Into the Wilds of Natick; Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, Natick, MA

Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary

280 Elliot Street

Natick, MA

There are three Natick favs that separate us from your typical Beantown 'burbs; the Natick Community Organic Farm, Lake Cochituate and Broadmoor.  These were the reasons we moved from Brooklyn to Natick.  Less than twenty miles from Boston we have farm classes with cows and canoeing with Great Blue Herons.  At Broadmoor, we even see the occaisional beaver working on his dam.  Spring, winter, fall or summer, these bastions of rural New England living keep us sane and our kids grounded in ways that soccer practice just can't match.  

We love Broadmoor every season because of its incredible diversity of flora and fauna.  Like most other Audobon retreats, (our fav is Drumlin Farm) you can see it all with tons of info to spare for the kids. Like most Audubon spots too, birding is the big draw, and we have seen plenty.  We are certainly no birders, but we have caught our fair share of a myriad kinds of hawks, warblers, orioles, sparrows, finches and woodpeckers.  Enough to fill their page long list of suspects?  No, but enough to get excited when we caught glimpse of Mr. Owl perched high above the tree tops.

The winter is virtual wonderland, with broad meadows and snow covered tree-lined trails for cross-country fun.  Only ten minutes from Natick Commons, it feels more like northern Vermont than Wellesley when the winter winds arrive.  Their amazing programs continue throughout the cold months as well. They feature a diverse series of speakers to just get you prepped for spring or for a trip around the world.  The center is a model of green architecture; Sydney really loves the no flush compostable toilets; "why don't they smell?"  They'll tell ya.  So if you need a break from the city, head on down to Broadmoor.  It sure beats four hours on 93N in Friday rush-hour just to say you hit the Green Mountains.