U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge Mailing address: 73 Weir Hill Road Sudbury, MA 01776 Great Meadows Physical address: Monsen Road National Wildlife Concord, MA 01742 978/443 4661 Refuge 978/443 2898 Fax http://www.fws.gov/refuge/great_meadows/

Federal Relay Service for the deaf and hard-of-hearing Concord Unit Trails 1 800/877 8339

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD http://www.fws.gov/

March 2015

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printed on recycled paper with vegetable based inks Welcome Great Meadows National Wildlife Red-winged Refuge is one of more than 560 blackbird refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System which is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This goose, The National Wildlife Refuge designed by J.N. System is a network of lands and Ding Darling, has waters managed specifically for the become the symbol protection of wildlife and wildlife of the National habitat and represents the most Wildlife Refuge comprehensive wildlife resource System. management program in the world. Units of the system stretch across the United States from northern Alaska to the Florida Keys, and include small The dike itself is also man-made. It islands in the Caribbean and South runs between the upper and lower Pacific. The character of the refuges pools and turns to the east along one is as diverse as the nation itself. side of the lower pool separating the “meadow” from the river. Visitors Welcome to the Great Meadows can get an even closer look on our National Wildlife Refuge – observation platform located midway c Concord Unit, which is considered on the dike. one of the best inland birding sites in by noted Common Sights While walking along the Dike Trail, ornithologists. This is a "Leave No and Sounds you can expect to see or hear several Trace" area. The 2.7 miles of trails wildlife species, particularly birds. within the unit, including the Dike, Timber, Edge, and Black Duck Creek By far the most common and noisiest trails go through a variety of habitats residents of this wetland are red- that harbor various species including winged blackbirds. These birds are a variety of migratory waterfowl. easy to identify by their glossy black plumage and unmistakable vibrant Please note: there is an entrance fee orange and yellow shoulder-patches. for this site. Information and self-pay Red-winged blackbirds nest early station are located at parking lot. in the spring and summer, but are seen perched at the tops of the maple Dike Trail The Dike Trail is part of the original saplings and button bush along the (1.7 miles) 250 acres donated by Samuel Hoar in fringes of the pools throughout the 1928 establishing the Great Meadows summer. National Wildlife Refuge. Great blue herons are another A good place to start your walk is frequent summer visitor to the pools. from the observation tower beside These tall blue-grey birds are often the parking lot. From here you can seen standing in the shallows where best see the full extent of the upper they hunt fish and frogs, or flying pool to the left and the lower pool to slowly and gracefully over the water. the right, separated by the dike trail down the middle. We commonly refer Northern water snakes, leopard and to these pools as ‘impoundments’, bull frogs, marsh wrens, swallows, indicating that these pools are man- swifts, muskrats, and various colorful made rather than natural ponds. species of dragonflies are also Great blue heron common sightings along the dike. ©Julien Beauregard

Dike Trail (1.3 miles) Upper Pool

Boston & Maine R.R. (Abandoned) Dike Trail now known as (0.5 miles) Black Duck Creek Trail Lower Pool (0.15 miles)

Edge Trail RouteMonsen 62 Road (0.35 miles) Timber Trail

NORTH (0.4 miles)

Great Meadows Legend Marsh Forest National Wildlife River / Pond Parking Refuge Roads Observation Tower Hiking Trails Restrooms Concord Unit Trails Observation Platform Migratory Every summer the two Invasive Plants One of the biggest threats to the Waterfowl and impoundments are systematically delicate ecosystem at Great Meadows Water-level drained into the Concord River, and is the spread of invasive exotic plants, Management then refill with river water later in primarily water-chestnut (Trapa the season. The resulting mud flats natans L.) and purple loosestrife provide ideal feeding grounds for (Lythrum salicaria). These ‘invaders’ many species of shore birds and are very aggressive and out-compete waterfowl that migrate in mid to late native plants while providing little or summer. On any given day in late no value to wildlife. July or August, visitors may see a wide range of birds including various There are numerous methods used species of sandpipers, killdeer, lesser to control or eliminate invasive and greater yellowlegs, and great species, including mechanical and egrets. Large numbers of great blue Purple loosestrife manual harvesting, herbicides, herons, ducks and Canada geese are biological controls and water-level also attracted to these muddy and manipulation. For example, biologists nutrient-rich feeding grounds. at Great Meadows have used the galerucella beetle (Galerucella pusilla), to control the growth of purple loosestrife. Native to the plant’s European habitat, the beetle feeds exclusively on the plant’s leaves, flowers, stems and roots. This natural method of controlling purple loosestrife has no adverse affects on the surrounding environment. Greater yellowlegs Draining pools where water chestnut grows is another example of naturally controlling invasive species. The Native Plants Native plant species such as cattail, drained pools leave the water and their roles pickerelweed, wild iris, arrowhead, chestnut seeds (called caltrops) dry and American lotus are all emergent Cardinal and infertile, allowing more beneficial, plants. Their stems are ridged so that native plants to grow. they can extend beyond the surface of the water. Timber Trail Each of these trails winds through (0.4 miles), woodland dominated in places by Water lilies and duckweed are two Edge Trail pines and oaks, and in other places of the many floating plants common (0.35 miles), and by maples. Gray catbirds, eastern in the upper and lower pools. Their Black Duck Creek wood-pewees, cardinals, phoebes, and leaves rest on the surface of the Trail (0.15 miles) flycatchers are some of the various water to obtain the maximum amount song birds which make these habitats of sunlight. These plants are either their homes. connected to the soil by long weak stems or float free on the surface. We hope you have enjoyed the trails Many animals such as ducks and here at Great Meadows. Trails are muskrats depend on these plants for open sunrise to sunset. Please come food, and fish depend on them for again soon! shade and cover. Cattails