Eastern Newt "Red-spotted Newt" Notophthalmus viridescens
Cache is located at Southwick Pond in Paxton, MA. Take Pleasant
St. (Rt.122) North. Turn left on Walbridge St. till it dead ends at
N42° 17.134 W071° 54.056 and park. Enter the trail at the sign and
follow the blue trail marker arrows.
From the book "Out-of-Doors in Worcester" by The Regional
Environmental Council, Inc. (1998); "Southwick Pond is over 110
acres of conservation land and farm ponds held by the Greater
Worcester Land Trust. The trail is marked with BLUE TRIANGLES. The
trail loops at its southern end, and the northern half of the loop
allows an exceptional view of Southwick Pond (which is even more
clear in the winter). The loop ends at a man made dike or a "wall"
"bridge" that allow a hiker the unique oppurtunity to stand in the
middle of a pond. The trail crosses a stream and some wet land via
two small bog bridges. At the far end of the wallbridge, the trail
ends in a dense surround of Mountain Laurel that blooms white in
late June. As a wildlife note swallows migrate in large numbers and
stop over at Southwick Pond. The pond is frequented by
ice-fishermen in the winter."
Also take note of where you step in the boggy areas as we
noticed dozens of small, Red Spotted Newts and other wildlife on
the trails. Since this is a watershed/conservation area no dogs are
allowed. We also noticed a remarkable absence poison ivy, and a
remarkable abundance of skeeters!
The cache: On August 27th we removed the original small coin
cache that had been leaking and replaced it with a traditional ammo
box with assorted treasures inside. The coin cache will be moved to
a new location in the future.
This cache is more about the view and hike, than the prize.
Chris and I really enjoyed setting this one out, and we hope you'll
enjoy your trip.