Sunday Serenity at the Sanctuary

Arlen's and my move to Worcester in the spring of 2004 was a poignant one. We had been living out of state, and I hadn't been happy. Then came a job opportunity in the city in which I had attended college, a city where I never envisioned myself. Yet once we arrived here it felt almost like a rebirth -- a feeling that was echoed in the signs of spring bursting forth on the "country living in the city" property where we rented an apartment. Once we were able to stop swooning over the turtle pond (oh my god, turtles!) at the entrance of the complex, one of the first places we had the pleasure of discovering was a nearby (at 1.42 miles away, make that very nearby) National Audubon Society property called Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center and Wildlife Sanctuary.

These 430 acres nestled in a residential neighborhood on Worcester's east side quickly became one of my favorite places to visit -- though I realized recently it had been quite some time since I had been there. Thankfully, last weekend presented the perfect opportunity to return. With rain in the forecast for our hiking day, we decided to stick close to home. (Indeed, our current home is less than three miles from the sanctuary.)

When we arrived at Broad Meadow Brook at 8:30 Sunday morning, we weren't surprised to find the parking lot empty and the nature center locked. No matter; we were happy to have the place to ourselves. As we paused at the information booth to reacquaint ourselves with the trail maps, I breathed in the crisp early spring air and was reminded why I love this place so much: bright, easy-to-read displays; neatly labeled plants and flowers around the visitors' center; easy-to-traverse trails punctuated by babbling brooks, plenty of benches and the occasional wooden footbridge; and no shortage of beautiful bird songs. Let alone Broad Meadow Brook's power to make visitors forget they are anywhere near New England's second-largest city.

As we descended the path away from the nature center, we were greeted by the sight of lovely sculptures ("Portals" by Carolyn Lewenberg) hanging on trees. Crafted from vines, tires and stainless steel bowls, these quirky creations were nothing short of fabulous. After pausing for photos and a go on one of several wooden glider swings, Arlen and I decided to take Jordyn on a loop from the Holdredge Trail to the Sprague to the Frog Pond Trail -- three of 12 from which to choose. (Sadly on this visit, no amount of searching would yield any frog sightings; but peering into the water with high hopes is half the fun, anyway.) While the trees were still bare, the woods were bursting with greenery that Arlen and I dubbed cabbage (come to think of it, it probably was cabbage). The birds' chorus was as loud as I've ever heard, rivaled at points only by Jordyn's chatter and the rude awakening of a dirt bike motoring (illegally) down the trail ahead of us.

There's much to do at Broad Meadow Brook beyond hiking: indoor art and photography exhibits, the annual bird-a-thon and butterfly festivals, summer camp; and myriad volunteer opportunities. Now that we've rediscovered this local gem, we plan to take full advantage of all it offers. Country living in the city, indeed! (Sara)

Cabbage?

Jordyn found many rocks to climb along the way.