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2012 Northeast Wildlife Trackers Conference – October 20th

2012 Northeast Wildlife Trackers Conference  will be held Saturday, October 20th, at the Doyle Center, Leominster, MA.

This year’s Keynote Speaker will be Roland Kays speaking about using “Camera Traps as Binoculars for Mammal Watchers”

 

We also have a fantastic lineup of other presenters:

  • Paula Coughlin – “Staying on Track”
  • David Brown – “Look-Alikes: Figuring Out Confusing Tracks”
  • Danielle Garneau – “Citizen Science: Monitoring Wildlife Using Smart-phone Technology”
  • David Scarpitti – “New England Cottontail Conservation and Management”
  • Ken Miller – “Are Cougars Recolonizing Their Former Territory Near You?”
  • Dan Gardoqui – “Baseline, Birds, & Beasts: Using Bird Language to Enhance Tracking & Trailing Skills”
  • Kent Hicks – “How Old is that Sign”

The conference runs from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, but please arrive at 9am to sign in – the conference will start promptly at 9:30am. We will have coffee, tea, juice and bagels at sign in, and snacks later in the day. Please bring a reusable cup for your beverage and a bag lunch.

For more information and to register please visit the Northeast Wildlife Trackers website.

This conference is organized by: Jane Winn of BEAT, Bob Metcalfe of New England Discovery, and Lydia Rogers of the Wildlife Passage Taskforce.

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CET Presents: “Affordable Renewable Energy For All!”

On Wednesday, October 17, the Center for EcoTechnology (CET) will offer an “Affordable Renewable Energy for All!” presentation from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Milne Library, 1095 Main Street in Williamstown. The event is co-sponsored by the Town of Williamstown, Williamstown COOL committee and Zilkha Center at Williams College. Light refreshments will be served and energy efficient items will be raffled.

Curious about renewable energy for your home or business? Have you thought about solar electricity or hot water but aren’t sure if it suits your home or wallet? Nancy Nylen, CET’s Associate Director, and Aric Brown, CET’s Outreach Specialist, will speak about the many opportunities for affordable, renewable energy sources here in the Berkshires. Advance registration is recommended and a donation of $10 is suggested. To register for the seminar, contact CET at 413-445-4556 ext. 27 or amy.fleming@cetonline.org.

Nylen and Brown will present information about the importance of reducing your heating and electric loads – and the many benefits of the no-cost home energy assessment available to all residents through the Mass Save program. Colleen Taylor, a Williamstown resident who recently went through the program says, “Within a month, I have already noticed a remarkable increase in comfort in my home.” She adds, “The air-sealing and insulation has made a huge difference in my energy bills as well.”

This seminar is designed to help homeowners and businesses find easy, affordable ways to reduce their energy load, make their homes more comfortable and consider local renewable energy options.  Attendees will learn the basics about how solar systems work, and what is available for people who would like to use renewable energy but do not have an appropriate site.

Peter Fohlin of Williamstown states, “As a Green Community, we have taken steps to make our buildings more energy efficient and installed solar on the school, library, DPW – and soon the cemetery and parks building.  We encourage our residents to come out to hear first-hand about the many programs available to help make energy efficiency and solar energy affordable to them.”

Interest in renewable systems for homes, farms, schools, and businesses in the Berkshires continues to grow, as evidenced by the popular Solarize MA program in Pittsfield and Lenox. Unstable fuel prices and economy, as well as concern about the effects of fossil fuels on our health and environment are driving the demand for energy conservation and local, clean sources of energy like solar hot water and solar electric. Generous rebates, tax credits and other incentives are available to help offset the cost of investing in solar energy and other renewable technologies.

Nylen will provide an overview of financial incentives available from the Massachusetts and federal governments and will summarize a rebate programs offered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to help homeowners and small businesses pay for renewable energy systems. Brown will offer ways to make your current energy bill “turn green” and will give you an affordable way to match your 100 percent of your electric usage with local, renewable sources. Bring your electric bill and get signed up!

To register, contact Amy Fleming at CET, at 413-445-4556 ext. 27, or send an email to amy.fleming@cetonline.org.

This presentation will be repeated on November 15th at the North Adams Public Library.

The Center for EcoTechnology is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Funding for this seminar is from the Energy Federation, Inc. and Sohn Foundation. The Center for EcoTechnology. We make green make sense.

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The Center for EcoTechnology helps people carry out their daily activities with less environmental impact. We provide practical solutions that save energy, materials and money and have a positive impact on our environment and commu­nity. We serve residents, business and communities in the areas of Energy Efficiency and Green Building, Green Com­munities and Businesses, and through our retail store – EcoBuilding Bargains. We’re a 35-year-old non-profit organization with offices in Pittsfield, Northampton and Springfield. Visit www.cetonline.org to learn more.

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October 2012 Housatonic Heritage Walks

 

The Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, a non-profit organization, will be offering its final 11th annual “Heritage Walks Weekend” on Saturday & Sunday October 13 & 14. Please join us for 19 FREE guided tours to be offered throughout The Berkshires of Massachusetts.

 

Everyone is invited to join us on these interpretive, educational tours that are being offered in partnership by the various heritage organizations in the region, the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, the Berkshires Visitors Bureau and the National Park Service. The Housatonic Heritage Area mission is to “preserve, celebrate and share with others, our regional historic, cultural, scenic and natural heritage of the 29 towns that lie within the upper Housatonic River watershed area, from Kent , Conn. to Lanesborough , Mass. ”  We accomplish this by supporting the programs that our partner organizations offer to illuminate and educate residents and tourists about the history and culture that makes our region a “very special place” to live and visit.

 

The “Heritage Walks” will feature educational walking tours through historic estate gardens and town districts, and a historic train station tour. Also, nature walks and trail hikes, tours of industrial-site ruins that were once thriving industries, a canoe trip on the Housatonic River , bike rides along scenic country roads, and a Native American village walk will be offered. Historians, naturalists, and environmentalists will help participants explore and learn about our region’s rich history.   Historical and cultural venues will open their doors to the public for FREE behind-the-scenes tours; and natural resources organizations will provide access to many of the region’s most interesting outdoor recreational areas.

 

The detailed schedule of Walks can be seen on our website… www.heritage-hikes.org

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Connecting for Change Orchard Giveaway Sponsored by RainforestMaker

The Connecting for Change Conference presented by the Marion Institute is giving away an orchard in the fall of 2012 to a worthy applicant.  This giveway is sponsored by RainforestMaker, an organization committed to raising awareness, encouraging people to live more in balance with nature, and inspiring them and the companies they work for to replant the trees they have used.

The application process is open to any group, community or organization who fits the following criteria,

  • The proposed land that the trees will be planted on is a public space, and located in one of the following states, ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT or NY.
  • A five-year maintenance commitment is made by an individual, community or organization.
  • The willingness and ability to host a public tree planting day with tree maintenance workshop.

Submissions will be received between Oct 3 and Oct 31st.  Submissions will be judged by representatives from the Marion Institute, RainforestMaker and orchardist Michael Phillips.  The orchard will be awarded to the applicant that shows the greatest ability to maintain the health and longevity of the orchard.  We look forward to your submissions.

If you have any other questions please visit our FAQ’s page.

PLEASE NOTE: We highly recommend that you review this form and allow yourself appropriate amount of time to fill it out as you will not be able to save it as you go along. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you prefer to receive this form in an editable Word document, please contact goliveira@marioninstitute.org.

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