Rochester Land Trust explores diverse habitats at Church's Field
In attracting wildlife to Church’s Field, the Rochester Land Trust has been very accommodating.
Boxes for bluebirds and barred owls have been installed. A sand pile for nesting turtles sits at one end of the field, and a kestrel platform is being considered so the small raptors can hunt prey in the field.
“This property has three distinct habitats,” said Laurene Gerrior. “We are doing what we can to enhance these habitats.”
Gerrior, a Land Trust member, and Rochester’s Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon led a guided nature walk of the property on Aug. 1.
The program was part of the My Own BackYard (MOBY) grant awarded to tri-town libraries. The MOBY program is a year-long initiative to get families outside and exploring the local environment.
The Land Trust purchased the 30-acre property in 2009 from George Church, who owned the adjacent property before passing away last year.
Gerrior said the field is mowed in the fall every two years to preserve the tall grass birds use for nesting.
Leaving the field, Gerrior and Farinon led the group down a winding path towards the Mattapoisett River.
Along the way, they identified plants such as princess pine, cinnamon fern, cardinal flower and many others.
Under the forest canopy, they noted the land is wetter and better suited for plants that can tolerate that environment, in contrast to the drier field conditions.
The site’s colonial roots were also talked about.
During King Philip’s War, George’s ancestor, Major Benjamin Church, defeated the Indian Chief King Philip. That ended the war in 1676. To thank Church, the King of England awarded him the land.
Since then, it’s been used for farming, homesteads and Mattapoisett’s shipbuilding industry. The ruins of an old sawmill are still located on the property near the river.
When the group reached the river, Farinon said herring make there way from the ocean to Snipatuit Pond in order to spawn each year.
From the forest to the field, Farinon said the property is diverse and visitors could expect to see many different types of wildlife.
