News Headlines
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Join Us in Saying NO to More Tar Sands Spills
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Green Drinks Digest – Pittsfield – “What the Frack is Going On?”
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Something Stinks at Darrow School
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The Center for EcoTechnology Welcomes New Board Members
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Beaver Mitigation Funding Assistance
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Third Saturdays – Pittsfield Repair Cafe
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Seventh Annual Hilltown Spring Festival Will Celebrate Hilltown Life on June 1
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WRLF’s 10th annual Sheep to Shawl Festival and Rural Skills Workshops – May 4th & 5th
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Job Opening: Ecological Groundskeeper
Join Us in Saying NO to More Tar Sands Spills
After 500,000 gallons of dirty tar sands oil and water spilled in Mayflower, Arkansas, the League of Conservation Voters launched a comment drive to the State Department asking them to reject the dirty and dangerous Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. In less than two days, more than 34,700 LCV members made their voices heard. What an amazing response to this terrible tragedy. But there is still a long way to go to reach one million messages by Earth Day (April 22).
Thanks,
Green Drinks Digest
By Dana Drugmand
PITTSFIELD — This month’s Pittsfield Green Drinks featured Dr. Mehernosh Khan speaking about the health risks associated with hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” Dr. Khan and his wife Karen moved to the Berkshires in September 2012 from Murrysville, Pennsylvania, one of the communities directly impacted by fracking of the Marcellus Shale.
Dr. Khan, who practices in family and holistic medicine at Hillcrest, gave a powerpoint presentation describing some of the harmful chemicals used in fracking fluid. Nearly 500 chemicals are used in the fluid, and the identity of most of these chemicals is concealed by the gas industry as proprietary information. “These chemicals that have been used have not been studied,” said Dr. Khan.
Among the known chemicals are carcinogens such as benzene, formaldehyde and dioxane. There is also hydrochloric acid, methanol, bromine-based biocides, and a slew of other toxins that can be linked to everything from cancer to birth defects to blindness.
“I think what we don’t understand is what happens when all of these chemicals work together in different combinations,” Dr. Khan explained. He said he thinks the gas industry “gets away with it because there’s no good epidemiological studies being done.”
Dr. Khan also touched on the air contaminants emitted during the extraction process, as well as the pollutants and radioactive substances that are picked up from the ground and make their way into the water table. “We don’t know what kind of radioactive elements are coming out of the ground,” he said.
Something Stinks at Darrow School
Rare Corpse Flowers Ready to Bloom
NEW LEBANON, NY—Contrary to rumors that have been circulating around town, Darrow School is NOT hosting a shoot for The Walking Dead, and there are no decaying zombies lurching across campus. That putrid scent wafting along the Mountainside is actually the byproduct of a rare flower known as the corpse flower.
The corpse flower is an Indonesian plant, also known as the konjac arum (Amorphophallus konjac). It boasts the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, and the third largest flower of all known plants. The konjac arum gets its name from its distinctive odor, which many liken to the smell of rotting meat. A relative of the calla lily and the jack-in-the-pulpit, the corpse flower grows wild in the rainforests of southeast Asia from a large underground corm. The plant first flowered in cultivation in London in 1889. Fewer than 50 of the largest variety of corpse flower, the titan arum, are known to have bloomed in the United States, with the smaller konjac arum, typically found only in botanical gardens, museums, and private greenhouse collections.
The large green bud of the konjac arum grows at a rate of about an inch per day, until it finally blooms into a central stem that can reach up to four feet tall, and sports a huge, purplish-brown blossom that resembles an asymmetrical collar. Its powerful fumes, which last for days, help to attract pollinating insects. After about a week, the plant wilts and goes dormant for its next phase, a branching, treelike structure.
This season, there are six corpse flowers in bloom inside the sheltered confines of Darrow’s Samson Environmental Center (SEC), the most that have bloomed since they were first planted, according to the Director of the SEC, Craig Westcott. The largest of the plants is just reaching full bloom, while the others are expected to be at full bloom early next week.
