• Hoffmann Bird Club Schedule (Pittsfield and other venues throughout the Berkshires)
• Athol Bird & Nature Club Field Trips & Meetings – Athol
• 4/18——- Umass Biochar Seminar Series – Amherst
• 4/19——- Williams College Log Lunch: Paper Trails and Moral Fields: Organic Certification in Uttarakhand, India – Williamstown
• 4/19——- Meet Dr. Shaila Seshia Galvin, joining Williams College CES to teach two courses on sustainable agriculture – Williamstown
• 4/19——- The Impact of Oil on Deep-water Ecosystems – Williamstown
• 4/19——- Bird Walks at Canoe Meadows
  – Pittsfield
• 4/19——- Special Earth Day Activities at the Berkshire Museum: Aquarium Adventures – Pittsfield
• 4/20——- Special Earth Day Activities at the Berkshire Museum: Kitchen Kaboom – Pittsfield
• 4/20——- Special Earth Day Activities at the Berkshire Museum: Chow Time – Pittsfield
• 4/20——- Gardening Organically & Community Gardens Registration
  – Lenox
• 4/20——- Wild Oats Market Celebrates Earth Day with Delicious Local Supplier Tastings, Face Painting and More – Williamstown
• 4/20——- Earth Day Natural History Walks
  – Hoosick Falls, NY
• 4/20——- WRLF to Host Earth Day Bird and Ecology Hike, Clean-up at Sheep Hill – Williamstown
• 4/20——- Free Repairs at the Pittsfield Repair Cafe – Pittsfield
• 4/20——- The Great Barrington Housatonic River Walk—Berkshire County’s National Recreation Trail—Annual Earth Day Workday – Great Barrington
• 4/20——- 1st Annual Earth Day Clean Up In Westfield
  – Westfield
• 4/20——- Earth Day Natural History Walks
  – Hoosick Falls, NY
• 4/20——- Springside Park Annual Spring Cleanup – Pittsfield
• 4/20——- Northeast Environmental History Conference – New Haven, CT
• 4/20——- Birding Beyond Your Backyard at Linear Park – Williamstown
• 4/21——- Connect and Heal – Earth Day Celebration – Savoy
• 4/21——- Genetic Roulette at the Millerton NY Moviehouse
  – Millerton, NY
• 4/21——- Floodplain Forest Canoe trip & Great Blue Heron Rookery Viewing / Celebrate Earth Day! – Easthampton
• 4/22——- Earth Day Composting Workshop at Wild Oats Market – Williamstown
• 4/22——- Celebrate Earth Day with Berkshire Organics & Right to Know – Pittsfield
• 4/22——- Berkshire Clearinghouse Review meeting to look at changes to the MA Environmental Regulations
  – Pittsfield
• 4/22——- An Earth Day GMO Awareness Rally
  – Pittsfield
• 4/22-26— Dr. Augie’s April Vacation Color and Nature Classes – Pittsfield
• 4/23——- How to Read Municipal Plans Workshop
  – Pittsfield
• 4/23——- Darrow Fifth Annual Sustainability Symposium – New Lebanon, NY
• 4/23——- MassDEP Wetlands Program Workshop: Evaluating Stormwater Best Management Practices
  – Worcester
• 4/23——- Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of our Lives
  – Great Barrington
• 4/23——- Lenox Green Drinks – Lenox
• 4/24——- Evening at the Beaver Ponds
  – Lenox
• 4/24——- How to Read Municipal Plans Workshop – Northampton
• 4/24——- HVA Stream Team – Dalton
• 4/24——- BNRC Hike: Yokun Ridge Night Hike – Lenox
• 4/24——- 3rd Massachusetts Sustainable Communities Conference &
  2nd Massachusetts Sustainable Campuses Conference – Worcester
• 4/24——- BNRC Hike: Washington Mountain Meadow – Lee
• 4/25——- Marion Stoddart & screening of Marion Stoddart: the Work of 1,000 at the Berkshire Athenaeum – Pittsfield
• 4/25——- Umass Biochar Seminar Series – Amherst
• 4/25——- 2013 Green Living Presentations: Panel Discussion: Place-Based Prosperity and the Future of North Adams - North Adams
• 4/25——- Documentary: “Marion Stoddart: The Work of 1,000”, introduced by Marion Stoddart – Pittsfield
• 4/26——- Bird Walks at Canoe Meadows
  – Pittsfield
• 4/26——- Arbor Day Celebration at Pitt Park – Pittsfield
• 4/27——- Mass Audubon’s Annual Statewide Volunteer Day – Pittsfield, Williamsburg, Hampden
• 4/27——- Garlic Mustard Grapple: Stevens Glen – Richmond
• 4/27——- BNRC Hike: Girl Scout hike @ Stevens Glen – Richmond
• 4/27——- Old Mill Trail Spring Work Party – Hinsdale
• 4/27——- Birding Beyond Your Backyard at Field Farm – Williamstown
• 4/27——- From Tree to Table:
  Northfield Sustainable Forestry Tour – Northfield
• 4/27&28– Tamarack Hollow Nature & Cultural Center Volunteer Work Days – Windsor
• 5/1——– Celebrate International Workers’ Day with Western Massachusetts Jobs with Justice
  – Holyoke
• 5/2——– Springfield Green Drinks – Springfield
• 5/5—— Fiesta! Tamarack Hollow fundraising event with live music by Trio Candela, Notchview Reservation – Windsor
• 5/4——– Waste Oil Paint and Used Motor Oil Waste Collection – Alford, Becket, Egremont, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, Monterey, Mount Washington, New Marlborough, Otis, Richmond, Sandisfield, Sheffield, Stockbridge, Tyringham and West Stockbridge
• 5/4——– Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event
  – Northampton
• 5/4——– 2nd Annual Massachusetts Trails Conference
  – Devens
• 5/4&5—- WRLF Announces Rural Heritage Weekend and 10th Annual Sheep to Shawl Festival
  – Williamstown
• 5/9——– Great Barrington Green Drinks – Great Barrington
• 5/8——- North Adams Green Drinks – North Adams
• 5/8——– Green Night – Northampton
• 5/9——– Intensive Program About River Walk’s Native Landscape Improvements for Greenagers and other Students from Monument Mtn. & Mt. Everett – Great Barrington
• 5/9——– Pittsfield Tree Watch Meeting – Pittsfield
• 5/10&11– Springside Greenhouse Plant Sale – Pittsfield
• 5/11——- Wild Edibles and Medicinal Plants Classes – Various Locations in the Hilltowns and Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts
• 5/11——- Housatonic River Cleanup – Lenox
• 5/11——- Co-op Power Sustainability Summit – Amherst
• 5/15——- Housatonic River Cleanup CCC Meeting – Lenox
• 5/16——- Massachusetts Envirothon & Funding – North Easton
• 5/18——- Free Repairs at the Pittsfield Repair Cafe – Pittsfield
• 5/18——- Mud Day 2013 – Great Barrington
• 5/18——- Spring Ephemeral Boreal Plant and Tree ID at Tamarack Hollow, Windsor / Come see the lady slippers at Tamarack Hollow! – Windsor
• 5/21—— Pittsfield Green Drinks – Pittsfield
• 5/21——- Berkshire Conservation District Public Meeting – Pittsfield
• 5/23——- Why Single-Degree Climate Changes Matter – Pittsfield
• 5/23——- Anti-fracking Meeting – Westfield
• 5/28——- Lenox Green Drinks – Lenox
• 6/1——– Hilltown Spring Festival - Cummington
• 6/2——– Wild Edibles and Medicinal Plants Classes – Various Locations in the Hilltowns and Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts
• 6/6——– Great Barrington Green Drinks – Great Barrington
• 6/6——– Springfield Green Drinks – Springfield
• 6/6——– 2013 Bay State Children’s Water Festival – Holyoke
• 6/8——– National Get Outdoors Day at Springside Park – Pittsfield
• 6/12—— North Adams Green Drinks – North Adams
• 6/12——- Green Night – Northampton
• 6/13——- Intensive Program About River Walk’s Native Landscape Improvements for Greenagers and other Students from Monument Mtn. & Mt. Everett – Great Barrington
• 6/13——- Pittsfield Tree Watch Meeting – Pittsfield
• 6/15——- Flying Deer Day
  – New Lebanon, NY
• 6/15——- Hoosic River Revival Community Conversation #2 – North Adams
• 6/15——- Free Conservation Commission Fundamentals Training This Spring – Pittsfield
• 6/15——- Free Repairs at the Pittsfield Repair Cafe – Pittsfield
• 6/17——- Improving Stream Crossings Workshop – Pittsfield
• 6/18—— Pittsfield Green Drinks – Pittsfield
• 6/18——- Berkshire Conservation District Public Meeting – Pittsfield
• 6/22——- Housatonic River Cleanup – Pittsfield
• 6/25——- Lenox Green Drinks – Lenox
• 7/7——– Wild Edibles and Medicinal Plants Classes – Various Locations in the Hilltowns and Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts
• 7/18——- Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom Summer Conference – Holden
• 7/27——- Housatonic River Cleanup – Pittsfield
• 8/10——- Housatonic River Cleanup – Great Barrington
• 8/14-17— 2013 International Conference on Pollinator Biology, Health and Policy – University Park, PA
• 8/17——- Wild Edibles and Medicinal Plants Classes – Various Locations in the Hilltowns and Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts
• 9/4——– “CHARCOAL BEFORE the BRIQUET “A Brief History of the Charcoal Industry – Adams
• 9/28——- Wild Edibles and Medicinal Plants Classes – Various Locations in the Hilltowns and Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts
• 10/27—— Wild Edibles and Medicinal Plants Classes – Various Locations in the Hilltowns and Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts
• 11/16—— Wild Edibles and Medicinal Plants Classes – Various Locations in the Hilltowns and Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts

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1515 Savoy Hollow Road, Windsor, MA

Join us at Tamarack Hollow, a newly formed non-profit educational center in Windsor, in clearing trails and making open space on our 32-acre boreal forest reserve.  We need assistance dragging brush, cutting and clipping trees, clearing and blazing trails and more! We are also seeking donations of lumber to build out facility structures.  Please email: aimee@gaiaroots.com to sign up for one or both work-days. Additional Dates TBA! Food provided for participants.  Visit www.tamarackhollow.com for more info about the center.

