| Dexter Drumlin | |
|---|---|
 Summit view from Dexter Drumlin | |
 Interactive map of Dexter Drumlin | |
| Established | 2000 |
| Operator | The Trustees of Reservations |
| Website | Dexter Drumlin |
| Dexter Drumlin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 311 ft (95 m) |
| Coordinates | 42°26′56″N71°41′14″W / 42.44889°N 71.68722°W /42.44889; -71.68722 |
| Geology | |
| Rock age(s) | glacial till landform; 10,000-15,000 years |
| Mountain type | drumlin |
Dexter Drumlin, formerly known asKilbourn Hill,[1] is a 311-foot (95 m)drumlin and a 38-acre (15 ha)open space reservation inLancaster, Massachusetts. The reservation includes a smalltributary of theNashua River and is managed byThe Trustees of Reservations. It is characterized by managed, open fields and offers scenic views of surrounding rural Lancaster.[2][3][4][5]
Asglaciers retreated from what is now theNew England landscape, distinctivehills were formed. When the last glacier moved across the New England landscape over 10,000 years ago, it formed distinctively shaped hills called "drumlins" running parallel to the path of the ancient ice flow. Dexter Drumlin is "a classic example"[2][5][6][7]
35 acres (140,000 m2) surrounding the drumlin was donated to the Trustees of Reservations by Lancaster "town father"Nathaniel Dexter by bequest in 2002.[4][5] The change of thetoponym from "Kilbourn Hill" to "Dexter Drumlin" was part of a Trustees of Reservationsrebranding effort in 2000 following their acquisition of the property.
The reservation consists of hayfield,transitional meadow, and wetlands. The stream that runs along the western side of the hill formswet meadows in lower terrain. Grasslandbird speciesnest and raise their young on the hill and in the adjacentfloodplains.[2]
Researchers atFitchburg State College have used the reservation as a place to study themating displays of malefireflies. Using specially designed devices to mimic the firefliesbioluminescence, the researchers found that the courtship flashes ofPhotinus ignitus males attracts both competitors and predators.[8]
Dexter Drumlin is open to hiking, picnicking,crosscountry skiing, mountain biking,sledding, andkite flying. A one-mile (1.6 km) longmowed, path passes over the crest of the drumlin and along the Nashua River tributary.[2] The property has been used forkite flying events.[9]Rockcollectors may discover "sacred crosses" ofchiastolite of a type considered to be of spiritual value by theAlgonquian peoples who once dominated the region.[10]
The reservation trailhead is located on George Hill Road across from Browning Elementary School in Lancaster.[4]
