Hollow Fields Reserve Doubles in Size• Sport Your Berkshire Pride on the Trails • The 10th Annual Berkshire Bioblitz • Heritage Hikes, Leaf Peeping, & More • Free Summer Hike Series with Transportation from Pittsfield • Pollinators & Blooming Flowers on the Old Mill Trail
Hints of fall on the Hoosac Range
Hobblebush serves a variety of wildlife. Browsers eat its twigs and leaves. It is a favorite deer browse, especially in winter. Game birds, songbirds, and mammals eat the fruit, although it is not taken in great abundance. It is also a larval host and a nectar source for the Spring Azure butterfly.
Photo by Elodie Reed
Hollow Fields Doubles in Size Trail improvements to come!
A scenic 342-acre forest adjoining the New York state line is now protected forever, thanks to a partnership between the Town of Richmond, Richmond Land Trust and Berkshire Natural Resources Council. This acquisition links 1,300 acres of conservation land south of Route 20, including Bates Memorial State Park.
The acreage, now owned and managed by BNRC, includes the Richmond Overlook (aka Scotty’s Lookout) and Perry’s Peak.
The Hollow Fields reserve was established through two donations of land, and in partnership with the Richmond Land Trust. This recent purchase was also supported by the Town.
Trail improvements to the new parcel will take place in the near future, including those that lead to the Overlook and Perry’s Peak.
Join us on an upcoming walk to explore the expansion!
Pictured: Nicole Pyser, BNRC’s Stewardship Coordinator, with a surveyor from Kelly Granger Parsons at the stone state monument.
Housatonic Heritage Hike, October Mt. State Forest, Lee Sunday, September 8, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Hike the first section of the proposed "Highlands Footpath" and learn about the High Road Project and of the Civilian Conservation Corps in October Mountain State Forest.
Ashmere Island Canoe & Kayak Trip, Hinsdale Wednesday, September 11, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Did you know that Berkshire Natural Resources Council owns an island? Join us on a paddle trip to explore it!
Housatonic Heritage Hike, The Boulders, Pittsfield Saturday, September 21, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Learn about the land use and natural history of this diverse 645-acre reserve nestled primarily within Pittsfield city limits.
Housatonic Heritage Hike, Old Mill Trail, Hinsdale Sunday, September 22, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Join a pleasant walk along the East Branch of the Housatonic River, that follows the remnants of an early mill operation that once powered a thriving woolen mill.