~Sunday May 5th 2pm Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Fundraiser and Non-Profit launch at Notchview Reservation Budd Visitor Center in Windsor, MA

Live music by the Trio Candela Latin Ensemble, Blue Light Jazz Trio, Silent Auction, Local Foods & Wild Edibles, Educational Boreal Forest Slideshow and MORE! Come and celebrate Cinco de Mayo & May Day while supporting the educational efforts of the Tamarack Hollow Nature & Cultural Center, a non-profit educational center in Windsor MA at 1515 Savoy Hollow Road along the upper border of Notchview Reservation.  Help us raise funds for our Envirolet composting toilet installation at Tamarack Hollow so we can hold public nature and cultural programs while having a small footprint on this sensitive high elevation boreal forest ecosystem. Meet the newly appointed board members of Tamarack Hollow Nature & Cultural Center and learn how to get involved with our mission to “Inspire environmental and cultural awareness, appreciation and stewardship.  Help us “Raise the Seat! Email aimee@gaiaroots.com for more info and/or to donate a silent auction item or to volunteer. Please bring a potluck dish to share! Tickets are $20 at the door – all donations are tax deductible.  Lumber and building supply donations also being requested/accepted. Notchview is located on route 9 in Windsor-for directions to Notchview visit http://www.thetrustees.org.  Supported in part by a grant from the Windsor Cultural Council. For info about programs with naturalist/cultural educator Aimee Gelinas M.Ed email aimee@gaiaroots.com or visit: http://www.tamarackhollow.com

RSVP for May 5th on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/events/149475028546389/
~Spring Ephemeral Boreal Plant and Tree ID at Tamarack Hollow, Windsor / Come see the lady slippers at Tamarack Hollow! Saturday May 18th 10-12 pm. Call 413-584-3009 or visit www.massaudubon.org to register

*UPCOMING WORKSHOPS, TRAININGS and VOLUNTEER Opportunities 2013 all held at Tamarack Hollow in Windsor, MA (check back in early 2013 for details-email aimee@gaiaroots.com to register early!) – 1800′s stone well re-construction/Project Learning Tree/Trail Clearing/Native Plant-Tree ID/Wild Crafting/Seasonal Rituals/Drumming & more!

For info about treks & programs with naturalist/cultural educator Aimee Gelinas M.Ed email aimee@gaiaroots.com

“Inspiring environmental & cultural awareness, appreciation & stewardship” 

http://www.tamarackhollow.com

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The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) will train and organize volunteers to visually assess sections of the Housatonic River from Muddy Pond in Washington to the Connecticut border.  In addition, a few teams will assess key tributaries. Volunteers will walk the banks or paddle their stretch recording GPS coordinates to map important points of interest.  Previous surveys were completed about 10-12 years ago and initiated several projects including construction of new river access sites, the completion of “The Old Mill Trail” a riverside walking trail in Hinsdale, the initiation of a comprehensive water quality monitoring program and completion of several river clean ups. The current stream teams’ findings will update the existing reports and identify new potential projects such as special areas to protect and problem areas that need work.

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Padraic Steinschneider, President of Gotham Design & Community Development Ltd., Mayor Richard Alcombright, Representative Gailanne Cariddi, and Wendy McWeeny, Executive Director of the Partnership for North Adams

4/25/2013  

PDF Flyer for the Event

http://www.mcla.edu/About_MCLA/Community/berkshireenvironmentalresourcecenter/greenlivingseminars/

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Title: Paper Trails and Moral Fields: Organic Certification in Uttarakhand, India

Time/Place: Noon, The Log, 78 Spring Street, Williamstown

Friday, April 19

Come and meet Dr. Shaila Seshia Galvin, who will be joining CES to teach two courses on sustainable agriculture: Topics in Sustainable Agriculture (Fall 2013) and Cultivating the Local: Place-based Productions of Food and Agriculture (Spring 2014).  This is a chance to provide your input on the topics you would like to see covered and the content for these new courses, so please come and share your ideas!

Time/Place: 3 pm, Seminar Room, Harper House

Friday, April 19

Helen White, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Director of the Tri-college Environmental Studies Program, Haverford College

Title: The impact of oil on deep-water ecosystems

Time/Place: 1:10 pm, TBL 112

Abstract: The Deepwater Horizon disaster released ~5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico impacting numerous ecosystems including deep-sea coral communities. Deep-sea corals are typically isolated from anthropogenic disturbances such as oil spills and the widespread signs of stress observed in corals at a depth of 1370 meters underscores the unprecedented nature of the spill. The quantity and composition of oil has been determined for corals and surrounding sediments that were exposed to oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster and a preliminary examination of the microbial communities associated with these samples provides additional insight into the ability of resident microbes to metabolize oil. Findings from this research will enhance our understanding of intrinsic oil degradation in the environment and enable the development of molecular assays that will be able to rapidly monitor the progress of oil biodegradation in theaftermath of an oil spill.

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Instructor: Noreen Mole – Volunteer, Hoffmann Bird Club Past President

Audience: Adult

Fee: Adults $0.00Mass Audubon member / $3.00 nonmember

Spring and fall are the seasons to look for migrants of all kinds, especially the beautiful wood-warblers. Walk past wetlands and meadows and through woodlands observing changes in bird species each week. Preregistration is not required.

Instructions and Directions: Bring binoculars; beginners welcome.

Registration not required.

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Listen to a reading of Dr. Seuss’s popular tale The Lorax, a story about the mystical Lorax and his mission to protect the trees. Afterwards, participants can plant a ‘truffula tree’ to take home and color a Lorax mustache to wear in celebration of the Earth.

Kitchen Kaboom

Saturday, April 20, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Learn about the water cycle and how plants grow by creating your own terrarium in an empty soda bottle. Create your own biodegradable plant pot made of newspaper, and take it home to plant in the ground. Give your legs a workout with our Pedal-A-Watt bike generator and see the effects of your efforts. No reservations are required for this Earth Day presentation of Kitchen Ka-Boom. Families can participate in this program on a drop-in basis anytime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Chow Time

Saturday, April 20, 12:30 p.m.

Help our aquarium experts prepare meals and watch as they feed the fish and animals in the tanks, while learning how the Museum participates in local sustainability-efforts in this special Earth Day edition of Chow Time.

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Instructor: Diane Wetzel – Sanctuary Volunteer and Master Gardener

Audience: Adult

Fee: Adults $5.00m/ $6.00nm

All new participants in the Community Gardens Project must register for this program in order to garden at the Community Gardens. It is also strongly recommended as a refresher for those who have not participated in the program in several years. Diane Wetzel, master gardener and a community gardener herself, will share information about the benefits of organic gardening and impart practical information on how to incorporate this approach. Those who have attended this program in the past may register for a garden by mail but are encouraged to attend the session as well.

Instructions and Directions: This program is free for those registering for the Canoe Meadows Community Gardens Project.

Registration is required.

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9a-11a

Friends of the Hoosic River Greenway will lead guided walks focusing on the plants and animals of the Greenway on Earth Day Saturday. Meet at the old water works off Carey Avenue at 9 a.m. for your own guided tour – to early songbirds, or waterfowl, or common early wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. (The plant walk will include an introduction to wild edibles, and samples of dishes made from one or two wild edible invasive species.) Bring binoculars if you have them. Some hand lenses will be provided for would-be botanists. The event is free and open to everyone.

For more information, contact the Hoosic River Watershed Association at 413 458-2742 or office@hoorwa.org.

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The Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, a non-profit, member-supported land conservation trust, sponsors nature education, local history, and seasonal food events throughout the year.  Sheep Hill is located on Route 7 south in Williamstown, approximately one mile south of the rotary.  For more information visit www.wrlf.org or call 413-458-2494. 

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Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Contact the Westfield Conservation Commission for details at (413) 572-6281.

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Friends of the Hoosic River Greenway will lead guided walks focusing on the plants and animals of the Greenway on Earth Day Saturday. Meet at the old water works off Carey Avenue at 9 a.m. for your own guided tour – to early songbirds, or waterfowl, or common early wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. (The plant walk will include an introduction to wild edibles, and samples of dishes made from one or two wild edible invasive species.) Bring binoculars if you have them. Some hand lenses will be provided for would-be botanists. The event is free and open to everyone.

For more information, contact the Hoosic River Watershed Association at 413 458-2742 or office@hoorwa.org.

