Blazing Trails Project: An Update on the Johnson-Henrich Woods

LPS is happy to announce three donations in the new Trail Blazer Project.  Longtime supporter of LPS, Butch Rich, passed away just as we were finishing  trails in the Johnson & Henrich Woods to be named after his beloved family members. The trails are ready and marked and soon to be named. The LPS Board of Directors extends sincere condolences to the Rich Family and expresses gratitude for Butch's many contributions to LPS of Norton over the years. 

The Henrich Woods, a 25-acre parcel of land on N. Washington St., was given to LPS by Jean and Leonard Henrich in 1995. It is bounded by the old railroad track bed and runs westward through the woods to the Rumford River. The sign to the Henrich Woods is close to the sign for the Johnson Woods so the two parcels together make up a beautiful 30-acre preserve. Parking is readily available on N. Washington St. where the railbed crosses the street. 

The Johnson Woods (4.6 acres) was given to LPS in 2000 by the Johnson (and Cox) family. LPS collaborated in a project with the town and the family which enabled the town to purchase the land that is now known as Johnson Acres (Norton conservation land) right across the street. In appreciation for our collaboration, the Johnson family donated the Johnson Woods parcel to LPS. 

Today there are three marked trails in the Johnson - Henrich Woods that take you by two certified vernal pools, a grove of old pine trees, a stone wall and mixed hardwoods. At its westernmost point it overlooks the lovely, lazy, meandering Rumford River. These are the trails to be named for Rich Family members in the spring of 2018. 

By Kathy Ebert-Zawasky 2017