News Headlines
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“Fracking County—A Pipeline Runs Through it”
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Local business profits to benefit the Connecticut River
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Native Butterfly House soars into its second season
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Waste Diversion Highlight: The Lenox Price Chopper
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Local Farm Helps Greenfield Compost
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GE Housatonic Superfund Site 2014 Public Informational Meetings
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Toward Growing Sustainable Agriculture in New England
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Job Opening – Stream Continuity Specialist
“Fracking County—A Pipeline Runs Through it”
Northampton Radio Station WHMP and Montague Community Television to host a community discussion about the proposed Tennessee Gas Pipeline
Greenfield Community College Dining Commons
June 3rd, 6-8 p.m.
(Greenfield, MA) – WHMP Radio and Montague Community Television are presenting a community forum on the proposal by the Kinder-Morgan company to build a gas pipeline that would run through several Franklin County towns.
The two-hour forum on the proposed pipeline and on related energy and environmental policy issues will be held on Tuesday, June 3rd from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Greenfield Community College Dining Commons which seats 300. The forum is co-produced by Greenfield Community Television and Easthampton Community Access Television.
Among the panelists will be:
2nd Berkshire State Representative Paul Mark
2nd Franklin State Representative Denise Andrews
Senior Attorney Shanna Cleveland of the Conservation Law Foundation
Director of External Affairs Eric Johnson of the ISO-New England
Bruce Winn of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team
Journalist Mike Jackson, who has covered the proposal extensively for the Montague Reporter
Executive Director Leigh Youngblood, Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
Confirmation is pending on appearances by other experts in public utilities and the natural gas industry. Kinder Morgan’s proposal will be reviewed but the corporation declined to send a representative.
The forum will be hosted by WHMP Franklin County Bureau Chief Chris Collins, attorney Bill Newman, host of WHMP’s Bill Newman Show, and WHMP reporter Mary Serreze. The forum is free and open to the public, and some time will be allotted to give audience members an opportunity to speak.
The first hour of the program will focus on the gas pipeline proposal and its impact on the region’s laws and regulations, local resources and property–and how the siting and approval processes work. In the second hour, the participants will address energy policy including natural gas and renewables, safety concerns, and how energy policy decisions are made.
The program will be broadcast live on WHMP 1240 AM/1400 AM/96.9 FM and live-streamed on local TV cable access stations in Montague (Channel 15) and the following areas:
Greenfield GCTV
Amherst Media ACTV
Easthampton ECAT
Northampton NCAT
Frontier FCAT
Athol Orange AOTV
Northfield Bernardston BNCTV
Shelburne Falls Falls TV
It will also be available live on WHMP.com and gctv.org. It will be rebroadcast on WHMP the following morning, June 4th from 8 to 10 a.m. The forum will be cablecast on Montague Community TV Channel 17 after the event.
Additional information will be posted on:
http://whmp.com, http://montaguetv.org and http://gctv.org.
A podcast will be available after the forum on WHMP:
http://whmp.com/podcasts/shows/community-forums/.
The video will be posted on MCTV’s vimeo channel:
http://vimeo.com/mctvchannel17.
Local business profits to benefit the Connecticut River
Greenfield, MA – MRW Connected, a local website developer based in Easthampton, MA, is helping to clean up the Connecticut River as part of their pledge to donate 1% of their profits to protect the planet.
“MRW Connected asked us if we would be interested in joining 1% for the Planet so that we could receive a special donation from their company,” said Dana Gillette, development director of the Connecticut River Watershed Council (CRWC). “While we receive support from a number of businesses, including sponsors of our annual Source to Sea Cleanup, it is unusual for a business to call up and offer unsolicited support.”
MRW Connected joined 1% for the Planet because of their belief in making the world a better place through nurturing, supporting, and protecting the environment. As a member, they donate 1% of their annual profits to improve the environment. MRW Connected is one of three businesses in Western Massachusetts listed on the 1% for the Planet website.
“The Connecticut River Watershed Council does such important work all up and down the valley,” says Tom Willits of MRW Connected. “All of us who enjoy the river, and value its considerable benefits to our region, appreciate that CRWC is leading the effort of protecting its waters. We are very happy to make a contribution to them as part of our 1% end-of-year contribution!” MRW Connected helped the Council to launch its new website, www.ctriver.org, last year.
“We knew they were a socially-responsible business when we chose them to design our website,” said Gillette. “It was a nice surprise when they called to make a donation to the Council. This partnership may help to open new doors for CRWC.”
