The Old Farm Road drops from the meadow to cross Jewett Brook. When the land was farmed, the brook was ditched and drained to make the surrounding land pasture. Today, Jewett Brook meanders through scrubby growth and tall grasses, creating ideal habitat for wetland birds, animals and insects.
A Timber Bridge takes visitors safely across the stream and opens expansive vistas both up- and downstream. The pond to the north has been scoured out by the brook over the decades. The big pipe is a beaver baffle, ready should beavers undertake another dam under the bridge. Explore the edges of the brook for amphibians and animal tracks.
A few feet beyond the bridge, The Old Farm Road runs into the trolley line trail. In its heyday, its cars ran from Bennington to North Adams, MA, the last run in September 1929. Every so often, a can or glass bottle that was heaved out a window so many years ago is unearthed by the frost. This trail provides excellent views across the wetland and separates the marsh to its west from the woodland to the east. This borderline habitat provides abundant food and shelter for birds and animals. As the trail comes to the end of the Reserve property, a short spur trail leads west to a grassy knoll shaded by pine trees and overlooking the wetland.
