Bartholomew's Cobble
Encyclopedia
Bartholomew's Cobble is a 329 acres (1.3 km²) National Natural Landmark
, open space preserve, agricultural preserve, and bio-reserve located in southwest Massachusetts
in the village of Ashley Falls
abutting Canaan, Connecticut
. The preserve contains over 800 plant species including North America
's greatest diversity of fern
s and the greatest overall biodiversity in Berkshire County, Massachusetts
; it also contains Massachusetts' highest populations of ground nesting bobolink
s. It was declared a National Natural Landmark
in October 1971
The preserve includes two rocky knolls for which the property is named (the Cobbles), as well as floodplain along the Konkapot
and Housatonic River
s, working hayfields and pastures, meadows, and 1000 feet (304.8 m) Hurlburt's Hill, an open hilltop with a panoramic
view of The Berkshires
, the Taconic Mountains
, and the Housatonic River Valley. The property has been owned and managed by the non-profit conservation organization The Trustees of Reservations
since 1946. Hiking trails and an interpretive center and museum are located on the preserve. Rangers and staff lead guided canoe
trips on the Housatonic River in season.
word kobel or koble, usually applied to small, rocky, rounded and exposed hill.
The property was originally occupied by the Mahican tribe and subsequently settled by Colonel John Ashley, a New England colonial revolutionary for whom Ashely Falls is named. Ashley built a house near the Cobbles—the Colonel John Ashley House
--now a historic site also managed by The Trustees of Reservations.
The property was farmland and pasture before it came into the hands of The Trustees of the Reservations in 1946. Additional acreage was acquired through more than ten purchases and donations from 1963 to 2000.
_-_detail.jpg)
Several factors contribute to the biodiversity of Bartholomew's Cobble. First, the region is so spacially and climatically located that it contains a number of species that reach the northern or southern limit of their range in North America. Second, the property is located at the boundary of two distinct state bioregions: the marble
valley lowlands of The Berkshires
geology and the Taconic uplands
. Third, the Cobbles, twin rocky knolls abutting the Housatonic River
, are composed of quartzite
, an acid
ic rock, and marble
, an alkali
ne (calcareous
) rock. This produces high variation in soil chemistry, which in turn supports species of ferns and other plants that do not normally grow in close proximity to one another. Fern species include the Walking fern
, Maidenhair spleenwort
, Mountain spleenwort
, Maidenhair fern
, Bulblet fern
, Marginal woodfern
, Polypody
, Ostrich fern, and Evergreen woodfern
. Flowering plant species include Red Columbine, Herb Robert, Northern prickly ash
, Bloodroot
, Spring beauty, Bergamot
, Mayapple, and Round-lobed hepatica.
West of the Cobbles, the landscape changes to open managed hay
fields dotted with eastern red cedar
and then to upland forest
s of red oak, eastern hemlock
, yellow birch
, shagbark hickory
, sugar maple
, and black birch
. Rare upland species include the Great Blue Lobelia
. Hay fields are managed to preserve habitat for ground nesting bobolink
s.
Along the Housatonic and Konkapot River
floodplain are located a number of oxbow lake
s, wetlands, open pasture, and riverine
forests. Species include the Great blue heron
, Bobcat
, Northern pike
, New England cottontail
, Bald eagle
, Eastern Cottonwood
, American sycamore
, Black willow, and Stinging nettle
.
Bartholomew's Cobble is an important migratory bird habitat. Over 250 species of bird have been documented on the property, including the Bank swallow, Bobolink, Bald eagle, Red tailed hawk, Blue heron, Great Egret
, Wood duck
, and Pileated Woodpecker
.
Bartholemew's Cobble, located on Weatogue Road in Ashley Falls, is open during daylight hours. In order to protect the delicate ecology of the area, no pet
s are allowed on the property.
