The Lay of the Land |
Within the Sanctuary are wetlands, two creeks, two backwater
areas at the river, meadows, hayfields, young woods, deep woods, and open rocky
outcrops of shale. Though barely exceeding 800ft above sea level at its greatest
elevation it does offer breath-giving views, east to the Taconic range in
Vermont. The low ridge at the Sanctuary's western perimeter sheds rain
into two watersheds: the Battenkill and the Hoosick, both of which eventually
find their ways to the Hudson River and Atlantic Ocean. There remains on the land a strong sense of the people who lived
here before it was stripped and refashioned by the 18th-century wave of European
settlers. More ancient yet, a 5000 year-old spear point turned up in the spring
tilling of the north garden in 1993. The land still retains its magic, its sprites and other spirits,
offering glimpses for those who dare to see. And the land offers respite, the
chance to be quiet, to feel, to remember, to mend our fragmented lives, coaxing
us to The Sanctuary is accessible to the public through programs and
appointments. Phone (518) 854-7764. |