The BEAT News June 12, 2013

News Headlines

from Clean Water Action

If you smell something, say something. The 20,000+ leaks in the gas pipelines that run to Massachusetts homes, schools, and businesses are endangering public safety, costing us millions of dollars every year, and sending huge amounts of greenhouse gases hurtling into the atmosphere. It’s time to take action and Fix Gas Leaks.

Will you contact your elected officials today, and ask them to Fix Gas Leaks?

Across Massachusetts, our infrastucture is decaying. After tragic explosions in Springfield, Fitchburg, Gloucester, and Somerset, we can’t afford to wait any longer to address the issue–and luckily, we don’t have to. Representaive Lori Ehrlich has filed H2933, An act enhancing natural gas pipeline safely, a bill that does the most for the health and safety of our communities. Please contact your senator and representative and tell them H2933 is the best bill to deal with natural gas pipeline leaks.

H2933 sets the strongest standard for monitoring, reporting and service quality and takes a “Complete Streets” approach to infrastructure repair, protecting the most vulnerable while making the smartest choices for municipalities. It would prioritize leak detection and repair in key areas, including school zones, dense business and residential districts, and areas with repeated nuisance leaks.

Let’s plug the leak in our pocketbooks and help avert disastrous climate change pollution. Join me in calling on the powerful to hop on the pipeline to progress.

Best,

Joel Wool
Clean Water Action

P.S. Want to put in an extra plug to fix gas leaks? Place a call today

Ask the Energy Committee Co-Chairs to Back H2933:

Senator Benjamin Downing, Senate Chair, Joint Committee on Telecommunications
Utilities and Energy, 617-722-1625

Representative John Keenan, House Chair, Joint Committee on Telecommunications
Utilities and Energy, 617-722-2263

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List of GE Pittsfield/Housatonic River project Documents submitted to Repositories from May 12, 2013 through June 1, 2013

 

Documents submitted to the Berkshire Athenaeum

 

Letter from David Dickerson (USEPA) to Richard W. Gates (GE), May 13, 2013, Re:  Conditional Approval of GE’s 4-18-13 Re-submittal of Analytical Results for and Evaluation of Proposed Backfill Material, Silver Lake Area, GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site

 

Letter from Richard Fisher (USEPA) to Richard W. Gates (GE), May 13, 2013, Re:  Conditional Approval of General Electric’s February 27, 2013 submittal titled Groundwater Management Area 1, NAPL Monitoring Report for Fall 2012, GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site

 

Letter (with attachments) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Dave Dickerson (USEPA), May 14, 2013, Re:  GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site; Silver Lake Area (GECD600); Notification of Exceedance of Ambient Air PCB Notification Level

 

Letter (with attached report) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Karen Pelto (MADEP), May 16, 2013, Re:  GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site; Hill 78 On-Plant Consolidation Area (GECD210); Work Plan for Bio-Control of Cypress Spurge

 

Letter (with attachments) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Dave Dickerson (USEPA), May 17, 2013, Re:  GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site; Silver Lake Area (GECD600); Notification of Exceedance of Ambient Air PCB Notification Level

 

Letter (with attachments) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Dave Dickerson (USEPA), May 17, 2013, Re:  GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site; Silver Lake Area (GECD600); Re-evaluation of Portion of Tax Parcel I9-9-24 within Silver Lake Area

 

Letter (with attachments) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Dave Dickerson (USEPA), May 21, 2013, Re:  GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site; Silver Lake Area (GECD600); Re-submittal of Revised Evaluations for Bank Portions of Tax Parcels I9-9-17, I9-9-18, I9-9-19, and I9-9-201

 

Letter (with attachments) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Dave Dickerson (USEPA), May 21, 2013, Re:  GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site; Silver Lake Area (GECD600); Re-submittal of Revised Evaluations for Recreational Areas RA-2, RA-3, and RA-4

 

Letter (with attachments) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Dave Dickerson (USEPA), May 28, 2013, Re:  GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site; Silver Lake Area (GECD600); Notification of Exceedance of Ambient Air PCB Notification Level

 

Letter from Susan C. Svirsky (USEPA) to Kevin Mooney (GE), May 29, 2013, Re:  Conditional Approval of General Electric’s March 2013 Revised Pre-Design Investigation Work Plan for Floodplain Residential Properties Downstream of the Confluence

 

