Forest & Wildlife Management Activity Site Walk, Montague Plains WMA, Montague

The public is invited to visit a State Wildlife Management Area to learn how MassWildlife’s forest cutting and burning practices on its lands are benefiting many kinds of wildlife. Attendees will have the opportunity to see the results of management to thin formerly closed-canopy pitch pine forest and to introduce prescribed burning to manage habitat for wildlife.  The particular focus at this location will be on how, since 1998, MassWildlife has been managing a fire-adapted pitch pine forest growing on abandoned pastureland to reduce wildfire danger and to conserve both declining wildlife species, and state listed rare species, including turtles, songbirds, butterflies, moths, and various plants. Wildlife researchers, foresters, forest fire control experts and wildlife land managers will be on hand to talk about their activities and findings.

Dress for the weather as this event will occur, rain or shine. For sunny, warm weather, bring insect repellent, a hat, sunblock and water. Raingear and boots are best for rainy, damp conditions. Consider bringing a camera and binoculars if you have them.

When: Monday Evening, May 5, 2008, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Where: Meet at the power line crossing on Plains Road in Montague.
Contact:  John Scanlon, MassWildlife Forester 508-389-6324

Directions: 

From Route 2: Take Route 63 south into the village of Miller’s Falls. After passing through the center of Miller’s Falls, bear right off of Route 63 onto Millers Falls Road. Follow Millers Falls Road west past the Turner’s Falls airport, then turn left on Hillside Road and follow to the intersection with Turner’s Falls Road. Turn left on turner’s Falls Road for about one mile, and just before the Environmental Police HQ, take a Left on Plains Road, and follow Plains Road uphill for about 0.4 miles into the Wildlife Management Area and to a large powerline that crosses Plains Road .Park on the side of the road beneath the powerline.

From the MassPike (I-90), take I-91 North to Exit 24, turn left on Routs 5 & 10 north for a short distance, then turn right onto Rte. 116 south, continue on 116 south across the Connecticut River into the center of Sunderland. Turn left (north) on Route 47. Follow Rte. 47 north for about 4.5 miles and then straight onto Sunderland Road (just west of the intersection with Rte. 63). Continue Straight (north) on Sunderland Road for about 1 mile into Montague center. Stay left before and after the common in Montague center and then continue traveling north by staying right and crossing a bridge over the Sawmill River (at the Montague Book Mill). Continue north on Turners Falls Road for 0.6 miles and cross the train tracks at Montague Station. Continue north on Turners Falls Road after crossing the tracks for about 1.6 miles, going just beyond the Environmental Police headquarters on your left and turn right (northeast) on Plains Road, and follow Plains Road uphill for about 0.4 miles into the Wildlife Management Area and to a large powerline that crosses Plains Road .Park on the side of the road beneath the powerline.
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Solar Energy for Homes and Small Businesses

May 7
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Check-in begins at 6 p.m.
Berkshire Athenaeum (Library)

Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield

Could solar energy work for you? Here’s a great way to find out — join CET and Chris Vreeland, a registered professional engineer, and learn the basics of how solar hot water and photovoltaic (PV) work, and how to size a system to meet your needs. You’ll also get the lowdown on the new Commonwealth Solar Program for PV projects — which can save homeowners and businesses a bundle! For more information contact Cynthia Grippaldi at 413-445-4556 ext. 25.
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11th National Mitigation & Ecosystem Banking Conference - May 6-9

BANKING ON THE ENVIRONMENT
(formerly called National Mitigation & Conservation Banking Conference)

May 6-9, 2008, Hyatt Regency, Jacksonville, Florida

www.mitigationbankingconference.com

Keeping its focus on mitigation and conservation banking while expanding into the ecosystem markets, the 2008 Conference is the place to be to gain insights, explore new markets and learn from...

• Regulator, Banker or User Forums (User Forum NEW in 2008!)
• Banking Primer & Stream Banking Primer Workshops
• Corps IRT (MBRT) Training
• Interactive sessions featuring key players & different perspectives - from bankers, regulators and users
• Updates on Regulations, Rules & Courts
• Exhibits, Posters & Networking Opportunities - receptions, luncheons & more!
• Field Trips on Tuesday and Wednesday
• Golf Tournament!

