Bates Land is the oldest parcel stewarded by the Groton Conservation Trust. It is a beloved area for picnics and hiking up Indian Hill for sweeping views of Groton Hill Music, the Groton School church tower, even Mt. Monadnock and Temple mountain in the distance.

In 2022, the Trust updated the area to address several key areas:

• Expansion and reconfiguration of the existing non-paved parking area to accommodate increased parking. 

• Replacement of the existing crossing of James Brook with and open-bottom box culvert of equal open area.

• Construction of an accessible path.

• Removal of invasive species and restoration of existing meadows to increase the presence of native grasses and wildflowers.

Now with all the construction complete, the Harvey Whitehill Memorial picnic area has become a beautiful park. It is full of natural wildflowers and grasses. These support many native pollinators such as butterflies of all varieties like the Red Spotted Purple below; bumble bees; accidental pollinators like dragonflies; even the intriguing Hummingbird Moth. It is full bloom now, with accessible paths mowed through. With the iNaturalist app on your phone, see how many plants and creatures you can find.