The Montague Plains, or Montague Sandplains, is a wildlife refuge in Franklin County. The refuge sits on top of a large sand delta, created by glacial activity. The soil is ripe for grasses and tall Pitch Pines. Many species of birds reside in the refuge, which adds quite the soundtrack to the landscape.
The technical term of the plains is "Pine Barren", which is rare for the state. Tall grasses form meadows, with collections of pitch pines. Like the west, this area was prone to regular wildfires that helped maintain balance. The fires don't occur as often anymore, so surrounding forests are encroaching on the plains.
Mass Wildlife conducted a series of controlled burns starting in 2000. The burns were aimed to restore areas of the plains. You can see evidence of them everywhere. Charred saplings stick out of ash-covered soil. The lower parts of pitch pine saplings are burned, but the tops are still green with fresh needles.
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It's such an unusual landscape for Massachusetts. I'm used to hiking between hardwood forests, and dense hemlock groves with little sight of grassy meadows. It felt a little unreal at times. I wish I to see how plains look before European colonization. I imagine the birds were louder, and the plains were more open.
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What is the sound of the Montague Plains?