Soule Homestead is an extremely biodiverse property. Because of this we feel lucky that this property attracts so many different animals, birds, inspects, and more. We are lucky enough to offer community garden plots for rent and a number of nature trails on our property. To learn more about them click the links below:
Community Gardens
Nature Trails
Ecology at Soule
Wetlands
Walk down the farm road towards the back of the property to checked out our Wetlands wildlife learning board and spot some of our farm wildlife who reside there. Here are some of the places that we sourced for information for that board.
Learn more about:
- Massachusetts Wetlands
- Odonates (Dragonflies & Damselflies)
- More about the Baltimore Checkerspot below!
- Reptiles and amphibians in Massachusetts
- More about frogs
- Spotted turtles
- Taunton River Watershed
- Vernal Pools
Forests
Located at the fork in the main nature trails at Soule you can find more information about what makes up a forest and its many layers. Open the mailbox to find a leaf identification guide game. If you walk the loop of the lollipop trail you can learn how to identify the leaves of 5 different trees in the forest here.
Our plan is to have this activity rotate with others throughout the year.
*Please help us to keep this activity going by returning the sheets back to the mailbox upon finishing the activity. Thank you!
This project was put into place with the help of a number of our summer 2025 teens from our Leaders in Training Program!
Baltimore Checkerspot Butterflies
The Baltimore Checkerspot has been spotted at the farm. Likely owed to our wetlands and expanses of meadow and hay fields at Soule, this butterfly has been spotted in a number of areas around the farm from the community gardens to the back fields.
More information about this species can be found at the Mass Audubon Butterfly website.
American Chestnuts at Soule
More info on our American Chestnuts coming soon!
Birds at Soule
Cornell Hotspot at Soule Homestead
Soule Homestead is home to a Cornell Institute eBird hotspot. Our guests of all ages are always delighted by the variety of species that can be found around the farm. While we love when people unplug and connect with nature, we also love apps that help us to expand our experience. We’re huge fans of the Merlin Bird ID app. It’s incredibly fun to use and help us to learn more about the bird species here at Soule Homestead.
For more information about OUR hotspot here at Soule Homestead check out this link: HERE
Pollinator Garden – Gold Award Project
The Gold Award is the highest level of award that a Girl Scout can achieve. It involves developing and implementing sustainable solutions to issues in the community or world. For her project, Abigail Young, of Girl Scout Troop 89065, decided to make a pollinator and medicinal plants garden here at Soule. She explained, “The amount of pollinators on our planet has been decreasing steadily, and one way that we can help is to make pollinator gardens. This gives them a place to feed, nest, and rest. I’ve chosen many plants that have spectacular flowers for bees and butterflies to pollinate from. I was very excited to introduce many younger Girl Scout troops to the Gold Award and pollinator gardens through their help in planting in my garden. Another important aspect I wanted to highlight was medicinal plants, as they have historically had many Ingenious and non-Western medical uses that I’ve found to be incredibly fascinating. I have learned so much about building a garden from scratch, and the importance of pollinator gardens in our world right now. I’m so grateful to Soule Homestead for letting me make my Gold Award Garden at home here, in this beautiful and welcoming environment!” We are so excited to see her garden continue to flourish at Soule!