2008 Greater Barrington - May

Greater BARRINGTON Volume IV, Issue One

Complimentary

The Great Outdoors in

Great Barrington

May 2008

see page 2 for more

photo by Michael Flower

Winter can officially be declared history, and now is the time to get out and enjoy some of the beautiful nature trails, wildlife preservations and scenery of the southern Berkshires! The Great Barrington area is jam-packed with walking, biking, climbing, canoeing and wildlife-watching venues. Some of them are free, but some do have nominal entrance fees. Below are some of the most popular, so be sure to enjoy them before the summer heat arrives! Lake Mansfield in Great Barrington Overseen by the Lake Mansfield Alliance, a non-profit group of local citizens, who work to protect the lake for generations to come. They describe the lake as “...a 40 acre body of water less than a mile from downtown Great Barrington...historically a site for recreation, social gatherings, and

solitude. Generations of swimmers have enjoyed its cool waters. Walkers, runners, and bikers of all ages enjoy its lovely landscape as they venture outdoors in search of tranquility and beauty. The lake is a place where nature dominates and the changing of seasons resounds. It is a vital and essential open space that needs and deserves protection...” Upcoming Events at Lake Mansfield include: • Pond Paddlers - Join the Pond Paddling Team. Complete a wildlife inventory and invasive species checklist. Contact our office to sign up for a time that works for you 413528-3391. • Lake Mansfield Conservation Forest Trail Project - Consider becoming a Trail Builder, help us improve our Lake Mansfield Recreational Area, contact the office at 413528-3391. continued on page 3

Berkshire South Regional Community Center-

Your Community Center Enjoy the Bounty of the Berkshires Farmer’s Markets are back for the season! Come out and meet area farmers who have been busily starting seeds, making syrup, baking delicious homemade goodies and preparing all of the wonderful items they offer. Below are the locations, times and dates for the markets in the Great Barington area. You can also check out the Berkshire Grown Web site at www.berkshiregrown.org for a comprehensive listing of all farm stands, PYO facilities, growers and CSA farms in the area as well.

Farmers’ Market Listing! page 4

Berkshire South Regional Community Center-

Your Community Center

Some of the ﬁrst things you might notice about Berkshire South Regional Community Center are the space, the light and the sounds. If it is a weekday you may hear the giggling of the Sunshine Preschool students as they wind their way through the building on some grand adventure. You may hear a thumping beat coming from the Jaffe Audi-

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torium as an exercise class tackles an hour of aerobics or dance. You will deﬁnitely notice the constant buzz and energy around the reception desk as guests and members check-in with the smiling staff. Perhaps you will witness a group of Big Brothers and Big Sisters with their “littles” heading for the pool, or the bustle of the daily “Meals on Wheels” volunteers getting out their daily deliveries, or hear the clicking of tap shoes as Community Access to the Arts has a dance class. What you will learn from these observations is that BSRCC is quickly living up to its name, and becoming a center of the Great Barrington area community. The entire staff of the center is sincerely dedicated to meeting their mission “to build a sense of community and common purpose throughout the region and to enhance the recreational, educational, cultural, health and social well being of the residents of the southern Berkshires.” That sense of belonging and well being is easily illustrated by Executive Director Eliza Crescentini’s ofﬁce door. This simple steel and glass structure is, quite literally, open to anyone who should need to speak with her. She can often be seen in the lobby listening to groups of retired ladies clad in spandex, or to teenagers from the Lennox Foundation Youth Center,

or even hosting more official meetings with staff and board members, through the large windows in her office. The point is, that she is setting an example that the rest of the staff is encouraged to emulate – “listen to your community and respond.” This is just what the founders of the Community Center set out to do, as the BSRCC Web site explains: “In 1996, a group of community leaders met to discuss the issue of economic diversity and lack of access by many to the few recreational, cultural, educational and social activities that existed in south Berkshire County. Their answer to the problem was to build a community center that offered quality and affordable programs to all ages, regardless of financial needs. This became their mission and they called themselves Berkshire South Regional Community Center. In 1997, the Berkshire United Way and the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation presented their Lodestar I Report. The report identified the six most pressing issues that they could address: access to child care, family violence, gaps in health care, lack of recreational facilities and programs, substance abuse and teenage pregnancies.

