BNRC Upgrades Popular Trails For 2019 Summer Season
Enhanced kiosks and on-trail signage will improve visitors’ nature experience
LENOX, Massachusetts
On Monday, June 10, State Representative Smitty Pignatelli (4th Berkshire) joined members of the Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) Board of Directors, volunteers, staff, and nature trail enthusiasts to unveil a redesigned trailhead kiosk and enhanced on-trail signage at BNRC’s flagship conservation reserve, Yokun Ridge South at Olivia’s Overlook. Similar upgrades have also been completed at 16 other BNRC trail sites across Berkshire County. All 54 BNRC reserves are open to the public year-round from dawn to dusk, free of charge.
Each updated kiosk features a large map of the reserve and its trail system; notes on the natural, cultural, and ownership history of the protected lands; and suggested activities for each property. Also available at the kiosks are free, newly revised paper trail maps for visitor use. Easier-to-read on-trail signage, mostly in the form of large brown signs with white letters, has also been installed on many trails. Among these are trails at The Boulders—a BNRC property used by many, which spans across parts of Dalton, Lanesborough, and the City of Pittsfield in the center of Berkshire County.
“These kiosk and signage improvements, coupled with BNRC’s new Berkshire Trails app, will help everyone explore the richness of the Berkshires’ hiking trails and outdoor opportunities,” said BNRC President Jenny Hansell. At Monday’s unveiling ceremony, Representative Pignatelli spoke to the crowd of the economic importance of conservation land and outdoor recreation opportunities in the Berkshires.
Established in 1967, the Berkshire Natural Resources Council’s mission is to protect and preserve the natural beauty and ecological integrity of the Berkshires for public benefit and enjoyment. There are 54 BNRC conservation reserves spread across Berkshire County, free to the public, open to everyone for non-motorized recreation, featuring over 55 miles of maintained trails. BNRC conserves land, builds and maintains trail systems, and offers year-round group outings—all through the support of donors. More about all BNRC properties and trails, and BNRC’s free Berkshire Trails app, can be found online at bnrc.org.
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For more information contact Mackenzie Greer at 413-496-0596 or mgreer@bnrc.org.
Berkshire Natural Resources Council | 20 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01201