195-acre Millborn Farm Open to the Public in Sherborn
Millborn Farm in Sherborn and Millis will open to the public with a free afternoon event beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 20, according to a community announcement.
The Trustees plan a public celebration from 1-4 p.m. marking the debut of the 195-acre property, which includes trails, fields, forests, historic farm structures and access to the Charles River, according to the announcement.
Visitors can begin exploring the site starting at 1 p.m., with activities scheduled throughout the afternoon for families and individuals.
Activities and programs for opening event
The free event will feature a range of outdoor and educational activities, according to the announcement. Offerings include beginner birding walks, tree tours led by arborists, tree climbing demonstrations and guidance on ornamental pruning.
Additional attractions include a children’s tree climb organized with the Massachusetts Arborists Association, a family scavenger hunt, animal-themed crafts and an iNaturalist Bioblitz. Attendees can also see horses and hounds from the Norfolk Hunt Club and participate in a touch-a-tractor experience. Light refreshments will be available for the first 200 visitors.
The Trustees acquired Millborn Farm in 2024 and prepared the land for public access over the past two years, according to the announcement. The site marks the organization’s newest reservation in the Charles River Valley in more than 20 years.
The landscape includes stonewall-lined hay fields, wooded areas and more than a mile of shoreline along the Charles River, Bogastow Brook and South End Pond. About 75 acres are active hay fields and grasslands supporting pollinators, plants and wildlife.
Observers have documented 139 bird species on the property, and officials believe about 50 additional species may frequent the area, according to the announcement.
Millborn Farm represents the organization’s first designated water trail, connecting navigable river segments with other nearby reservations, according to the announcement.
The Charles River Water Trail links Millborn Farm to several properties, including Cedariver and Shattuck Reservation to the south and Bridge Island Meadows to the east across South End Pond.
Additional connected sites along the river corridor include Rocky Narrows in Sherborn; Medfield Meadow Lots in Medfield; Peters Reservation in Dover; and Charles River Peninsula in Needham. Trails from some of these locations also connect to other preserved areas in the region.
More information about the property is available online at thetrustees.org.