For years, Crystal Corcoran drove an hour and a half from her home in Birdsboro, Pa., to go hiking. But she recently discovered that her outdoor cravings could be satisfied much closer to her backyard.
Driving only 10 minutes from her house one day last June, Corcoran joined 12 other members of AMC’s Delaware Valley Chapter at the Neversink Mountain Preserve trailhead. The hikers enjoyed the hazy morning sun as they set off on a 4-mile path through nearly 500 acres of evergreens and birch trees. Reading (Pennsylvania’s fifth largest city) was nearby, but all that they heard was the chatter of blue jays. Someone spotted fox prints along the trail. After four hours on the wooded path, Corcoran approached a lookout point 800 feet in elevation. Only then was she reminded of her proximity to the city.
“I had no idea there was a spot so high in Berks County,” says the 51-year-old. “Neversink is awesome. It’s so diverse. On one side you’re hiking through the mountain and on the other side you have a beautiful view of the Schuylkill River. I can’t believe I’ve lived here all these years [and never knew about it].”
Neversink isn’t the only hidden gem of the Mid-Atlantic. Throughout the 3.5-million-acre Highlands region, more than 90 “priority” natural areas—dubbed Highlands Critical Treasures by conservationists—are threatened by urban sprawl and development. Many of these areas aren’t safeguarded or are in need of further protection. Critical Treasures provide habitat for plants and wildlife, protection for watersheds, and getaways for nature lovers from nearby cities. But by most accounts, residents living near this greenbelt spanning Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania don’t even know these treasures exist.
Since 2006, AMC’s Mid-Atlantic policy office in Bethlehem, Pa., has spread the word about the Critical Treasures, which are designated as such by state committees of the Highlands Coalition. Comprised of 200 organizations, this conservation project of AMC fosters collaborative efforts to protect the Highlands’ natural resources. The coalition successfully advocated for national recognition of this region through the federal Highlands Conservation Act.
“Some AMC chapters lead trips to Highlands Critical Treasure areas without realizing it,” says Jennifer Heisey, AMC’s Mid-Atlantic recreation planner. “They are places where people can experience the land and water within the Highlands and realize why it’s important to protect these special places.”
The following is a sampling of Critical Treasures recommendations from AMC members, staff, and the Highlands Coalition members who are working to keep them the way nature intended.
The Hudson Highlands is one of New York State's Critical Treasures. Photo by Greg Miller.
CRITICAL TREASURES