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Join Starseed Healing Sanctuary on Sunday, April 21st for a celebration of Earth Day. We will be gathering in the morning from 9:00am -1:00pm for a community work project. From 1:00-2:00pm we will share a vegetarian potluck lunch with nourishing foods from the Earth. We will then spend the afternoon with an interactive celebration of Earth Day in which we connect with the Earth to receive and give healing. Satyena will give a brief talk on this topic, and the rest of the time will be interactive. We will commit to ways we would like to heal our relationship with the Earth. Come celebrate your love for the Earth with us. Come for part of all of the day. Please RSVP by emailing starseed@bcn.net

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Film was a winner of Most Transformative Documentary in 2012.

Admission is free although donations accepted. 

Thanks for your help in spreading the word while we have a tremendous opportunity to be a state leader in GE food labeling!

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Wild Oats Market is a member-owned, cooperative-based whole foods market. One need not be a member to shop at Wild Oats, although membership offers several benefits. The market carries a wide selection of organic and naturally-made products, including: meats, eggs, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, breads, pastas, oils, cereals, juices and chocolate. In addition, the store offers a hot foods bar, a salad bar, a fresh grab-and-go deli, and breads, rolls and pastries freshly baked on-site. Wild Oats Market also carries supplements and personal care products, as well as environmentally-friendly household supplies. The co-op is located at 320 Main Street in Williamstown.

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GMOs – The Basics

What are GMOs?

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are plants or animals created through the process of genetic engineering. This experimental technology forces DNA from one species into a different species. The resulting GMOs are unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional breeding.

Are they safe?

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) doesn’t think so. The Academy reported that “Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food,” including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. The AAEM asked physicians to advise patients to avoid GM foods.

Before the FDA decided to allow GMOs into food without labeling, FDA scientists had repeatedly warned that GM foods can create unpredictable, hard-to-detect side effects, including allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged long-term safety studies, but were ignored.

What should I look out for?

The following carry a high GMO risk:

Crops – Alfalfa, Canola, Corn, Cotton, Papaya, Soy, Sugar Beets, Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash.

Ingredients derived from GMO crops

including Amino Acids, Aspartame, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbate, Vitamin C, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethanol, Flavorings (“natural” and “artificial”), High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrins, Molasses, Monosodium Glutamate, Sucrose, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Xanthan Gum, Vitamins, Yeast Products, and many others.

Animal products – milk, meat, eggs, honey, etc. (due to feed contamination)

How can you avoid GMOs?

With GMOs now present in more than 80% of conventional processed food, choosing Non-GMO Project Verified is the most reliable way for your family to avoid GMOs.

Look for this seal on the package or the shelf.

-responsibletechnology.org

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If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thanks you,

Ed Stockman

Co-founder MA Right To Know GMOs

Massachusetts Right to Know GMOs is a statewide network of safe food advocates working together and with our state legislators to reach a critical mass of awareness and support for legislation mandating adequate labeling of Genetically Modified (GM) foods in Massachusetts. 

MARightToKnow.org  facebook.com/MARightToKnowGMOs

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Cost $175

West Pittsfield

This five day program is an opportunity for your child(ren) to explore their creativity. They will explore color using natural dyes and color paints. We will spend time experimenting how color mixes. Materials will be homemade play dough, feathers,paper and various fabrics. Each child will make unique works of art using natural materials while being immersed in the colorful world of nature around us.

A packed lunch and drink is encouraged. All supplies will be included.

To register your child(ren) email: Dr.Augies@gmail.com

http://draugies.wordpress.com/kid-programs/april-classes/

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Organized by Craig Westcott, Director of Darrow’s Samson Environmental Center, the symposium is open to students and teachers from regional middle and high schools, as well as interested members of the community who want to learn about and discuss topics in sustainability, both local and global, with professional engineers, educators, chefs, farmers, filmmakers, architects, health and wellness professionals, and more.

“The goal of the day,” said Westcott, “is for participants to emerge with information, contacts, and strategies that they can return with and apply to their own education and work.”

The program runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and will include a keynote address delivered by the students of the Mountainside Chapter of Rho Kappa, an international social studies honor society. This engaging and interactive presentation will focus on the work that Rho Kappa is doing to translate the UN Millennium Development Goals into relevant, actionable lifestyles for young people. The session will be mediated by Norman Nicholson, Darrow School Class of 1955. Formerly of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Nicholson is one of the members of the team that originally developed the Millennium Development Goals at the Development Assistance Committee in Paris in the late 1990s, and then worked with other development agencies to get them adopted by the United Nations.

Westcott said Darrow also will welcome back a number of presenters this year, including several Darrow School alumni who have participated in previous symposiums. In addition to Nicholson, these include Bill Ewald ’61, formerly of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Michael Hardiman ’75 of Hargidon Architecture + Design, Boston, MA; and Ryan Holt ’94 of Multifunctional Landscapes, St. Johnsbury, VT.

A wide variety of concurrent sessions will be held throughout the day, covering topics such as:

• The Energy and Economy of Solar Power: Participants will examine current technologies for solar electric (photovoltaic) systems, and explore innovative methods for funding.
• Flying Deer: Experts and budding young naturalists will learn how to track, move, and think like our abundant wildlife neighbor, the white-tailed deer.
• Behind the Shaker Scene: Enjoy a tour of the historic Darrow campus to learn about various recent energy conservation measures the School has taken to improve human, economic, and environmental sustainability.
• An Introduction to Permaculture Design: We will look for and talk about microclimates and the role they play in design, touching on the surprising number of edible perennials hardy enough to survive our cold winters. We will also discuss the three permaculture ethics: Care of Earth, Care of People, and Return the Surplus, and talk about how we use them as a lens through which to see design potentials.
• Ecology Walk into Shaker Swamp: Take a leisurely walk across the Darrow meadows and through the forest down to Shaker Swamp. Along the way, we’ll study some of the signs of early spring life (e.g., wildflowers, birds, and more), as well as past land use history. (For a full experience, please wear high rubber boots and be prepared to slosh out into the heart of the swamp.)
• Green Product Placement: Learn how corporations are trying to green themselves, and how other industries might employ these tactics.
• Sustainability at the U.S. EPA: Explore efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency in the area of sustainability practices and approaches, including the labeling of green products; promoting green chemistry and engineering; managing materials rather than creating waste; using green infrastructure to manage storm-water runoff; and supporting the sustainable design of communities.
• Greening the Learning Environment: Discover how Darrow’s own Science Building is being re-envisioned as a more energy-efficient and functional building by means of an extensive exterior retrofit. Learn how to use the same state-of-the-art 3D modeling software used in the design of the retrofit.
• How to Harness Free Energy: Explore current technologies in solar thermal systems that use free energy from the sun to heat water.
• Building Naturalist Skills Towards a Sense of Place: Use the Darrow landscape as a study of several topics in nature.
• Outdoor Adventure and Environmental Service: This session is for students who are interested in participating in summer expeditions involving wilderness adventure, environmental field study, service learning, and cross cultural exchange.

Online registration for the Symposium is available through Darrow School’s website.

The Symposium’s schedule is as follows:

• 9:00-9:45 a.m.: Keynote by Rho Kappa
• 10:00-11:30 a.m.: Concurrent Sessions
• 11:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m.: Locavore Lunch and Discussion (Please note: the fee for the lunch is $7 and requires an RSVP to Sarah Fitzgerald, Special Events Coordinator, at fitzgeralds@darrowschool.org or 518-794-6000.)
• 1:00-2:45 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions

Corporate sponsors of the Fifth Annual Darrow School Sustainability Symposium include:

• Best Western Berkshire Hills Inn & Suites
• Berkshire Bank
• Real Goods Solar
• John Ray & Sons
• Sustainable Summer
• Cranial Solutions

Public inquiries and lunch registration: Sarah Fitzgerald, Special Events Coordinator, 518-322-3657, fitzgeralds@darrowschool.org

Media inquiries: Steve Ricci, Director of Communications, at 518-794-6004, riccis@darrowschool.org

First opened in 1932 as the Lebanon School for Boys, Darrow School–an independent, coeducational boarding and day school for grades 9 through 12–is located at the historic Mt. Lebanon Shaker Village on the New York-Massachusetts state line. Darrow’s small classes and challenging college-preparatory curriculum afford all students the opportunity for active participation in the learning process. The School has been recognized as a pioneer in the field of “hands-on learning,” and its teachers use real-world topics and a dynamic approach to capture the imagination and make the subject matter come alive. The School is dedicated to serving students with diverse backgrounds and abilities, building on each student’s individual talents and interests to inspire enduring confidence for success in college and life. To learn more, visit www.darrowschool.org.

Darrow School

110 Darrow Road

New Lebanon, NY 12125

(518) 794-6000

www.darrowschool.org

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Free screening – followed by Q & A with biologist and organic farmer Ed Stockman – of the documentary “Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of our Lives”, which examines evidence of the health risks associated with Genetically Modified Foods.  Join Berkshire Co-op and MA Right to Know GMO’s and learn what you can do to ensure the safety of your food.

Contact: Sonya Bykofsky, (413) 637-8001

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FREE! www.mastep.net

Evaluating Stormwater Best Management Practices

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

MassDEP Central Regional Office

627 Main Street, Worcester

2:00 to 5:00 pm

Parking is available at the Registry of Motor Vehicles’ lot across Madison St.

OR next to the Worcester Public Library (near 3 Salem St.)

Sign in & Refreshments at 1:30 pm

REGISTRATION is REQUIRED and Limited to First Come First Served Basis

Contact Nancy.Lin@state.ma.us

For additional info and directions, please go to:

www.mass.gov/dep/water/wastewater/swevents.htm .

