Mass Audubon Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary

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Plymouth, MA
Mass Audubon Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary

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A vast expanse of cold-water streams, ponds, forest, and woodlands, Tidmarsh is a 450-plus acre landscape permanently protected for all to enjoy.
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Once a working cranberry farm, this landscape underwent the largest freshwater ecological restoration.

10/30/2026

👻 The Halloween spirit is strong with these Ghost Pipes!

These eerie white wildflowers may look otherworldly, but they're right at home in our forests. Ghost Pipes thrive in shaded, mature woodlands where they tap into underground fungal networks instead of relying on sunlight for energy.

Without chlorophyll, they can't photosynthesize like other plants, giving them their ghostly white, waxy appearance, though some emerge with a soft pink, yellow, or orange blush. If you spot one patch along the trail, look closely. There are often more nearby, all connected to the same hidden fungal network beneath your feet.

Have you ever encountered these fascinating forest phantoms?

Learn more at https://www.massaudubon.org/news/latest/the-ghostly-wildflower-ghost-pipe

📸: Allison Bell

10/27/2026

Program Spotlight: Reciprocity in the Natural World
📅 Saturday, November 14
🕥 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Stroll the fully accessible All Persons Trail as the season unfolds around you, following Beaver Dam Brook to an elevated observation platform overlooking a marsh alive with fall color. Along the way, discover native plants and consider what it means to care for nature.

Save your spot at https://www.massaudubon.org/programs/tidmarsh/104031-reciprocity-in-the-natural-world

10/25/2026

Coastal plain ponds are unique ecosystems—shallow, acidic, and low in nutrients, with no streams flowing in or out. Fed entirely by groundwater, these sandy, glacial ponds create rare conditions that support equally rare wildlife.

They’re home to a variety of species, including turtles like painted, musk, spotted, snapping, and the state-listed northern red-bellied cooter.

Look closer and you’ll find even more life—over 45 species of dragonflies and damselflies—and important habitat for migrating and wintering waterfowl.

These ponds may seem quiet, but they’re full of life and every visit offers something new to discover.

Learn more: https://www.massaudubon.org/places-to-explore/wildlife-sanctuaries/long-pasture/news/protecting-massachusetts-coastal-plain-ponds

10/23/2026

There's lots to see and do in the coming weeks!

🦆 Family Bird Walk
Saturday, October 24 | 10:30 am - 11:30 am
📍Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary

🕷 Halloween Creepy Crawlies
Saturday, October 24 | 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
📍Plymouth Public Library, Manomet Branch

🍂 Nature of Fall
Thursday, November 12 | 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
📍Plymouth Public Library, Manomet Branch

🌱 Reciprocity in the Natural World
Saturday, November 14 | 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Saturday, October 24 | 10:30 am - 11:30 am
📍Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary

Get the details and save your spot at massaudubon.org/tidmarshprograms

Spider photo credit: Elaine Wall

10/23/2026

When we speak together, our voices are amplified!

10/23/2026

The sanctuary is bursting with autumn colors.

Plan your visit at massaudubon.org/tidmarsh to see it for yourself!

10/16/2026

“It looks like a bomb has gone off right in front of us here,” said Alex Hackman, director of ecological restoration at Mass Audobon. “But what’s actually happening here is that it’s being prepared for restoration.”

Read the full story from GBH at

Century Bog was sold to the state by its last owner, the A.D. Makepeace Company, in 2010, to become part of the Red Brook Wildlife Management Area. Now it’s being restored to the natural wetland that was once there.

10/13/2026

Join us on Zoom today at 6 pm to learn all about southeast Massachusetts' coastal plain ponds, why these habitats are so important, and how landowners can make a difference.

Get the details 👇

🌿 ⚠️ Help protect our coastal plain ponds

These rare pond and pondshore habitats are incredibly sensitive—and human disturbance can have lasting impacts.

🌱 Simple actions make a difference: conserve water, protect natural shorelines, reduce runoff, maintain septic systems, and support vegetated buffers around wetlands.

To learn more, join Mass Audubon and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife for a talk exploring the natural history and unique ecology of Massachusetts’ Coastal Plain Ponds, the threats facing these special habitats, and the important role private landowners can play in protecting and restoring Coastal Plain Ponds for future generations.

There are two options to attend:
• In person at the Plymouth Public Library: Wednesday, October 7, 2026, from 2:00-4:00 pm
• Zoom presentation: Tuesday, October 13, 2026, from 6:00-8:00 pm

Get the details and register at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/masswildlifes-coastal-plain-ponds-initiative

Together, we can help keep these unique habitats healthy for generations to come.

Address

60 Beaver Dam Road
Plymouth, MA
02360

Telephone

+15089271200

Website

https://secure2.convio.net/mas/site/Donation2?df_id=3960&3960.donation=form1&set.SingleDesignee=3541&to_sanctuary_name=D

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