Community Corner
The Beauty of Westwood's Trails and Wetlands
A look at the Rock Meadow, Baker and Deviney conservation areas.
For the most part, hiking takes a bit of planning. Depending on your mood, you'll most likely want to pick a day with ideal weather. But location is also important, and Westwood has plenty of spots for nature lovers and hikers alike.
If you have a nice day picked out, you might want to check out the three conservation lands in Westwood, stretching from Dover Road all the way over towards Hartford Street. These areas - Rock Meadow Brook, Baker, and Deviney conservation lands - cover more than 75 acres of land.
A path runs through the Baker and Deviney conservation areas, and it's accessible from Hartford Street. The area is covered with beautiful oak and pine trees, not to mention hemlocks and red maples and a clear view of the pond below, which is a nice ice-skating spot during the winter. Always make sure the ice is thick enough though, as we all know falling in frozen water shouldn't be on the top of our list of things to do.
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There's plenty to do here as far as hiking and biking goes, as there is a vast amount of land that's ready for exploration.
Rock Meadow Brook conservation area connects with the Baker and Deviney, and is filled with pitch pines, alder trees, oaks and red maples. Most of this area is wetlands, so don't expect to go tromping very far.
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The most important aspect of the Rock Meadow Brook conservation area is that it's part of Westwood's water supply. There are supply wells set up in the Rocky Meadow Brook, and across the road, off of Conant Street, there's a sewer pump.
Just behind the pump you can get a nice view of the wetlands, and if you happen to have the right timing you might even run into a family of geese.
The marshland is filled with wildlife, and if you are a bird lover, and you have an extreme amount of patience then you might want to consider doing some bird watching, as there are plenty of birds constantly swooping in and through the area.
The next time you get a chance to enjoy the outdoors, take a walk through Baker and Deviney and check out the wetlands of the Rock Meadow Conservation area.