Westway Road Open Space
Acquired:  1964
Acreage:  2.68 acres
Uses:  wildlife conservation, wetland protection
Access:  west side of Westway Road at intersection with Oxford Road

Directions:

US 95 north to exit 19; turn right onto Center Street; turn right onto Pequot Avenue; turn right onto Westway Road; pass under the railroad tracks and turn left following Westway Road at its intersection with Oxford Road (on the right). Park along the right (north) side of the road.

Trails:

11/14/2005. The property is at the northwest corner of the intersection of Westway Road and Oxford Road, which is just beyond the railroad tracks. This is a small piece of woods with Sasco Creek at its back along with the accompanying Phragmites australis (giant reed grass) marsh along that creek. The west side of the woods is dominated by maple, while the east side by oak. Walked in the woods along the creek. Then came out onto Westway Road and walked over to the bridge. Nice views from here. Noticed that the Creek is still tidal at this point, with the high tide proceeding up stream. Turned around and walked along the road back to the car. Dr. Patrick L. Cooney.

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
* = plant blooming on date of field trip, 11/14/2005

Trees:
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Platanus x hybrida (London plane)     planted  
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Quercus alba (white oak)
Quercus rubra (red oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust)

Shrubs:
Baccharis halimifolia (groundsel bush)
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Euonymus alatus (winged euonymus)
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow’s honeysuckle)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)

Vines:
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Smilax glauca (sawbrier)
Smilax rotundifolia (round-leaved greenbrier)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)

Herbs:
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)
Daucus carota (Queen Anne’s lace)
Iris sp. (blue or yellow flag)
Lepidium virginicum (poor man’s pepper)
Linaria vulgaris (butter and eggs) *
Solidago sp. (goldenrod)
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein)

Grasses:
Bromus inermis (smooth brome grass)
Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass)
Eragrostis spectabilis (purple love grass)
Phragmites australis (giant reed grass) marsh
Schizachyrium scoparium (little blue stem grass)
Setaria faberi (nodding foxtail grass)
Tridens flavus (purple top grass)