A Run For — Not From — MA Wildlife Coming To Wayne F. MacCallum Area

WESTBOROUGH, MA — You probably shouldn't run toward creatures like skunks, black bears and rattlesnakes.

But you can run for them.

An upcoming MassWildlife trail run in Westborough and Northborough will raise money for conservation efforts across the state, including preserving habitats for the over 400 plants and animals listed under the state's endangered species act.

The Sept. 24 event will take place at the 900-acre Wayne F. MacCallum Wildlife Management Area. The management area's trails will offer either 5K or 10K courses for adults and older kids. There will also be a 1-mile fun-run course for kids under age 12.

"The course through the Wildlife Management Area is a mix of double and single track trails and will be marked with flags and signs. The Kids Fun Run will take place on a marked loop with adults at each turn to ensure that no one gets off course," MassWildlife says.

If you're curious about what creatures the run will support, the state has compiled a map showing where and when the last they were seen in every city and town in the state — like the mocha emerald butterfly, last seen in Braintree in 1989, or the marbled salamander, last seen in Salem in the early 1800s. Or the hairy beard-tongue flower, absent from Worcester for more than 100 years.

Register for the run and find out more about the course on the MassWildlife website.