The second in a series of articles about Harvard's trails

Map of the Small Trail, from Harvard Trails, published by the Harvard Conservation Trust. CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Being a novice to Harvard’s trails, I decided that a good place to start exploring them would be the trail frequented by generations of Harvard’s schoolchildren—the Small Nature Trail, located just behind the elementary school. I never actually visited the trail myself as a child, but my sister Amanda remembers it well.

“I loved that trail,” she told me in a recent conversation. “It was so nice to be outside, walking through the woods, after being cooped up all winter.”

And it hasn’t changed much since then. You can find the entrance to the trail just off Fairbank Street, across from the elementary school. An easy, kid-friendly trail, it loops through woods and wetlands and offers many opportunities for children (and adults!) to observe diverse botany and other details in their natural surroundings. The Harvard Trails guide notes in particular the “black birch which, when scratched, smells like root beer; spice bush, which also emits a ‘spicy’ odor; sassafras, with its three different leaf shapes; and the shagbark hickory, with its distinctive or exfoliating bark.”

The Small Nature Trail is not, in fact, so named because of the size of either the trail or its visitors—it’s named after Lawrence Small, who owned the land before it was acquired by the school. The trail was created decades ago to be used by teachers as an educational and fun way for elementary students to learn more about Harvard’s flora and fauna. Many Harvard residents, including Anne Marie Arnold, Bob Reed, Janet Wilhelm, and former Harvard elementary teacher Diane Temple all participated in the design and creation of the trail. And for more than 20 years, a program called “Science Outside” was the high point in the experience of many elementary students, as they bounded over the boardwalks and bridges covering the wet areas of the trail. Longtime Harvard resident Barbara Heim, who is a member of the Garden Club and a Trail Guide leader for the Harvard Conservation Trust, shared her own memories of the numbers of Harvard schoolchildren who enjoyed the trail over the years.

“I’d like a nickel for every kid of one of the Garden Club members who has walked there,” she said.

She also noted the children’s endless fascination for the boardwalks and the seemingly universal compulsion to “jump on the boards to make the mud splash.”

With such heavy use, the trail has required significant maintenance, and over the years many groups have participated in rebuilding and replacing the boardwalks. Heim noted that the Snowmobile Club, the Eagle Scouts, and the Garden Club have all played a role in maintaining the trail. Most recently, the Garden Club helped to fund a large Harvard Conservation Trust project to refurbish the boardwalks. Volunteers joined forces during a rainy weekend in July this year to install new boardwalks; Trail Committee member Phil Knoettner estimates that more than 70 volunteer hours were spent fixing up the trail.

The Small Trail is very well marked and easy to follow. At a steady clip, it’s possible to complete the loop in about 45 minutes; if you have a curious child in tow, however, be prepared for a longer journey of exploration and discovery.

To order a copy of the Harvard Trails booklet, or to find out more about becoming a member of the Harvard Conservation Trust, visit their website at www.harvardtrust.org.