Letter (with attachments) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Richard Fisher and Dave Dickerson (USEPA), May 29, 2013, Re:  GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site; Unkamet Brook Area (GECD170); Groundwater Management Area 3 (GECD330); Proposal to Remove, Protect, and/or Replace Monitoring Wells

 

Letter from Richard Fisher (USEPA) to Richard W. Gates (GE), May 31, 2013, Re:  Conditional Approval of General Electric’s April 12, 2013 submittal titled Groundwater Management Area 1, Final LNAPL Volatilization Assessment Report for East Street Area 1, GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site

 

Documents submitted to the Connecticut Repositories

 

Letter from Susan C. Svirsky (USEPA) to Kevin Mooney (GE), May 29, 2013, Re:  Conditional Approval of General Electric’s March 2013 Revised Pre-Design Investigation Work Plan for Floodplain Residential Properties Downstream of the Confluence

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Be a Stormwater Advocate

from Massachusetts Watershed Coalition

Learn how to spot and fix problems that are harming your town’s water.

The Massachusetts Watershed Coalition will offer unique training this summer about simple ways to restore stream life and revive the uses of local streams and lakes.  This Stormwater Advocates Training (SWAT) program includes a mix of workshop sessions, guidance materials and fieldwork that will enable participants to reduce polluted runoff.

Stormwater from streets, parking areas and other hard surfaces is the leading water quality challenge across the state.  One acre of paving produces a million gallons of runoff per year, and this dirty, oily water damages brooks and ponds.  Rapid runoff also limits groundwater recharge and lowers stream flows in dry seasons.  This runoff is produced by the entire community and everyone can be part of the solution.

Communities are often unaware that streets are pollution pathways, and many local officials are unfamiliar with opportunities to disconnect streets from waterways.  SWAT workshops are designed for people who want to help their communities with runoff remedies.  Expert speakers will present practical guidance for municipal boards, local stormwater committees, lake associations, watershed organizations and community groups.  Topics will include:
·           Aquatic life and polluted runoff
·           How to identify problems and estimate pollutant loading
·           Lower cost methods to stop stormwater damages
·           Sources of information and assistance

SWAT participants will attend two workshops and conduct dry and wet weather observations.  MWC staff will help participants to select practices to achieve the most pollutant reduction for the least cost.   MWC staff will also assist participants to present their findings and recommend stormwater solutions to municipal boards.

SWAT training is planned for two locations.  Central MA workshops are scheduled for Saturday July 20 (9 am-1pm) and Tuesday July 23 (5-9 pm) at the Broad Meadow Brook Sanctuary in Worcester.  Western MA workshops are scheduled for late August – the location & times to be arranged.  Registration fee is $40 for workshop sessions, training materials and refreshments.

A detailed description of the SWAT workshops will be available soon.   Please forward this invite to anyone who may be interested – all are welcome.  For more information, please email bgy@commonwaters.org or phone 978-534-0379.

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Vermont Yankee Certificate of Public Good #7862 Technical Hearings

from CAN Alerts

When: Hearings begin at 9:00 AM on Monday, 6/17 thru Friday 6/21 and Monday, 6/24 thru Friday 6/28

Where: Public Service Board Hearing Room, Third Floor, People’s United Bank Building, 112 State Street, Montpelier, Vermont

What: Amended Petition of Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC, and Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., for amendment of their Certificate of Public Good and other approvals required under 30 V.S.A. § 231(a) for authority to continue after March 21, 2012, operation of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station, including the storage of spent nuclear fuel.

Before the Public Service Board.

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Intern at the Hilltown Land Trust

 

This summer the Hilltown Land Trust (HLT) will be offering several short-term internship positions focused on environmental conservation and land stewardship.

 

HLT is looking for students who are interested in conservation, community development, and the environment. Students looking to fulfill volunteer requirements will enjoy working for a local environmental organization and will gain experience working in the environmental field. Interns will have opportunity to volunteer for 5-10 hrs./week throughout the summer.

 

Interns will be involved on a variety of projects focused on environmental stewardship and conservation. Working alongside HLT’s Land Steward, Matthias Nevins, Interns will be engaged in:

  • Developing and maintaining public trails on land owned by HLT
  • Preparing management plans for HLT properties
  • Using the computer mapping tool GIS and scanning conservation documents
  • Learning how to monitor private land protected for public benefit
  • Learning how to navigate in the woods using map, compass, GPS, and other methods
  • Learning the ecology of the Hilltown landscape

 

Individuals with a general interest in the outdoors, recreation, environmental protection, and volunteerism would be perfect for this short-term internship position.