Over 5 miles (8 km) of moderately difficult hiking
trails are located on the preserve, including The Ledges Trail a self-guided interpretive walk that runs over and around the Cobbles. The visitor's center and museum include displays of natural and human history, photography, art, and taxidermic
displays of local animals, birds, and bird eggs. The Trustees of Reservations offers guided natural history tours led by naturalists
with proceeds supporting conservation work at Bartholomew's Cobble including wildlife
research
, invasive species
control, protecting endangered species
, and restoring native habitat
s.
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
, open space preserve, agricultural preserve, and bio-reserve located in southwest Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in the village of Ashley Falls
Sheffield, Massachusetts
Not to be confused with the city of Sheffield in the UK, or Sheffield, Vermont.Sheffield is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,257 at the 2010 census. Sheffield is home to...
abutting Canaan, Connecticut
Canaan, Connecticut
Canaan is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,081 at the 2000 census. The town of Canaan is often referred to locally by the name of its principal constituent village, Falls Village.-Geography:...
. The preserve contains over 800 plant species including North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
's greatest diversity of fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s and the greatest overall biodiversity in Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Berkshire County is a non-governmental county located on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 131,219. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield...
; it also contains Massachusetts' highest populations of ground nesting bobolink
Bobolink
The Bobolink is a small New World blackbird and the only member of genus Dolichonyx.-Description:Adults are 16–18 cm long with short finch-like bills. They weigh about . Adult males are mostly black, although they do display creamy napes, and white scapulars, lower backs and rumps...
s. It was declared a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
in October 1971
The preserve includes two rocky knolls for which the property is named (the Cobbles), as well as floodplain along the Konkapot
Konkapot River
The Konkapot River is a river in southwestern Massachusetts and northern Connecticut. It is a tributary of the Housatonic River, not to be confused with the smaller Konkapot Brook in Stockbridge ....
and Housatonic River
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River is a river, approximately long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about of southwestern New England into Long Island Sound...
s, working hayfields and pastures, meadows, and 1000 feet (304.8 m) Hurlburt's Hill, an open hilltop with a panoramic
Panorama
A panorama is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model....
view of The Berkshires
The Berkshires
The Berkshires , is a highland geologic region located in the western parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut.Also referred to as the Berkshire Hills, Berkshire Mountains, and Berkshire Plateau, the region enjoys a vibrant tourism industry based on music, arts, and recreation.-Definition:The term...
, the Taconic Mountains
Taconic Mountains
The Taconic Mountains or Taconic Range are a physiographic section of the larger New England province and part of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border of New York State and adjacent New England from northwest Connecticut to western Massachusetts, north to central western...
, and the Housatonic River Valley. The property has been owned and managed by the non-profit conservation organization The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the oldest regional land trust in the world and has 100,000 dues-paying members...
since 1946. Hiking trails and an interpretive center and museum are located on the preserve. Rangers and staff lead guided canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
trips on the Housatonic River in season.
History
Cobble is derived from the GermanGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
word kobel or koble, usually applied to small, rocky, rounded and exposed hill.
The property was originally occupied by the Mahican tribe and subsequently settled by Colonel John Ashley, a New England colonial revolutionary for whom Ashely Falls is named. Ashley built a house near the Cobbles—the Colonel John Ashley House
Colonel John Ashley House
The Colonel John Ashley House is a registered National Historic Landmark located on Cooper Hill Road, Sheffield, Massachusetts...
--now a historic site also managed by The Trustees of Reservations.
The property was farmland and pasture before it came into the hands of The Trustees of the Reservations in 1946. Additional acreage was acquired through more than ten purchases and donations from 1963 to 2000.
Biodiversity
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
valley lowlands of The Berkshires
The Berkshires
The Berkshires , is a highland geologic region located in the western parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut.Also referred to as the Berkshire Hills, Berkshire Mountains, and Berkshire Plateau, the region enjoys a vibrant tourism industry based on music, arts, and recreation.-Definition:The term...
geology and the Taconic uplands
Taconic Mountains
The Taconic Mountains or Taconic Range are a physiographic section of the larger New England province and part of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border of New York State and adjacent New England from northwest Connecticut to western Massachusetts, north to central western...
