How to Enjoy Nature in Busy Northampton

It's the second installment of the new How-To Guides. I'll write a how-to guide for just about anything. The less I know about it the better. Keep the requests coming. Today's suggestion came from "Anonymous" and it has a local theme.

How to Enjoy Nature in Busy Northampton

Let’s start in the middle of town. To me the center of the target of Northampton is at the intersection of Main Street, King Street, and Pleasant Street. Stand on the corner of the sidewalk with your back to the Courthouse and glance up to your left. There above the historic Calvin Theatre you’ll see a flock of pigeons lined up and looking out over the city. Wait 45 seconds. Whoosh, there they go. All at once, as though a shot was fired from a book depository window, the pigeons take flight. Together they swoop in a large loop and then alight back in their original spot.

Now, turn around. The huge old tree on the other side of the courthouse fence has been a safe haven for a family of squirrels for years. Give it just a few minutes and they will appear out of the woodwork, scampering down to the yard to find food or grabbing a sip of water from the fountain. Come in the spring and there will be babies.

A hawk or two are sometimes known to hang out around this tree as well. No doubt they want to eat the squirrels. Look out, squirrels.

There’s not much else in the order of wildlife right here in the center, but luckily, Northampton is a tiny town nestled in a rich green valley. NO matter which direction you walk from here, you will end up with a splendid vista of greenery and flitting animals.

Head east and you’ll wind up on a grassy dike pathway that circles the outer border of downtown. In a chorus of crickets, enjoy the endless swooping of birds of all kinds. Go even further and you’ll come to the fertile meadows along the banks of the Connecticut River. Look out for coyotes.

Head north and you’ll wind up on a board-walk jutting into the center of the Barrett Street Swamp. Keep an eye out for red-winged black birds or lumbering black bears.

Head south and you’ll stumble into the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary with bird watching towers, brutal turkeys, and so much more. This is a perfect place for an individual winter-time hike.

Head north and you’ll come across Paradise Pond on the Smith College Campus. As picturesque as possible this pond is percolating with beavers, and heron. A wonderful trail leads along the Mill River with little critters skittering everywhere - chipmunks, raccoons, skunks, foxes, opossum, moles, mice, squirrels, porcupines, and bears.

Off the top of my head, that’s all that I’ve got. I’m sure there is more that I haven’t yet discovered on my own. There’s nothing much better than setting out in a jacket in the late fall and finding some trails in the woods, crossing some forgotten stone walls, and discovering a new place of your own. So, I recommend just picking a direction and going with it. Let us know what you find.