 

For more information please contact:

 

Matthias Nevins, HLT Land Steward; MassLIFT AmeriCorps Member: Phone:  628-4485 x4. Email HLTLandsteward@ttor.org

or

Sally Loomis, HLT Executive Director: Phone: (413) 628-4485 x2. Email sloomis@ttor.org.

 

The Hilltown Land Trust is dedicated to maintaining the area’s working farms and forests as a vital part of Hilltown life, and to protecting the area’s rich ecological resources, species diversity, native habitats, water quality, and unique scenic landscapes.

 

Find us at: http://hilltown-land-trust.org/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hilltownlandtrust

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WRLF’s Art, Writing and Nature for 8 -11 Year Olds – June 24th-28th

The first of the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation’s summer programs, Art, Writing and Nature for 8 -11 year olds will begin Monday June 24th at 9 AM at Sheep Hill in Williamstown.  The half-day week-long program is led by art educator and artist Julia Morgan-Leamon.  Nature gives us food for the imagination to thrive.  Can we write what we see? Can we paint what we hear?  Through daily writing exercises, storytelling, drawing, and arts we will explore what it means to BE a resident of the natural world.  The first project will be making a handmade journal in which to write, draw, and collect thoughts, images and discoveries.

Sheep Hill, a conservation property and the headquarters of the WRLF is the perfect place for your child to experience, explore, and connect to the natural world.  This child-friendly conservation property offers room to roam, and indoor facilities for getting out of the weather. Summer programs are designed to excite and inspire children, while teaching them to understand and respect nature, and creatively express its wildness.  Registration is required.

The program will run from 9 AM-1 PM daily.  For information on fees or other summer programs, or to register, call 413-458-2494 or email ruraland@wrlf.org.

The Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation is a non-profit, member-supported land conservation trust.  Sheep Hill is located on Route 7, about one mile south of the Williamstown rotary.  For more information visit www.wrlf.org.

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Mass Ag in the Classroom’s Summer Workshop Series and Graduate Course for Teachers

Massachusetts Agriculture is pleased to announce our Summer Schedule of 11 Educational Workshops on the Farm for Educators.   Help us Spread the Word!  These workshops offer agricultural-literacy training through fun, hands-on study and investigation of agriculture education resources.  We invite teachers to join us for one or more of our summer workshops that are being held on farms across the state and try out some hands-on activities for the classroom while you explore local farms. Each workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offers classroom-ready educational activities and focuses on a different area of agriculture. The $40 fee for each workshop includes all materials, 10 professional development points and most lunches.

 

These workshops may be taken individually or teachers may choose to participate in our 3 Credit Summer Graduate Course for Teachers. The Three Credit Summer Graduate Course on the Farm is titled “Growing Agriculture in Your Classroom” It is offered in cooperation with Fitchburg State College. The Beginning Workshop will be held on: Tuesday, July 2, 2013 and the Ending Workshops will be held on Thursday, August 15, 2013. Each teachers must attend at least six additional workshops on the farm (selected from the list below) during the summer, keep a note book, take a brief quiz at each workshop, write three lesson units for their classroom and presented one lessons at the final session on August 15th. Each workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fee for the Three Graduate Credit Course is $500.

 

Summer Workshops 2013 Schedule

 

Wednesday, July 3        Herbs, Plant Propagation and Nursery Production Workshop at Tranquil Lake Nursery, Rehoboth

Tuesday, July 9             Massachusetts Agricultural History: Through Tools and Practices Workshop at Storrowtown Village Museum in West Springfield

Thursday July 11          Cutting Edge Technology on A New England Size Dairy Farm Workshop at Great Brook Farm in Carlisle

Tuesday, July 16           Soil Exploration, Vegetable Farming & Horses Workshop at Verrill Farm in Concord

Tuesday, July 23           Dairy Goats, Fiber and Cheese Workshop at Turkey Haven Farm, Pascoag, RI

Thursday, July 25         Honeybees, Pollination and Pollination at Warm Colors Apiary in South Deerfield

Tuesday, July 30           Sharing STEM Connections in the School Garden Workshop at The Williston Northampton School, Easthampton