Greater Barrington

In South County, the top issue was the lack of recreational facilities and programs. At the same time, a group of volunteers interviewed over 108 key leaders representing non-proﬁt agencies, businesses, government agencies and schools. It became apparent that there was a glaring gap in services to youth, the elderly, and families. The Community Center facility was completed and opened its doors in July of 2002. Since then, the Community Center has served thousands of children, adults, senior citizens and families from the 17 towns in South County, as well as some from the surrounding New York and Connecticut towns which border the Berkshires. To date, the Community Center has granted over $100,000 in Financial Aid for Membership and Program assistance. In 2004 alone, 70.6% of Community Center Membership Aid has been awarded to Families and Single-Parent Families; 99.2% of the aid awarded for programs at the Community Center has been put toward Youth Programs such as school vacation camps, after school enrichment classes, and summer camp. This points out the serious need in our community for quality, affordcontinued on page 5

May 2008

The Great Outdoors in Great Barrington Great Barrington Housatonic River Walk From the Great Barrington River Walk Web site: “The Housatonic River in Berkshire County is a ‘working river’ abused by years of industrial waste and neglect. It is also a river of great wildlife beauty. The Great Barrington Housatonic River Walk, a project of The Great Barrington Land Conservancy, brings the river back into our lives by tackling riverbank clean-ups with tangible and immediate results, using community volunteers. In exchange for the clean-ups, property owners grant public access and permission to install a community-walking trail. This is the first public greenway trail being installed on the Housatonic River in Massachusetts and has become a model for other local communities. At the same time, its hands-on educational program is a regular presence in the community. The long-range material goal of the project is to extend the Housatonic River Walk approximately one-half mile between Great Barrington’s two downtown bridges. Since 1988, 2000 local volunteers, with approximately half of them children, have removed over 400 tons of rubbish and construction debris from eight sites on the Housatonic River in downtown Great Barrington, including the remains of a building destroyed by fire and pushed over the bank. Volunteers have restored and landscaped the riverbank and produced a half-mile of nature and walking trail. The physical building of River Walk is a means to achieving a far more substantial goal of bringing people back to the river by engaging volunteers in stewardship activities in hands-on ways. To ensure the river’s future protection, project organizers use volunteers instead of hired professionals wherever possible. If each member of the community picks up one piece of trash from the river, it will never be abused again. As volunteers work to clean and protect the river, they become examples to others who walk along completed sections of trail just feet away. Volunteers have installed drainage systems to filter oil and sediment from a parking lot’s water runoff, ‘flow forms’ to purify water from a municipal storm drain, erosion control materials, irrigation and bioengineering, ‘compost tea’ soil enhancements, native species plantings, and non-toxic and recycled materials and applications.”

continued from page 1 Volunteer Information & Schedule Volunteers are most welcome to clean up and restore the Housatonic Riverbank in Great Barrington and continue the Housatonic River Walk trail. River Walk is a 1⁄2 mile public walking trail entering between Brooks Pharmacy and Pink Cloud on Main Street. Another section of trail follows the river along Berkshire Corporation and the old Searles Middle School. Workdays may take place in one or both places. This year’s focus will be on removing ‘invasive exotics’ and replanting with native trees, shrubs and plants, including wetland plants in the W.E.B. Du Bois River Garden, and the new overlook honoring electrical inventor William Stanley. A map of the walk, along with complete details, can be found on the Web site at www.gbriverwalk.org W. E. B. Du Bois River Garden River Walk volunteers reclaimed an area that had served unofficially as a dump, creating a small park with lovely native plantings and a stone sitting area. This park, which serves as an entrance to River Walk, is located a few paces from where Du Bois was born. The park includes a “rain garden” where storm water from the street is collected and cleansed by wetland plants before making its way to the river. The River Garden is located at the Church Street entrance to the River Walk in downtown, Great Barrington. Trustees of Reservations Properties Caring for 96 reservations totaling more than 20,000 acres of land across Massachusetts, the Trustees of Reservations relies entirely on the generosity of individuals, foundations, and companies to “preserve, for public use and enjoyment, landscapes of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts and to protect special places across the state.” When founded in 1891 by landscape architect Charles Eliot, the term “reservations” was used to describe Eliot’s own notion of “park-making,” favoring the selection of natural or cultural landscapes that had inherent beauty and interest then improving, preserving, and opening them to the public, a vision that has guided the mission of The Trustees of Reservations ever since. Currently the organization finds that it is “up against” the ever-increasing pressures of development and even climate change as it races to protect the distinct character of our communities and to inspire within all of us a commitment to preserve our region’s irreplacecontinued on page 6

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Great Barrington Farmers’ Market May 10 – October 25 Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 44 Castle Street, Great Barrington

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Farmer’s Market Farmers’ Market at the Nutrition Ctr. June 4 – August 27 Wednesdays from 3-7 p.m. 94 West Ave., Great Barrington

