Walking through a Pine Barren

This area is different than other areas around Spring Pond.  Once understanding where you are (a place we passed many times before without realizing), there is a whole new appreciation of the area.

The Pine Barrens system - This layer is part of the MassGIS Priority Natural Vegetation Communities dataset, which depicts the distribution of natural community systems identified by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) as most critical to the conservation of the Commonwealth's biological diversity. 

According to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, Pitch Pine/Scrub Oak Communities, otherwise known as Pine Barrens, are severely threatened in Massachusetts. Typically there are several species of butterflies and moths that depend on scrub oak/pitch pine habitats. These species require large tract areas in order to provide ample food sources for their various life cycles.  Fragmentation and loss of habitat puts these species in jeopardy.

This area shows no record of species, but if endangered species are known to survive in Pine Barrens, how do we know for certain there is none here?


“Excessive drainage” of this pine barren naturally flows down hill into the many streams that flow into Spring Pond, and the water is typically filtered.

According to Mass GIS data, there are two Pine Barren communities located near Spring Pond.  One is mostly on Camp Lion's property, and is threatened by the development of a proposed "camp pad":  new pool, field, building, etc.  

The following is a list of  plants Leslie Courtemanche, Rich Randall and I came across on our walk through the Pine Barrens.  These plants create the natural community system we have today...

• Scrub Oak (bear oak)
• Pitch Pine
• Black Cherry
• Gray Birch
• Quaking (or Trembling) Aspen
• Canada Mayflower
• Highbush Blueberry
• Lowbush Blueberry
• Northern Bayberry
• Shagbark Hickory
• Pignut Hickory
• Sedges
• Ring Lichen
• White Pine
• Scotch Pine

The map above was created in the software program Vectorworks Designer/ Architect, using Mass GIS data extracted from OLIVER (as shown below).