Thursday August 1       Cranberries, IPM, Water and Habitat Workshop at Slocum Gibbs Cranberry Farm in Carver

Tuesday, August 6        Gardens, Food Systems and Food Preservation Workshop at Heifer International’s Learning Center at Heifer Farm, Rutland

Thursday, August 8       Orchards, Cider Mills and Fibers Workshop at Dowse Orchards and Iron Horse Farm in Sherborn

Tuesday, August 13      Pollination and Gardening at the School Workshop at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Worcester Public Schools in Worcester

 

See Description below for each workshop

 

Wednesday, July 3        Herbs for the Classroom and School Garden, Plant Propagation and Nursery Operations at Tranquil Lake Nursery, Rehoboth

Spend Tuesday, July 3, at Tranquil Lake Nursery in Rehoboth, learning about herbs for the classroom and school garden. Debi Hogan will take you through the gardens, greenhouses and growing fields showing a variety of herb plants and herbal hands_on activities that are sure to be a hit with students in the classroom or garden. She’ll also review basic botany and care of plants in the classroom or school garden. Following lunch, nursery owner Warren Leach will show you how to propagate many different plants from annuals, to tender perennials, perennials, shrubs and trees. He’ll also take a closer look at plants that you can add to your school garden or schoolyard that will provide the food for wildlife from insects to birds and animals. The day will end with a tour of the nursery and gardens and the fields filled with 3,600 varieties of daylilies at peak bloom in July.

 

Tuesday, July 9            Massachusetts Agricultural History: Through Tools and Practices at Storrowtown Village Museum in West Springfield

Step back in time to the authentic recreation of a 19th century village, consisting of nine historical buildings assembled around a traditional Green at Storrowton Village Museum in West Springfield on Tuesday, July 9th. Learn about the history of Massachusetts agriculture with a focus on the tools that were used on the farm with retired Museum Educator and Director John Ott. Then tour the village to learn more about early New England Life through hands_on activities with Storrowtown Museum Director Dennis Picard and the other costumed interpreters. Discover the tools they used, the food they grew, the animals they raised, the clothing they wore and how they prepared meals and preserved food as you sample the many educational opportunities for your students at the museum.

Thursday, July 11        Cutting Edge Technology on a New England Size Dairy Farm at Great Brook Farm in Carlisle

Great Brook Farm in Carlisle is part of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Dairy Farmer Mark Duffy has operated the farm for the past twenty six years, and previously ran a dairy farm in New Hampshire. On Thursday, July 11 you will have the opportunity to tour this state-of-the-art dairy farm that milks 70 cows daily and manages a herd of 140. Learn about the technology that makes up the smart barn, robotic milking operation and cutting edge gray water management system, while you also hear about the life of the dairy cow and explore the compost operations. You will also learn about composting in the school and classroom with activities connected to the standards, with Teresa Strong, Science Specialist for the Charles-Kent Elementary School in Charlestown and our 2011 Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year.

Tuesday, July 16                Soil Exploration, Vegetable Farming & Horses at Verrill Farm in Concord.

Spend the morning learning about the importance of soils with Ken Oles, retired 5th grade teacher and Master Gardener on Tuesday July 16th. He’ll offer a sampling of fun and easy hands-on activities to identify and describe soil characteristics such as texture, drainage, color and parent material. Following a lunch from the farmstand at Verrill Farm in Concord, we’ll tour the farm with owners Steve Verrill and daughter Jennifer. Converted from a dairy operation 23 years ago, this farmstand and bakery, vegetable farm and horse stable keep agriculture alive and growing at this busy farm.

Tuesday, July 23                Dairy Goats, Fiber and Cheese at Turkey Haven Farm, Pascoag, RI

On Tuesday, July 23rd travel across the border to Pascoag, RI and Turkey Haven Farm, the small family farm of Mansfield teacher and our 2009 MAC Teacher of the Year Bob Cote. Spend the morning trying your hand at making cheese and learning about fibers, raising and caring for dairy goats and sheep and the digestive system and diets of small ruminants. Brenda Loescher from Leicester from is affiliated with Amburgey Farm, will offer a fiber demonstration. Following a farm lunch, we’ll tour the farm to meet the goats, sheep and chickens and an organic farm garden. Bob will also offer connections to the Next Generation Science Standards.

