MEETINGS 3rd Tuesday of the month 7:30 PM Glocester Town Hall 1145 Putnam Pike Chepachet, RI Notice of all meetings shall be posted at the Town Hall at least 48 hours before the meeting date. This notice shall include the date and time posted; the date, time, and place of meeting; and a statement specifying the nature of the business to be discussed. Meeting dates are subject to change. For interpreter service for the hearing impaired, call 401-568-6206 not less than 72 hours in advance of meeting date. TDD 401-568-1422. REGULATIONS To preserve these sites in accordance with Rhode Island law and the objectives of the Glocester Land Trust, please observe the following regulations: Carry out what you carry in, and please remove any litter you find during your visit. Camping, fishing, hunting, and trapping are prohibited. The possession of any type of weapon is prohibited. The possession of alcoholic beverages is prohibited. Sound-broadcasting devices are prohibited. Fabricating or placing of structures of any kind is prohibited. Walk only on established trails. The use of ANY type of vehicle is prohibited. The use of any type of motorized vessel on ponds is prohibited. All fires are prohibited. Disturbance of any natural materials - whether animal, vegetable, or mineral - is prohibited. Swimming and bathing are prohibited. All sites are open to the public daily from dawn until dusk for the enjoyment of their educational and passive recreational resources.

Through the efforts of the Town Council, the Glocester Land Trust was established by the Rhode Island Legislature in 1987. With the enthusiastic support of the citizens of Glocester and their elected officials, the Trust is dedicated to the preservation of Glocester's rural heritage as an environmental, educational, and recreational resource for all who live, work, or visit in the Town of Glocester.

Visit the Glocester Land Trust Web Site

There are eight sites within the Town of Glocester which have been preserved as open space to be administered by the Glocester Land Trust in cooperation with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM).

The sites are:

• Burton Woodland
• Hawkins Pond
• Phillips Farm
• Robert Huckins Woodland
• Scotstun Town Forest
• Signe Phillips Woodland
• Sprague Farm
• Steere-Comber Wildlife Preserve

 BURTON WOODLAND
On Joe Sweet Road in Chepachet
This area of nearly 112 acres abuts both Sprague Farm and Robert Huckins Woodland. Many of the trees have reached full maturity; among these is an impressive stand of Striped Maple. Dotted with streams and ponds, the area features a variety of habitats for both plants and animals, including the Blackthroated Blue Warbler, long thought to be extinct in Rhode Island.

Within this three-site area a pristine glacial fen and other wetland support many flowering plants which bloom in succession from early spring through fall. At three different locations, these trails cross permanent streams via beautifully constructed stone bridges. The immense capstones of these structures are testament to the skill and ambition of the early settlers.

How To Get There: This area may be reached through the Sprague Farm entrance. Head west on Route 44 and continue approximately 2 miles from northern junction of Routes 44 and 102 in Chepachet; left onto Pine Orchard Road. Please follow the rules posted above when visiting this property.

 HAWKINS POND
On Putnam Pike (Rte. 44) in West Glocester
Hawkins' Pond, nearly 10 acres in extent, and its system of streams are the most prominent features of this 71-acre site. There are also areas of mature pine forest, with some exceeding 75 feet in height. At the upper (northeast) end of the pond, there are extensive wetlands which support an impressive variety of plant species. Below the spillway are numerous natural seeps which have been enhanced by the impounding of the pond to a depth exceeding 22 feet. These seeps cause local variation in the habitat for both plants and animals within a relatively small area, and they support a diversity of ferns and flowering plants which bloom in succession from early spring well into the summer.

The pond features an abundance of fish and water fowl, and its environs are frequented by deer, fox, coyotes, porcupines, raccoons, otters, muskrats, woodchucks, and opossum. Pheasant and partridge are present, and wild turkey thrive at the pond.

Beginning around 1750, the water provided by the pond powered a sawmill. In 1873 a cotton mill was erected on the property. Succeeding years saw the pond used to power a woodworking mill and, again, a sawmill. Around 1924, Walter A. Hawkins, a self-educated mechanic, fashioned a generator and electrical system, and generated electricity for the area until 1936.

How To Get There: Head west on Route 44 and continue approximately 6 miles from northern junction of Routes 44 and 102 in Chepachet; right onto Pulaski Road; use trail on immediate left. Please follow the rules posted above when visiting this property.

