Natural Mystic of Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

 

Less than a mile west of snarling traffic zipping along the four-lane artery known as in Lenox, Massachusetts, the sprawling Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary rests peacefully. This summer marks the eightieth anniversary of the 1,314-acre property, a treasured oasis of beaver ponds, fern gullies, and butterfly meadows, with seven miles of walking paths and hiking trails connecting it all.

 

“There’s a certain amount of complexity to the landscape,” says René Laubach, director of the Mass Audubon’s Berkshire Sanctuaries (which also includes Canoe Meadows in Pittsfield and Lime Kiln Farm in Sheffield) for a quarter-century. The diverse woodland, wetland, and grassland habitats are home to roughly seven hundred species of plants—about a dozen of which are rare, state-listed species—plus birds, animals, and other creatures galore.

 

Educationally driven, the sanctuary will soon install a series of interpretive signs along its most heavily trafficked Pikes Pond Trail, so that visitors arriving for a casual stroll might delve into the site’s rich history on their own. (Public programs and workshops are also held on a regular basis; the thriving children’s day camp has been in existence since 1947.)

 

To help fund its mission of providing access to and illuminating our inimitable environment, the private nonprofit hosts its own ticketed gala of sorts, the 80^th Anniversary Celebration: Crickets, Critters, and Cocktails, on August 8 [sponsored in part by Berkshire Living]—complete with live music, raffle, silent auction, and gourmet s’mores roasted over an outdoor bonfire.

 

“It’s a short trip mileage-wise, but it’s a long journey in some ways,” Laubach declares. “It’s tucked behind the hustle and bustle of everyday activity. Pleasant Valley is a good name.” [AUGUST 2009]

 

THE GOODS

Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
.
Lenox, Mass.

80^th Anniversary Celebration: Crickets, Critters, and Cocktails
August 8 at 6:30-9:30
$65