John Miller, president of the Brookfield Open Space Legacy, Inc. (BOSLI), is enthusiastic about wild flowers, wild bushes, birds, trees, and animals — and he knows where the wild things are. A student of biology in college, he taught science briefly, but fate led him to a career in the corporate world. However, he never lost his love of science and biology, and his enthusiasm is contagious.

BOSLI is a private, 501-3(c) non-profit land trust, completely separate from the Brookfield Conservation commission. Its main purpose, Miller says, is to leave the land as pristine as possible, to preserve it for insects and salamanders and other small reptiles as well as birds and animals. He hikes the two trails of Birch Rocks Sanctuary often and has spotted great horned owls and barred owls, piliated woodpeckers, wood grouse, wood thrushes, hepatica and lady slippers, three species of newts and red and gray foxes, among many others. 

The wood grouse seem to have disappeared, but you can hear the wood thrush sing in July and August early in the morning, Miller says.

“They’ll fly as high as they can get in the trees. It’s the only bird I know that sings double notes — that is, the bird hits two notes almost simultaneously.”

At 104 acres, Birch Rocks is the largest of the Legacy’s six open space properties. Accessed from Obtuse Road North, its yellow trail, about a mile long, leads to Lake Lillinonah. It is fairly level after a moderate descent, and connects with the red trail, which loops around to meet the yellow trail again. The Open Space Legacy encourages only passive recreation on its parcels — hiking, birding, snowshoeing and perhaps just quietly contemplating nature for a few hours, in the spirit of Henry David Thoreau. They also ask that people carry out anything they bring in with them. 

Elizabeth DeLambert, BOSLI’s secretary, comments, “Years ago, some of Brookfield’s old families, the Burrs, the Gurskis and others, felt the need to protect land that couldn’t be developed and preserve it for recreation and open space, so they founded BOSLI in 1965 with the Westermans’ donation of the Birch Rocks 104 acres and Violet Watson’s easement along the west side of that property.”

They’re private, she adds.

“We don’t answer to the town, but that means we’re dependent on donations. Some people have lived in town for years and they’ve never even heard of us. This is open space intended for residents, and we want them to enjoy it.”

BOSLI properties are administered by a board of nine directors who hold monthly meetings and approve all decisions about the open space parcels. Board meetings are open to anyone interested in learning more about the land trust, and they can be contacted by e-mail.

BOSLI’S second largest parcel, the 21-acre Hop Brook Sanctuary, is best accessed from High Acres Road and offers a walk of about a half mile, including a lovely raised wooden walkway for observing wetland flora and fauna. 

The Loeb parcel, 18 acres off Obtuse South, straddles the Brookfield-Newtown border and has a short path from the road through a usually wet, wooded area. The land rises sharply to a high, open hillside that offers 30-mile views south and west. 

Newbury Woods, among BOSLI’S smallest properties, consists of 6.6 land-locked acres close to the Loeb Sanctuary. In the spring, it is wet, with standing water in some areas and a brook running through the northern section, but currently there is no trail.

Kenwood Terrace, named for the nearby subdivision, is a 7-acre parcel behind the homes on the east side of Toby Lane. It also has no trail at present, but BOSLI plans to establish access and a trail in the future.

The Kahlo property, named for the family that donated it, is a 4-acre “pocket park” off Hop Brook Road. Its trail follows along Hop Brook about a half mile and requires crossing the brook on stones at one point. It features a small waterfall, a rock dam and ends at two large forked trees.

Thanks to the fierce storms we’ve had recently, the Kahlo Trail entrance is blocked by two downed trees, Miller explains, a situation that has provided Ian Richards, a Brookfield High School (BHS) student, with a project. To earn his Eagle Scout badge, Richards plans to clear the trees and build a small flat bridge over the brook. He is working to raise money for the bridge materials; he’s talking with an environmental engineer to design the bridge and is enlisting friends to help raise the money and clear the trail.

Miller adds that right now they have the same problem with their other properties, due to the storms. Most of the trails need clearing, he says, and they would welcome volunteers to come and help. In addition to trail maintenance and repair, volunteers are welcome to help with trail building, mapping, providing photos and writing newsletters about hikes, local parks, outdoor issues and literary pieces. 

Donations are tax deductible. Memberships are available — $15, member; $20, family; $50, naturalist; $100, trailblazer. Check the BOSLI website for further information.