Free admission to Berkshire Museum on Friday, August 16Part of the Highland Street Foundations’ Free Fun Fridays program [Pittsfield, MA] – Berkshire Museum will be open to the public free of charge on Friday, August 16, 2013, as part of the Massachusetts-based Highland Street Foundation’s summer-long Free Fun Fridays program. A record-breaking 60 museums and cultural venues in the Commonwealth are participating in the fifth annual Free Fun Fridays program. Free admission at Berkshire Museum on August 16 is available for everyone; no tickets or reservations are necessary. The Museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free Fun Fridays, the annual summer program that funds one-day free admission at many of the cultural venues in Massachusetts, started June 28 and will run through August 30, with six different cultural venues scheduled every Friday. The Highland Street Foundation provides grants to participating venues to cover the costs of the program. Over the past four years, more than half-a-million visitors have enjoyed Free Fun Fridays. Enjoy and explore Berkshire Museum, which offers an array of exhibitions ranging from fine art and natural science to history, as well as an aquarium and the interactive Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation. The exhibitions currently on view include PaperWorks: The Art and Science of an Extraordinary Material, a new exhibition that explores paper as a source of creative inspiration and innovation. PaperWorks features compelling contemporary works of art by more than 35 artists, all made from paper, as well as an array of objects and artifacts that show the uses of paper in industry, science, fashion, and technology. PaperWorks, on view through October 27, 2013, is sponsored by Greylock Federal Credit Union, Onyx Specialty Papers Inc., Interprint Inc., Crane, and Potsdam Specialty Paper. Objectify: A Look into the Permanent Collection, a major new exhibition of some of the most significant and fascinating objects from the Museum’s holdings of more than 40,000 artworks, specimens, and artifacts, is an innovative exhibition that highlights the Museum’s extensive collections in unexpected and surprising ways. Objectify is sponsored by Crane and TD Bank. The exhibition is part of the year-long celebration of the Museum’s 110th anniversary and will be on view through spring 2015. About the Highland Street Foundation Since 1989, the Highland Street Foundation has worked to enrich the lives of children and families in Massachusetts by donating more than $146 million to worthy non-profit organizations. To learn more about the Highland Street Foundation and for additional information about Free Fun Fridays and a list of other venues offering the program, visit www.highland street.org. About the Berkshire Museum Located in downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts, at 39 South St., Berkshire Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit www.berkshiremuseum.org or call 413.443.7171. Established by Zenas Crane in 1903, Berkshire Museum integrates art, history, and natural science in a wide range of programs and exhibitions that inspire educational connections between the disciplines. Little Cinema is open year-round. Feigenbaum Hall of Innovation, Worlds in Miniature, Aquarium, and other exhibits are ongoing.
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Smith College Donates Conservation Restriction to Kestrel Land TrustFrom Kestrel Land Trust, In the Valley: Forests, Rivers and Trail, July 29, 2013
Kestrel Land Trust has partnered with Smith College to ensure the permanent protection of nearly 200 acres of hilltop forest at the college’s MacLeish Field Station in West Whately. While used primarily for educational purposes, the 190-acres to be protected by the Conservation Restriction are part of a critical contiguous forest block that provides important wildlife habitat. Kestrel will hold the donated CR, which is being formally signed on Tuesday, July 30 in a celebration to be held at the MacLeish Field Station.
Kestrel’s Executive Director, Kristin DeBoer, says that this is the beginning of new a long-term partnership–one that will ensure the stewardship of this special place, and continue to encourage ecologically responsible education and research, while promoting sustainable forestry and agriculture. She said, “It is a legacy Smith should be proud of.”
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Bascom Lodge, Celebrating 75 Years, Announces Schedule of August Programs and EventsHighlights include presentation by Pat Willard, author of America Eats! On the Road with the WPA: The Fish Fries, Box Supper Socials, and Chittlin’ Feasts That Define Real American Food, on August 11 at 6 p.m., followed by a dinner based on the book ADAMS, Mass. (July 25, 2013) In August, Bascom Lodges 75th anniversary celebration continues at the summit of Mount Greylock with free weekly programs and family friendly events related to the history of the Lodge, the mountain, the 1930s, and local history and folklore, as well as special lunch and dinner menus. Bascom Lodge is a go-to destination for locals and visitors alike for a convivial dining experience and mouth-watering meals, with a focus on fresh, locally sourced foods and regional American cuisine, in a beautiful and unique location. For more information, call (413) 743-1591 or visit bascomlodge.net Each Wednesday at 6 p.m., Bascom Lodge presents free talks on nature and culture, often related to the mountain and the Berkshires, in collaboration with the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area. All talks are followed by a prix fixe dinner at 7 p.m. (for menus see bascomlodge.net/dining_menus). Advance dinner reservations are required and may be made by calling (413) 743-1591. August program highlights at Bascom Lodge include a presentation and book signing with Pat Willard, author of America Eats! On the Road with the WPA: The Fish Fries, Box Supper Socials, and Chittlin’ Feasts That Define Real American Food on Sunday, August 11 at 6 p.m. Willard will explore the regional nooks and crannies of American cuisine where WPA writers, including Eudora Welty, Saul Bellow, Ralph Ellison and Nelson Algren, were dispatched in 1935 to document the roots of Americas diverse culinary cuisine. The talk will be held in the Lodges lobby and is free of charge. It will be followed by a prix fixe dinner with a menu based on the book at 7 p.m., for which advance dinner reservations are required. The dinner menu will include pickled watermelon rind and beet salad with farmer’s market butter lettuces, a choice of baked country ham with smoked pork gravy, pan-seared quail with concord grape sauce or bottom-crust vegetable pie, each accompanied by baking powder biscuits, corn pudding and collard greens, and Edna Lewis’s Busy Day Cake, served with homemade strawberry ice cream and rhubarb compote. August Programs at Bascom Lodge: Saturday, August 3 Wednesday, August 7 Sunday, August 11 Sunday, August 11 Monday, August 12 Wednesday, August 14 Sunday, August 18 Wednesday, August 21 Sunday, August 25 Monday, August 26 Wednesday, August 28 About Bascom Lodge Bascom Lodge, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is a landmarked historic building in Adams, Mass. The Lodge was constructed between 1932-1938, using native materials of