The 11th National Mitigation & Ecosystem Banking Conference is grateful to its supporters: The Conservation Fund, EarthMark Companies' Mid-Atlantic Mitigation, LLC, Environmental Bank & Exchange, LLC, Federal Highway Administration, Loafer Creek, LLC, Marsh Resources, Inc., National Mitigation Banking Association, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA, Parsons, Restoration Systems, LLC, Tetra Tech, Inc., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Westervelt Ecological Services, The Wetlandsbank™ Group, and Wildlands, Inc.

FIND OUT MORE at www.mitigationbankingconference.com or call us at 703-548-5473.
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Greenagers Movie Night! Friday 5/9, 7-9pm @ the GreenRoom (33 Rosseter Street, Great Barrington, a.k.a. The Granary)
"Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" is the documentary film sensation that's changing the largest company on earth. The film features the deeply personal stories and everyday lives of families and communities struggling to survive in a Wal-Mart world. It's an emotional journey that will challenge the way you think, feel...and shop. Visit www.WalmartMovie.com for details.

Of course, Wal-Mart doesn't agree with what the film has to say, and you can read and watch its responses online (many are on that site). Join us in watching the film, and come to your own conclusion about how Wal-Mart is affecting our economy and our communities.
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Pangea Day! Saturday, 5/10, 9am-6pm
May 10th is Pangea Day.

Walk for Water, 9am-12pm
Indigenous women walk an average of 6 miles, carrying 40 pounds of water to their families every day. The BARKA Foundation and Monument Mountain Regional High School are co-sponsoring this walk to raise awareness of the global need for access to clean water and to raise $7000 to drill a well in Burkina Faso. All community members are invited to join in the walk. Those walking are asked to make a donation to the cause in any amount. 100% of funds raised will go toward well drilling. The walk is tentatively scheduled to begin at Lake Mansfield at 9:30am and will cover a loop from the lake, down Castle Hill Road, up Alford Road, through the Simon's Rock campus to Lake Mansfield Road, ending back at the lake.

Noon at Lake Mansfield, 12pm-2pm
The BARKA Foundation and Pathways to Peace, a UN-affiliated NGO (non-governmental organization), are announcing a co-sponsorship of the development of a consortium to achieve the UN's Millennium Development Goals in Burkina Faso by 2015. The consortium will include nonprofit and for-profit companies, governmental agencies, philanthropic and foundational organizations, the UN, and interested parties. Participants in the consortium will be unveiled on September 21st, the International Day of Peace.

Among the strategies to succeed in this ambitious task is to create a relationship of reciprocity between the two locales in which The BARKA Foundation operates: Berkshire County and the Fasa region of Burkina. This aspect of the project is entitled "BARKA Berkshires" and plans include to connect schools through curriculum activities and video-conferencing, connecting women to each other through micro-loans for sustainable businesses owned by indigenous women, involving green and environmentally oriented businesses in the Berkshires on issues of solar power, raincatching, clean water, and reforestation in West Africa, and ultimately linking businesses and artists together through the import and export of crafts, goods, foods, art and music. For more information: www.thebarkafoundation.org.

Pangea Day Screening @ The Colonial Theatre, 2pm-6pm
There will be a free screening of this global film festival taking place in over 60 countries worldwide. Please join us. For more info: www.colonialtheatre.org/pangeaday
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Pittsfield Household Hazardous Waste Collection

Saturday, May 10
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Pittsfield Highway Facility
232 West Housatonic Street
(Enter through rear entrance at 81 Hawthorne Avenue)

Everyone in Pittsfield — this is your chance to clean out your garage or basement and rid yourself of all toxics, and feel good about it! Berkshire businesses, institutions and schools may participate for a fee. For information on what kinds of waste are acceptable, contact Amanda Dubrowski  at 413-445-4556 ext. 17.
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Mark your calendar, please! On Saturday May 10th, 2008, Rushing Rivers is organizing a canoe trip on the Fort River to draw attention to this wonderful resource. The Fort River, flowing through the Towns of Hadley and Amherst, is the longest un-dammed tributary of the Connecticut River in Massachusetts. With heavily forested uplands, and a relatively high degree of land protection in the watershed, water quality is sufficiently good that the Fort provides core habitat for native fish (including species of special concern such as bridle shiner), invertebrates such as the federally listed endangered dwarf wedgemussel, and at least four other state-listed mussels species. However, last year we observed very low flows and high phosphorus levels. The event will focus on the Fort River Monitoring, Research and Education Site that is planned as a collaborative effort between Rushing Rivers, scientists from UMass, Mt. Holyoke, Hampshire, Amherst and Smith Colleges and other local organizations.
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UPCOMING EVENTS AT BERKSHIRE SANCTUARIES

