Since opening December 2024, the 21-acre Pawtucket Farm welcomes neighbors and area residents who arrive on foot, by car, or by bus to enjoy its trails. The wildlife sanctuary, which operates under a unique partnership between Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust (LPCT) , Mass Audubon, and Mill City Grows, enters its next stage of growth as an urban greenspace in Lowell.
Construction of an outdoor classroom pavilion and restoration of the farm pond will get underway this winter, along with the completion of the All Persons Trail and enhancements to the parking area and interpretive signage.
Celebrating a Year of Progress
The restoration of a former Christmas tree farm to a wildlife sanctuary has taken shape. In areas where trees have been removed, you can already see the beginnings of new, more diverse habitats. We’re especially excited to see what native plants re-emerge 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 as well, 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.
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 future “food forest,” where visitors will be able to harvest berries, nuts, and other perennial crops once the one-acre plot is established.
Building a More Accessible and Sustainable Space
Construction will soon begin on the outdoor classroom pavilion, which will allow us to expand our environmental education programs and provide a sheltered spot for community gatherings. The completion of the Pitch Pine Loop will connect the pavilion to the existing All Persons Trail.
The next phase of ecological work focuses on restoring the pond adjacent to the pavilion and farm fields, grading the land to provide a nesting habitat for turtles and to better accommodate seasonal high-water levels that had been flooding the field. Grading changes along the Pitch Pine Trail will also improve the overall storm water management of the property, to reduce the impact of heavier and more frequent rains associated with climate change.
As this construction work unfolds, our team is working hard on the design and permitting for the final phase of the vision for Pawtucket Farm: the addition of a nature education center, farm stand, and barn. We are excited that we have reached the milestone of $10 million raised towards the overall project budget of $15.2 million.
This incredible progress, which has enabled the purchase of the land and the addition of trails and the pavilion, was made possible by an extraordinary combination of federal, state, municipal, and private funds. We’re excited (and hope you are too!) about the opportunity to increase equitable and inclusive access to nature in Lowell. You can help make this happen with a gift today. To learn more about our project, please email us.
Hit the Trails
The trails are open to visitors daily from dawn to dusk. The sanctuary will remain open during construction, although some portions of the trail may be closed for short periods of time. Find out how to explore Pawtucket Farm and follow along with us as the sanctuary continues to grow!
Learn More About Pawtucket Farm
Surpassing Our Land Protection Goal of 10,000 Acres Ahead of Schedule
In 2021, Mass Audubon set an audacious goal to protect 10,000 acres of land in Massachusetts over the next five years. Four years later, we've helped to protect 10,992 acres of some of the most biodiverse and carbon rich lands in the Commonwealth.
Pawtucket Farm Celebrates Opening with Christmas Trees and Community
Gathering under majestic White Pines shaped like Truffula trees, community members from Lowell and beyond gathered on a chilly December morning this past weekend to walk the trails of the newest Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary, Pawtucket Farm.
Pawtucket Farm: From Christmas Tree Farm to Wildlife Sanctuary
A historic Christmas tree farm was officially saved from development over the holidays by Mass Audubon and a group of local partners who wouldn’t rest until Lowell had a green space residents can be involved with forever.