Greylock schist and red spruce. It was a project of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a federal jobs program during the Depression, and is a classic example of the rustic Arts and Crafts-style design of period park structures. Bascom Lodge is open daily from June 1 through October 20, 2013. The restaurant and café provide a varied and changing menu inspired by regional American cuisine, emphasizing fresh, organic, locally produced foods. Breakfast is served from 8 to 10 a.m.; lunch from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and a prix fixe dinner is served at one seating at 7 p.m., for which reservations are required. A Sunset Beverage Hour is offered Wednesday through Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m. with wine and beer available for purchase. The Lodge has six private guest rooms and two shared co-ed rooms with bunk beds and can accommodate 34 overnight guests. Bascom Lodge also hosts weddings, private events and retreats. Bascom Lodge is the recipient of two Yankee Magazine Editors Choice awards: Best Mountaintop Lodging (2012) and Best Meal with a View (2011). For reservations and more information, please visit bascomlodge.net; call (413) 743-1591; or contact mail@bascomlodge.net
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EPA’s National Stormwater Calculator Helps Reduce Stormwater RunoffAs Part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released the National Stormwater Calculator, an innovative addition to the administration’s virtual climate resilience toolkit. EPA’s new calculator will help property owners, developers, landscapers, and urban planners make informed land-use decisions to protect local waterways from pollution caused by stormwater runoff. Preventing stormwater runoff, which can impact drinking water resources and local ecosystems, protects people’s health and the environment. The calculator, which is phase I of the Stormwater Calculator and Climate Assessment Tool package announced in the President’s Climate Action Plan in June, is a desktop application that estimates the annual amount of stormwater runoff from a specific site, based on local soil conditions, slope, land cover, and historical rainfall records. Users can enter any U.S. location and select different scenarios to learn how specific green infrastructure changes, including inexpensive changes like rain barrels and rain gardens, can prevent pollution. This information helps users determine how adding green infrastructure can be one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce stormwater runoff. “EPA’s research is providing innovative solutions to protect our nation’s water resources,” said Lek Kadeli, principal deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “The Stormwater Calculator demonstrates different types of green infrastructure approaches which can result in protection from flooding, energy savings, improved air quality, increased property values, healthier communities, and cost savings for the American people.” Each year billions of gallons of raw sewage, trash, household chemicals, and urban runoff flow into our streams, rivers and lakes. Polluted stormwater runoff can adversely affect plants, animals, and people. It also adversely affects our economy – from closed beaches to decreased fishing and hunting in polluted areas. Green infrastructure is an affordable solution to promote healthy waters and support sustainable communities. An update to the Stormwater Calculator, which will include the ability to link to several future climate scenarios, will be released by the end of 2013. Climate projections indicate that heavy precipitation events are very likely to become more frequent as the climate changes. More information about the National Stormwater Calculator: http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/wswrd/wq/models/swc/ More information about the virtual climate resilience toolkit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/image/president27sclimateactionplan.pdf More information on EPA’s Green Infrastructure research: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/index.cfm Please share this video: http://youtu.be/ibZTm4_ZQxg
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National Service Agency Announces $14 Million Funding Opportunity to Engage Volunteers 55+: (Due 8.9.13)The Corporation for National and Community Service released a Notice of Funding Opportunity to provide local nonprofit and public agencies an opportunity to increase their capacity by engaging adults age 55 and older in high impact with volunteer service. Letters of intent to apply are due on August 9, 2013. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, September 10, 2013, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) released the RSVP 2014 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) competition provides local nonprofit and public agencies an opportunity to increase their capacity by engaging adults age 55 and older in high impact with volunteer service. CNCS anticipates it will award more than $14 million to local organizations which will sponsor RSVP programs. This RSVP competition is expected to yield more than 92,000 senior volunteers who will serve in the six CNCS focus areas: disaster services, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures, and veterans and military families. RSVP funding opportunities are available in 270 specific geographic areas in 45 states throughout the country. Eligible organizations include nonprofit organizations, faith-based and higher education institutions, Indian tribes, and local public agencies, including city and county governments. CNCS will host six technical assistance calls to answer questions about this funding opportunity, including information about RSVP, how to apply through the e-grants system, and the performance measures. The 2014 RSVP NOFO, FAQS, and technical assistance information is available at www.nationalservice.gov/RSVPCompetition. N.B.: Eligible geographic regions in Mass. for this grant appear to be confined to the following:
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Rational Games Foundation Seeks Applications from Conflict-Resolution OrganizationsRational Games, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based consulting and training organization dedicated to the employment of games and game-like simulations to resolve conflict in the business and nonprofit/public sectors, envisions a world free of violent conflict where differences are resolved through dialogue and negotiation. Through its Small Grant program, the Rational Games Foundation awards grants of up to $20,000 to qualified nonprofit organizations able to demonstrate innovative and effective approaches to the use of games in conflict resolution. To be considered for a grant, an organization must have 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and demonstrate a commitment to utilizing games and play for conflict resolution, negotiation, or mediation in its programming. In addition, all applicants must sign and submit an anti-terror certification form with all application materials. Grants are expected to be distributed by December 2013. See the Rational Games Web site for eligibility and application guidelines. Contact: Link to Complete RFP |
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