Now you should be standing near the pond at the bottom of the stream.
Look back up the hill toward the stream, which flows between the Benjamin Nye Homestead and the Grange Hall. Compare it to the picture in your audio guide, taken of the stream in 1904. This stream was built in 1769 as a herring run around Nye's Mill. After spending time in the nearby ocean, herring, or alewives as they were also known, returned each spring to the fresh water of the Nye Pond to spawn.
Turning back toward the pool, you might see any number of wild and aquatic animals, including turtles, frogs, fish, ducks, and other creatures. Sometimes an otter will pass through looking for food, and an otter slide can usually be seen heading down towards the marsh about 20 feet before you reach the fish ladder. Can you see the otter's slidemarks down the hill and into the woods?
Take a minute to enjoy the view overlooking the marsh. Can you see the railroad tracks in the beyond? The railroad arrived in 1854, and it transformed commerce in East Sandwich.
When you are ready, please walk over the foot bridge and take a left into the woods. Be warned that the ground may be damp in places.