“The corpse flower is a rare plant that is challenging to grow,” said Westcott. “It wouldn’t be possible in this region without a facility like the Samson Environmental Center and the careful attention of both students and faculty. It’s a real triumph for us as a secondary school, and yet another visible symbol of Darrow’s commitment to global education and to environmental stewardship and preservation.”
Built in 1988, the SEC features many green-design elements, from photovoltaic panels to wind turbines, and is the destination for more than 500 visitors annually from schools, civic and municipal organizations, urban planning firms, and the general public. The SEC also houses the Living Machine™, an innovative water treatment facility that uses a natural ecosystem to clean wastewater from campus dorms and buildings before returning it to the Hudson River watershed.
Photos are available on request, and interviews with Craig Westcott can be arranged.
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.
The Center for EcoTechnology Welcomes New Board Members
Northampton, MA – The Center for EcoTechnology, a local non-profit helping people live and work with less environmental impact, recently welcomed Stephen Davis and Sanford Belden to its Board of Directors.
“Both Steve and Sandy bring a depth of knowledge and experience that will prove invaluable to our organization, and I’m very excited to have them on board,” says Board President, Paul Gavrity.
Sanford Belden is the former president and chief executive of Community Bank System, Inc., a New York Stock Exchange-traded banking company with 180 branches. Now retired, Belden is an active member in the community. He serves on the boards of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Smith College, Road Scholar, and Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity. Belden earned a doctorate in agricultural economics from Purdue University.
Stephen Davis is a Senior Trustee at the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation and former President and Chief Operating Officer of American Saw & Mfg. Company in East Longmeadow, MA. Beyond his service to the Davis Foundation, Steve Davis has a rigorous civic life and serves on the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, is a trustee of American International College, a trustee of the Springfield Symphony and is a former Director of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council.
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 communities in the areas of Energy Efficiency and Green Building, Green Homes and Businesses, and through its non-profit retail store – EcoBuilding Bargains.
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.
Beaver Funding Assistance Request
Thanks to a grant from the Nion Robert Thieriot Foundation, the MSPCA has funding to assist with installation of water flow devices to humanely, non-lethally, and ecologically mitigate beaver-related flooding in the Berkshires.
Who can participate? Any individual, town, business, or organization in the Berkshires.
What are the criteria? A willingness (of all parties involved) to resolve problems non-lethally for the long term, a site that is conducive to flow device usage, and permission of the landowners and the local Conservation Commission to install water flow devices.
How do I request assistance? Send a description of your conflict site(s) and the limitations of your budget to the MSPCA for consideration. Starting in the spring, we will evaluate the sites to determine if they are conducive to flow device usage.
Funding assistance: The amount of funding offered to each applicant will depend on the number of requests, the amount of each viable request, and the ability of each requester to pay for part of the flow device, or the maintenance contract for the device, themselves.
Deadline: Requests will be accepted throughout 2013 until funding is exhausted.
Requests will be considered in the order in which they are received. Submit ASAP, please.
Send requests to: Linda Huebner, MSPCA, 350 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130 Lhuebner@mspca.org, voicemail 617-541-5104, cell 617-448-8997 www.mspca.org/beaverfunding
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Please include the following information with requests:
Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________ Town: _____________________
Phone: ___________________________ Email: ____________________________________________
Description of Site: ____________________________________________________________________________________
Limitations of Budget: ____________________________________________________________________________________
Third Saturdays – Pittsfield Repair Cafe
Pittsfield, Massachusetts – Do you have a couch cushion with a broken zipper? Or a bike that needs maintenance? A broken lamp? Take it to the next Repair Cafe and get it fixed for free! The next event will be Saturday, May 18th from 1:00 to 5:00 pm in the St. Stephen’s Church basement at 67 East St. in Pittsfield.
The Pittsfield Resilience Circle has held two Repair Cafes and aims to repeat the event on a monthly basis on the third Saturday of each month from 1:00 to 5:00 pm in the St. Stephen’s Church basement. The event is entirely free.
