The Berkshires - Citizendia

Please note that this article on the Berkshires is about a geologic and cultural region in the United States; for other uses, see Berkshire (disambiguation)

Berkshires
Berkshire Hills, Berkshire Mountains
Range
Country	United States
States	Massachusetts, Connecticut

Highest point	Crum Hill, Monroe, Massachusetts, 42°42′40″N 73°01′11″W / 42.71111, -73.01972Coordinates: 42°42′40″N 73°01′11″W / 42.71111, -73.01972
- elevation	2,841 ft (866 m)

Length	98 mi (158 km), north-south

Geology	metamorphic rock

The Berkshires (pronounced as /ˈbɹkʃɹs/ or /ˈbɹkʃɪɹs/) located in the western parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut, is both a specific highland geologic region and a broader associated cultural region. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Monroe is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Metamorphic rock is the result of the transformation of an existing rock type the protolith, in a process called Metamorphism, which means "change The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The region is also referred to as the Berkshire Hills, Berkshire Mountains, and, with regard to its physiography, Berkshire Plateau. Physical geography (also known as geosystems or physiography) is one of the three major subfields of Geography. Sir Francis Bernard, the Royal Governor, named the area "Berkshire," to honor of his home county in England. Sir Francis Bernard 1st Baronet ( 1712 - 16 June 1779) was a British colonial administrator who served as Governor in New Jersey Berkshire (ˈbɑːkʃə or /ˈbɑːkʃɪə/ say Baak-shuh/-sheer sometimes abbreviated to Berks) is a Home County in the South Tourism is a principal industry, relying heavily on cultural art attractions and recreation.

1 Definition and context
2 Geography
3 Ecology
4 Sightseeing
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Definition and context

Depending on the application, "The Berkshires" may have several different meanings. Politically, Berkshire County, Massachusetts was a governing body formed in 1761; it includes the western fifth of the state. For the Royal County of Berkshire UK see Berkshire Berkshire County is a non-governmental County located on the western Geologically and physically, the Berkshires are a southern continuation of the Green Mountains of Vermont, distinct from them only by their average lower elevation and by virtue of what side of the border they fall on. The Green Mountains are a Mountain range in the US state of Vermont. Vermont ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. As a physical geography, the Berkshires extend from the Housatonic and Hoosic River valleys in western Massachusetts, east to the western border of the Connecticut River valley in north central Massachusetts and the lower Westfield River valley in south central Massachusetts. The Housatonic River is a river approximately 149 mi (240 km long in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. The Hoosic River, also known as the Hoosac the Hoosick (primarily in New York and the Hoosuck (mostly archaic is a tributary of the Hudson River In Connecticut they extend from the upper Houstatonic River valley in the northwest part of the state, south along the western border of the state, east to the Farmington River valley in north central Connecticut, south to the Quinnipiac River valley in central Connecticut, then southwest to the Housatonic River valley in southwest Connecticut. The Farmington River is a river located in northwest Connecticut and southwest Massachusetts. The Quinnipiac River is a River in the New England region of the United States, located entirely in the state of Connecticut. Culturally, however, the term "Berkshires" includes all of the highland region in western Massachusetts west of the Connecticut River and lower Westfield River, and all of northwest Connecticut from the Farmington River valley in the northern part of the state in a diagonal arc west to Winsted and Litchfield, then southwest to Lake Candlewood on the New York border. The Connecticut River is the largest River in New England, flowing south from the Connecticut Lakes in northern New Hampshire, along the border Winsted is a Census-designated place and an incorporated city in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. Litchfield is a town in and former County seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer Candlewood Lake, 84 sq mi (218 km² is located in Western Connecticut. The cultural region also includes the Taconic Mountains bordering New York, which are geologically distinct from the Berkshire orogeny. The Taconic Mountains are a physiographic section of the larger New England province and part of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border Southwest Vermont and the Taconic region of New York are occasionally grouped with the Berkshires.

Geography

Geologically, the Berkshires are bordered on the west by the Taconic Mountains, the marble valleys of the Hoosic River and Housatonic River and, further south, by the Hudson Highlands; to the east, they are bordered by the Metacomet Ridge geology. The Taconic Mountains are a physiographic section of the larger New England province and part of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border Marble is a nonfoliated Metamorphic rock resulting from the Metamorphism of Limestone, composed mostly of Calcite (a crystalline form of The Hoosic River, also known as the Hoosac the Hoosick (primarily in New York and the Hoosuck (mostly archaic is a tributary of the Hudson River The Housatonic River is a river approximately 149 mi (240 km long in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. The Hudson Highlands are the Mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U The Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountians, or Metacomet Range of southern New England, United States is a narrow and steep Fault-block They are on the average 1,000 ft (300 m) lower and less prominent than the Green Mountains of Vermont, and form a broad, dissected plateau punctuated by hills and peaks and cut by river valleys. A dissected plateau is a Plateau area that has been uplifted then severely eroded so that the relief is sharp The Berkshires topography gradually diminishes in profile and elevation from west to east and from north to south, except where rivers have cut deep gorges and sharp bluff faces into the Berkshire plateau.

The highest point in the Berkshires geology is Crum Hill, 2,841 feet (866 m) of Monroe, Massachusetts; however, Mount Greylock of the Taconic Mountains, 3,491 ft (1,064 m), the highest point in the state of Massachusetts, is considered the high point of the Berkshires cultural region. Monroe is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Mount Greylock 3491 feet (1064 m is the highest point in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is located in the northwest corner of the state The average regional elevation of the Berkshires ranges from about 700 to 1,200 feet (213 to 365 meters). The Berkshires and related Green Mountains were formed over half a billion years ago when Africa collided with North America, pushing up the Appalachian Mountains and forming the bedrock of the Berkshires. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. Bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet usually the Earth. Erosion over hundreds of millions of years wore these mountains down to the hills that we see today.

