Willow Brook Farm - Wildlands Trust Rob MacDonald Photos

Old road into Willow Brook Farm.

Pembroke Herring Brook

Herring Brook branches off from the North River and passes through a wide flood plain roughly situated in an area between West Elm Street to the west and Route 53 to the east. As it meanders through this wide riparian zone, the character of Herring Brook varies anywhere between deep, narrow, well defined channels to wide, shallow, almost indistinguishable stream beds. The next three photos where taken at one such spot off to the west of Willow Brook Farm Preserve. As you can see, the stream is shallow with a quite sandy bed.

Herring migration passing through Willow Brook Farm via Herring Brook.

Last years migration starts as early as March and can run into June.

NSRWA performs herring counts every year and according to their findings, Pembroke's Herring Brook observed over 270,000 fish in the 2025 migration.

Recent trail improvements at the adjoining Misty Meadows Conservation area provides access to this scenic outlook onto Herring Brook. An entrance to the Misty Meadows trail system can be made from the Mary & Harry Todd trial on the other side of Pudding Brook.

Boardwalks and Bridges at Willow Brook Farm

Willow Brook Farm Preserve has an extensive set of boardwalks and bridges many of which were built over 20 years ago.

Snow will be here soon. Mary and Harry Todd Trail at Willow Brook Preserve.

In 2007, this was a relatively new boardwalk but after 18 years it has reached it's end of service. This structure, along with the other boardwalk on the Mary and Harry Todd trail are being replaced.

A new bog walk is being installed to replace the aging boardwalk on the Mary and Harry Todd Trail at Willow Brook Preserve. The new system employs tread planks suspended above the substrate and supported by cribbing. This design provides a simplified and resource-efficient structure that is faster to install, requires minimal maintenance, and reduces site disturbance, as no posts or footings are excavated into the ground.

New boardwalk on the Harry and Mary Todd trail. This new structure was made possible by the efforts of the Wildlands Trust Stewardship team, the Sierra Club, and many Wildland Trust volunteers.

Boardwalk along the Todd Trail near Pudding Brook.

Boardwalk on the Harry and Mary Todd Trail at Willowbrook Farm.

Harry and Mary Todd Trail bridge as it crosses Pudding Brook. Downstream, just beyond this bridge, Pudding Brook passes between two glacial kames as it flows towards Herring Brook.

Pudding Brook as seen from the Harry and Mary Todd trail at Wildlands Trust Willow Brook Farm preserve

Bog bridge at Willowbrook Farm.

May 2007

Willow Brook Farm Secondary Succession

Some examples (before and after photos) of secondary succession seen at Willow Brook Farm.

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subgallery of photos showing Willow Brook Farm Secondary succession

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Pastures, Cow Paths, and Trails

Remnants of Willow Brook Farms agricultural past.

Early morning at Wildlands Trust Willow Brook Farm Preserve in Pembroke, MA

Misty morning at Willowbrook Farm

Crocus blooming in the Willow Brook Farm Pastures.

New England Aster

Two informative articles written by Skip Stuck on the history of Willow Brook Farm may be found on the WIldlands Trust web site:

www.wildlandstrust.org/news-blog/2024/4/11/human-history-of-wildlands-willow-brook-farm

Still visible today are remnants from Willow Brooks agricultural past. These are old milking stanchions from the barn in prior photo (from the WIldlands Trust article by Skip Stuck).

The Path Diverges in the Misty Woods.

New Pasture Loop trail at Willow Brook.

Old farm road leading into Willow Brook Farm.

Entrance to the Harry and Mary Todd trail at Willow Brook. A major rebuild of the first boardwalk along this trail was completed in 2024.

Milking stanchions and water bowl from Willowbrook Farms agricultural past

Walking along the old farm road at Willowbrook Farm - Wildlands Trust, Pembroke MA.

