Bear Swamp
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Bear Swamp
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| location | Massachusetts , United States | |
| WDPA ID | 55553049 | |
| Geographical location | 42 ° 32 ' N , 72 ° 50' W | |
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| Setup date | 1968 | |
| administration | The Trustees of Reservations | |
Bear Swamp is a 285 acres (1.2 km² ) large nature reserve at Ashfield in the northwest of the State of Massachusetts of the United States . It is managed by The Trustees of Reservations organization and is accessible free of charge.
history
In the 18th century, the area was largely cleared by the European settlers and used as sheep pasture and for other agriculture . In the 1960s, Esther and Philip Steinmetz began to buy and preserve land, under the impression that more and more natural areas were being lost, which they were also able to convince other residents of the area to do. Today a plaque at the Apple Valley Overlook commemorates this. In 1968 they donated the acquired land to the trustees, and other areas followed from other donors. The organization was last able to acquire land in this area in 1997.
Protected area
There are around 3 mi (4.8 km ) of hiking trails available in the reserve . A beaver pond and extensive orchard meadows are special attractions . Today the land, which was formerly used as pasture, is again largely overgrown with trees and bushes and has large areas of forest.
While seasonal hunting is permitted, mountain biking is explicitly prohibited.
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Property History. The Trustees of Reservations , accessed September 30, 2013 .
- ↑ About Bear Swamp. The Trustees of Reservations , accessed September 30, 2013 .
- ↑ Regulations & Advisories. The Trustees of Reservations , accessed September 30, 2013 .