Thursday, July 25            Honeybees, Beekeeping and Pollination at Warm Colors Apiary, South Deerfield

Travel to Warm Colors Apiary in South Deerfield on Thursday, July 25th where we’ll spend the day focusing on Honeybees, Beekeeping and Pollination with activities for the classroom with local beekeeper and President of Massachusetts Beekeepers Association Dan Conlon. Learn about the life of the honeybee, management of the hive, and how the beekeepers tend for the bees and also collect the honey. He will also share the various ways that insects pollinate plants and the many products that can be made from honey and beeswax.

Tuesday, July 30             Sharing STEM Connections in the School Garden at The Williston-Northampton School, Easthampton

Gardens are great laboratories for generating STEM connections. Beyond the abundance of life science topics, engaging students in designing ways to grow and preserve more food sustainably during the school year fosters a climate of problem solving that creatively uses low and high technology, engineering skills and mathematics. Join seventh grade teacher, Jane Lucia at the Williston Northampton School in Easthampton on Tuesday, July 30 for a day of sharing authentic STEM opportunities that grow out of the garden laboratory. See how students transformed marginal land and lawn into a community garden. Compare the effectiveness of several types of composters. Observe the use of a soda can solar heater to enhance food dehydration. Gain hands-on experience with low tunnel construction, digital data collection, and other inquiry-based garden investigations. Enrich others by sharing ideas from your own school garden experiences.

Thursday, August 1            Cranberries, IPM, Water & Habitat at Slocum Gibbs Cranberry Farm, Carver

Spend, Thursday, August 1st at Slocum Gibbs Cranberry Farm in Carver exploring cranberries, bogs, wetlands and Integrated Pest Management. We’ll spend the morning investigating the on-line cranberry curriculum from the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association with Communications Manager, Dawn Gates Allen, and try out some activities for the classroom. Then take a tutorial on integrated pest management as it applies to growing cranberry. Meet the insect scouts and visit the lab, see 20 years of record keeping and learn how and when sprays are judiciously applied.

During the afternoon, we’ll tour several of the bogs with owner John Garretson, a third generation cranberry farmer. Learn about these unique native fruits, bog construction and maintenance, harvest methods, marketing and the history of cranberries in Massachusetts. We’ll also focus on water quality, conservation and management and will have the chance to explore the irrigation system and computer controlled pumps.

Tuesday, August 6            Gardens, Food Systems and Food Preservation at Heifer International’s Learning Center at Heifer Farm in Rutland

Tuesday, August 6th takes us to Heifer International’s Learning Center at Heifer Farm in Rutland. Spend the morning brushing up on your gardening skills with Garden Educator Liz Joseph. Learn about the foods that are grown in the center’s gardens and how they are used in the Culinary Program. We will also tour the Appalachia Site and prepare a Village Meal while learning about Heifer International’s work with U.S. food systems as well as their efforts worldwide. In the afternoon, move into the kitchen to learn about food safety and food preservation with Heifer Farm’s Event and Outreach Coordinator Liz Ellis.

Thursday, August 8            Orchards, Cider Mills and Fibers at Dowse Orchards in Sherborn

On Thursday, August 8, we’ll start the day at Dowse Orchards in Sherborn, where the Dowse family has been farming for more than 200 years. Owners Alex and Jonathan Dowse will offer an overview of tree fruit farming in Massachusetts and will highlight techniques for growing and managing, harvesting and storing these crops. We’ll tour the orchards, farmstand, vegetables fields and Christmas tree operation. A highlight will be a visit to the Cider Mill where the current presses have been operating since 1947. In the afternoon, we’ll explore fibers with Deborah Smith from nearby Iron Horse Farm, She raises the fiber animals that she uses for her arts business. Learn about the animals and the value and uses for the many types of fibers produced one her farm.

Tuesday, August 13            Pollination and Gardening at the School at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Worcester Public Schools

Meet in the new pollinator centered garden at Worcester PolyTechnic Institute on Tuesday, August 13th to learn about the garden’s design and the native plants that have been installed to attract numerous different pollinators. Try out a number of lessons involving native plants/native pollinator interactions, pollinator diversity in the garden and the effects of proper pollination on plants with instructors Ally Hunter and Dr. Gegear. Then connect with the K-12 STEM Educators at the school. In the afternoon we’ll visit a local school garden supported by the School Gardening Staff at the Regional Environmental Council and hear about the connections from the garden to the curriculum. This will provide a good opportunity to consider gardening possibilities in a fairly urban setting.

