I placed this cache at Brown Sanctuary with permission from Sarett Nature Center. Trails are open dawn to dusk daily. Please see http://sarett.org/ for more information
Brown’s Sanctuary was acquired by Sarett Nature Center in 1993 through a generous donation by Edalene Brown in memory of her husband Ed. It is a 173-acre nature preserve along the Paw Paw River.
Brown Sanctuary is great for wildlife viewing throughout the year. During the spring bird migration, it is a heaven for waterfowl, herons, rails, and sandhill cranes. The forested banks can be teaming with warblers and other songbirds. Turkeys can be found here year-round as well as three species of owls, Great-Horned, Barred, and Eastern Screech Owls. Brown is also a great place to see Prothonotary warblers that nest in tree cavities hanging over the river. These “golden swamp warblers” are so glowing yellow they put goldfinches to shame! During the winter months and the early part of migration be on the lookout for Bald Eagles as they hunt for fish and waterfowl in the marsh. The sanctuary is home to a variety of mammals including White-tailed Deer, Beaver, River Otter, Coyote, and Red Fox to name a few.
The prairie restoration is a great place to find Eastern Bluebirds, Field Sparrows, and Tree Swallows. In the evenings in the spring, you the field is used by the American Woodcock as it sings and does its aerial display to attract a mate. In the evenings or early morning, you can also listen to the calls of Common Nighthawks and Eastern Whip-poor-wills.
As always, it’s up to you whether or not to pursue finding and signing the log on a geocache— if you choose to find this geocache you do so at your own risk. Please park at the coordinates given and stay on the trails. All caches are close to the trail – no bushwhacking needed.
Please respect the area as you enjoy Sarett’s Brown Sanctuary and leave the area better then you found it. Pictures are always welcome. Enjoy your walk at Brown Sanctuary.