Our Sanctuaries

Makepeace & Mercy Lowe Sanctuaries, Mashpee, Massachusetts – 1998 & 2001 Once used as a woodlot to fuel the furnaces at the West Barnstable Brick Company, the 86 acre Makepeace sanctuary located in Mashpee is primarily a continuous pitch pine and oak species forest. The land was donated to Orenda by the heirs of Mr.…

Washington, Massachusetts, 34 acres – 2000 Situated in the heart of the Berkshires, this sanctuary is the last remaining parcel of what was once the donor’s grandfather’s dairy farm. It contains 34 acres of undeveloped natural woodlands and wetlands, with large, mature cherry, ash, beech, maple and pine trees. A pure spring and lively stream…

Meadow Lane, West Barnstable, Massachusetts, 9 acres – 1988 Orenda’s first sanctuary on Cape Cod. The property was acquired from the Estate of Ina Davidson by Barbara and Charles Birdsey in January of 1988 and then donated to Orenda. Back in the 1600’s, The Cedars was part of a large land grant given by the…

2003: Orenda acquires the Red Brook Land parcel in Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge. Ken Marsters of Mashpee donated this one acre with 300 feet frontage on the stream and thus created a link to acres of protected open space. It is a great spot to start a walk into the refuge.

Mashpee, Massachusetts, 35 acres – 2010 Although this property has a history of contamination from military activities associated with the adjacent Massachusetts Military Reservation, this 35 acre sanctuary is a key linkage in the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge. It includes part of a tributary wetland and stream that provides habitat for ducks and other water…