The Sandwich Conservation Trust invites you to walk the hills and hollows of the Maple Swamp Conservation Lands on Sunday, October 9th at 2 PM. The walk will be led by SCT President John N. Cullity, who will provide historic as well as nature-based interpretation. The walk is free.
The Maple Swamp is the largest town-owned conservation preserve in Sandwich, roughly 770 acres, consisting of thirty-odd parcels owned mostly by the town, but also the Sandwich Water District and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. It is a place of dramatic topography, created by the southern movement of the glacier when it stopped around 18,000 years ago, leaving what is referred to as a glacial moraine.
In the early days of Sandwich settlement, this uneven land was divided into 20 to 40 acre woodlots, providing timber and fuel for the coastal farms. The name “Maple Swamp” goes back over 200 years, and refers to several acres of wetland in one of the big hollows. Preservation began in 1966, when the town purchased several of the woodlots from the Society of Friends – the Quakers.
The walk will last about an hour-and-a-half, and is rather strenuous in places, with steep slopes, occasional roots and loose stones. If it rains the walk will be cancelled. To join us, meet at the Maple Swamp Conservation Lands parking lot off of Service Road between Quaker Meetinghouse Road and Chase Road – now Rt. 6 Exits 61 and 63.
The Sandwich Conservation Trust is a non-profit organization founded in 1985 for the purpose of preserving undeveloped land in Sandwich. If you have questions about the SCT or the walk, call Mr. Cullity at (508) 888-7629.
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