The Massachusetts Stormwater Technology Evaluation Project was established to provide technology transfer information about innovative stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) to MassDEP, Conservation Commissions, local officials, and other BMP users to help them make appropriate technology implementation decisions. MASTEP is a clearing house of information on proprietary storm water technologies and a prioritization process for investment in technology demonstrations and testing. The project focuses on validating performance of proprietary and conventional storm water BMPs and Low Impact Development (LID) practices. The MASTEP database (www.mastep.net) contains profiles on over 80 stormwater treatment systems, including reviews of more than 160 performance studies of these systems.

Funded by a U.S. EPA Clean Water Act Section 319 grant (and administered by MassDEP) this workshop will present findings from 8 years of MASTEP research into pollution removal effectiveness of traditional, proprietary and LID stormwater treatment systems. Topics covered will include environmental and design factors affecting system performance; challenges in treating sediments, nutrients and other pollutants; and use of the MASTEP web site as an aid in evaluating stormwater solutions. The process Applicants and Conservation Commissions should use when proposing and reviewing those stormwater treatment practices not listed in the MassDEP Stormwater Handbook will be discussed; and a case study will be presented.

Presenters: Jerry Schoen and Tom Maguire

Jerry Schoen, director of MASTEP, is also Director of Outreach and Education at the UMass Water Resources Research Center. Mr. Schoen received his MS in Resource Management and Administration from Antioch New England University in 1991 and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from the University of Massachusetts.

Tom Maguire is the Regional Consistency Coordinator of MassDEP’s Wetlands Program. He assisted in the development of standardized scientific protocols to evaluate the performance of manufactured stormwater treatment practices that are used by the Technology and Reciprocity Partnership (TARP) and EPA Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) program.

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If your answer is no, you will benefit from taking our “How to Read Municipal Plans” workshop.

 From new foremen and inspectors, to office personnel who answer questions from the public, this introductory class breaks the code.

The class will cover the basics of reading construction plans primarily for infrastructure improvement projects including but not limited to: Property lines, subdivision plans (includes plan and profiles for roadway, stormwater drainage, sanitary sewer), site plans, conservation commission plans, and other plans that may be considered appropriate.

Participants will learn to:

• Use a scale

• Read notes

• Understand topography

• Read plan and profile sheets

• Interpret property lines (metes and bounds).

This class is designed for anyone who needs to find information in a set of plans.

Classes will be held on April 23 at the Crowne Plaza, Pittsfield, and April 24 at the Hotel Northampton, Northampton. Please bring a calculator (nothing fancy is needed) and a pencil.

This course has been approved for 5.0 AICP Credits.

See the attached brochure for more information. To register for this workshop go to our website at http://baystateroads.eot.state.ma.us/workshops/index

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Instructor: Florian “Butch” Ptak – Sanctuary Volunteer

Audience: All (suitable for children 3 – 15 years)

Members: Adult $5.00, Child $3.00

Nonmembers: Adult $7.00, Child $4.00

Enjoy an evening in the valley visiting the beaver ponds. Search for beavers and other kinds of wildlife that are attracted by the series of ponds that the beavers have created. Learn about the natural history of beavers and how they continue to change our landscape 80 years after their reintroduction.

Instructions and Directions: Wear long pants, a shirt with long sleeves, and a hat. Bring binoculars if you have them.    Registration not required.

Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

472 West Mountain Road

Lenox, MA  01240

413-637-0320

www.massaudubon.org

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Details @ http://masccc.eventbrite.com
The Massachusetts Sustainable Communities and Campuses Conferences connect stakeholders from government, business, communities, campuses, and non-profits.  Everyone interested in sustainability would find this conference practical and valuable.

Engage in cross-sector dialogues

Learn about best practices, research, current trends, products and services

Go home with ideas, connections, and resources to implement sustainability practices

WHO WILL ATTEND

• State and municipal government staff
• University/schools staff, faculty and students
• Business owners and representatives
• Non-profit and community members
• Everyone interested in sustainability
• 75+ SPEAKERS / LEADING EXPERTS
• Government: state and municipal
• Universities/Schools
• Businesses
• Non-profits
• 40+ EXHIBITORS
• Businesses with products and services for communities and campuses
• College programs
• Government departments
• Non-Profit and community organizations

BENEFITS

• Showcase your sustainable community and campus initiatives to hundreds from across the Commonwealth
• Meet leaders and organizers who come to our conferences seeking to create, manage and expand community and campus initiatives
• Attend an affordable, accessible, professional event that attracts an audience who will benefit by knowing about your work
• Participate in a conference that was preceded by six events that were sold out in advance:   www.MassGreenCareers.com and www.MaSustainableCommunities.com.

*Call for Sponsors, Exhibitors, Speakers, Posters

Sponsors, Exhibitors:  Request registration information.

Speakers, Posters:  See TOPICS OF INTEREST at http://masccc.eventbrite.com and apply before December 7, 2012.
CONTACT

Jen Boudrie, Conference Director, JenBoudrie@gmail.com, 508-481-0569

http://masccc.eventbrite.com

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The documentary will be introduced by Marion Stoddart herself.  Stoddard has received many rewards including the United Nations Global 500 Award and a presidential commendation.

She was an honoree of the National Women’s History Project as “one of the women taking the lead to save out planet.” Also, she has been profiled in National Geographic and is the subject of the children’s book A RIVER RAN WILD.

On the 25th, she will share her strategy for turning a vision into reality.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum, the event is free.  The Friends, a volunteer organization, is entering its 75th year of service to Pittsfield’s Public Library.

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For information about the October symposium visit www.symposium2013.pvbiochar.org

Mary Vogel, President

GreenWork

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Berkshire Athenaeum

1 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield, MA

Free and open to the public.

Learn more about Ms. Stoddart at http://www.workof1000.org/

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Instructor: Noreen Mole – Volunteer, Hoffmann Bird Club Past President

Audience: Adult

Members: free for Mass Audubon members

Nonmembers: Adult $3.00

Spring and fall are the seasons to look for migrants of all kinds, especially the beautiful wood-warblers. Walk past wetlands and meadows and through woodlands observing changes in bird species each week. Preregistration is not required.

Instructions and Directions: Bring binoculars; beginners welcome.  Registration not required.

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4/20/13  -  Birding Beyond Your Backyard at Linear Park

The Hoffmann Bird Club’s two hour walk for birders with limited experience will explore the fields and riverside at Linear Park in Williamstown.  We will look for field species, waterfowl and early migrants. Walking is easy throughout the trip. Meet at 7:30 at the tennis courts on Linear Park Rd., opposite Maple Terrace Motel on Rt. 2. For more information and complete directions, contact Audrey Werner at 458-4908 or president@hoffmannbirdclub.org  Dress for a cool morning. The walk is free and open to the public.

4/27/2013 -  Birding Beyond Your Backyard at Field Farm

The two hour Hoffmann Bird Club trip for birders with limited experience is through scenic Field Farm in South Williamstown, a Trustees of Reservations property. It is easy walking in open fields, gentle slopes, around a pond and on a country road. Meet at the Farm on Sloan Rd. in S. Williamstown at 7:30 am. For more information and complete directions, contact Audrey Werner at 458-4908 or president@hoffmannbirdclub.org . Dress for a cool morning. The walk is free and open to the public.

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Yokun Ridge Night Hike

Lenox Wednesday April 24th @ 7pm

Bring your friends out to experience the Walsh and Charcoal Trails at night! We will begin at Olivia’s Overlook and hike the Walsh Trail to the vista where Walsh becomes Charcoal Trail. We will descend from the Ridge via the Charcoal Trail and return to the parking area. If we are lucky, the full moon will be rising over Stockbridge Bowl upon our return!

Garlic Mustard Grapple: Stevens Glen

Richmond Saturday April 27th 9am-3pm

Join us for the morning or afternoon for some easy weeding! Garlic mustard is a non-native species that out-competes our native wildflowers and sapling trees. By volunteering a few hours of your time, you can help restore the natural habitat at Stevens Glen. Learn how to identify and eradicate an invasive plant that may exist on your property! Sample Garlic Mustard pesto!

Girl Scout hike @ Stevens Glen

Richmond Saturday April 27th 11am

Learn about local girls scout troop activities and make some new friends! Hike down to the waterfall and learn how to make a plaster track. Lend a hand and learn about an invasive plant species if you wish.

For more information: www.BNRC.net or (413) 499 0596

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Join us for a day of family fun as we spruce up our trails, gardens, and nature centers and dive into other spring cleaning projects. See our list of participating wildlife sanctuaries for more details (below) and sign-up online today!

There are plenty of activities planned for all ages and abilities, whether you’re looking for kid-friendly work (preparing gardens for spring planting) or more strenuous activities (trail restoration). We can also provide a community service verification letter for your three hours of volunteering.

Bring a picnic lunch and spend time exploring (and enjoying) the sanctuary when the morning’s work is done.

Berkshires

Canoe Meadows, Pittsfield: Community Gardens Setup; Garden Site Improvements; Turtle Garden

Connecticut River Valley

Graves Farm, Williamsburg: Land Stewardship; Ecological Management and Habitat Improvement; Trail Improvement

Laughing Brook, Hampden: Land Stewardship; Ecological Management and Habitat Improvement; Trail Improvement

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9:00am—1:00pm

Meet at the Old Mill Trail trailhead,

Old Dalton Road, Hinsdale

(opposite the Hinsdale Trading Company)

Help us clean up the trail ready for the new hiking season! Pick up trash & debris, replace lost markers, and remove invasives.
For more information and to let us know you are coming:

Call Dennis or Alison at HVA 413-394-9796 or email Dennis: dregan@hvatoday.org
Hinsdale Trading Company is providing some munchies.