Berkshire Summit Hike Series - Alander Mountain. Join naturalist and author Rene Laubach on this five-mile round-trip hike in Mount Washington State Forest to the rocky, open summit of Alander Mountain ( elevation 2,239 feet). From here, you’ll be afforded splendid views of the Taconic Mountains in this tri-state area (one of the best views in the Berkshires). The trail will take us through meadows, beneath shady conifers, over gurgling brooks, and through hardwood forest. Scrub oak, blueberries, and bearberry clothe the top of Alander. This is a moderately strenuous hike with an elevation gain of 840 feet.
Directions to meeting place will be sent upon receipt of registration. The first five registrants may ride in the sanctuary van from Lee.
Saturday, May 10: 9:00 am-1:30 pm.
Rene Laubach, instructor. $10 member, $15 nonmember. Location: Mount Washington State Forest. 413-637-0320

Mother’s Day Wildflower Walk at Pleasant Valley. Bring your mother to Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary to admire the beginning of spring and the earliest spring blossoms in the woodlands. We will take a leisurely walk and, along the way, learn the natural history of these lovely spring wildflowers.
Sunday, May 11: 10:00 am - noon.
Linda Cycz, Instructor $4 member, $6 nonmember; children free. Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary 413-637-0320.

Pleasant Valley Sanctuary
472 West Mountain Rd.
Lenox, MA 01240
413-637-0320.
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Online registration is open for the 9th Biennial River Management Society Symposium: "Branching out from the Mainestream"
May 12-15, 2008
Eastland Park Hotel, Portland, Maine

Special guest speaker and international water expert, Sandra Postel

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the WSR Act with renowned writer and photographer, Stephen Gorman

Wild and Scenic River Workshops presented by the Interagency Wild and Scenic Rivers Coordinating Council (no charge to attend)

Pre-symposium rafting trip on the West Branch of the Penobscot

Plenary sessions:
1) Conservation and Management Issues on the Penobscot
2) 40 Years of the WSR Act: Origins, Development, and Future Challenges

A broad range of concurrent session presentations

Eleven field trips options from which to choose

Closing banquet boat cruise to Peaks Island, and traditional lobster bake! REGISTER and find complete details: www.river-management.org (Early registration ends March 1, 2008! We look forward to seeing you!)
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From the Athol Bird and Nature Club:

Fridays May 9 & 16. Nature walks with Earl
ABNC is offering a series of local forest walks to introduce residents and friends to our own home. The goal is to give you places to take friends for a beautiful walk. These places erase the normal highway sounds and human views that plague us. The walks are comfortable and the paths are direct so anyone can turn around at anytime. There will be opportunity to learn a simple identification of wildlife that you can recognize easily without tools. Wear comfortable shoes, bring a small amount of water, wear long sleeves and hats, bring a camera and a walking stick might be appreciated too. All trips leave from the Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street at 9:00 AM promptly. Rain will cancel the trip.

Dave Small
Athol, Massachusetts
dave@dhsmall.net
www.dhsmall.net
978-413-1772
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Evening at the Beaver Ponds. 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 landscapes. Thursday, May 15: 6:30-8:00 pm. Florian “Butch” Ptak, instructor. $5 member, $7 nonmember; children $3 member, $4 nonmember. Not recommended for children under 3.

Pleasant Valley Sanctuary
472 West Mountain Rd.
Lenox, MA 01240
413-637-0320.
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Collaborative/Advocate strategic legislative and informational meeting

Tuesday, May 20
10am - 2pm
Garden in the Woods

Please RSVP!
All Collaborative organizations and other environmental advocate organizations are invited to attend a strategic legislative and informational meeting.

The morning will be devoted to the current legislative session and future strategies. In the afternoon, EEA Secretary Ian Bowles will be joining us for lunch and a Q&A.

This spring's meeting will be held at the beautiful Garden in the Woods at the New England Wild Flower Society in Framingham, MA. For directions, please visit  http://www.newfs.org/visit/Garden-in-the-Woods/


RSVP by email to David DeKing or call ELM at 617-742-2553.

