try and spot: a river otter and a bald eagle.
“There are several popular trails in Needham that we would encourage you visit during off-times to keep social distancing. The Needham Reservoir Trail located on Dedham Avenue, behind the Public Services Administration Building, was just completed last year and is a relatively short trail and accessible to people of all abilities. It has been extra popular recently, due to the resident river otter that has become a bit of a local celebrity, along with the bald eagle at Rosemary Lake. The section of the Bay Colony Rail Trail that passes through Needham is generally wide and easily navigated.”
Conservation Commission Chair Janet Carter Bernardo has noted an uptick in the number of hikers on the trail, which could be an issue if non-hikers aren’t abiding by the rules. However, Bernardo noted that from what she has seen, so far, everyone has been great.
“My recent experience at the Conservation Commission-owned Ridge Hill Reservation property, which has many miles of trails, is that there are definitely more people hiking in the area, but everyone is being respectful of each other, maintaining six feet of separation, and keeping dogs on leashes. The part I am happiest about is that local people are realizing the gem that Ridge Hill is, walking the trails and experiencing the woodlands. You can hear the spring peepers and wood frogs in the vernal pools and see the tree swallows using the nest boxes and flying around the meadows. It is a beautiful property that is home to abundant wildlife. I would encourage new hikers to check out the Esker Trail and walk through the wetlands on the Fuller Boardwalk Trail. If the parking lots are full, please return at a less busy time. There are no trash receptacles at Ridge Hill, so please take any trash, including pet waste bags, home to properly dispose of them. And most of all, enjoy your visit!”