We will bring tools, trash bags and work gloves.

If you want to bring a few of your own, please do!

Sent by Alison Dixon, Berkshire Outreach Manager

Housatonic Valley Association, Berkshire Office

PO Box 251, 1383 Rte. 102 South Lee, MA 01260

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Meet at Michael Humphries Woodworking

158 Birnam Road,
Northfield

Free

OPEN FOR 40 PARTICIPANTS

Learn about the local sustainable wood movement in Northfield from experts in relevant fields. This event features stops at a sustainably managed forest, Michael Humphries Woodworking

Shop, and a house made of locallysourced timber, and culminates in a fun game with prizes. Lunch will be provided. Transportation to each destination will not be provided.

MOUNT GRACE LAND CONSERVATION TRUST • www.mountgrace.org

event pdf

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Wednesday, May 1, 2013

7:00-9:00pm {doors open 6:30}

Holyoke Heritage State Park Visitors Center

221 Appleton St, Holyoke

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/directions/HolyokeMap.pdf

Sponsor the Program/Song Book: $50 per person or $100 per organization.

Donations to the Warren J. Plaut Charitable Trust Jobs with Justice Fund (or WJPCT/JwJ) are tax deductible.

Send to Western Mass. Jobs with Justice, PO Box 296, Granby MA 01033.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Western Mass Jobs with Justice

640 Page Blvd #101

Springfield MA 01104

(413) 827-0301

Founded in 1987, Jobs with Justice‘s mission is to improve working people’s standard of living, fight for job security, and protect workers’ right to organize. We believe workers’ rights are human rights and to be successful, we have to be part of a larger campaign for economic and social justice.

To that end, “J with J” has created a national coalition and a network of local coalitions that connect labor, community, student, and faith-based organizations and activists on workplace and community social justice campaigns.  Western Mass JwJ – founded June 5, 1993 – is now a coalition of almost 70 organizations.

Let’s keep in touch – please check out our mailing lists at http://wmjwj.org/our-lists.

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To register online or for information about what can be brought to these collections,

visit http://www.cetonline.org/events/household-hazardous-waste-collection/

or email Amanda.Bates@cetonline.org.

Or call CET at 888-577-8448 ext. 10 or 14.

Residents from communities that are not participating should call their City or Town Hall for information about hazardous household product collections.
CET is a non-profit organization working in the fields of energy efficiency, renewable energy, waste management and environmental education. CET provides practical solutions that make sense for our community, economy and environment. CET is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.

The Center for EcoTechnology helps people carry out their daily activities with less environmental impact. It provides practical solutions that save energy, materials and money and have a positive impact on our environment and commu­nity.  The Center for EcoTechnology serves residents, business and

The Center for EcoTechnology is a 35-year-old non-profit organization with offices in Pittsfield, Northampton and Springfield. Visit www.cetonline.org or call 413-445-4556 to learn more.  For more information about EcoBuilding Bargains, stop by the store at 83 Warwick Street, visit www.ecobuildingbargains.org, or call 413-788-6900.

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This past fall at our inaugural Family Community Service Night we focused on human service organizations and families had a great time working together in support of several local non-profits.

Our spring event on Saturday, May 4th will be held at Leeds Elementary School in Northampton.  We will be offering seven volunteer stations for families to participate in hands-on service projects for ALL AGES that support animal welfare organizations, conservation efforts and food security.  Families will also be able to bring home several of their service projects to continue their community service together from home.

With a Community Service Passport in hand, families can travel to each station and have their passport stamped after completing their service project.  In their Passports parents will find conversation starters, online resources and recommended reading lists for each station, and children can share what they liked best about each project by filling in their Passport.  Parents can use the Passport to help guide youth participants in learning about animal welfare, conservation efforts and food security.

Our Spring Volunteer Stations include:

• BIRD HOUSE BUILDING: Bluebird houses will be constructed on site to be donated to the Franklin Land Trust.  Families can help assemble & sand houses… something for all ages. (Facilitated by the Northampton High School Woodworking Club)
• FELINE FUN: Make catnip toys for cats to be donated to the Dakin Humane Society for cats waiting for adoption. (Facilitated by Dakin Humane Society)
• FLEECE CHEWS FOR CANINES: Make and donate chew toys for dogs of families in need with Kane’s Krusade. (Facilitated by Give a Hoot Pets)
• SOW AN EXTRA ROW: Learn about growing extra food in your family garden plot or container gardens to harvest and donate to a local food pantry. Go home with a plant starter and seeds to plant and nurture this summer. (Facilitated by Grow Food Northampton)
• SEED BOMBS: Create dirt bombs with native wildflower seeds to use for promoting natural habitats for pollinators. Go home with your very on seed bombs! (Facilitated by Help Yourself!)
• GIVING BAGS: Upcycle old t-shirts into giving bags to take home for collecting food for animal shelters, food pantries or other service organization in need of donations. (Facilitated by Knack)
• LETTER WRITING: Learn about the work of participating organizations and write letters of appreciation, or participate in letter writing campaigns. (Facilitated by the Northampton High School Key Club)

Donation Stations: In addition to our volunteer stations, we will have several opportunities for families to bring and donate items from home, including:

• Cat food & cat toys to be donated to Dakin Humane Society.
• Dog food & dog toys to be donated to Kane’s Krusade.
• Baby blankets, receiving blankets, baby wipes & kids polar fleece hats to be donated to Urban Wildlife Rehabilitation.

Pet Adoption: Stop by and visit Dakin Humane Society’s pet adoption station. Families can learn more about Dakin’s services and programs, and the adoption process. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet your new furry friend! If a family meets an animal they would like to adopt, they can complete their adoption process at either Dakin’s Springfield or Leverett Adoption Centers.

The Hilltown Families’ Family Community Service Event is a free event and all families are welcomed.  Cup & Top Cafe will be on-site selling coffee/tea, beverages, pastries and light lunch fare.

While the even it free, space is limited.  Participating families are required to pre-register for this morning of community service on Saturday, May 4th at www.HilltownFamilies.org.

###

ABOUT HILLTOWN FAMILIES

Hilltown Families is an online grassroots communication network for families living throughout the four counties of Western Massachusetts: www.HilltownFamilies.org. Hilltown Families’ mission is to connect, collaborate, and create community building events, community based educational opportunities, and service learning experiences.  Hilltown Families is incorporated as a non-profit in the state of Massachusetts, currently awaiting the approval of 501(c)3 status.

Founded by Sienna Wildfield, a long time activist, artist, mother, and a Hilltown resident, Hilltown Families has been serving thousands of families living throughout Western Massachusetts since 2005. Through an award winning blog, social networking platforms, listserv, radio show/podcast, online bulletin boards, program development and collaborations with civic and nonprofit groups, Hilltown Families connects people and organizations in the widespread communities of Western MA by helping area residents share ideas, organize activities, support their children’s education and increase participation in community life.

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The conference is supported by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Massachusetts Recreational Trails Advisory Board (MARTAB), and the Recreational Trails Grants Program.

Registration Deadline, Friday, April 26

THEME: Connectivity Leading to Community

This year’s conference explores how trail connections help build community.  Trails connect places physically on the landscape, but trails, trail use, trail building and trail promotion can also connect diverse groups of people to each other; connect us to our built, natural and cultural environment; can contribute to local economic opportunities; and contribute to creating healthier communities.  Workshops at the 2013 Massachusetts Trail Conference explore these themes and hopefully will also connect and strengthen the Massachusetts Trails Community.

PURPOSE:

Participants will find workshop available on a variety of topics including rail trail design and development, motorized trail user issues, risk and liability, working with volunteers and connecting through new technologies. Participants will also have opportunities to connect with others around the state tackling similar issues. View the full list of workshops here.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

This day-long conference offers 16 workshops for trail planners, advocates, managers, users, land trusts, conservation commissions, friends groups and volunteers interested in creating, managing and promoting sustainable trails for healthy communities. View the agenda here.

SPEAKERS

• MassParks Director, Priscilla Geigis

Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation

Priscilla Geigis oversees MassParks, which manages and maintains over 300,000 acres of the state’s forests, parks, greenways, historic sites, and seashores.  MassParks also administers the many recreational activities and opportunities that the Department offers to residents across the Commonwealth.

• Mark Fenton

Mark Fenton is a national public health, planning, and transportation consultant, an adjunct associate professor at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, and former host of the “America’s Walking” series on PBS television.

COST:

Participant pre-registration costs $25 and includes workshops, materials, breaks and lunch.($35 at the door)  Register to attend here.

DEVENS COMMON CENTER

31 Andrews Parkway ¦ Devens ¦ Massachusetts ¦ 978.772.0188

Devens Common Center, a premier convention facility located in the heart of historic Devens, Massachusetts.  You’ll enjoy the convenience and upscale setting of a big city event located in a small New England town. We are conveniently accessible by major routes and only 35 miles northwest of Boston and just 15 minutes from I-495

http://www.devenscommoncenter.com/

MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION & RECREATION

The Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) is the state’s value-added agency: offering access to properties and programs that create a lifetime of memories for residents and their families.  We are stewards of more than 450,000 acres of land that includes some of the most beautiful and iconic landscapes and facilities anywhere.  We touch every corner of the state and nearly every city and town and are integrated into urban, rural, and suburban settings.  DCR is the ninth largest parks system in the country, serving a densely-populated state fortunate to have these great properties literally in our backyard.

