Mass Audubon to unveil accessible trail in Dartmouth
Jul 14, 2022
The All Persons Trail at Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary includes an interpretive tour available in printed, audio, and braille formats. Each of the 13 multi-sensory stops along this half-mile trail are marked with raised print and braille signage and some include trailside tactile displays such as this owl box where visitors can reach in and explore a replica of a nesting Screech Owl and eggs. Photo courtesy: Mass Audubon/Carrie Hawthorne
One of 13 multi-sensory trailside stops, the Sensory Garden invites visitors to explore the sights, smells, and textures of various native and cultivated plants chosen to provide food and shelter to butterflies, bees, birds, and other animals. Photo courtesy: Mass Audubon/Ryan Helen Dorsey
Mass Audubon announced this week that it will be opening a new All Persons Trail on July 21 at its Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary in South Dartmouth, the 13th such trail the organization has constructed in the state.
The trail features a sensory garden, tactile trailside displays, a post-and-rope guide system, an interpretive tour available in audio, printed, and braille formats, and Braille signage.
The new trail will be introduced with a “ribbon untying” ceremony from 4 to 6 p.m. on July 21 at the sanctuary’s Stone Barn Farm.
The event will kick off a five-day “Celebrating Access to Nature” program, focusing on Mass Audubon’s commitment to improving equitable and inclusive access to nature in its South East Region with a weekend full of activities.
“Greater access to nature for all is a priority goal of Mass Audubon’s Action Agenda,” noted Lauren Kras, the organization’s south east region director. “In this welcoming spirit, we expect the new All Persons Trail at Allens Pond to become a major feature of the sanctuary for all those who believe that connecting with nature should be a right enjoyed by everyone.”
Other events over the multi-day celebration will include a Firefly Hike, an All Persons Trail Open House, a guided Birding Walk, and Sensory Friendly Day on Monday, the 25th.
