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Black Stevens Conservation Area
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Black Stevens Draft Baseline Document Report (PDF) |
Black Stevens Conservation Area (77 acres)
Perhaps the most visible and used of the conservation areas due to its proximity to South Hadley High School and location on Newton Street, the Black Stevens Conservation Area provides marked walking trails extending from Newton Street to the Plains Elementary School at the corner of Route 33 and Route 202. Situated along Newton Street, Black Stevens Pond is probably the most publicly identifiable feature of this area. This property was acquired in three sections: smaller tracts in 1963 and 1966, and then in 1981, a 47-acre parcel from the Stevens Paper Mill, all with financial assistance from the state’s Self-Help Grant. Newton Smith Brook flows through a wooded ravine into the pond. The forested site includes oaks, maples, paper birch and hemlocks, with wildflowers such as pink lady’s slippers in the spring. Great horned owls have been seen here. Classes from both schools use this area for nature study. Currently trails are kept open primarily by use, with occasional maintenance by volunteers and the high school cross country track team.
Perhaps the most visible and used of the conservation areas due to its proximity to South Hadley High School and location on Newton Street, the Black Stevens Conservation Area provides marked walking trails extending from Newton Street to the Plains Elementary School at the corner of Route 33 and Route 202. Situated along Newton Street, Black Stevens Pond is probably the most publicly identifiable feature of this area. This property was acquired in three sections: smaller tracts in 1963 and 1966, and then in 1981, a 47-acre parcel from the Stevens Paper Mill, all with financial assistance from the state’s Self-Help Grant. Newton Smith Brook flows through a wooded ravine into the pond. The forested site includes oaks, maples, paper birch and hemlocks, with wildflowers such as pink lady’s slippers in the spring. Great horned owls have been seen here. Classes from both schools use this area for nature study. Currently trails are kept open primarily by use, with occasional maintenance by volunteers and the high school cross country track team.