Wildlife at Wellesley

Wellesley’s bucolic campus is home not only to 2,300 students, but also to an impressive array of animals and plants whose presence enriches the landscape. Some creatures, such as deer and cottontail rabbits, blend in seamlessly with their surroundings. Others stand out, with colors that rival those of an artist’s palette. Hawks, owls, and Wellesley’s famous ravens, Henry and Pauline, survey the world—including us humans—from high atop trees or buildings.

These photos feature several of the species that share Wellesley’s acreage and silently remind us that careful attention is at the heart of discovery. How many have you seen as you have walked across campus? And how have those encounters, however brief, broadened your perspective of the world we share? Tell us on Facebook and Twitter.

Swans enjoy an afternoon swim in Lake Waban.

A hawk gets a bird’s-eye view from the top of Galen Stone Tower.

A goldfinch rests near Lake Waban.

A monarch butterfly finds sustenance in campus flowers.

A doe peers through the leaves.

Geese gather along the shore of Lake Waban.

A woodpecker enjoys a snack.

A squirrel surveys the scene from above.

A great blue heron wades among the lily pads.

Lily pads obscure a reflection of Galen Stone Tower and the Houghton Memorial Chapel above the unseen residents of Lake Waban.