MASSACHUSETTS RECREATIONAL TRAILS ADVISORY BOARD (MARTAB)

MARTAB is a volunteer board representing major motorized and non-motorized trail user groups and trail managers in Massachusetts.  MARTAB was established by DCR in 1993, and seeks to build a coalition of trail users, stakeholders and advocates to promote a cooperative, practical approach to promoting trails and solving trail issues in Massachusetts.  MARTAB advises DCR on various trail policy and management issues and recommends project for funding under the Recreational Trails Grants program.

For DCR properties nearby Devens:

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/central.htm

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/northeast.htm

Join us on:   twitter.com/massDCR

MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TOURISM

Devens is in the heart of Massachusetts. Explore the region and you’ll discover unique cultural delights, gorgeous natural vistas and the opportunity to experience Massachusetts’ history.

Take a glimpse back in time at Old Sturbridge Village, a re-creation of an 1830s’ rural New England settlement. Visit the Fruitlands Museum and enjoy a tour, along with views of Mt. Wachusett. Stop by nearby Wachusett Mountain, one of southern New England’s most popular ski areas. And be sure to go to the Worcester Art Museum, one of the leading small art museums in America.

http://www.massvacation.com/centralMass/

For more information, contact: 

Amanda Lewis, DCR Recreational Trails Program

413-586-8706 ext 19, or amanda.lewis@state.ma.us

Dick O’Brien, MARTAB Chairman

dobrien578@gmail.com

DCR Greenways

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Local artisans will show and sell their wares. This years craft offerings include basketry, pottery, one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories, jewelry, and sheep and alpaca fiber products. Local painters will be out-in-the-fields landscape painting.

Sheep Hill’s traditional soup kitchen will serve a variety of homemade soups, while Wild Oats Market and Cricket Creek farm will offer fresh breads, cheeses, sandwiches and other delicious edibles available for purchase.

Tickets for Sheep to Shawl can be purchased at the gate. Non-member tickets prices are $5 per individual and $10 per family. WRLF members and those who come by bicycle pay $3 per individual and $6 per family. Become a WRLF member at the gate and receive free admission!  All are welcome to enter their admission tickets in a Sheep to Shawl raffle for a ‘locally produced’ prize basket. Proceeds from the Sheep to Shawl Festival support the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation (www.wrlf.org) and its public programming.
In the second half of the heritage weekend, half and full-day workshops will be offered at Sheep Hill on Sunday May 5th.  Morning and afternoon sessions include yarn dyeing with “Kangaroo Dyer” Gail Callahan and introduction to bee-keeping with Alethea Morrison and Mars Vilaubi.  Featured speaker is Jennifer Trainer Thompson discussing raising chickens and egg production during the local foods lunch. Learn to make twig garden accessories such as trellises in an all day workshop with Art Evans.  Half-day session and lunch $40, $25 WRLF members.  Two sessions or all-day rustic garden accessory design and building workshop is $75 including materials and lunch, $60 WRLF members.

Free shuttle parking for Saturday’s event is available at the former Taconic Restaurant at the junction of Route 2 and 7, just south of Sheep Hill, and at neighboring Mezze Restaurant’s lower parking lot.  Parking for Sunday is on site at Sheep Hill.

The Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation is a non-profit, member-supported land conservation trust working to preserve the rural New England character of the north Berkshire region.   It offers programs in natural and cultural history year-round at Sheep Hill and other conservation properties. Sheep Hill is located on Route 7 approximately one mile south of the Williamstown rotary. Look for the sign on the west side of the road.  For more information, visit our website at www.wrlf.org or call Sheep Hill at 413-458-2494. Sheep to Shawl and the skills workshops are supported by a grant from the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire, a program of the Mass Cultural Council, and Storey Publishing.

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• Five strands of three workshops that illuminate aspects of our overarching theme
• A keynote speaker
• Catered lunch
• An exhibitor hall where vendors and activist organizations can connect with participants interested in a more sustainable future

If you’re interested in presenting at the summit or leading a workshop, please call Elizabeth at  413-349-4086      

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Associate

Consensus Building Institute

202-289-8780 x153

tkansal@cbuilding.org

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Promotion Specialist

Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

Please Note New Address of Field Headquarters:

100 Hartwell Street, Suite 230

West Boylston, MA 01583

(508) 389-6393 (office)

(508) 389-7890 (facsimile)

susan.benoit@state.ma.us

http://www.mass.gov/masswildlife

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Anyone with a repairable broken item, such as small appliances, clothing, toys, small furniture items, and so on may bring it to the Repair Cafe, but guests are asked not to bring shoes, watches, or CRT TVs or monitors. Volunteers will fix as many articles as possible. Guests can watch their item being repaired and learn a little about how repairs are done. Repair persons say that, if your broken item needs a part, and you know what it needs, it will save you time if you bring the part with you. The Repair Cafe is also offering free refreshments.

The Repair Cafe is a project of the Pittsfield Resilience Circle, which began in August, 2012. Janet Henderson, one of the organizers, explains what the Pittsfield Resilience Circle hopes to accomplish by hosting the Repair Cafe: “We hope to reduce what gets sent to the landfill, give people with skills a place to practice them, increase the repair ethic, and pass on skills to a younger generation.”

The Repair Cafe concept originated in the Netherlands. The Repair Cafe Foundation now provides support to local groups around the world wishing to start their own Repair Cafe (repaircafe.org).

To make a donation or to volunteer for the Repair Cafe, call Tom Harter at 413-212-8589 or email Janet Henderson at jmh227@hotmail.com.

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Saturday, May 18

11am to 3pm (set-up starts at 8:30am)

Muddy Brook Elementary

Great Barrington, Mass.

A registration form is attached, and due by April 1.

Please join us.  And if you know others who would like to be on this list, please send me their names and email addresses.  (Alternatively, if you would like to be removed from this list, which will receive occasional reminders over the next few months, please reply “remove” to this email.)

Every day is Earth Day, but there is only ONE Mud Day.  Mud Day is an annual celebration of the Berkshire landscape, our common ground.  Last year, over 600 people participated.

Cheers,

Suzie Fowle

–

Suzanne Fowle

SNAKEROOTS

Ecological Consulting

scfowle@gmail.com

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There is no charge. -

Those who think single-degree climate changes on Earth don’t matter should think again. Above, Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, offers a striking analogy, making the case in less than three minutes.

Leiserowitz, who specializes in the psychology of risk perception, knows better than anyone if people are willing to change their behavior to make a difference. Bill and Leiserowitz dive deep into the intersection of climate change and American cultural attitudes.

“[A] pervasive sense up to now has been that climate change is distant — distant in time, and distant in space,” Leiserowitz tells Bill. “And what we’re now beginning to see is that it’s not so distant. I have a nine-year-old son — he’s going to be my age in the year 2050. I don’t want him to live in the world that we’re currently hurtling towards.”

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Closer to home, the Beat Back Fracking campaign is organizing a public meeting for May 23 in Westfield, where a company called Pioneer Valley Energy Center (formerly Westfield Land Development Company, LLC) wants to build a natural gas power station. Official estimates suggest that the facility would release approximately one million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. And for cooling purposes the plant would need plenty of water – up to two million gallons per day — from the Ashley Reservoir in Holyoke.

If you’re not happy about wasting water and burning more fracked gas in the Pioneer Valley, come along to Westfield Public Library on May 23 and make your voice heard.

Thank you for all you do,

– Peter

Peter Vickery, Esq.

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• Artists and craftspeople who want to display and sell their work;
• Businesses who want to reach 2,000 prospective customers in one day;
• Vendors of products and services that make our lives more energy-efficient and our communities more sustainable;
• Local food vendors;
• Volunteer captains to help the Festival succeed;
• Kids 12 and under who want to show and sell their art or craft work;
• Musicians to perform on a new open mike stage;
• And businesses to sponsor the Festival.

“The Hilltown Spring Festival is a chance to connect with 2,000 of your neighbors who care about the quality of life in the Hilltowns,” said Seth Isman, Hilltown CDC’s Economic Development Director and Festival coordinator. “The Festival celebrates what we love about the hilltown community.”

Registration forms are available from Hilltown CDC; email sethi@hilltowncdc.org or call 413-296-4536 ext. 112.  The priority deadline for reserving a space is May 13, 2013.

The Hilltown Spring Festival is supported in part by grants from the Local Cultural Councils of the towns of Ashfield, Chester. Chesterfield, Conway, Cummington, Goshen, Middlefield, Plainfield, Washington, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Windsor and Worthington—local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

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We reach out to organizations and state government agencies to see if they can bring their knowledge and experience to the festival. Some have activities they already use to educate students about water and environmental issues. Others are willing to volunteer for the festival in a variety of ways.

