Local Groups Celebrate Opening of All Persons Trail and Education Pavilion at Pawtucket Farm Wildlife Sanctuary

Mass Audubon, Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust, and Mill City Grows held a joint ribbon-cutting at Pawtucket Farm Wildlife Sanctuary on Nov. 5 to celebrate the official opening of a universally accessible All Persons Trail and a new pavilion designed for environmental education and community gathering.

Since opening December 2024, the 21-acre former Christmas tree farm has been operating under a unique partnership between three nonprofits to add much-needed urban greenspace in Lowell . The creation of a universally accessible All Persons Trail helps people with visual or mobility impairments to experience the outdoors, while the new pavilion allows space for outdoor educational programs and community events.

“Mass Audubon has nearly two dozen universally accessible trails either open or in progress because we believe nature holds space for everyone,” said Mass Audubon President & CEO David O’Neill. “Each and every one of us should be able to spend time outdoors and enjoy nature’s benefits, and I’m grateful for the people and partners here today who helped make that happen.”

Work has been ongoing at the sanctuary the last four years. In areas where trees have been removed, the beginnings of new, more diverse habitats are already appearing. Native plants re-emerged this spring along the Huckleberry Trail, where the sanctuary team is restoring the land to a heathland mix of grasses and shrubs. Wildlife cameras placed around the property by Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust volunteers have demonstrated frequent animal visitors to Pawtucket Farm, with sightings of fox, coyote, deer, and bobcat in the woodland areas along with Red-tailed Hawks and Pileated Woodpeckers in the tall pines and Killdeer in the field.

“This project reflects the best of Lowell—organizations coming together to expand access to nature in a way that benefits the entire community. The new trail and pavilion open doors for learning, exploration, and connection, and we’re grateful to be part of a partnership that continues to invest in the city’s environmental future,” said Jane Calvin, Executive Director of Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust.

Mill City Grows spent the year focusing on building the community garden, enhancing the health of the soil in the former corn and tomato field, and working with the partners on the design of a “food forest,” where visitors will be able to harvest berries, nuts, and other perennial crops once the one-acre plot is established. 

“We are excited to see conservation and urban agriculture work next to each other in a way that serves the needs of Lowell,” said Courtney McSparron, Co-Executive Director of Mill City Grows.

This phase of ecological work also focused on restoring the pond adjacent to the pavilion and farm fields, grading the land to provide a nesting habitat for turtles, and better accommodating seasonal high-water levels that had been flooding the field. Grading changes along the Pitch Pine Trail also improved the overall storm water management of the property to reduce the impact of heavier and more frequent rains associated with climate change.

The final phase of the project will be addition of a nature education center, farm stand, and barn.

To learn more and to support the community and educational work happening at Pawtucket Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, visit massaudubon.org/pawtucketfarm.