Description
The Helen W. Buckner Memorial Natural Area at Bald Mountain is the largest and most ecologically diverse natural area managed by The Nature Conservancy in Vermont. It is home to 65 rare or uncommon plant and animal species, and 20 distinct natural communities. Peregrine falcons nest on the cliffs of Bald Mountain and the area includes floodplain and upland forests, marsh habitat, three miles of undeveloped Lake Champlain shoreline, and wetlands along the Poultney River.
From the fields of the old Galick farmstead, there is a sweeping vista of mountains, wetlands and the southern end of Lake Champlain. Bald Mountain rises out of the hayfields like a whale emerging from the deep. The river-like southern end of Lake Champlain and its wetlands trail below, while the South Bay and Saddles Mountain in New York lie beyond the mountain.
Why TNC Selected This Site
The Helen W. Buckner Natural Area at Bald Mountain has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the state. Many of the natural communities here are in excellent condition. In fact, conservation has been so successful at this site that it is now host to the largest population of Golden-winged Warblers in New England.