Event PDF

BEAT Note: The 2013 Bay State Children’s Water Festival is seeking volunteers for the event.  If you’d like to help out please contact: 

Margaret Martens

Public Education Coordinator

Water Systems Council

1101 30th Street NW, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20007

ph 202-625-4387

cell 704-658-8730

fax 704-660-1957

Join the Well Owners Network today!

http:/www.watersystemscouncil.org/network.php

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Ongoing projects:

-Gardening- contact Judy Gitelson @ 445-5540 pittsfile@yahoo.com to help with this much needed work

-Vernal pool documentation project- Contact Josh Griffin joshgriffin0420@gmail.com

-Blue Bird houses- cleaning out and installing more bird houses – contact Phyllis @ 413-443-3817 wildflowers@berkshirewildflowers.com

-Arboretum Tuesday evening concert series July-August every Tuesday @ 7pm, Elizabeth Kulas could use volunteers to help elizabeth.kulas@cox.net

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On April 20, volunteers will meet at the W. E. B. Du Bois River Garden Park by the former Searles Middle School parking lot on River Street, near Bridge Street.  Morning coffee and lunch will be provided. Tours will be given in the afternoon.

Work at the River Walk site is managed by Berkshire County’s Greenagers, the local organization that fosters the ethics of service and stewardship in area youth.  Greenagers manage trail improvements and riverbank reclamation, and participate in educational outreach. Volunteers are invited to work alongside Greenagers on other days.  Special workdays with other schools and groups may also be arranged. On-site education programs include student workdays, tours, and lectures about river ecology and the river’s rich historical heritage.

Director Rachel Fletcher says, “When we started as a simple riverbank clean up 25 years ago, none of us imagined River Walk would become what it is today. And we’re still growing. Now, with Greenagers having a hand in its future, we have so much to look forward to.”

This year, Heather Cupo, River Walk’s landscape gardener of fifteen years, will offer an intensive program about River Walk’s native landscape improvements for Greenagers and other student volunteers. The horticultural program is designed to help these teens acquire the job and leadership skills they will need to care for native habitats in the future.

On Thursday, May 9, 9 am-2 pm, Ms. Cupo will talk about invasive plants, poly vs mono culture, IPM strategy and other management techniques, and field practice. The program on Thursday, June 13, 9 am-2 pm, will include erosion management, soil building and retention, water quality and pollution control, coir log installation and planting, and riverbank maintenance.

The program is free to Mt. Everett and Monument Mountain students. Transportation to and from school is provided. Greenager crews will also receive site training appropriate for each season of the work year.

River Walk is supported this year by a Recreational Trails Program grant award of $21,345 from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and additional grants from The Roy Foundation, Town of Great Barrington, Katherine L. W. and Winthrop M. Crane III Charitable Trust, and the Berkshire Environmental Endowment of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Local foundation and business sponsors include The Turkeybush Fund, Great Barrington Rotary, Iredale Mineral Cosmetics, Berkshire Corporation, and Country Curtains and The Red Lion Inn.

In addition to meeting this year’s budget, River Walk hopes to raise $100,000 to help Greenagers manage River Walk in the future and train the next generation of trail stewards. Each donation of $250 or more is matched by an anonymous donor.

River Walk—a National Recreation Trail—is a public walking trail entering between Rite Aid and Pink Cloud on Main Street.  An additional section follows the river adjacent to the former Searles Middle School and the Berkshire Corporation parking lot.  River Walk easements are granted in appreciation of volunteer clean-up activities, including the removal of 400 tons of rubble and debris from various sites. To date, more than 2400 volunteers have worked to restore the riverbank to its native ecology and to produce ½ mile of public trail.  River Walk easements are managed by the Great Barrington Land Conservancy.

For more information, visit www.gbriverwalk.org or contact Rachel Fletcher at 528-3391, or e-mail river@gbriverwalk.org.  For information about Greenagers visit www.greenagers.org or call Will Conklin 413-644-9090.

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Have You Entered to Win Yet?

Enter Our SWEEPSTAKES Today!!!

FIRST PRIZE – $35 Flying Deer Discount

SECOND PRIZE – hand-made Song of the Season cards 

THIRD PRIZE - Free B-B-Q Lunch at Flying Deer Day

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Flying Deer Day Activities

Races, Egg Toss, Flying Deer Games, Nature Activities,

Bar-B-Q, Funky Samba Jam, Natural Craftmaking,

Silent Auction, Face Painting, and more!

The sweepstakes ends on Friday, April 19th.

ENTER NOW FOR A CHANCE TO WIN

(or just “Like” Us on Facebook)

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Online Registration HERE.

How to apply for Unit 1 scholarship :

Download the application form HERE then email to lindsay.martucci@maccweb.org,
fax to 617-489-3935 or mail to MACC, 10 Juniper Road, Belmont, MA 02478

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Lastly, please send me an email, or call with questions/concerns/recommendations you have.  You are our ‘eyes and ears’ to the public.  And please join us on Saturday, June 15, and invite all your friends and neighbors to this city-wide, public meeting! We want to hear from you and from them.

Hope to see you in June, or before!

Judith Grinnell, President

Hoosic River Revival

P. O. Box 434

North Adams, MA  01247

For more information, please go to our website:  www.HoosicRiverRevival.org or call 1.413.212.2996

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Past workshops –

- March 13 – Westfield State University, Westfield – (See photos and power points)

- March 26 – Greenfield Olver Transportation Center

Statewide experts from all sectors will cover the following topics:

• The Value of Road-Smart Stream Crossings
• Stream Crossings Standards and Permitting
• Engineering Standards and Guidance
• Case Studies
• Technical and Funding Resources

Who should attend:

Municipal highway, planning and DPW staff, municipal officials, conservation commissioners, engineering consultants, regional planning staff, state agency staff, environmental organization staff, volunteers, and anyone with an interest in improving stream crossings.

For more information see BEAT’s webpage on Improving Stream Crossings.

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TIME:  9:00am – 1:00pm

LOCATION:  Fred Garner Park AND Decker Landing, New Lenox Road, Lenox

DETAILS: Bring your own boat or reserve a canoe. We will use boats (canoes and kayaks) to pick up trash that has collected behind downed trees. Everyone must wear a PFD! One group will launch from Fred Garner Park and head south to Decker Landing while another group will launch from Decker and paddle south and then return to Decker Landing. REGISTRATION REQUIRED!

What YOU should bring: Water, sunscreen, insect repellent, change of clothes

What WE provide:  PFDs (life jackets), Morning snacks! LUNCH! Trash bags and gloves.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED!  How to register:  If you want to start from Decker Landing please contact Alison Dixon at adixon@hvatoday.org (tel 413-394-9796) or, if you want to start from Fred Garner Park and paddle to Decker Landing please contact Jane Winn at jane@thebeatnews.org   (413-230-7321).

Hope you will consider joining us. If you can pass on this information to interested people, please do so!  Here is a flyer about the clean-up.

Join us for the next clean up, too: Saturday June 22, 9am – 1pm, Wahconah Park, Pittsfield

DATE:  Saturday, June 22

TIME:  9:00am – 1:00pm (approximate ending time)

MEETING LOCATION:  Wahconah Park parking lot on Wahconah Street, Pittsfield

DETAILS:  Clean up groups will be organized at the meeting location to focus on sections of the west branch of the Housatonic River.

What YOU should bring: Water, sunscreen, insect repellent, change of clothes

What WE provide:  Morning snacks! LUNCH! Trash bags and gloves.

Here is a flyer about the clean-up.

Let us know you are coming!  Contact Alison Dixon at adixon@hvatoday.org (tel 413-394-9796) or Jane Winn at jane@thebeatnews.org   (413-230-7321).

DATE:  Saturday, July 27

TIME:  9:00am – 1:00pm (approximate ending time)

MEETING LOCATION:  Wahconah Park parking lot on Wahconah Street, Pittsfield

DETAILS:  Clean up groups will be organized at the meeting location to focus on sections of the west branch of the Housatonic River.  Canoes will be used in some locations to transport collected trash. PFD’s required. You may bring your own boat.

What YOU should bring: Water, sunscreen, insect repellent, change of clothes

What WE provide:  Morning snacks! LUNCH! Trash bags and gloves. PFD’s where necessary.

Here is a flyer about the clean-up.

Let us know you are coming!  Contact Alison Dixon at adixon@hvatoday.org (tel 413-394-9796) or Jane Winn at jane@thebeatnews.org   (413-230-7321).

DATE:  Saturday, August 10

TIME:  9:00am – 1:00pm (approximate ending time)

MEETING LOCATION:  Housatonic River Walk at the end of Church Street, Great Barrington

DETAILS:  We will focus on removing trash from the banks and the river bottom below the Housatonic River Walk and south. Several tires need to be removed. Canoes will be used to transport people and trash. PFDs (life jackets) are required by participants using canoes or in the water.

What YOU should bring: Water, sunscreen, insect repellent, change of clothes

What WE provide:  Morning snacks! LUNCH! Trash bags and gloves. PFDs where necessary.

Let us know you are coming!  Contact Alison Dixon at adixon@hvatoday.org (tel 413-394-9796) or Jane Winn at jane@thebeatnews.org   (413-230-7321).

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a message to csco@psu.edu

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Wednesday, September 4, 2013 @ 6pm  

Free admission.

Fixed price dinner follows – dinner reservations required.

www.bascomlodge.net

413-743-1591

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• identify
• process
• prepare
• cook
• preserve
• eat on the spot

Our Wild Edibles and Medicinal Plant classes provide valuable knowledge!

Join us for this unique experience and come away with skills in correct identification of wild edibles and medicines you can find right outside your back door. You will learn how and when to harvest by season and in what habitat to seek out your favorite wild edibles. Additionally you will learn how to harvest with intention; keeping in mind the importance of the responsibility we have as foragers and earth stewards. A responsible, attentive forager always finds a meal!

