For the past few weekends members of the Pascommuck Trust have been performing trail clearing along the newly acquired Pomeroy Meadows parcel. Conservation Works has also been hard at work installing bridges and steps along the designated trails.

The Pascommuck Conservation Trust is holding a fundraiser at Easthampton Community Center 12 Clark Street, Easthampton on November 10th at 2pm.  Wayne Perrea will be presenting a historical discussion on the Loudville Lead Mines. There is a suggested donation of $5.00 per person however larger donations are certainly appreciated

If you would like to know more about this interesting part of Loudville’s history, please join us.

The Loudville Lead Mines is a historical discussion and exhibit offered by Wayne Perrea.  As a Loudville native, Wayne has a lifetime acquaintance with the mine sites which were discovered and first worked over three hundred years ago.   Artifacts and minerals unearthed at the sites will be on display, as will historical maps, writings and tools of the mining era, which Perrea has collected over the years.   Hear about the six different mining “booms” that took place in this small village that borders Easthampton, and learn of the current condition and status of these mines.  Questions are completely encouraged throughout the talk.

Wayne lives in Shelburne Falls Ma. with his wife and daughter. He works for Eddie’s Wheels, where he builds wheelchairs for disabled dogs.   He also enjoys hiking and motorcycle riding.

So, bring your questions and perhaps your stories.  Find out how George Washington, Ethan Allen and Col. John Pynchon’s cow fit into the story.

On Saturday June 22nd members of PCT did some trail work clearing the way for the Old Trolley line to be mowed in the fall so the meadows can be retained.  We cleared the path of a number of invasives including Autumn Olive, Oriental Bittersweet and Wild Grape. The latter two had weighed down and broken a number of tree branches. It was a very hot and humid day and a few of us caught some poison ivy. Thanks to John Bator, Rebecca Belofsky, Elaine Williams, Michael Caron, Molly Goodwin and Roger Anderson for all your efforts.

Community Involved in Sustained Agriculture (CISA) has awarded PCT it’s Local Hero Award in 2013 for PCT’s efforts at protecting and preserving Echodale farm, another Local Hero farm, as well as PCT’s effort at land preservation. To read CISA’s  writeup concerning PCT’s efforts click here. To learn more about CISA’s efforts for promoting local, sustainable agriculture click here.

How quickly Mother Nature acts — even on pressure-treated wood! Despite a work-day just last spring, footing on the trail at Old Pascommuck Conservation Area had become treacherous once again. But with some chilly repairs, all the bridges are solid.

So please go enjoy the beautiful late fall colors. They may be more subtle, but you’ll see sights which are invisible in the riot of summer vegetation. Not least of which is the immaculate grooming at the East Street trail head, thanks to the indefatigable master landscaper, John Bator.

-Contributed by Gerrit Stover