 

SUMMER GRADUATE COURSE FOR EDUCATORS 2013

 

(Requires participation in 8 Summer Workshops, a journal of the summer on the farm, writing 3 Lesson Plans, presentation of One Lesson to Peers and a test)

 

Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom is please to announce our eighth annual summer graduate credit course in agricultural literacy training for educators. Using Massachusetts farms as your classroom, learn how agriculture can enhance your curriculum, enthrall your students and meet many curriculum standards, especially the new Next Generation Science Standards. This graduate course offers agricultural-literacy training through fun, hands-on study and investigation of agriculture education resources. It will assist new educators and those who want to expand their classroom offerings as they learn how to integrate agriculture into the classroom to create lessons and reinforce curriculum standards.

 

This Summer Institute, title “Growing Agriculture in the Classroom” will meet of Tuesday, July 2nd and Thursday, August 15th at the Brigham Hill Community Farm in North Grafton from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Each participant will also be asked to attend six additional workshops during the summer, selected from a total of eleven workshops and one Summer Conference on various agricultural topics offered at farms across the state. Participants must keep a journal of their summer agricultural journey, take a brief quiz at each workshop, write three lesson units for their classroom and presented one lessons at the final session on August 15th.

 

The fee for the eight-day course is $500 and includes all materials; farm workshops and tours; lunches, and three graduate credit credits or 67 professional development points from Fitchburg State College. Participants will receive a letter grade. Curriculum standards covered by the lessons will be handed out as workshop materials. Each participant will be paired with a MAC Board members to give long-term access to agricultural resources and follow-up support.

 

Using Massachusetts Farms as your classroom, learn how agriculture can enhance your curriculum, enthrall your students and meet many of the curriculum standards requirements. Workshops offer hands-on, open-ended experiences, activities and resources related to a variety of agricultural topics. Participants will:

  • Learn that agriculture is a vital and important part of Massachusetts’ economy, community resources and history and then create community partnerships with local farms.
  • Learn how to use agriculture in your classroom to create fun and relevant lessons that reinforce curriculum standards, especially the new Next Generation Science Standards.
  • Strengthen your science background with fun hands on activities and use agriculture as the medium to teach science processing skills.
  • Receive resources and hands-on activities related to agricultural topics and learn how to use them in the classroom and outdoor setting.
  • Receive training in using various teaching technologies and website links where you can find answers to questions.

The mission of Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom is to foster an awareness and learning in all areas related to the food and agriculture industries and the economic and social importance of agriculture to the state, nation and the world. In addition to the workshops on the farm for teachers, Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom offers a seasonal newsletter; mini-grants for teachers and educators; an interactive Web site; educational manuals and School Gardening resources.

 

You can sign up for Summer workshops on the farm individually, or request a brochure by contacting Debi Hogan at Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, at 508-336-4426 or write to Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, P. O. Box 345, Seekonk, MA 02771 or visit our Web Site at www.aginclassroom.org

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Center for Environmental Civics Summer Academies in Environmental Leadership

Center for Environmental Civics is holding summer academies for training area high school students how to become more effective and engaged citizen and environmental activists.  We are having two week-long sessions:  one at Amherst College July 2-8 and the other at Smith College July 22-28.  The cost is $275, but we have a sliding scale for those in need.  The training consists of having the students research pending legislation having to do with an environmental issue of their choosing.  We teach them how to research the bills, contact relevant legislators and their staff, write and speak effectively for their issue, publish op-eds, lobby local area elected officials (who come to the sessions to be lobbied and give feedback).  We also go over the history of environmental governance, the environmental movement, and other forms of citizen engagement.  We’re planning on injecting even more “fun” into the week including some music and more theatrical activity (all designed to reinforce their message, of course!).  We’ve previously worked with the Five College Sustainability group and conducted workshops with them.

Registration materials and further details can be found at www.centerforenvironmentalcivics.org.

The Center for Environmental Civics and our Environmental Leadership Academies for high school students.  The goal of the Center for Environmental Civics is to empower and inspire participants to define and use their own voices, translating environmental concerns into effective civic engagement.  The academies are designed to be informative, empowering and fun!

To see a video of last year’s high school workshop at Amherst College go to:

http://vimeo.com/52469823

For more information, check out our website: www.centerforenvironmentalcivics.org or call Paul Newlin at 413-665-3741 or email paul@centerforenvironmentalcivics.org.

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