Even as the weather begins to turn cooler, for many people walking is still the best exercise. The Singing Meadows Preserve off Cross Point Road in Edgecomb offers a nice place to walk outdoors, free from traffic where you can enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Two trips around the large preserve’s large loop equals a mile. 

The 16-acre parcel was a gift to the Boothbay Region Land Trust from the late Pauline “Polly” Tompkins, who resided in a rambling farmhouse across the road from the meadow. Dr. Tompkins was a distinguished scholar and passionate believer in conservation.

Singing Meadows has one trail starting near the apple trees which pretty much follows the perimeter of the property. It carries you through a broad meadow gradually up and down a small sloop over dry terrain, freshly mowed during my recent visit. What's nice is that one loop around takes no time at all and is about a half mile. The path is easy to traverse and you can go at whatever pace suits you.

BRLT describes Singing Meadows as a “living laboratory for nature studies.” The spacious meadow is ideal for summer insect collecting and bird watching. During my visits I spotted meadowlarks, chickadees, blue jays, starlings and crows. Droppings here and there show where deer have crossed the meadow to feed on the apples.

Towering oak trees surround the boundaries of the preserve that’s roughly rectangular-shaped. The rear of the property includes a rather large patch of milkweed known for attracting Monarch butterflies in late summer. At one time, the property stretched as far west as the Sheepscot River but was long since subdivided. The trail is divided in two. The “big loop” as it’s called is a half-mile from start to finish at the kiosk.

Singing Meadows Preserve is just a short drive from Wiscasset. From Davey Bridge take Eddy Road by the Water’s Edge banquet & function facility. Drive 1.1 miles to Cross Point Road. turn right by Edgecomb Congregational Church. The preserve is three-tenths of a mile on the right. You’ll see the sign and a small parking area. From Boothbay Center, drive 8.2 miles and take a left turn on the Eddy Road’s east end. Follow it to Cross Point Road and again turn at the church.

Dr. Tompkins was well known both locally and nationally. She was a former president of Cedar Crest College, a liberal arts school for women established in 1867 and located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Dr. Tompkins was the college’s first female president serving from 1967 until 1978. Earlier in her career Dr. Tompkins was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to serve on the nine-member United States Advisory Commission on International Education and Cultural Affairs. She was also a member of the Committee for Education, a part of President John F. Kennedy’s Commission on the Status of Women. She passed away in Nov. 2004 at the age of 86.

For more information on the Singing Meadows Preserve and other BRLT properties, visit brlt@bbrlt.org.