Mountain Meadow Preserve

Mountain Meadow Preserve IUCN Category V - Protected Landscape / Seascape
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location	Massachusetts and Vermont , United States
surface	73 ha
WDPA ID	55553972
Geographical location	42 ° 44 ′  N , 73 ° 12 ′  W Coordinates: 42 ° 44 ′ 17 "  N , 73 ° 12 ′ 25"  W
Setup date	1998
administration	The Trustees of Reservations

Mountain Meadow Preserve is the name of a 180  acres (0.7  km² ) nature reserve in the urban areas of Williamstown and Pownal in the states of Massachusetts and Vermont in the United States . It is managed by The Trustees of Reservations organization.

history

It is believed that the Indians already used the hot springs located there to settle in their area. Due to its remote location and the Seven Years' War in North America (1754 to 1763), the European colonists only penetrated there relatively late - towards the end of the 18th century.

While the lower mountain slopes were used as arable and pasture areas, the higher areas were used for logging. In the middle of the 19th century, a gravel pit was also operated there.

Botanist Grace Greylock Niles, who chose Mount Greylock, visible from the reserve, as the model for her middle name, lived in the area for many years. In her book Bog Trotting for Orchids she describes the unique flora of the Hoosac Valley .

The protected area was established in 1998 and expanded to include additional properties in 2000.

Protected area

Approximately 4  mi (6.4  km ) of hiking trails pass through pasture and wooded areas, and provide good views of the surrounding Berkshire Mountains . The sanctuary offers a rich habitat for bears , coyotes , lynx , foxes and deer , but also for a large number of amphibians, reptiles and smaller mammals. Asters , prairie grasses, goldenrods and fringed gentians thrive in the open areas, and they form the basis of life for monarch butterflies and warblers .

Despite its comparatively small area, the reserve extends from an initial height of 690  ft (210.3  m ) near Williamstown to more than 1,100  ft (335.3  m ) in Vermont.

See also

• List of protected areas of the Trustees of Reservations

Individual evidence

1. ^ Grace Greylock Niles: Bog-trotting for orchids . GP Putnam's Sons, New York, London 1904, OCLC 2532378 .
2. ^ Property History. The Trustees of Reservations , accessed March 23, 2014 . 
3. ^ About Mountain Meadow Preserve. The Trustees of Reservations , accessed March 23, 2014 . 

Web links

• Mountain Meadow Preserve on TripAdvisor