WHATELY — Kestrel Land Trust held its official “opening walk” at Whately Center Woods Saturday morning, marking the first public program at the newly acquired property.
The Amherst-based land conservation organization acquired the 120-acre parcel, encompassed by Westbrook, Chestnut Plain and Haydenville roads, in 2020 with help from an $85,000 Conservation Partnership Grant from the Division of Conservation Services at the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The public also donated $60,000 to benefit conservation efforts. The property was previously owned by former western Massachusetts residents Charles Dauchy and Judith Weinthaler and was opened for public access last year but Saturday’s hike was deemed a true welcome to local nature lovers.
“Part of my job is to connect people with programs and events and I’m really excited to have you here for our first program,” Kestrel Community Engagement Coordinator Marilyn Castriotta said to the group of 15 participants.
After Castriotta greeted attendees at the trailhead off of Chestnut Plain Road, she transferred leadership to Allison Bell, a photographer, field guide author, and co-owner of Quonquont Farm in Whately. Bell began the excursion with a brief introduction to the geological and ecological history of the land, which she said was sculpted by glacial influence, clay and sandstone-harvesting, and what had formerly been Lake Hitchcock.
“If we were here about 7,000 years ago, we’d be under around 100 feet of water,” naturalist and environmental consultant Laurie Sanders added.
The walk that followed lasted more than two hours along what Bell described as a “lollipop shape” loop. The group stopped consistently to admire natural observations, contextualized by Kestrel’s experts.
“In Whately, although there is a lot of land, there are almost no other public nature areas that are open to all,” a statement from Kestrel reads. “The highly diverse forest includes northern species such as sugar maple and beech intermixed with species characteristic of southern forests such as tulip poplar and sassafras, Red, White and Chestnut Oaks, Shagbark Hickory, and Black Gum.”
The abundance of uncommon trees, signs of animal activity and geological formations was intentionally maintained, according to Bell.
“The man who had this was very thoughtful about what was taken out,” she said as she admired a tulip tree.
Castriotta stopped the group at a point to highlight the property’s sole “Native Names” box, one of four kiosks in the region that houses packets containing information about the woods’ Indigenous and cultural background.
“It’s a way to honor the land and the inhabitants that preceded us,” she said.
At the end of the walk, Bell acknowledged what she felt was a bittersweet new chapter for the land. While increased public access to the woods might make for more widespread appreciation and heightened concern regarding conservation, she said, increased numbers might lead to a greater footprint, evidenced Saturday by heaps of dog waste near the trailhead.
“It’s a puzzle and a conundrum,” Bell said.
Kestrel looks forward to creating a legacy of extended public enjoyment within the area going forward, which has already shown great recreational potential.
“The area had been beloved by local neighbors and used for hiking, skiing, horseback riding and has been open to hunting and fishing,” Kestrel’s statement reads. “There’s also a snowmobile route mapped by the Snowmobile Association of Massachusetts. One of the benefits of conserving this area was to create better public access, including the parking area, boardwalks, and bridges.”