2019 October Enews

In this issue:

A New Bridge on Threemile Hill • Nature Discovery Backpacks Come to North Adams • Leaf Peeping, the Richmond Boulder Train, & More • A Dalton AT Community Event • TerraCorps Member • Sport Your Berkshire Pride on the Trails • Busy Boulders Beavers

"Fall color actually starts during the lazy days of high summer. Subtly decreasing amounts of daylight trigger the beginning of nitrogen re-absorption from the leaves back into the tree’s woody tissue. We cannot see this process. We cannot hear it or feel it…" 

Click here to keep reading the Northern Woodlands article.                                   

Photo by Gabrielle K. Murphy

Bring the apple cider and they will come.
Harvest season kicked off with a new bridge for the Threemile Hill Trail

Volunteers and representatives from MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Great Barrington Land Conservancy (GBLC), and Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) gathered at Fountain Pond on a chilly September morning. The goal for the day was to replace a rustic footbridge along the Threemile Hill Trail.

Background was given about the power of partnership before the workday began from GBLC, DCR, and BNRC representatives. The Threemile Hill Trail crosses property owned by DCR, BNRC, and Berkshire South Community Center and was accomplished through the Great Barrington Trails & Greenways collaboration. This trail connects to the more recent Community Health Programs Loop. Adam Morris, Forest and Park Regional Coordinator at DCR, also told the story of the land history and how what we see today is a clue into the past.

With an elevated understanding of the project, the crew began plugging away at the needed tasks: measuring the bridge site, felling two trees, bucking up and then debarking the trees, moving the prepared logs to their new home, securing them, and lastly, applying the finishing touches—easy enough? Absolutely, with a group of spirited volunteers! Five hours later (with a break for lunch, cider, and apple cake) the project was complete!   

The end result was satisfying to say the least. All involved left with a huge sense of gratitude for the artistic skills and physical efforts that go into trail structures and maintenance.   

Click here to view more photos.