The Newton Conservation Commission, with some assistance from the Newton Conservators, has begun a project to greatly improve the mapping and marking of conservation areas in Newton. The project includes these elements:
The Conservation Commission website has been enhanced by the addition of an overview page with a list of all conservation areas, an interactive map, and individual pages about each conservation area, such as this one for Kennard Conservation Area.
This snippet shows a small portion of the map of the city’s conservation areas:
Intersection markers have been placed at key locations along trails. Each marker has a large letter, as shown in the photo below from the Flowed Meadow Conservation Area. The letters appear on the map of Flowed Meadow.
Trail blazing has been added to help hikers follow the trails, as shown in the photo below.
New trailhead signs have been installed at entrances to all conservation areas. Each sign has a trail map of the area (showing the locations of lettered intersection markers), as well as a QR code with a link to a mobile-phone-friendly page about the conservation area on the Conservators website. Here’s an example of a linked page. It’s now easy for a hiker to download a copy of the trail map for use while walking the trail.
A new sign at the Frank Barney Conservation Area. Scanning the QR code, visible on the signpost in the photo above and enlarged below, takes the walker to a special web page, simplified for viewing on a smartphone, with links to maps and other information about the conservation area.