 PHILLIPS FARM
On Putnam Pike (Rte. 44) in Harmony
Phillips Farm is an historic homestead that was known variously through the years as Phillips Farm, Cutler Farm, and Cutler's Tavern. The area encompasses a variety of different habitats including wetlands, forest, and open fields. The elevation of this relatively compact parcel (approximately 68 acres) varies sufficiently so that many excellent views of the natural features are afforded over a short walk. Although most of the trees are second growth, many have reached full maturity; among them is a stand of American beech. There is also an apple orchard that is over 100 years old. The extensive streamside wetlands support a diversity of ferns and flowering plants which bloom in succession from early spring well into the summer.

How To Get There: Head east on Route 44 and continue approximately 3 miles from southern junction of Routes 44 and 102 in Chepachet; use trail on right at Pole #60. Please follow the rules posted above when visiting this property.

 ROBERT HUCKINS WOODLAND
On Route 44 in Chepachet
This 176-acre area abuts both Sprague Farm and Burton Woodland . Many of the trees have reached full maturity, resulting in a canopy that reaches 100 feet in some places. Dotted with streams and ponds, the area features a variety of habitats for both plants and animals, including the Blackthroated Blue Warbler, long thought to be extinct in Rhode Island.

Within this three-site area a pristine glacial fen and other wetland support many flowering plants which bloom in succession from early spring through fall. At three different locations, these trails cross permanent streams via beautifully constructed stone bridges. The immense capstones of these structures are testament to the skill and ambition of the early settlers.

How To Get There: Head west on Route 44, passing Pine Orchard Road; the area is across from pole #458, approximately 1/2 mile east of Sprague Hill Road. Please follow the rules posted above when visiting this property.

 SCOTSTUN TOWN FOREST
On Chopmist Hill Road (Rte. 102) in Chepachet
Scotstun Town Forest includes a variety of different habitats for both plant and animal species within a compact parcel of approximately 46 acres. The natural features are accessible in a short walk. Most prominent among these is the shoreline of the Smith & Sayles Reservoir, with its unusual diversity of wetlands species. There are several underground streams running through the site. These can be heard although they are not visible.

How To Get There: Head south on Route 102 and continue for approximately 2 miles from southern junction of Routes 44 and 102 in Chepachet; use trail on right at Pole #124 (after Wilmarth Road). Please follow the rules posted above when visiting this property.

 SIGNE PHILLIPS WOODLAND
On Chopmist Hill Road (Rte. 102) in Chepachet
This 15 acre property is populated with an abundance of White Pine and Hemlock, and is used as a forest management area.

How To Get There: Head south on Route 102 and continue for approximately 2 miles from southern junction of Routes 44 and 102 in Chepachet; it is across from Wilmarth Road. Please follow the rules posted above when visiting this property.

 SPRAGUE FARM
On Pine Orchard Road in Chepachet
( at telephone pole #33, across from 162 Pine Orchard Road)
Sprague Farm abuts both Burton Woodland and Robert Huckins Woodland. It includes within its nearly 250 acres a variety of habitats for both plants and animals, including the Blackthroated Blue Warbler, long thought to be extinct in Rhode Island. Many of the trees have reached full maturity; among these is an impressive stand of Striped Maple. A pristine glacial fen and other wetland support many flowering plants which bloom in succession from early spring through fall. A grove of Atlantic White Cedar occupies a permanent swamp in the north-central region of the site.

Approximately 200 years of agricultural activity has left several open fields which help to diversify the habitat, as well as a clearly defined set of trails. At three different locations, these trails cross permanent streams via beautifully constructed stone bridges. The immense capstones of these structures are testament to the skill and ambition of the early settlers.

How To Get There: Head west on Route 44 and continue approximately 2 miles from northern junction of Routes 44 and 102 in Chepachet; left onto Pine Orchard Road; use Haystack Trail on right at Pole #33. Please follow the rules posted above when visiting this property.

 STEERE-COMBER WILDLIFE PRESERVE
Off Whipple Road in Chepachet.
Farmed for five generations, this property is being allowed to return to its natural state. It is comprised of forest and spring wetland, making it ideal for such wildlife as deer, coyotes, wild turkeys, foxes, birds and other small animals.

How To Get There: Head east on Douglas Hook Road (in the center of Chepachet at the Glocester Town Hall); pass Spring Grove Road, the left onto Whipple Road; entrance to preserve is near the corner. Please follow the rules posted above when visiting this property.