Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon)

Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon)

10 Juniper Road Belmont, Massachusetts 02478

Official Website
Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary map

About this Location

Gentle trails wind through deciduous and evergreen forests, across meadows, and around ponds and vernal pools at Habitat, located just seven miles from downtown Boston.

A long-standing center for environmental education, Habitat offers year-round programs for all ages. Examples of sustainability, including goats that help control invasive plants and a community garden with plots for rent, make this a great spot to learn about green practices.

Explore more than 3 miles of trails at Habitat including the Weeks Pond Trail where you can explore the pond and meadow beyond. There is also the Western Greenway Trail, which runs 7 miles from Habitat to the Robert Treat Paine Estate in Waltham.

Notable Trails

Turtle Pond Loop
All Persons Trail
Length: 0.5 miles (from parking lot kiosk at the head of the Meadow Trail and back)
Details: Around the pond, in spring, look for skunk cabbage pushing up through the mud at the pond’s edge and the tiny yellow flowers of the wetland shrub spicebush. In summer, watch for turtles basking and listen for frogs calling and plopping into the water. Enjoy the colorful scenery in autumn. Look for animal tracks at the pond edge in winter.

The Turtle Pond Loop is an ADA-compliant, universally accessible All Persons Trail with an audio tour that can be activated by calling 617-449-7520. Wide, gently sloping path with a smooth, packed surface designed to accommodate wheelchairs, walkers, and other mobility devices, as well as baby strollers. Trail guide & audio tour >

Highland Farm Loop
Length: 0.9 miles (from Highland Farm kiosk on Somerset Street and back)
Details: This trail traverses 45 acres of changing landscape. In the grassy meadow, you might observe red cedars, butterflies, tree swallows, and flickers. Beyond the meadow, pitch pine-oak woodland transitions into the white and red pine forest, a favorite haunt of great horned owls.

Weeks Pond Trail
Length: 0.65 miles (from Lee’s Way trailhead on Somerset Street and back)
Details: Listen for woodland birds like the wood thrush and red-eyed vireo. At the pond, covered in duckweed in summer, see a mother duckling leading her young, bullfrogs peeking through the tiny floating leaves, and damselflies skimming the surface. 

Weeks Meadow Trail
Length: 1.05 miles (from Nature Center kiosk and back)
Details: A continuation of the Weeks Pond trail after you reach the pond. Follow the signs for the Weeks Meadow Trail and look and listen for meadow birds including Baltimore oriole, bluebird, various sparrows, and house wren. Sometimes our small herd of goats can be observed grazing in this meadow.

Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary (Birdability) webpage

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail

  • Entrance fee

Content from Official Website

Last updated February 6, 2024