Members of New Pond Farm Education Center are invited to enjoy the 2.5 miles of trails that traverse our 75 acres of open woodlands.
As you enter the trail system, just past the Learning Center, you will walk through a fascinating 5-acre “scrub and shrub” area. Prior to Super Storm Sandy in 2012, this area had been a towering white pine woodland, most likely planted back in the 1920s. A microburst that came along with Sandy toppled the entire area. Foresters were brought in, the trees were removed, and we have let nature take its course. Since then, we have had the incredible opportunity to witness the process of natural succession. What started with dock, pokeweed, mullein, and lupines has now transitioned to species like tulip, birch, pine, and more. It has become an enormous food bank for resident and migrating songbirds.
Once you make your way through the scrub and shrub, you will enter our marked trail system. This will bring you through oak-hickory, maple-beech, and aspen woodlands. There are also picturesque streams and wetlands that are a perfect place to admire an unfolding parade of spring ephemerals between mid-April and late May.
From spring through fall, your hikes will often be serenaded by nesting red-shouldered and broad-winged hawks and an impressive variety of woodland songbirds. Learn more about our Birding Initiative and be sure to download our Birding Checklist below.
Fortunately, our property is adjacent to the Hoyt Scout Preserve, Aquarion Water Company property, and Redding Land Trust Lands. This large corridor of uninterrupted open space provides a safe haven for an abundance of native wildlife. As you hike through the trails, you may find clues that our residents and visiting wildlife have left behind. Through the years, our eagle-eyed Staff and NPF members have either seen or discovered signs of red fox, gray fox, long-tailed weasels, eastern cottontails, bobcat, fisher cats, squirrels (red, gray, and flying)…to name just a few. If you come across any good finds while you are hiking, our staff members will be delighted to learn about them.