The Housatonic River, Hoosic River, Westfield River, and Deerfield River watersheds drain the Berkshires region in Massachusetts; in Connecticut the main river drainages are the Farmington River, the Naugatuck River, the Shepaug River, and the Housatonic River. The Westfield River in Massachusetts flows through Westfield and empties into the Connecticut River at West Springfield Massachusetts. Deerfield River is a river that runs for from southern Vermont through northwestern Massachusetts to the Connecticut River. The Farmington River is a river located in northwest Connecticut and southwest Massachusetts. The Naugatuck River is a 65- Mile (105- km) long River in the US state of Connecticut. The Housatonic River is a river approximately 149 mi (240 km long in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States.

The largest municipalities associated with the Berkshires cultural region include Pittsfield, North Adams, Adams, Great Barrington, and Williamstown, Massachusetts; and Winsted, Connecticut. North Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Adams is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. Winsted is a Census-designated place and an incorporated city in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States.

Ecology

As a framework for assessing environmental resources, the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Massachusetts (Griffith et al. 1994) has defined six different types of "ecoregions" within this area: Taconic Mountains, Western New England Marble Valleys, Lower Berkshire Hills, Berkshire Highlands, Vermont Piedmont, and Berkshire Transition. Each region is distinct from the others providing a unique habitat assemblage. Much of the Hoosic and Housatonic River Valleys have underlying bedrock limestone and marble which contribute to calcareous wetlands, unique to Massachusetts. The alkaline pH waters support a diversity of plants and animals intolerant of more acidic waters, some which are state-listed rare or endangered. pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a Solution. Combined with the rich mesic forests ranging from the northern hardwood to the taiga or sub-alpine, makes for a valuable, biologically diverse ecosystem. In Ecology, a mesic habitat is a type of Habitat with a moderate or well-balanced supply of Moisture, i Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests temperate deciduous forest) --> are a Temperate and Humid Biome. Taiga (ˈtaɪgə from Turkic or Mongolian) is a Biome characterized by Coniferous forests

The classic study of the vegetation of the Berkshire Highlands was Egler's 1940 monograph,^[1] covering the flora of an area stretching roughly from Pittsfield, MA in the west to Hatfield, MA in the east, and from Goshen, CT in the south, north to the Vermont border. Vermont ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America.

Today, efforts are being made on behalf of many organizations to preserve and manage this region for biological diversity and sustainable human development. Recreation directly related to this ecology is a popular area for trout fishing, and the area's relative pristineness contributes to the popularity of nature walks in the region. See also: Natural History of the Berkshires

Sightseeing

The Berkshires in winter

The Berkshires are a popular tourist attraction and vacation getaway, serving the same function in relation to Connecticut and Massachusetts that the Catskills do in New York and the Poconos for Pennsylvania. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The Catskill Mountains (also known as simply the Catskills) a natural area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The Pocono Mountains region is a mountainous region of about 2400 square miles (6200 km² located in northeastern Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern With numerous trails, including part of the Appalachian Trail, large tracts of wilderness, parks like Kent Falls, Berkshire Botanical Garden and Hebert Arboretum the Berkshires are very popular with nature lovers. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply The A The Berkshire Botanical Garden, is a 15 acre (61 hectares Botanical garden in Stockbridge Massachusetts, USA. The Hebert Arboretum is a new Arboretum located at Springside Park in Pittsfield Massachusetts, USA. The range includes Bash Bish Falls, the tallest waterfall in Massachusetts. Summit From the top of the waterfalls known as the "Summit" one has a clear view across Massachusetts into New York State

Northwestern Connecticut features the covered bridges of Kent and West Cornwall, fly fishing, canoeing and spectacular fall foliage along the Housatonic River valley and the quiet woods and lichen-covered cracked granite hills of the Appalachian trail.

Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Tanglewood is an estate and Music venue in Lenox and Stockbridge Massachusetts and is the home of the annual summer Tanglewood Music Festival Lenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based at Symphony Hall in Boston Massachusetts, USA The Chapin Library at Williams College displays a wide selection of rare books and documents. Williams College is a highly selective private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The Norman Rockwell Museum, Clark Art Institute, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MassMoCA), and Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) comprise the region's diverse selection of art museums, and Gallery 51, Carrie Haddad Gallery and Kolok Gallery are three of the Area's highly regarded private art galleries. The Norman Rockwell Museum is home to the world's largest collection of original Rockwell art The Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute, usually referred to simply as "The Clark" is an art museum with a large and varied collection located in Williamstown The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, commonly referred to as MASS MoCA, is a Museum located in North Adams, Massachusetts, The Williams College Museum of Art (known as "WCMA" is an art museum located in Williamstown Massachusetts.

The area is also home to numerous summer stock theatre festivals, such as the Williamstown Theatre Festival (Williamstown), Berkshire Theatre Festival (Stockbridge), Shakespeare and Company (Lenox), and plays host to America's first and longest-running dance festival, Jacob's Pillow. Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts. Lenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Jacob’s Pillow is a National Historic Landmark located in the town of Becket Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The Berkshires are also home to dozens of summer camps, some of which date back to the turn of the 20th Century, the oldest being Becket Chimney Corners YMCA. Also, one of the most impressive camps being the all-boys camp Camp Greylock.

References

^ Egler, F. E. 1940. Berkshire plateau vegetation, Massachusetts. Ecological Monographs 10:147-192.

External links

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