CRWC is a new nonprofit partner of 1% for the Planet, a network of over 1,200 member companies in 48 countries that give one percent of revenues to environmental causes. 1% member businesses fuel this non-profit network through their annual contributions, which totaled over $20 million in 2013.
To see if your company participates in 1% for the Plant, visit www.onepercentfortheplanet.org and click on ‘Directory.’ Select Connecticut River Watershed Council from the list of nonprofits to direct your company funds to support the Connecticut River.
About 1% for the Planet
1% for the Planet is a global network of businesses that donate one percent of annual sales directly to approved environmental and sustainability nonprofit organizations. Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, 1% for the Planet helps people buy better products and protect the planet we play on. To date, our network has given over $100 million back to blue.
About the Connecticut River Watershed Council
The Connecticut River Watershed Council works to protect the watershed from source to sea. As stewards of this heritage, we celebrate our four-state treasure and collaborate, educate, organize, restore and intervene to preserve its health for generations to come. Our work informs our vision of economic and ecological abundance. To learn more about CRWC, or to make a contribution to help protect the Connecticut River, visit www.ctriver.org or call 413-772-2020, ext. 201.
Native Butterfly House soars into its second season
Great Barrington – Project Native will celebrate the Summer Solstice, Saturday, June 21st, with the opening of their Native Butterfly House. After an exciting first season that drew hundreds of visitors, the staff and community at large are looking forward to another season to observe and learn about these winged wonders.
Last summer, Project Native built a 35-by-55 foot Native Butterfly House on their 54-acre property. Inside, the butterflies find an abundance of native wildflowers, puddling stations, and—of course—their important host plants. Although most adult butterflies are not choosy about which flowers they visit for nectar, many will only lay their eggs on one or two species of plants—those perfect host-plants that their caterpillars have evolved to eat over centuries. The most famous of these relationships is the Monarch butterfly’s affinity for milkweed, but other butterflies have similar requirements to feed their caterpillars.
“It’s sometimes hard to get people interested in plants, especially children, but give them something that crawls and has wings and they are a lot more interested,” explained Karen Lyness LeBlanc, Education & Outreach Coordinator for Project Native. The fun of watching butterflies puddle on the wet soil and bask in the early morning sun is easily accompanied by an opportunity to educate visitors about pollinators and the dangers of pesticide use in gardens and agricultural areas.
“This is a great addition to Project Native,” General Manager David Ellis said. “It is a terrific educational resource and a great attraction. It will serve as the keystone for our educational programs which show the importance of native habitats in sustaining our wildlife.”
Determined to avoid the environmental and ethical issues surrounding the sale of butterfly chrysalises Project Native staff and visitors collect butterflies and caterpillars right on the property to populate the butterfly house.
Some of the butterflies visitors can see at the farm include Great Spangled Fritillaries, Monarchs, Tiger Swallowtails, Spicebush Swallowtails, Black Swallowtails, Commas, Mourning Cloaks, Red Admirals, Common Wood Nymphs, as well as several moths. Visitors to Project Native also have the opportunity to participate in “Bug Safaris”. Every weekend, children and their families have a chance to explore native habitat, learn about insects, and ultimately release what they find into the butterfly house.
On Friday, July 25th, 5pm – 7pm Project Native will host a Butterfly Open House and Reception. Nibble on hors d’oeuvres while learning about beautiful New England butterflies and moths, and find out how you can attract native pollinators to your garden at home!
The butterfly house is open daily from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and admission is free. Donations to help support educational programs and the maintenance of the butterfly house are greatly appreciated.
Project Native’s Nursery is open from 9:30am – 5:00pm Monday through Saturday and 10:30am – 5:00pm Sunday, from mid-April through October. Directions and information can be found at www.projectnative.org.
Project Native’s mission is to promote, restore and sustain native habitats in the Berkshire Taconic region. The 13-year-old non-profit organization grows native plants from seeds collected in the region and makes them available to the public with its retail/wholesale nursery, located on Route 41 in Housatonic just four miles north of Great Barrington. The fields and forests of the 54-acre former dairy farm have been largely cleared of invasive plants to restore its landscape with native habitats that include trails, a native-plant seed bank, and educational activities.