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Farmers’ Market in Lenox May 9 – October 17 Fridays from 2-6 p.m. Aspinwall, 293 Main St., Lenox Hilltop Orchard Farmers’ Market Lee/Mass Pike service area, eastbound, Lee, MA Contact Donna Hill at for details 617-248-2962 Open-Air/Seasonal

Lee Farmers’ Market Town parking lot, Main Street Lee, MA 01238 Contact Amy Wedder for details 413-243-3088 Fridays - Open-Air/Seasonal WIC Coupons accepted Lenox Farmers’ Market 55 Pittsﬁeld Road, Route 7 & 20, Lenox Shops May 12 - October 28 Fridays 3PM - 7PM Farmers’ Market in Otis May 10 – October 25 Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 2000 East Otis Rd., Otis Farmers’ Market in Shefﬁeld May 9 – October 17 Fridays from 2-6 p.m. 340 S. Main St., Otis

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Greater Barrington

May 2008

Berkshire South Regional Community Center-

Your Community Center continued from page 2

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able youth programs. On September 1, 2004, Berkshire South Regional Community Center and Southern Berkshire Youth Association ofﬁcially combined their resources in an effort to address just such needs. Listen to your community and respond – this is certainly something we should all work to do, whether in small ways or on a grander scale, such as BSRCC. If you would like to play a part in your Community Center why not volunteer. BSRCC is always hosting a huge assortment of daily and special events, and are happy to welcome single or groups of volunteers or donations. Check out their Web site to see just what they need, or what events are taking place – www.berkshiresouth.org. Berkshire South Regional Community Center is a non-sectarian, non-proﬁt organization open to all, regardless of ability to pay. It is located at 15 Crissey Rd. in Great Barrington and can be contacted by phone at 413-528-2810, or by e-mail at info@berkshiresouth. org.

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Upcoming Special Events at Berkshire South Mother & Son Dance will be held on Saturday, May 10 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Buy your tickets in advance and save! Ticket prices are as follows: Member Advance tickets: Child $3 Adult $5, family limit $20 Members at the door: Child $5 Adult $7, family limit $29 Advance Guest Tickets: Child $5 Adult $7, family limit $29 Guests at the door: Child $7 Adult $9, family limit $39 The monthly free lecture series continues on Wednesday, May 21 from 7-8 p.m. with “Heart Health” with Kristine Bahr (MS Nutritionist & Counselor) and Joanna Ezinga (MS Certiﬁed Personal Trainer & USAT Certiﬁed Triathlon Coach). Please plan to join us! Members are free; guests pay just $3.00 per person. Childcare is available with advance notice - free to members; $7.00 for guests.

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Sunglass Sale ��

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The Great Outdoors in Great Barrington able natural and cultural treasures. In order to achieve such goals the Trustees of Reservations works to protect private lands c a p e s through the use of perpetual conservation restrictions, and frequent collaborations with other groups and government agencies that share the same mission. They also offer expert assistance and advice on conservation and preservation techniques to individuals and organizations. For a full list of their managed sites, and detailed directions, visit their web site at www.thetrustees. org. Below are the properties the group oversees in the Great Barrington area, and nearby: Ashintully - Sodem Road, Tyringham Ashintully (Gaelic meaning “on the brow of the hill”) was the name given to the original 1,000-acre estate assembled in the early 20th century by Egyptologist and two-time state representative, Robb de Peyster Tytus from three farms in Tyringham and additional land in Otis. The gardens blend several natural features - a rushing stream, native deciduous trees, a rounded knoll, and rising flanking meadows - into an ordered arrangement with both formal and informal beauty. Garden features include the Fountain Pond, Pine Park, Rams Head Terrace, Bowling

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Green, Regency Bridge, and Trellis Triptych. Urns, columns, and statuary ornament the garden, while foot bridges, footpaths, stone stairs, and grassy terraces connect various parts of the garden. In 1997, Ashintully Gardens received the H. Hollis Hunnewell Medal, established in 1870 by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society to recognize gardens of country residences embellished with rare and desirable ornamental trees and shrubs. A half-mile woodland loop trail leads to the ruins of the Marble Palace. Moderate walking. From these ruins, visitors can take in a distant view north through the Tyringham Valley. Bartholomew’s Cobble - Weatogue Road, Ashley Falls, Sheffield Bartholomew’s Cobble is home to one of North America’s greatest diversities of fern species and their allies, as well as abundant woodland wildflowers. The Reservation is named for its two rocky knolls that rise above the Housatonic River. These cobbles consist mostly of limestone and marble, whose alkaline soil supports an unusual array of flora. Away from the cobbles, the landscape changes to open fields dotted with red cedars and then to forest. Freshwater marshes and beaver ponds are home to many types of plants and animals. The high point at Bartholomew’s Cobble, Hurlburt’s Hill, rises 1,000 feet to a twenty-acre upland field on the Massachusetts-Connecticut border that offers panoramic views northward up the Housatonic River Valley. In total, the Reservation’s numerous and varied habitats feature more than 800 species of vascular plants and more forest types than anywhere else in Berkshire County. For this reason, the National Park Service designated Bartholomew’s Cobble a