If you previously responded to Margo Cole while David was away, you do not need to respond again.
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The Northern Berkshire Beekeepers Association
Presents
“GARDENING FOR BEES AND HUMANS”
BY
NINA MARKS
TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2008
6:00 P.M.
NORTH ADAMS PUBLIC LIBRARY
CHURCH STREET NORTH ADAMS MA 01247
THIRD FLOOR
COMMUNITY MEETING ROOM

The presentation will be gardening for Bees and Humans:  Of the many beautiful flowering perennials, trees, shrubs and annuals available on the commercial market, there are often under-represented selections of edible, medicinal and New England native species which supply excellent forage for honey bees.  In this presentation, we will examine the foraging habits of bees, and highlight food sources with a succession of flowering times to provide three long seasons of bee habitat, from early spring through late fall.  We will also note individual plants' double utility for human consumption and/or native wildlife value, and offer suggestions for diverse growing conditions, from damp to dry and light to dark.  A featured selection of plants will be available for sale to the public so participants will be able to start right away developing their bee gardens. 

INTRODUCTION:

Nina Marks was born in Gt. Barrington, MA to small farming family. 

Moved to Chicago and studied urban agriculture with Michael Thompson of Urban Paradise Landscaping and Chicago Honey Cooperative which teaches bee-keeping and honey production to former D.O.C. prisoners.  During that time she taught landscaping workshops for Chicago Women in the Trades, a not-for-profit skills training program for low-income women; spent several years in Yucatan Peninsula as an independent scholar studying Mayan agriculture and food self-sufficiency traditions.  In 2000, interned with Matt and Scout Proft at Someday Farm, an organic vegetable and poultry CSA in East Dorset, VT.  Then went to California and worked on community literacy projects among immigrant community.  Ran an organic restaurant garden for Cafe Gibraltar and installed medicinal herb gardens at a retirement community.  Had a small farm of goats, chickens and vegetables.  Was also wild crafting medicinal herbs.  Moved back to Massachusetts to raise my daughter in the Berkshires.  Landed the job at Project Native as Asst. Greenhouse Mgr. and teaching organic gardening at Redfield House Residence for teen parents in Pittsfield.  I've been working as a bi-lingual educator in several school systems in Berkshire County.  I host the medicinal garden tours for fall Hancock Shaker Village Country Fairs.  I started Sexto Sol Landscaping Company in 2006.  It is an organic landscaping company serving Berkshires and surrounds, that specializes in edible, medicinal and native landscapes.  I've done gardens for Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, Hoosic River Watershed Association, Topia Inn, the Moomaw residence in Williamstown, which is the first petroleum-free "green home" of its kind in New England. 

THE NORTHER BERKSHIRE BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION USUALLY MEETS THE 4TH TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH, AT 7:00 PM AT THE COMMUNITY ROOM LOCATED UPSTAIRS IN THE PRICE CHOPPER SUPERMARKET ON STATE ROAD IN NORTH ADAMS, MA.   THE CLUB IS DEDICATED TO THE BETTERMENT AND PRESERVATION OF BEEKEEPING AND WELCOMES ANYONE WHO WISHES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BEES AND THE CRAFT OF BEEKEEPING.  ANY QUESTIONS, CALL PRESIDENT TOM STEFANIK @ 413 743 2187 OR EMAIL tsmcs1@verizon.net  OR SECRETARY TONY PISANO AT 413 663 9288 OR EMAIL antpisano@hotmail.com.  OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE APRIL 29TH, AT THE N.A. PUBLIC LIBRARY, 6:30 P.M., AND WILL FEATURE BOB GRENNE AND A PROGRAM ENTITLED” APITHERAPY AND BEEKEEPING”.  IT PROMISES TO BEE AN INTERESTING PROGRAM.
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Sixth National Monitoring Conference
May 18-22, 2008
Atlantic City Convention Center and Sheraton Atlantic City
Atlantic City, NJ

The National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC) is hosting its 6th conference, Monitoring: Key to Understanding Our Waters. The conference will focus on seven themes that highlight the importance of monitoring in achieving the goal of clean water for all. Especially integral to effective monitoring networks are the 3's of the Council's Framework for Monitoring - Communication, Collaboration, and Coordination. These vital elements are fundamental to the overall conference themes and will therefore be woven throughout the conference agenda.