Bug & Butterfly Safaris
Participants will gather at Project Native (weather permitting – must not be raining, preferably sunny). The group will get a brief overview of Project Native. With nets, bug boxes, magnifying glasses and field guides at the ready, we will leave on safari to find eggs, caterpillars and butterflies to relocate into the Butterfly House. Participants will learn to identify host plants, tricks for finding eggs/caterpillars and ecologically harvest food for caterpillars in the Butterfly House. All ages are welcome to participate. Please note, safaris do require walking on uneven ground, and children should be accompanied by a parent or guardian. FREE.
Saturday, June 21st, 10:30 – noon
Saturday, June 28th, 10:30 – noon
Tuesday, July 1st, 10 – 11:30am
Saturday, July 12th, 10:30 – noon
Wednesday, July 23rd, 1:00 – 2:30pm
Saturday, August 9th, 10:30 – noon
Saturday, August 23rd, 10:30 – noon
Tuesday, August 26th, 10:30 – noon
For photos or additional information contact: Karen Lyness LeBlanc
Phone: 413-274-3433
Email: kleblanc@projectnative.org
Waste Diversion Highlight: The Lenox Price Chopper
This past March, RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts worked with the Price Chopper location in Lenox to implement a composting program for food waste diversion as well as programs to recycle paper and mixed containers. Significant waste reductions were immediately noticed and over 80 tons are expected to be diverted from their waste stream annually. “We used to need a dumpster (compactor) pick up every 10 days…since we started composting our last pick-up was at 18 days. So far so good, thank you!”
-Patti Pattison – Lenox Store Manager
Local Farm Helps Greenfield Compost
This article from MassLive highlights the work being done by Martin’s Farm, a family-owned Greenfield farm which has been taking in compost for 20 years, helping Franklin County to lead the way in commercial composting. The article gives an especially incisive look at the steps involved in commercial composting, from intake of waste through processing and sale of the finished product.
GE Housatonic Superfund Site
SAVE THE DATE
Come find out about EPA’s proposed cleanup plan for the Housatonic River. The proposed plan addresses the river’s sediment and floodplain PCB contamination beginning in Pittsfield, MA and extending into CT.
Informational meetings will start with poster sessions at 6 pm, during which U.S. EPA staff will be available to address specific topics, followed by a presentation on the proposed cleanup plan at 7:00 pm, and a question and answer period.
The proposed plan will be available on-line in early June at www.epa.gov/region1/ge and copies will be available at most town halls in CT & MA along the Housatonic River. There will be a public comment period from June 25 through August 8, 2014, and a Public Hearing date will be scheduled where the public will have an opportunity to make oral comments for EPA to consider. Details about how to submit comments will be in the plan and on the website.
2014 Public Informational Meetings
Wed., June 18: 6 pm poster session; 7 pm presentation
Lenox Memorial Middle and High School auditorium
197 East Street
Lenox, MA
Tues., June 24: 6 pm poster session; 7 pm presentation
Toward Growing Sustainable Agriculture in New England
from Conservation Law Foundation
In New England, demand for local, sustainably produced food is high. However, our region currently imports the majority of the food it consumes. This is due in part to the fact that many of our laws do not support local food production, creating policy barriers at the local, state, and federal levels that affect our region’s capacity to grow and consume more of our own food; process and distribute more of our own meat, poultry, and seafood; and support our signature farmland and those who farm it.
Today, we are taking a great step toward supporting the growth of New England’s local food system. In partnership with American Farmland Trust (AFT) and the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG), we are releasing an extensive, groundbreaking report analyzing policies to strengthen our region’s food system. The new report, New England Food Policy: Building a Sustainable Food System, is a call to action. It provides a critical policy focus to existing work across the region to build a food system in New England that is healthy, economically vibrant, just, environmentally sustainable, and resilient.
Download the report now at http://www.newenglandfoodpolicy.org.
Job Opening – Stream Continuity Specialist
MA Dept. of Fish and Game, Division of Ecological Restoration
Location: Boston, MA
Application Deadline: June 10, 2014
The MA Department of Fish and Game, Division of Ecological Restoration (DER), seeks qualified applicants for the position of Stream Continuity Specialist (Environmental Analyst III). The Stream Continuity Specialist responsibilities include assisting road managers and other stakeholders with planning, design, permitting, funding, and construction of stream crossings that provide passage for aquatic and terrestrial organisms. The incumbent also serves as DER’s technical expert on the design and construction of road-stream crossings. The position is a grant funded, term limited position; funding is currently available for two years. Click the following link (PDF) to view the full job posting, including application instructions: http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dfg/der/ma-der-stream-continuity-specialist-eaiii-job-opening.pdf