Date Acquired: 2002

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Address: 200 Red Bridge Road, NB

Trail: Black (Partial)

          Leonard Woods, located between the VanDine Falls and Wilson Mountain properties, this 2.4 hectare preserve is a small but important section of forest that protects a tributary stream of the
Meduxnekeag River and a mature eastern hemlock stand.

          Access to Leonard Woods begins by following the Black Trail through Wilson Mountain, where visitors can appreciate a diverse young forest. Approximately halfway along the trail, the forest opens into a grove of large eastern hemlocks overlooking a small stream at the base of the hill. This stand is composed almost entirely of eastern hemlock, with many trees reaching exceptional size and age.

           Patient birders may observe yellow-bellied sapsuckers creating characteristic sap wells in the hemlock bark. In spring, ruby-throated hummingbirds are often attracted to these sap wells, feeding on both the sap and the insects drawn to it. This fascinating ecological relationship is one of the unique highlights of the property.

          Beyond the hemlock grove, the forest transitions once again into a mixed-wood stand. Here, visitors may encounter black cherry, white ash, and black ash alongside more common species such as sugar maple, trembling aspen, balsam fir, and eastern white cedar. The variety of tree species reflects the changing soils and moisture conditions found throughout this small but ecologically diverse property.

          Due to several wet sections and some moderately steep terrain, the Black Trail is rated as moderately difficult. Visitors should note that this trail is one of the few within the Meduxnekeag Valley Nature Preserve that is well suited to snowshoeing, allowing it to be enjoyed throughout the year.

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          Written by Devon Bustard