This 15.22 acre conservation area lies west of East St. and south of Clark St., abutting Mountain View, a CSA farm. Access is via a foot trail from East St. or from Mt. Tom Ave., a dead end street where parking is available (see map). The property is entirely forested, and is traversed by three streams that converge to form Brickyard Brook. Forest types include Mixed Hardwood – White Pine forest in the upland areas, and Red Maple forest in the lower, wet areas near the streams. The streams vary in size, ranging from 5 to 8 feet in width with banks 1 to 3 feet high. The bottoms are sandy or silty, and in summer months the flow is reduced to a trickle.
The White Pine-Mixed Hardwood forest is comprised of mostly of white pine, red maple, red oak, black birch, sugar maple, white ash, black cherry and white oak. Spice bush and witch hazel can be found in the shrub layer, and ferns such as hay-scented fern, new york fern and cinnamon fern cover most of the ground layer. In the low lying terraces, red maple makes up almost the entire canopy, with spicebush, crabapple, and winged euonymus in the shrub layer and winter creeper and wood fern on the ground. Also notable is the presence of a small number of pitch pines, which are not common in Easthampton. Additionally, a small vernal pool used by breeding wood frogs, has been observed in the spring of most years.
Invasive plants are pervasive throughout the property.These include: honeysuckle, Norway maple, barberry, bittersweet, dame’s rocket, winter creeper, periwinkle, pachysandra, Japanese knotweed and winged euonymus.
This property provides a clearly defined trail system within easy access to the neighborhoods directly adjacent and south of the downtown area. The presence of flowing streams throughout the property adds elements of interest to the trail system. There are two memorial markers, including a bench placed in 2010 in memory of Stella Wiernacz, an energetic supporter of the trust.