About this Event
One of the most accessible old-growth forests in the state, the Town of Stockbridge’s Ice Glen is a glacial ravine the sides of which are covered with old-stand pine and hemlock. Its north-south orientation protects the glen from much direct sunlight and also from inclement weather, allowing the pines to grow tall. Among them is reputedly the largest Eastern Hemlock in the state, towering some 132 feet tall, 10.2 feet in girth. The crags and crannies of the moss-covered rocks are said to harbor ice and snow into the summer, hence its name “Ice Glen.”
Our hike begins in a mature re-growth forest with a cathedral-like canopy, one of the tallest forests in Massachusetts. As we approach the ravine, old-growth characteristics become increasingly apparent. The 350-year-old Ice Glen Pine is at the end of the ravine, and then we will retrace our steps back to the parking lot. The trail is a little more than one mile out and back. Wear sturdy shoes for negotiating the ravine trail over large boulders.
Old-growth forest evangelist Bob Leverett is co-author of several books, including the Sierra Club Guide to Ancient Forests of the Northeast. A co-discoverer of most of the known old growth in Massachusetts, his association with old-growth forest confirmations dates to the mid-1980s. He has been the central figure in the Ancient Eastern Forests Conference Series that began in the 1990s. Bob is cofounder of the Native Tree Society, cofounder and President of Friends of Mohawk Trail State Forest, past Chair of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Forest Reserves Science Advisory Committee, and co-author of the American Forests Champion Tree-Measuring Guidelines Handbook. Educated as an engineer, Bob is a recognized expert in the discipline of tree measuring. He currently works with climate scientists to help measure carbon sequestration in individual trees.
Monica Jakuc (pronounced Ya’kutch) Leverett is a retired professor of music at Smith College, where she taught from 1969-2008. She is a classical music concert pianist. As Bob’s partner and wife, she has spent the last 18 years exploring forests with him, helping organize his work and events, editing his writings, and co-producing a film, “Enter This Wild Wood.”
Jared Lockwood is an independent botanist and ecologist, whose interest in big trees and old forests has brought him to many of our state’s most exceptional forested sites. He is a member of the Native Tree Society, board member of Friends of Mohawk Trail State Forest, and member of the Champion Tree Certification Cadre and the Measurement Advisory Team for the National Champion Tree Program. He finds himself drawn to both the largest vascular plants as well as to the most minuscule nonvascular plants that grace the landscape.
Do you want to learn more about the Old-Growth Forest Network?
Find out more at www.oldgrowthforest.net!
Event venue & nearby stays
Ice Glen Trail, 7MFV+RC Massachusetts, Stockbridge, United States
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