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Housatonic Heritage walks

September 10 @ 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

Moon in the Pond Farm in Egremont offers quiet on a misty fall morning in the Berkshire Farm Table Cookbook.
Photo ©2020 by Robert Bildner

Housatonic Heritage explores the past, present and future in the Berkshires, in open spaces and downtowns, at historic sites and along trails. Walks set out from many places between Pittsfield and Northwest Connecticut, weaving together many times and places, people and lived experiences, and all of them are free. They will continue on Sunday and on weekends through September.

Moon in the Pond Farm and Drury Preserve in Sheffield — 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Dominic Palumbo at Moon in the Pond Farm explains how nature conservation and sustainable agriculture can live harmoniously side by side. Explore the unique beauty and nature of Schenob Brook with a spectacular view of the Berkshire-Taconic mountains, on a moderate hike with naturalist Rene Wendell from The Nature Conservancy and walk through the Moon In The Pond Farm and learn about this diverse, organic farm that TNC helped protect. Farmer Dominic Palumbo will give a tour of his farm, talk about eco-agriculture and his relationship with TNC. The farm store will be open, and fall bird migration will be at its height. The walk will run about 3 miles and 4 hours — to save your space, write to rene.wendell@tnc.org.

From Route 7 in Sheffield center, turn onto Berkshire School Road. In 0.25 mile, take a left onto Salisbury Road, and after 0.75 mile, turn left on Barnum Streer. and drive 1.3 miles; park on right side of road.

Wild edible hike at Tamarack Hollow — 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Led by naturalist and director of the Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center, Aimee Gelinas, leads this hike which features the unique high elevation flora of the boreal forest including tips for tree, plant and wild edible identification. The hike is free (donations accepted for Tamarack Hollow). Supported by the Berkshire Taconic Foundation Berkshire Environmental Endowment Fund & the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire & the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire. The walk will run about 2 miles and 2.5 hours — to save your space, write to aimee@gaiaroots.com

Tamarack Hollow says Please DO NOT USE a GPS to locate us on Savoy Hollow Road — you’ll need to enter Savoy Hollow Road from Griffin Hill Road off Route 116 in Savoy. From Route 8A and Route 116, head towards Savoy Center and Plainfield. Go through the center of Savoy and take your first right after the center of town onto River Road. Cross the bridge over the river and go immediately to your right up the hill – this is Griffin Hill Road, which will become Savoy Hollow Road. Keep on upward for about a mile until you reach Tamarack Hollow.

More info »

Steepletop Reserve in New Marlborough — 10 a.m. to noon

At 1,230 acres, Steepletop Reserve is the Berkshire Natural Resources Council’s largest reserve, containing five miles of marked and maintained trails, all on easy grades. Bring your binoculars (or they have some to lend) as the group explores the vast wetlands, stonewalls and cellar holes. The walk will run about 2 miles and 2.5 hours — to save your space, write to chood@bnrc.org

From Great Barrington, take Route 23 east to Monterey. Just after the Monterey line, bear right onto Route 57 / 183 into New Marlborough. Just before the Old Inn on the Green in New Marlborough, turn left onto North Road and follow it for 1.6 miles. Turn right at the steep, inclining driveway marked “684”. Bear right into our gravel parking lot at the top of the little hill. The trails begin right at the trailhead parking; there is a kiosk just beyond the gate.

Bicycle Tour around Pittsfield’s African American History Trail

Marge Cohan from the Berkshire Bike Path Council and Kamaar Telafaro bike ride to historic African American sites in Pittsfield and then enjoy a tour of the historic 1850s Rev. Samuel Harrison House. The Rev. Harrison was a regionally-prominent African-American minister who served as chaplain to the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War. This is a short bike ride, beginner cyclists welcomed, helmets required.
The ride will run 5 to 8 miles and 2.5 hours — to save your space, write to momimarge@msn.com. Meet at Persip Park, 175 North Street and Columbus Ave.

Laurel Hill Park stroll — 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Patricia Flinn for a leisurely history walk of the Laurel Hill Association‘s signature property, and continuing on to the Mary Flynn Trail, which is handicap accessible. The Association was founded in 1853, and is the oldest existing village improvement society in the U.S. Wear sensible walking shoes. The walk will run about 1.5 miles and 1.5 hours. Meet at the Stockbridge Town Offices building at 50 Main St., at the ‘Town Offices’ sign on the right side.

