James Farm Ecological Preserve

(HOURS: Dawn - Dusk 365 days / year)

From the sandy beach at low tide, you can walk through seven distinctive habitats; from the salty flats of the low marsh with its salt marsh cord grass and glasswort, through the shrubby high marsh with bayberry, marsh alder and salt marsh hay, into the shade of the loblolly pines, holly and red cedar of the maritime forest, into the deep shade of the hardwood forest under a canopy of southern red oak, hickory, sweet gum and sassafras, finally to emerge back into the sunshine in the meadows that were once farm fields.

Last year, the Preserve felt the footsteps of 10,000 visitors, many with their four-legged friends, and welcomed nearly a thousand students for a day of watershed education.

In 2014, a master plan was created to plan for
growth of the James Farm while protecting its unique wild flavor. In the future, look for upgrades to some of the preserve’s physical plan,t but don’t expect the farm to change too much. It will continue to be a place that students can seine for silversides, citizen/scientists count horseshoe crabs and ospreys rule the skies.