. Third, the Cobbles, twin rocky knolls abutting the Housatonic River
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River is a river, approximately long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about of southwestern New England into Long Island Sound...
, are composed of quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
, an acid
Acid
An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red...
ic rock, and marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, an alkali
Alkali
In chemistry, an alkali is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal element. Some authors also define an alkali as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7. The adjective alkaline is commonly used in English as a synonym for base,...
ne (calcareous
Calcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
) rock. This produces high variation in soil chemistry, which in turn supports species of ferns and other plants that do not normally grow in close proximity to one another. Fern species include the Walking fern
Asplenium rhizophyllum
Asplenium rhizophyllum, the American Walking Fern, is a rare, low lying fern native to North America. It is a close relative of Asplenium ruprechtii which is found in East Asia and also goes by the common name of walking fern.-Description:The name walking fern was derived from the way the fern...
, Maidenhair spleenwort
Asplenium trichomanes
Asplenium trichomanes is a small fern in the spleenwort genus Asplenium. It is a widespread and common species, occurring almost worldwide in a variety of rocky habitats. It is a variable fern with several subspecies.-Description:It grows in tufts from a short rhizome...
, Mountain spleenwort
Asplenium montanum
Asplenium montanum is commonly known as the mountain spleenwort, a simple reflection of the scientific name. It is a small but intricately divided fern of acid rocks. Typically, it grows in rock crevices into which moisture seeps from within the rock strata...
, Maidenhair fern
Adiantum pedatum
Adiantum pedatum is a maidenhair fern native to moist woodland in eastern North America.Adiantum aleuticum was once considered a subspecies...
, Bulblet fern
Cystopteris bulbifera
Cystopteris bulbifera ' is a low-growing rock fern with creeping stems and narrow elongate deltate fronds which grow to 75 cm , native to eastern North America with two disjunct populations in the west. It is found only on calcareous substrates such as limestone. It commonly festoons limestone cave...
, Marginal woodfern
Dryopteris marginalis
Dryopteris marginalis is known as the marginal shield fern or marginal wood fern. The marginal wood fern favors damp shady areas and is found throughout eastern North America. It favors moderately acid to circumneutral soils. It favors cooler areas, but is fairly drought-resistant once established...
, Polypody
Polypodium
Polypodium is a genus of 75–100 species of true ferns, widely distributed throughout the world, with the highest species diversity in the tropics. The name is derived from Ancient Greek poly "many" + podion "little foot", on account of the foot-like appearance of the rhizome and its branches...
, Ostrich fern, and Evergreen woodfern
Dryopteris intermedia
Dryopteris intermedia A. Gray, the intermediate wood fern, is an evergreen eastern North American species also occasionally found in Europe. It is a diploid species, and is the parent of several species of hybrid origin, including Dryopteris carthusiana.This fern is often confused with several...
. Flowering plant species include Red Columbine, Herb Robert, Northern prickly ash
Zanthoxylum americanum
Zanthoxylum americanum, the Common Prickly-ash, Common Pricklyash, Common Prickly Ash or Northern Prickly-ash , is an aromatic shrub or small tree native to central and eastern portions of the United States and Canada...
, Bloodroot
Bloodroot
Bloodroot is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia, Canada southward to Florida, United States...
, Spring beauty, Bergamot
Monarda didyma
Monarda didyma is an aromatic herb in the family Lamiaceae, native to eastern North America from Maine west to Ohio and south to northern Georgia. Its name is derived from its odor, which is considered similar to that of the bergamot orange...
, Mayapple, and Round-lobed hepatica.
West of the Cobbles, the landscape changes to open managed hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
fields dotted with eastern red cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Juniperus virginiana is a species of juniper native to eastern North America, from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, east of the Great Plains...
and then to upland forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s of red oak, eastern hemlock
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
, yellow birch
Yellow Birch
Betula alleghaniensis , is a species of birch native to eastern North America, from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, southern Quebec and Ontario, and the southeast corner of Manitoba in Canada, west to Minnesota, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia.It is a...