Tom Harter, one of the organizers, summed up what happened at the last Repair Cafe: “We had seventeen volunteers, including five sewing people, one bicycle repair person, one computer repair person, and five flexible repair people. We also had four front-of-the-house volunteers, and one fabulous pianist. The piano music throughout the afternoon really contributed to the atmosphere. A representative from CET was also there, signing people up for free home energy assessments. Altogether, volunteers repaired 32 items, ranging from computers to clothing to vacuum cleaners. Guests have been very pleased. As one example of the positive comments we received, a woman who got her phone repaired told us: ‘This was a great experience – welcoming, very positive AND I got my broken item fixed! Thank you.’”
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.
Seventh Annual Hilltown Spring Festival Will Celebrate Hilltown Life on June 1
The Hilltown Community Development Corporation is signing up local artisans, businesses, non-profit organizations and volunteers for the 7th annual Hilltown Spring Festival, to be held Saturday, June 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cummington Fairgrounds.
Last year’s Festival drew 2,000 people for an all-day celebration of regional arts, culture and sustainability. This year’s Festival will feature performances all day by area musicians on two stages, specialty food and drink from hilltown vendors, children’s activities all day long, kids-made crafts, and a new open mike stage.
The Festival is looking for:
· 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.
WRLF’s 10th annual Sheep to Shawl Festival and Rural Skills Workshops
On Saturday May 4th from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation (WRLF) will host its tenth annual Sheep to Shawl Festival at its Sheep Hill headquarters in Williamstown. The festival will continue on Sunday May 5th with in-depth workshops taught by local farmers, authors and community members.
The Sheep to Shawl festival is a celebration of spring and New England heritage, with time-honored crafts, local artisans, farm animals, and a focus on the region’s historic fleece and fiber industry. For the 10th year, legendary Fred DePaul will spin stories while shearing sheep with traditional tools. Shepherds Kristen Whittle and Wendy Warner will demonstrate herding sheep up and around the steep meadows of Sheep Hill using their skilled border collies. Local farms will bring sheep, alpacas, and calves along with delicious home-grown and locally produced foods for tasting and purchasing.
The Green Mountain Weavers & Spinners Guild will demonstrate carding, spinning, and weaving throughout the day, along with rug-hooking demonstrations, and will raffle off a completed shawl made at last year’s event. There will be fiber-arts and printing-on-cloth crafts projects for children and enthusiastic adults.
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.
Ecological Groundskeeper
Full-Time, Year-Round*
During the first season this staff person would maintain Isabella Freedman’s campus including approximately 2 ½ days/week of mowing. During the winter, s/he would manage a permaculture design process for the campus that focused on an educational, beautiful, and ecologically functional low-maintenance campus. This person must be able to work hard in the outdoors with lawn-care machinery and be familiar with ecological design and permaculture.
Responsibilities include:
· Lawn care and maintenance (mowing, weed whacking)
· Clearing brush
· Trimming and pruning shrubbery
· Managing a campus permaculture design process that includes other key staff members: assessment, goals, mapping, etc…
· Supervising fellows, interns, and volunteers working on landscaping
· Emergency on-call nights and weekends
Compensation:
· $20,000 annual salary
· Room and Board – Room refers to a single room with a shared kitchen and bath. Board refers to hot meals served most of the year and groceries from the main kitchen when it is closed.
· Single Health Benefits – 75% employer contribution.
· Access to classes and programs
· Discounted CSA shares and free field gleanings during peak season
Candidate qualities:
· Capacity for long-term vision and planning
· Ability to do physically demanding outdoor labor
· Patience and perseverance
· The ability to work well with a wide range of personalities.
· The ability to balance a commitment to practical application of ecological ideals and an acceptance of the current realities
· Flexibility and curiosity
To learn more about Isabella Freedman, visit isabellafreedman.org
To apply, send cover letter and resume to Rikki SaNogueira, rikki@isabellafreedman.org