National Natural Landmark in 1971. There a 5 miles of trails, offering moderate hiking. There is also a Visitor’s Center and Natural History Museum (handicapped-accessible public restrooms). Tours and Programs The Trustees of Reservations offers guided natural history canoe tours that help adults and children (12 and older) explore the natural wonders of Bartholomew’s Cobble and the Housatonic River. All guided tours are led by expert naturalists, and proceeds support ongoing conservation work at Bartholomew’s Cobble, including conducting wildlife research, protecting endangered species, and restoring native habitats. Visitors may also participate in upcoming workshops, lectures, and children’s programs. • Housatonic Paddle – Guided Canoe Trips: Memorial Day, May 26 from 9 a.m. to noon; Sundays, June 1, 8, 15 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.; Saturdays, June 21, 28 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. On these guided paddles, we’ll explore the rich and varied habitats of the winding Housatonic. Fees apply, pre-register by calling 413-229-8600 • Volunteer Work Days - Help the staff weed the Cobble of its nasty exotic invasive species! Learn how to identify and conserve our native species. Volunteer on Thursdays in the spring, summer, and fall, 9 a.m. to noon. For details call 413-229-8600. Dry Hill - Old North Road, New Marlborough This wooded reservation is part of a complex of rocky summits, ridgelines, and valleys that are known collectively as Dry Hill. Dry, acidic oak forest covers the upper slopes and ridge tops. Dense thickets of mountain laurel alternate with more open areas featuring low bush blueberry, sheep laurel, starflower, bellwort, and Canada mayflower. continued on page 7

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The Great Outdoors in Great Barrington A loop trail encircles a shallow stream drainage area that contains several vernal ponds and a red maple and hemlock swamp with a diverse mix of ferns and herbs, including trout lily, dwarf ginseng, miterwort, foamflower, and wood horsetail. Dry Hill is part of a larger landscape of contiguous forest critical as habitat for large mammals and for many species of woodland birds, such as the black-throated blue warbler. There 1.5 miles of trails, most are moderate hiking, strenuous in places. Goose Pond Reservation - Goose Pond, Lee A trip across Lower Goose Pond to the far reaches of its northern shore brings you to an Appalachian wilderness. Goose Pond Reservation protects more than a quarter-mile of rocky shoreline and rises nearly 300 feet to a peak at 1,753 feet. The mountain lake and its surrounding forest are adjacent to conservation land owned and managed by the National Park Service and crossed by the Appalachian Trail. The Reservation is managed as a wilderness area. McLennan Reservation - Fenn Road, Tyringham and Otis Round Mountain and its neighbor, Long Mountain, form the backdrop for the McLennan Reservation, nearly 500 acres of forested hills and wetlands that comprise the southeastern end of Tyringham Valley. In the saddle between these 1,500-foot elevations lies Hale Swamp, created when beavers dammed Camp Brook long ago. Run-off from the swamp and its adjacent hills feeds several brooks that empty into Hop Brook. While early farmers cleared much of the forest, many old tree stands remain on less accessible slopes. From the entrance, a 1.5-mile trail follows the graceful rises and dips of this densely forested landscape before reaching the high plateau where Hale Swamp is located. The Reservation was once part of the Ashintully estate, whose gardens are located at the southern end of the valley. Monument Mountain - Route 7, Great Barrington For more than 20,000 visitors a year, a hike to Squaw Peak is an annual rite. The summit offers panoramic views of Southern Berkshire County. Three miles of trails, some steep, lead through a white pine and oak forest with mountain laurel, hemlock, maple, and birch. Stands of red pine were planted in the 1930s to reforest a landscape that had been heavily logged to provide charcoal for local iron smelters and was devastated by the loss of American chestnut trees.

