The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Explore the Berkshires

• Collaborating with partners and science allows the Conservancy to achieve lasting conservation results in the Berkshires.
• The Conservancy is working with Project Native to restore native wetlands and forests in the Berkshires.
• We're working to protect calcium-rich wetlands in the Berkshires that support rare plants and provide clean water and flood protection.

The rolling green hills of the Berkshire Taconic Landscape form a forested backbone that connects northern forests with Appalachia, providing safe passage for roaming animals like black bear, fisher and bobcat and treetop habitat for migratory birds.

Trickling down from these vast tracks of mountainous forests, rainfall creates a world of unique wetlands in the valley below. Rich with “sweet water” (calcium-rich, high alkaline water), these globally rare wetlands support the greatest concentration of rare species in southern New England and provide clean water and flood protection for thousands of citizens.

Will you help us advance this vital work?

Berkshire Taconic Landscape Conservation Targets

• The unfragmented Mixed Hardwood Forests of the Taconic Plateau
• The globally significant Wetlands and Calcareous Fens below the plateau
• The Fresh Water of the streams and lakes
• Floodplain Forests along the Housatonic River and Tributaries
• Rare species such as Rattlesnakes and Bog Turtles