Rail Trails and Species Survival

As we approach World Wildlife Day on March 3, it is important to acknowledge that any species' survival depends on a suitable ecosystem, one that is interconnected with all the resources needed to thrive, such as water, vegetation, food sources—both prey and plants—and enough population to enable reproduction. Interconnection is key to keeping a species' population healthy. Blessed in greater Newburyport, we have some wonderful linear spaces that have become micro-refuges for multiple species at risk due to climate change.

Consider the Coastal Trails Coalition and the network of rail trails lacing their way through the cities of Amesbury, Newbury, Salisbury, and Newburyport. Most people may think of them as a nice place to jog or bike, or maybe a convenient way to get to the MBTA Commuter Rail. But they are more than recreational paths. They are micro-refuges in themselves.

The Salisbury rail trail, starting at the river and crossing marshes and forests to link onto Rt. 110 near the town center, is a widely diverse and interconnected area, home to both big snapping turtles and small painted turtles that climb out of the adjoining marsh edges and ponds to dig their nests and lay their eggs just off the trail edge.

This same path on the ‘night shift’ hosts transient species of all sorts that we day strollers don’t get to see, including owls, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, fisher cats, weasels, skunks, muskrats, deer, and minks. It’s a linear micro-refuge, but it also serves a bigger function as a species pathway to the Ghost Trail that winds through the northern backside of Rt. 110 into Amesbury.

The section of the Riverwalk Trail, starting behind Stop & Shop and leading to downtown Amesbury, includes a highly diverse mixture of native and non-native plants, as well as streams that link to the Pow Wow Basin and into the Merrimack at the Bailey Bridge. Along that length are numerous birds, deer, waterfowl, bats, foxes, skunks, and even occasional black bears in the wooded edges.

Considering their functioning in this light, all the rail trails form a mesh of interconnecting land bridges throughout our region. They connect diverse ecosystems of salt, brackish, and fresh water zones with a wide variety of edible plants and animal prey to support a multitude of species. These include the eagles who often nest in Maudslay, the shellfish growing in Joppa Flats, and the juvenile sturgeon who eat them. The overlay map of the Coastal Trails Network reveals the connection of this network to many varying micro-ecosystems.

As climate change pushes southern species northward and pollution from road runoff weakens our native habitats, we must not only preserve the narrow longitudinal ecosystems they represent but fortify them. An interesting learning project for a youth group could be a survey of species mix and population in this mesh network of micro-refuges.

We can enhance their interconnectedness by looking for small interventions that can expand pathways while looking for a little extra space along the way, perhaps as an amenity and open space in Amesbury’s Golden Triangle development area.

As climate change pressures species with habitat loss or degradation, we should be finding ways to enrich the habitats we already have to make them more resilient. Our coastal and rail trails seem to provide a scaffolding to begin that process.

Here are some questions to consider: Where along one of our local rail trails do you think small interventions could make a difference? A platform for osprey nests here or bluebird posts there? Eliminating highway margin mowing in places that can add cover for animal transit?

In the next twenty years, all of our northern species will feel the push from increases in heat as well as encroachment by southern species. We can all help them by visualizing ways to enhance our mesh network of micro-ecosystems known as rail trails. And then we should act to protect what we value. We welcome anyone interested in contributing to this effort to contact us.

ACES believes we can make a BIG difference together. Team members invite you to stay updated on environmental matters by subscribing to our monthly newsletter via the “Join Our List” link on this page. Please consider joining our community of stewards who are committed to Make Every Day Earth Day by contacting acesnewburyport@gmail.com.

This educational column first appeared in The Daily News of Newburyport on February 28, 2025.