Wild Acres - CITO

Friday, July 28th, 9-11 am

South Mountain Rd in Pittsfield MA.

Wild Acres Conservation Area is 2 miles of trails surrounded by mixed woodlands, wetlands, ponds, and an observation tower. Expect a new cache or two on the day of the event. Hope to see you there.

History: 

Wild Acres was once an 83-acre piece of land owned by the Shakers, who built its pond. After the 80-year tenure with the Shakers, it was sold to successful shoemaker, C. Dudley Holman. Avid birders, Holman and his wife Clementine added log cabins to the property, concrete dams to the pond, and cordoned off a white-sand spring with water temperatures of 42 degrees.

After her husband’s death in 1929, Clementine sold the property and it was opened as a private outdoors recreation and sportsman’s club under the Walton League. The endeavors of the Walton Sanctuary were fraught with financial difficulties and eventually, the property was given to the city of Pittsfield in 1965. It was during this time that 12-acres were whittled off for an airport runway extension. With the help of the YACC in the ’70s, the Conservation Commission oversaw extensive construction of buildings, recreational amenities, and picnic areas.

In 2007, 21-acres was again lost to the airport for expansion, this time replaced by an additional 84-acres of undeveloped forest and farmland acquired by eminent domain.

The pond at Wild Acres, or “Holman Lake” as it was once called, has been the site for countless anglers for the past 92 years. Over 150 fishing derbies have taken place on its dandelion-dotted shores, from youth derbies, senior days, and scout gatherings.