, shagbark hickory
Shagbark Hickory
Carya ovata, the Shagbark Hickory, is a common hickory in the eastern United States and southeast Canada. It is a large deciduous tree, growing up to 27 m tall, and will live up to 200 years. Mature Shagbarks are easy to recognize because, as their name implies, they have shaggy bark...
, sugar maple
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum is a species of maple native to the hardwood forests of northeastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario, and south to Georgia and Texas...
, and black birch
Black Birch
Black Birch may refer to:* Betula lenta* Betula nigra* Black Birch Ridge outside of Blenheim on the South Island of New Zealand* the Black Birch Astrometric Observatory at Black Birch Ridge...
. Rare upland species include the Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
The Great Blue Lobelia is a species within the Campanulaceae family. It is an herbaceous, perennial dicot native to eastern and central Canada and United States. Growing up to a meter tall, it lives in zones 4 to 9 in moist to wet soils. It produces a spike of zygomorphic flowers in the late...
. Hay fields are managed to preserve habitat for ground nesting bobolink
Bobolink
The Bobolink is a small New World blackbird and the only member of genus Dolichonyx.-Description:Adults are 16–18 cm long with short finch-like bills. They weigh about . Adult males are mostly black, although they do display creamy napes, and white scapulars, lower backs and rumps...
s.
Along the Housatonic and Konkapot River
Konkapot River
The Konkapot River is a river in southwestern Massachusetts and northern Connecticut. It is a tributary of the Housatonic River, not to be confused with the smaller Konkapot Brook in Stockbridge ....
floodplain are located a number of oxbow lake
Oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off to create a lake. This landform is called an oxbow lake for the distinctive curved shape, named after part of a yoke for oxen. In Australia, an oxbow lake is called a billabong, derived...
s, wetlands, open pasture, and riverine
Riparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by...
forests. Species include the Great blue heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
, Bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
, Northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
, New England cottontail
New England Cottontail
The New England Cottontail is a species of cottontail rabbit represented by fragmented populations in areas of New England, specifically from southern Maine to southern New York...
, Bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
, Eastern Cottonwood
Eastern Cottonwood
Populus deltoides, the eastern cottonwood, is a cottonwood poplar native to North America, growing throughout the eastern, central, and southwestern United States, the southernmost part of eastern Canada, and northeastern Mexico.-Description:...
, American sycamore
American sycamore
Platanus occidentalis, also known as American Sycamore, American plane, Occidental plane, and Buttonwood, is one of the species of Platanus native to North America...
, Black willow, and Stinging nettle
Stinging nettle
Stinging nettle or common nettle, Urtica dioica, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant, native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America, and is the best-known member of the nettle genus Urtica...
.
Bartholomew's Cobble is an important migratory bird habitat. Over 250 species of bird have been documented on the property, including the Bank swallow, Bobolink, Bald eagle, Red tailed hawk, Blue heron, Great Egret
Great Egret
The Great Egret , also known as the Great White Egret or Common Egret, White Heron, or Great White Heron, is a large, widely-distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized...
, Wood duck
Wood Duck
The Wood Duck or Carolina Duck is a species of duck found in North America. It is one of the most colourful of North American waterfowl.-Description:...
, and Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
The Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...
.
Recreation and education
Pet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
s are allowed on the property.
Over 5 miles (8 km) of moderately difficult hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trails are located on the preserve, including The Ledges Trail a self-guided interpretive walk that runs over and around the Cobbles. The visitor's center and museum include displays of natural and human history, photography, art, and taxidermic
Taxidermy
Taxidermy is the act of mounting or reproducing dead animals for display or for other sources of study. Taxidermy can be done on all vertebrate species of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians...
displays of local animals, birds, and bird eggs. The Trustees of Reservations offers guided natural history tours led by naturalists
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
with proceeds supporting conservation work at Bartholomew's Cobble including wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
, invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
control, protecting endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, and restoring native habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s.