On this, the first day of summer, I decided to go for a walk in the woods. About 20 minutes away from me in the town of Sturbridge is a recently-deeded property with four miles of hiking trails, so I headed there, to Opacum Woods, a permanently protected conservation area owned and stewarded by the Opacum Land Trust. According to their website, the property contains 266 acres of forested land, “including woodland ponds, swamps, vernal pools, historic and prehistoric sites, and habitat for some rare and some not-so-rare species.”

I hiked the Green Trail to Opacum Pond and then walked parts of the Blue, Yellow, and Red Trails. Then because I forgot my map at home, I wasn’t sure where I was, so I retraced my steps back to the trailhead where I had parked my car. It was a perfect summer day, and I could imagine myself in an environment that the Native Americans might have recognized, but the constant hum of traffic on the Mass Pike dispelled that illusion. The sanctuary also abuts a highly developed residential area where new construction is ongoing. I hope the community understands the value of this type of open space and continues working to preserve it.

Here are some photos I took of the pond

and mossy rocks on the Yellow Trail.

Best species: Dragonflies
Worst: Mosquitoes