Forest Society Blog - News & Features

At 640 acres, the Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve is the largest protected block of conservation land in the city of Manchester. It contains some special forest communities that Something Wild will visit as we discuss inclusive trail design.

Today, the Something Wild team is at NH Audubon’s Silk Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Concord, touring the pollinator meadow and the adjoining All Persons Trail. About two-thirds of a mile long, the trail winds through a pollinator meadow and grassland habitat, extending into the woods on the shores of Turkey Pond.

Each episode will delve into the unique features of these trails, highlighting adaptive infrastructure, innovative designs, and the essential role of community support in creating these welcoming spaces.

“We had a ‘Goldilocks’ summer. Not too wet, not too dry, not too many insect outbreaks, and there's a lot of green leaves remaining on the trees at Labor Day weekend,” Dave Anderson says. “And all those leaves are going to change slowly over the next couple of weeks.”

It's a place for meditation on the chill amphibian lifestyle of breeding, laying eggs and laying low next to the water, at times soaking up the summer sun or hiding in the lily pads.

“We want people to get excited about turtles” says Matt Patterson. “Turtles are so important and amazing…we talk about turtles that can climb trees, and turtles that can sprint 15 miles an hour.”

Her admiration for hummingbirds is evident: "They're the lightest birds in the sky. They're just full of air — they're just a bunch of lungs. They're like most birds; their feathers are hollow, their bones are hollow."

This episode is part of our three-part series, “Something Wild: A glimpse into the heart, soul, and science of animals with Sy Montgomery."