Dick and Nancy Eales Preserve at Moosic Mountain
© Nicholas Tonelli Dick and Nancy Eales Preserve at Moosic Mountain
Contrary to its name, the Moosic Mountain “barrens” comprise a healthy mosaic of stunted pine and oak forest dominated by heaths that attract a broad array of birds, butterflies, and moths. The Nature Conservancy identifies this site as one of the largest intact scrub oak/heath communities left in North America. This rare and sensitive wildland contains fire-adapted plants like scrub oak and pitch pines and low-growing heaths such as huckleberries, blueberries, rhodora, and other acidic soil-loving plants that do well in the cold, windy environment. These plants support a broad array of birds, butterflies, and moths.
