The biological diversity of Karner Brook Headwaters Forest
A logging plan that includes the spraying of chemicals near a source of drinking supply is taking place. Mt. Washington, MA
Karner Brook in the Mount Washington State Forest in Massachusetts is a source of drinking water for the town of Egremont. The state has designated this area as a Critical Environmental Concern. Yet the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation has a plan to log the multi-generational forest in this area and spray acres of it with chemicals near the water. The plan is to “diversify the forest structure for climate resiliency.” Local residents have expressed concern and opposition, and many of their questions have not been answered. I will keep posting more on the logging project as I learn more.
I started learning about the biological diversity of Karner Brook Headwaters Forest thanks to guidance from Ben Nickley of Berkshire Bird Observatory. Here in Karner Brook, I got to see caddisfly larvae with a case made of tiny rocks. I had just heard of that type of case from people at the Catskill Stewards Program, so it was quite exciting to see it in its natural habitat.
It’s impossible to forget how caddisfly larvae blew my mind the first time I saw them in Wave Farm’s pond and suddenly realized they were living things. Those looked like pieces of tree bark. I can’t wait to see more types of cases they make.