The Council is also pleased to report that the EPA Center for Regulatory Environmental Modeling has recently joined our conference planning and will be hosting sessions that emphasize the relationships between modeling and monitoring in water quality programs.

The Council seeks abstracts for oral and poster presentations that are directly relevant to one or more of the seven conference themes.

Conference Themes:
A. Connecting and Integrating Data about Hydrologic Resources
B. Collecting, Assessing, and Interpreting Data: New Technologies and Analytical Methods
C. Describing the Sustainability and Condition of Water Resources
D. Understanding Water-Quality Stressors
E. Enhancing State, Regional, and Local Monitoring Programs
F. Addressing Multi-Jurisdictional and International Monitoring Issues
G. Improving Communication through Innovative Outreach

Keep in mind that this conference covers topics applicable to monitoring of all water body types, including streams, large rivers, lakes, groundwater, wetlands, estuaries, and oceans. Similarly, this conference is not limited geographically. The Council prides itself on attracting presenters from across the globe to share their unique experiences and perspectives on issues we are all currently facing.

Abstracts are accepted online at www.wef.org/Monitoring. Print and email versions of the complete call for abstracts are also located on the conference website.

Exhibition and Sponsorship Information

Registration Information

For Questions or Additional Information Contact: Water Environment Federation, Conference Programs - Monitoring 2008, Phone: 703-684-2400, ext. 7010 or Monitoring2008@wef.org.

***************************************************************
Water Environment Federation
601 Wythe Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-1994 USA

www.wef.org
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19th Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference
Monday, May 19, 2008 (All Day).

NEIWPCC's 19th Annual Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution Conference, Progress Through Partnerships: Collaborating to Protect Our Watersheds, will be held May 19-21, 2008, at the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa in Groton, Connecticut. This year's conference is cosponsored by NEIWPCC and Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection in cooperation with the NPS Programs of the New England States, New York State, and EPA Regions I and II.

Since 1990, New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), in partnership with its member states, has been coordinating the Annual Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution Conference, the premier forum in our region for sharing information and improving communication on NPS pollution issues and projects. The three-day conference brings together all those in New England and New York State involved in NPS pollution management, including participants from state, federal, and municipal governments, private sector, academia, and watershed organizations.

The importance of partnerships among local, regional, state, and federal agencies cannot be understated. At the 2008 NPS conference, we will focus on building partnerships and integrating programs to work towards the common goal of reducing NPS pollution in our watersheds.

Opportunities for sponsoring or exhibiting at the conference are available. Please contact Laura Chan for more information. For more information, go to our website, or contact Laura Chan, Coordinator of NEIWPCC's Nonpoint Source and Stormwater Programs at lchan@neiwpcc.org or 978-323-7929

Andrea Cooper EEA - CZM Smart Growth Coordinator Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs 100 Cambridge Street, Suit 900; Boston, MA 02114, 617-626-1099 and 617-626-1222 Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, 251 Causeway Street, Suite 800; Boston, MA. 02114
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Memorial Day Weedend (May 23- 26, 2008) program being sponsored by Flying Deer Nature Center in New Lebanon, NY. 
It is sure to be a fun, enriching and empowering event.  Please check it out and pass it on. 
There is a discount for early registration - deadline April 15th.

Building Strong Naturalist Communities: A Retreat to Nurture & Celebrate

This event is for:
~Wilderness community teachers, leaders, dedicated families and individuals
~Local community-based earth activists

Why a Retreat? Yes, it’s true. Even as dedicated Nature Educators, we tend to forget to give ourselves the
much needed time to rest, play, and soak in the people and the Earth we love. Everybody needs it. Spending
quality time with the earth and with loved ones, connecting to the deep meanings in our lives, and creating
peace in body and mind will nurture you, your family and your community!

The goal of this retreat is to foster connections within and between communities, and rejuvenate, recharge and
restore bodies, minds and hearts. We will “get the energy moving” through naturalist activities, crafts, play,
exercise and bodywork, pure celebration, visioning, music, dance, theater and the arts!

BSNC was born out of a desire for the wilderness organizations of the northeast region to identify, network,
celebrate and vision on a community level. BSNC was hosted by Vermont Wilderness School in 2006, and
White Pine Programs in 2007.

Please let us know if you have a craft - using natural materials from your land - you would like to lead others in making during the retreat!
Activities for children will be running simultaneously to adult activities.