Tour the Ellen Battell Stoeckel Estate in Norfolk, Conn. — 1 to 3 p.m.

Barry Webber of the Norfolk Historical Society leads a guided tour of the unique and historic Ellen Battell Stoeckel Estate, which is the summer home of Yale University’s School of Art and School of Music, and several of the historic buildings have recently been renovated. The tour will include an overview of the family’s history, a timeline of the development of the estate buildings, and how it is used today. Walking is on paved surfaces but includes hills. The walk will run about 2 hours on .25 mile — to save your space, write to norfolk.ct.historical@gmail.com

The tour will start at the Norfolk Historical Society, 13 Village Green, to view the exhibition “Shedding Light: Two Hundred Years of Art & Music in Norfolk”

Tree ID walk at Springside Park — 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Take a leisurely tree identification walk with Chelsey Simmons from Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) in Springside Park, Pittsfield’s largest park and home to the Hebert Arboretum and an American Chestnut Preserve, and learn key characteristics of common trees in Western Massachusetts and get tips to help recognize them. The walk will be on paths with fairly even flat ground through fields and wooded areas. The walk will run about 1.5 miles and 2 hours — to save your space, write to chelsey@thebeatnews.org. Meet at the Hebert Arboretum parking lot, 874 North St, Pittsfield.

The Stockbridge-Munsee in Stockbridge — A walking tour with OLLI

Stockbridge was founded in 1737 as a mission and unique partnership with the Mohican nation. The Mohican community held their own township within the Commonwealth. They learned English from European incomers, and the Mohicans remained self-governing. The Stockbridge-Munsee community have worked with Housatonic Heritage and other local partners to create a tour of the most important Mohican sites along Stockbridge’s main street.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute member Michael Forbes Wilcox will lead a walking tour along Main Street to learn about the Mohicans who lived here for centuries and in Stockbridge in these 50 years and are still present today. Stops include the Carriage Barn at the Mission House, the burial ground and the site of the 2021 archeological dig for the Mohican meeting house. This walking tour has been developed by the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, highlighting the years in which they lived in Stockbridge. Presented in partnership with Housatonic Heritage Area. The walk will run about 1.5 hours and 1 mile — to save your space, visit https://berkshireolli.org/event-5366255

Explore Edith Wharton’s gardens — 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Anne Schuyler will guide you on an exploration of the impressive gardens and woodland trails of The Mount-Edith Wharton’s Estate, a 1902 home (a National Historic Landmark) of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edith Wharton. The walk does not include an interior house tour, which, for a fee, can be arranged before the free Heritage Walk. The walk will run less than a mile and 1.5 hours.

From Route 20 and 7 in Lenox, head south on Route 7 for 1 mile. and take a left turn onto Plunkett St. The Mount is right after making the turn. Meet at the ticket

Ancestors to Descendants — An Adamah Farm Walk — 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Janna Siller will give a walking tour of Adamah Farm, where the farmers grow produce using regenerative practices. As the group wanders through the perennial food forest, no-till fields and compost and chicken yard, you’ll explore how Adamah Farm honors their ancestors with their descendants in mind. The walk will run about 1 hour and .25 mile — to save your space, write to janna.siller@hazon.org

On Route 7 or on Route 126, about 2 miles south of the center of Falls Village, Adamah Farm sits on the corner of Beebe Hill and Johnson Roads. Park across the street from 181 Beebe Hill Road and meet there.

Boreal Forest walk and talk at Bascom Lodge — 5:30 p.m.

Learn about the ecology of high elevation Boreal Spruce-Fir forests on a short and easy plant/tree ID summit walk and a narrated slideshow in Bascom Lodge at the summit of Mt. Greylock with naturalist Aimee Gelinas, Director of the Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center. Program is free (donations accepted for the nature & cultural center) thanks to support from the Berkshire Taconic Foundation Berkshire Environmental Endowment & Barrett Funds. Stay for dinner after the free presentation at the Bascom lodge (where you can also have at the restaurant afterward if you choose). The walk and talk will run 1.25 hours in .25 mile. To save your space, write to aimee@gaiaroots.com.

Meet at Bascom Lodge at the summit of Mount Greylock – the address is 3 Summit Road, Adams. The summit can be reached by taking Rockwell Road from the Lanesboro side or Notch Road from the North Adams side.

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Event Details

Details

Date:
September 10
Time:
9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Event Categories:
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Event Location

Housatonic Heritage
24 Main St.
Salisbury, CT
860-435-9505

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