Looking northeast across the main pasture land at Willow Brook farm. It's believed that this was one of the main grazing areas for the cattle that were once part of this dairy farm.

Not sure if these are considered rock sculptures but regardless, they are quite nice. They look natural and blend in nicely with the surrounding landscape. Impressive!!

Feb 2021

Fields on the eastern edge of Willow Brook Farm preserve. This field borders the Fleetwood Farm on Rt 53 in Pembroke.

Misty morning at Willowbrook Farm

Feb 2021

Misty morning at Willowbrook Farm

Streams, brooks, and wetlands

Three different brooks play a major role in defining what we know as Willow brook Farm. Pudding Brook flows from the east along the northern border and eventually joins Herring Brook. Swamp Brook flows from the southwest and forms the western border of a separated section (unreachable from the main entrance at Willow Brook). It also joins Herring Brook to the north. Finally, Herring Brook splits the two major sections of Willow Brook Farm and eventually joins the North River.

Pudding Brook at Willow Brook Farm.

East channel of Herring Brook as it passes near WIllow Brook Farm.

Pudding Brook forms part of the boundary between Willow Brook Farm and Pembroke's Misty Meadows conservation area

Passing under Rte 53 to the east, Pudding Brook then meanders towards Willow Brook Farm and straddles a portion of the property border.

Looking down on Pudding Brook from the glacial kame.

Pudding Brook as seen from the Harry and Mary Todd trail at Wildlands Trust Willow Brook Farm preserve.

Pudding Brook

Pudding Brook with Misty Meadows on the right and Willow Brook Farm on the left.

Flood plain of Pudding Brook.

Herring Brook in Pembroke MA adjacent to Willow Brook Farm

Herring Brook

Herring Brook in Pembroke MA adjacent to Willow Brook Farm

Wild Willow Brook Farm

Willow Brook Farm has a multitude of environments which includes upland woods, wetlands, riparian zones, and old pastures.

Lead Back Salamander

Having grown up on the south shore, I rarely if ever saw a bluebird. Now, thanks to the efforts of individuals and organizations like Wildlands Trust, bluebird populations are increasing year to year.

Bluebird

The open fields and thick hedgerows at Willow Brook Farm are an idea habitat for bluebirds

Spotted these today (4/4/23) at Willowbrook Farm. Probably just passing through as these warblers move to breeding grounds to the north.

Preying mantis

Trail signage at Wildlands Trust Willowbrook Farm in Pembroke.

Variable Dancer,Argia fumipennis, damselfy Seen near Pudding Brook.

Common snowdrops are not native to New England but are widely found to be naturalized in many fields and old homestead plots.
Perce-neige the French term for the flower and that translates to "pierces snow," which describes how the flower pushes up through the snow.

Skunk Cabbage

A remnant and reminder of the farm, residence, and families that once lived at what is now the Wildlands Trust Willowbrook Farm.

Honey bee on the Misty Meadows trail at Willowbrook Farm.

Breeding occurs mainly to the north in the Boreal forests of Canada.

Monarch Butterfly

Preying Mantis on the Misty Meadows trail at Willowbrook Farm in Pembroke.

Sunday March 26, 2023 - The mild weather this week has roused our vernal pool inhabitants. Much like the sounds from ducks, the Wood Frog 'croaks' could be heard along the trails and throughout the woods at Willow Brook Farm

Ebony jewelwing At Willowbrook Farm, Pembroke (Wildlands Trust)

Praying Mantis along the Harry and Mary Todd trail.

Morning light at Willowbrook Farm on the Harry and Mary Todd trail.

Ebony jewelwing At Willowbrook

Striar Conservancy - Wildlands Trust

Willow Brook Farm - Wildlands Trust

Labels

Pembroke Herring Brook

Boardwalks and Bridges at Willow Brook Farm

Willow Brook Farm Secondary Succession

Pastures, Cow Paths, and Trails

Streams, brooks, and wetlands

Wild Willow Brook Farm