On Saturday May 11, at 10am, Wayland Walks invites you to a walk through the Upper Millbrook Reservation. There is much to see and Mike Patterson, the volunteer steward for this patch of land for more than 25 years, will tell the stories: of an experimental farm for American Chestnuts, of a small pond and its very unusual history, of three beaver dams with pass-through pipes or “beaver deceivers,” and of area where wild cranberry once grew and may still be hidden away. Then there will be the Marsh Marigolds. Depending on the weather, they may be blooming a bright yellow, underwater. They are not to be missed, these flowers which Lord Tennyson described as shining “like fire in swamps.”

The walk takes about an hour. It starts in the parking for Peace Lutheran Church at 107 Concord Road and ends on Claypit Hill Road, from which it is a short walk back to the church. The entire route including that short walk is 1.8 miles. Most of the walk is along wooded trails. A short section near the marigolds is a little rough. Bring bug spray, dress for ticks.

The mission of Wayland Walks is to engage a large and diverse group of people and civil and social organizations, in activities that will lead to a comprehensive master map of trails directly and indirectly connected to Wayland’s open spaces and waterways; thereby increasing awareness and enjoyment of our water and natural resource legacy by people with diverse backgrounds, interests, and abilities; and helping to shape a water-conscious generation as stewards of Wayland’s natural and wild scenic legacy facing a future of climate and development pressures. For more info, contact Janot Mendler de Suarez or Katy Allen or go to www.transitionwayland.org/wayland-walks.