On the day after Thanksgiving, walk at your own pace and discover one of Barrington’s rarely seen wilderness areas with the Barrington Land Conservation Trust.
On Friday Nov. 24, between 11 am and 1 pm, Land Trust volunteers will be stationed at waypoints to guide visitors through the Johannis Farm Wildlife Preserve, a 32-acre expanse of field, forest and wetland between Sowams Road and the Palmer River.
Dogs are not allowed because of the birds and animals that make this wildlife preserve their home. You may arrive anytime between 11 am and 1 pm. Johannis Farm Wildlife Preserve is located on Sowams Road, 0.7 miles north of Sowams Elementary School. The walk takes approximately one hour over wet and moderate terrain. Wear boots! Severe weather cancels the event. Parking is available on site.
Be aware that the primary bridge which connected the two sides of the property was washed out during a king high tide storm last winter. You will be able to walk both sides of the property, but you won’t be able to walk it as a loop trail. A new bridge is in the planning phase.
Johannis Farm Wildlife Preserve was acquired by the Land Trust in 1991 through a combination of Rhode Island and Barrington Open Space bonds and charitable donations to the Barrington Land Conservation Trust. Due to the sensitive native plants and animals on the property, it is not generally open to the public. The Land Trust hosts several guided walks each year to enable the public to experience the property, which has been preserved as a wilderness reserve in perpetuity.