Viburnum Woods

This forested conservation area, situated on the northern slope of Parsonage Hill in Haverhill, features a diverse canopy of native hardwoods — including oak, maple, beech, ash, birch, and hickory — above a healthy understory of striking mapleleaf viburnums, which lends the property its name, along with ironwood and seasonal wildflowers.

Running through this rich woodland is Camp Brook, a year-round stream that supports the plants and animals in its waters and along its banks and feeds into the Merrimack River. The surrounding intact forest plays a vital role in maintaining clean water, biodiversity, clean air, and climate resilience.

In 2024, Greenbelt acquired this property in partnership with the City of Haverhill, which used a State LAND grant to purchase a conservation restriction. The acquisition created public access to an otherwise landlocked woodlot gifted to Greenbelt in 1992.

Flora
These woodlands are bisected by Camp Brook, a rocky stream nestled in a gentle valley that the surrounding land slopes down to meet. North of the brook, an open Oak-Pine forest supports a dense understory of mapleleaf viburnum and lowbush blueberry. As the forest descends toward the stream, white pines give way to oaks, and the understory becomes richer, with beds of Christmas fern, witch-hazel, ironwood, and seasonal wildflowers joining the viburnum. As you cross Camp Brook and head south and uphill, the Oak-Pine forest gives way to a young stand of Aspen and Birch trees.The interior of the property has very few invasive plants, leaving plenty of room for native forest plants to grow and thrive.|

Fauna
Camp Brook’s clear, cool water provides a home for various species of fish and aquatic insects, while the surrounding forest floor offers prime habitat for spring peepers and wood frogs. At least four species of woodpecker call this property home: red-bellied woodpeckers, pileated woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, and northern flickers. Oaks and hickories supply ample food for gray squirrels, chipmunks, and wild turkeys. Patient birders may spot a scarlet tanager, black-throated green warbler, blue-headed vireo, and other migratory and resident songbirds hidden in the canopy.