WHO: Adults

WHERE: Various Locations in the Hilltowns and Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts

WHEN: Monthly throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall

HOW MUCH: Depending upon location, range from $40-$65 PREPAID, sliding scale, per Workshop ($45-$70 if paid day of Workshop)

WILD EDIBLES & MEDICINAL PLANTS IMMERSION 2013

• Saturday, May 11 (great Mother’s Day Gift!), 1:00 – 4:00 pm
• Sunday, June 2, 1:00 – 4:00 pm
• Sunday, July 7, 1:00 – 4:00 pm
• Saturday, August 17, Edibles & Medicinals 1:00 – 4:00 pm
• Saturday, September 28, 1:00 – 4:00 pm
• Sunday, October 27,  1:00 – 4:00 pm
• Saturday, November 16, 1:00 – 4:00 pm

Books are great resources but direct experience with a knowledgeable person is invaluable.

Click here to register.

We plan on meeting with small groups only, so register now to ensure your participation!

Click here to read from our many blog posts about Wild Edibles and Medicinal Plants.

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Robert Lear, Chairman

Tony Boyer, Vice-Chair

Kevin Zimmer, Treasurer

Dave Jurczak, Dennis Mareb

Ned Kirchner, Bill Florek

The public are welcome to attend monthly meetings. For more information please call the office at (413) 443-1776 or visit the website: www.berkshireconservation.org

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What exactly is Green Drinks? Well, it’s a monthly social event hosted by the folks who create Orion magazine, for people like you and I interested in everything from environmental education to local agriculture, the arts, green business & design, and the ways all of these intersect. We usually have 50 or so folks from around the area stop by.

So grab a friend or two and bring them down to share what you’re working on (green or not) and meet others active in the community.

Please forward this on to your friends & contacts…the more the merrier.

Best wishes,

Erik

–

Erik Hoffner

Orion magazine

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Time and location: 4pm at the Clarion Hotel & Cafe, located at 1 Atwood Drive, Northampton Ma.

Please see the WMGC Website for more exciting details….!  www.westernmassgreenconsortium.org

Thank you to the Northampton Brewery!!!

We have had four years of amazing Green Night events thanks in part to the generosity of the Northampton Brewery for hosting our Green Night events…!  Thanks goes out to Janet Egelston and her amazing staff for taking good care of us and helping us build this event into a recognized asset for our community!  Unfortunately the Brewery will no longer be able to accommodate this event at there facility but we encourage you to make it a point to thank them for all their support by having some dinner and locally brewed beers on tap!

Thank you to our founders!!!

We have a long list of volunteers and financial contributors that have helped to make the WMGC and Project Retrofit possible.  We will be having a special “Founding Members Appreciation Event” at some point this summer.  Stay tuned for more details!

WMGC Next Steps..

More details coming soon for Green Night 2013 and other activities being brainstormed right now..!  If you would like to find our how to get involved please contact Andrew Baker at bakera@gcc.mass.edu or Nancy Bair at nancycbair@gmail.com

Thanks everyone, I hope to see you all soon!

Sean Jeffords

Western Mass Green Consortium

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Lenox is the newest Green Drinks venue in Berkshire County. Somewhere every week in Berkshire County someone is hosting a Green Drinks!

Lenox Green Drinks is the fourth Tuesday of every month, hosted by the Lenox Green-Rainbow Party Town Committee.

More about Lenox Green Drinks and other Green Drinks:

http://www.greendrinks.org/MA/Lenox

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6:15 presentation by Blair Benjamin, Director of Real Estate & Community Development,
MASS MoCA on the museums energy programs

Freight Yard Pub, Western Gateway Heritage Park

On May 8th – Presenter will be Blair Benjamin, Director of Real Estate & Community Development,
MASS MoCA

Over the past 6 years, MASS MoCA has been pursuing a multi-pronged plan to reduce fossil fuel use, lower energy costs, diversify fuel sources (so the museum is not as subject to the ups and downs of any one particular commodity market), and insert energy education and awareness into public programming. The results include: solar panels on 7 rooftops totaling over 500 KW of electrical generating capacity; two vertical-axis micro-wind turbines that have been mounted and will soon be operational (installed by New England Solar & Green Solutions, based in Williamstown); a new super-efficient wood pellet boiler that serves much of the museum’s heating needs with a greener fuel sourced from a plant about 60 miles from North Adams; over a thousand new LED, compact fluorescent, and ceramic metal halide fixtures and lamps; major reductions in electricity use from the installation of new pumps and motors throughout the museum’s air handling systems; and a small building re-developed as an educational display about the transformation of energy use throughout the industrial history of MASS MoCA’s campus.

North Adams Green Drinks is a very informal gathering, open to everyone with any environmental interest. The drinks aren’t green, but our conversations are.

Every month, on the second Wednesday, beginning at 5:30 pm we invite you to gather for “Green Drinks” at the Freight Yard Pub in the Western Gateway Heritage Park.  Please join us on the 2nd Wednesday, for a casual gathering of environmentally inclined folk talking about anything from wildlife crossings to recycling, wetlands to weatherizing. What would you like to talk about? We usually meet upstairs. Come and join the conversation.

Green Drinks in North Adams is sponsored by the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) and Northern Berkshire Transitions.

Green Drinks is a great way of catching up with people you know and for making new contacts. These networking events are very simple and unstructured. Come along and you’ll be made welcome.

For more information about North Adams Green Drinks, contact Bruce Winn at BEAT (bruce@thebeatnews.org or 413-230-7321).

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Green Drinks Springfield is the local Springfield, MA meetup for citzens, professionals, and public servants interested in sustainability, renewable energy, all things “green,” the environment, and the new Green Movement. Whether a seasoned professional in a green business or just curious to find out what the buzz is about you are welcome!

Green Drinks is an agenda-less, non-dues-paying open social event. Come and find out more!

Where You Can Find Us Online:

www.greendrinks.info

www.facebook.com/GreenDrinksSpringfield

www.linkedin.com/groups/Green-Drinks-Springfield-MA

Occurs the 1st Thursday of every Month, 5:30-7:30 at Theodores’ Blues Booze & BBQ in Springfield, Massachusetts

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atMad Jacks BBQ, 295 North St., Pittsfield (with limited menu – 4/16 — They’re opening just for us!)

On April 16th, Mehernosh Khan will present “What The Frack Is Going On?”: The Public Health Impacts Associated with Fracking. Dr Khan is a Board certified family physician with over 30 years of experience. He also holds a doctorate in Naturopatrhic Medicine and has a special interest in how the external environment affect the inner.

Sponsored by Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT)

What is Green Drinks? Green Drinks is an international forum where people who work in the environmental field meet for a beer and snacks at informal sessions. There will be a lively mix of people from Non-profit organizations, academia, government and business.

Green Drinks is a great way of catching up with people you know and for making new contacts. These networking events are very simple and unstructured. Come along and you’ll be made welcome.

For more information about Pittsfield Green Drinks, contact Jane Winn at BEAT (jane@thebeatnews.org or 413-230-7321).

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Athol Bird & Nature Club Field Trips & Meetings 2012

Unless otherwise noted, programs meet at the Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street, Athol.  If weather is questionable on a field trip day, please call the trip leader at least an hour before the scheduled meeting time.
Sunday, April 21, 7 a.m. — “Early Bird” Birding with Jeff

Join Jeff here at the Center before heading out to explore the North Quabbin area for spring migrant birds. Come for as long as your schedule allows. Severe weather cancels. Info: Jeff Johnstone, 978-249-9052.

Saturday, April 27, 6 a.m. — Warblers at Mount Auburn

Visit this beautiful historic cemetery, a famous spring hotspot for migrating songbirds. Meet at the Center for carpooling at 6 a.m. or let us know if you wish to meet us at the gate of the cemetery at 7:30 a.m. If time allows, we’ll also visit the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Bring snacks or a lunch, and water. Info: Joan or Larry Duprey, 978-249-4964.

Sunday, April 28, 7 a.m. — “Early Bird” Birding with Jeff

Join Jeff here at the Center before heading out to explore the North Quabbin area for spring migrant birds. Come for as long as your schedule allows. Severe weather cancels. Info: Jeff

Athol Bird and Nature Club on Facebook

Dave Small

president

Athol Bird and Nature Club

Millers River Environmental Center

100 Main Street Athol Ma 01331

Dave@dhsmall.net

978-413-1772

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Hoffmann Bird Club Schedule

The Hoffmann Bird Club is Berkshire County’s premier ornithological organization. It was established in 1940 with a mission of promoting the study of birds in the county. The club was founded under the auspices of the Berkshire Museum and was named in honor of Ralph Hoffmann, a naturalist born in Berkshire County. The trips and events are free and open to the public.

Meetings: are held at Berkshire Life Insurance, 700 South St., Pittsfield  01201 (499-4321), or at Pleasant Valley Sanctuary, 427 W. Mountain Rd., Lenox  01240 (637-0320). Consult the schedule for specific dates and locations. Most meetings begin at 7:00PM and are open at no charge to everyone interested in birds. Come enjoy the scheduled program and light refreshments.

Field Trips: Times listed are departure times; please arrive a few minutes early to meet the leader(s) and carpool when possible. Call the Trip Leader if you have questions.

Trips, running now, September 2012 thru August 2013

Click here for the Hoffmann Bird Club’s website.

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