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Introducing at
At Brook Farm Preschool , it ’ s nature AND nurture .
Ages 2-4 Offering two calendars : 11 months or 9.5 months Inspiring learning spaces on our 26-acre campus
Implementing the Reggio Emilia approach where the environment is the third teacher
Over 40 more days of education , care , and coverage than other independent schools
Gated security
Inquire now for Fall 2024 enrollment by visiting BerkshireCountryDay . org / Brook-Farm acreage was acquired through more than ten purchases and donations from 1963 to 2000 to reach its current 357 acres .
By foot , it is one of the best places around in the Berkshires to enjoy springtime wildflowers . There are a handful of trails there , including the Ledges , Cedar Hill , Craggy Knoll , Eaton , Bailey , and Spero Trails , and the Boulder , Hal Borland , Tulip Tree , and Tractor Path Trails across Weatogue Road in the meadow known as Ashley Field . The hike up Hurlbert Hill reaches 1,000 feet to a 20-acre upland field on the Massachusetts-Connecticut border with fantastic panorama views northward up the Housatonic River Valley — a view spanning Mount Everett on the left all the way across the Housatonic Valley to East Mountain on the right .
When I was there last , I chose the Ledges TraiI , set out on the . 5-mile loop , and was surrounded by the budding greenness of springtime . The trail had several short ups and downs , and I was immediately treated to a few wild geraniums . Their deep purple color was so pleasing to the eye . Next I came upon a small Herb Robert with its pink- and red-striped petals open wide .
Finally , a few steps nearer to the Housatonic River were the stars of the show . They were lovely clusters of columbines . They were a beautiful saturated red in color and they were absolutely the scene-stealers . Then I came out on a small tree-lined bluff overlooking the meandering Housatonic . How peaceful !
On the way back , I spotted a couple of interesting things . First , there was a small outcrop of pure marble . It was formed deep in the bedrock by heat , folding , and pressure from that continental collision so long ago . It was so pretty with its white crystalline rock . Second , there was a little cave on the hillside to my left , formed over the ages by water dripping through limestone .
I wasn ’ t finished yet , though . Across Weatogue Road , the property includes a large meadow with wide-open Berkshire views that is also great bobolink habitat . A couple of trails wind through it , and I loved being in a breezy sea of grasses , asters , and buttercups .
If you ’ re here earlier in the spring , you may see other flowers in the park , too , including trillium , Dutchman ’ s Breeches , Jack-in-the-pulpit , and violets . They emerge when sunlight warms the forest floor , before the trees open their leaves to shade the undergrowth . It is during that time ( and in early fall ) that migrating birds pass through ; the ferns peak in June .
Adjacent to the property is the historic Colonel John Ashley House , which is also on the African American Trail in the Berkshires . Enslaved Elizabeth Freeman left Ashley house and sued for her freedom , setting the stage for abolishing slavery in Massachusetts . The house is the beginning of the African American Heritage Trail in the Housatonic Valley .
Go to thetrustees . org for a trail map and more information on Bartholomew ’ s Cobble . The Trustees boasts a number of other locations in the Berkshires that are good for seeing wildflowers . The Mountain Meadow Preserve in Williamstown features fringed gentian , asters , and bluestem . You can also check out The Trustees ’ Questing property in New Marlborough , Tyringham Cobble in Tyringham , Beartown State Forest in Monterey , and Field Farm in Williamstown .
Visit Lime Kiln Farm in Sheffield , a Mass Audubon property include two miles of well-marked walking trails that include two loop trails and a
68 // BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE Holiday Spring 2024 2023