continued from page 6 Naumkeag - Prospect Hill Road, Stockbridge Naumkeag is famous for its eight acres of terraced gardens and landscaped grounds surrounded by forty acres of woodland, meadow, and pasture that stretch to the Housatonic River Valley. The gardens and landscaped grounds, first designed in the late 1880s by Nathan Barrett, were transformed and expanded between 1926 and 1956 by Fletcher Steele and Mabel Choate. Separate garden “rooms” include the Afternoon Garden, Tree Peony Terrace, Rose Garden, Evergreen Garden, Chinese Garden, Arborvitae Walk, and Linden Walk. Perhaps the most famous feature of the landscape is Steele’s Blue Steps, a series of deep blue fountain pools flanked by four flights of stairs climbing up a gentle hillside and overhung by birch trees. Questing - New Marlborough Hill Road, New Marlborough Located on the flanks of Leffingwell Hill, Questing features extensive tracts of transitional hardwood forest, pockets of wetlands, small streams, and vernal pools. A seventeen-acre upland field of native meadow wildflowers attracts a variety of dragonflies and butterflies, including giant green darners and monarchs. From the parking area, an old woods road leads steeply to the upland field. From there, mowed paths encircle the field and connect to a trail that links to a forest loop trail. Cellar holes and stone walls, many fascinating in their construction, tell the story of the 200-year-old settlement known as Leffingwell, where the first non-Native American children were born in Berkshire County. This settlement was abandoned in the late nineteenth century as farmers migrated to the Midwest. Tyringham Cobble - Jerusalem Road, Tyringham Two miles of trails, including a section of the Appalachian Trail, pass over the twin knobs of Tyringham Cobble offering spectacular views of Tyringham Valley and, at the southern end of the Valley, the marble columns of Ashintully. Wildflowers, blackberries, blueberries, and wild strawberries grow in clearings and open meadows. Hop Brook meanders along the northern edge of the reservation. A two-mile loop trail traverses the property. Mount Everett State Reservation East St., Mt. Washington, 413-528-0330. In the extreme southwest corner of Massachusetts is a cluster of parks noted for their spectacular scenery and stunning views. They surround “The Dome” of Mount Everett in this 1,356 acre state reservation. Seasonal road access and parking is available to the Guilder Pond day-use area. From thereon a 0.75 mile path leads to the top of Mount Everett. At the 2,624-foot elev. summit, amidst an unusual dwarf pitch pine-scrub oak forest, is a breathtaking 360-degree panorama of Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut. Informal picnicking is available at Guilder Pond, which features a spectacular display of blooming mountain laurel and azalea in the spring. Hike the Appalachian Trail as it winds its way along the ridgeline and through Sage’s Ravine, or from the MA Rte. 41 trailhead, try the Race Brook Trail as it climbs beside a tumbling and falling brook. Mass Audubon Sanctuaries in the Great Barrington Area:

Lime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuary; Trail Hours: Open every day, 7 a.m. to dusk. The Lime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuary features two miles of trails that traverse rolling hayfields, wooded and shrub swamps, limestone ridge and outcrops, upland deciduous and conifer forest, and former pastures. The diverse habitat attracts butterflies as well as pileated woodpeckers, alder flycatchers, and eastern bluebirds. White-tailed deer also wander among the trees and fields. Stunning views of nearby Mount Everett (pictured) can be seen from the parking area and the vista point off the Taconic Vista Trail. A farm pond, stonewalls, and wire fences attest to the property’s long agricultural history. For a brief time limestone was quarried and turned into lime in the kiln still standing onsite today. The sanctuary is part of the 14,000-acre Schenob Brook Drainage Basin Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The sanctuary is located in Sheffield. For more information, contact Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries 413-637-0320 or e-mail berkshires@massaudubon.org. Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Center/Trail Hours: Nature Center: Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sunday, and Monday holidays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday (end of June through Columbus Day), 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Education Center: building houses handicap accessible rest rooms. Availability is limited in winter. Contact sanctuary for more information. Trails: Open on days the nature center is open, dawn to dusk Pleasant Valley’s thriving beaver population is one of the many fascinating features of this sanctuary. When you walk along Yokun Brook, take note of the “lodges” of tree branches and mud, where these nocturnal creatures spend their days. Salamander migrations are a major spring event along West Mountain Road. Seven miles of trails that wind through hardwood forest, meadows, wetlands, and along the slopes of Lenox Mountain make this site an excellent location for hiking. Canoe trips are offered regularly on the Housatonic River and area lakes from midMay through Columbus Day. This sanctuary has the following universally accessible facilities: Restrooms (Education Building), All Persons Trail, Barn, and Education Center. The sanctuary is located at 472 West Mountain Rd. in Lenox. For more information, contact Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries 413-637-0320 or e-mail berkshires@massaudubon.org

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