Here is a pdf link to the schedule and registration form
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Artists Address Environmental Concerns in Badlands: New Horizons in Landscape.

Exhibition opens May 25, 2008

(North Adams, Mass.) - At this critical time in environmental history, when the world is more ecologically aware yet more desperately in need of solutions than ever before, MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) presents Badlands: New Horizons in Landscape, opening Sunday, May 25, 2008. The artists in this exhibition share this collective anxiety -- some turn to the past to see how their predecessors negotiated the terrain of the landscape while some propose entirely new ideas. While deeply aware of the legacy of the landscape, each of these artists reinvents the genre to produce works that look beyond vast beauty to address current environmental issues. Imaging the landscape is an art-making tradition that started with the earliest cave paintings, and in recent history has threaded together movements as varied as the mid-19th century Hudson River School and the Earth Art of the 1960s and 70s. Badlands opens the next chapter in the landscape tradition, addressing contemporary ideas of exploration, population of the wilderness, land usage, environmental politics and the relativity of aesthetic beauty.

The exhibition will include five new commissions including work from Vaughn Bell, Center for Land Use Interpretation, Joe Smolinski, Nina Katchadourian, and Mary Temple. Several artists contribute new works never before exhibited, including Alexis Rockman, Paul Jacobsen, and Jane Marsching. Other artists featured are: Robert Adams, Boyle Family, Melissa Brown, Leila Daw, Gregory Euclide, J. Henry Fair, Anthony Goicolea, Mike Glier, Marine Hugonnier, Ed Ruscha, Yutaka Sone and Jennifer Steinkamp.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a color catalog published by MIT Press which will include essays by Gregory Volk, Tensie Whelan, Ginger Strand, and exhibition curator Denise Markonish.

Reinterpreting traditional landscape

Some of the artists in the exhibition both develop and reinterpret traditional genres of landscape depiction. Robert Adams helped found the genre referred to as "New Topographics," which focuses on a non-idealized view of the American landscape. At first glance, his black and white images of Colorado immediately invite comparison to another Adams - Ansel, father of modern landscape photography - but Robert Adams takes a contrary approach, making small images of ordinary or even ugly landscapes seem sublime.

Ed Ruscha re-invents the traditional awe-inspiring landscape in his Country Cityscapes series in which he takes calendar-like panoramas and cuts away sections of the prints, filling the voids with text (phrases like "It's payback time" and "You will eat hot lead"). Known for his ironic perspective on American vernacular imagery, Ruscha allows the landscape to talk back, this time with a stereotypical Wild West twang.

Paul Jacobsen and Alexis Rockman both tackle the formidable Hudson River School, a movement whose renderings of pristine unspoiled landscapes reinforced early ideas of America's Manifest Destiny. Jacobsen and Rockman show a new American future, one where our collective sins of the past come back to haunt us, depicting landslides taking over hillside homes or heaps of garbage spoiling a green pasture. Both artists create lushly painted works: Rockman, dealing with environmental decay, and Jacobsen, addressing human survival in a post-apocalyptic landscape.

Starting their career alongside the Fluxus and Earth Artists of the 1960s and 70s are the Boyle Family, a unique team of husband and wife Mark Boyle and Joan Hills along with their two children Sebastian and Georgia. The Boyles' series Journey to the Surface of the Earth are mixed-media painting assemblages that recreate in an extremely realistic manner different squares of terrain chosen by blindly throwing darts at a world map. Continuing this nod to Earth art are Vaughn Bell's Personal Biospheres which give gallery visitors their own miniature landscapes to experience by popping their head into Plexiglas domes filled with small working ecosystems. Bell's new custom biospheres for Badlands will be based on the landscape of North Adams.

A micro and macro view of the landscape

Some of the artists venture out into the world examining the landscape from both macro and micro viewpoints. Mike Glier's project Latitude, Longitude and Antipodes targets specific locations on the globe to create a series of plein air improvisational paintings. For Latitude, which will be on view in Badlands, Glier stayed in one place (his own backyard) for an extended period to paint the changes of season as the earth shifts on its axis; while for Longitude he is currently traveling along the 70th meridian of longitude between the Arctic Circle and the Equator to paint the changing landscape. Gregory Euclide also explores his own backyard through a series of mixed-media constructions that combine delicately drawn bucolic landscapes that are crumpled like trash and combined with bits of the outdoors - dirt, branches and fungus. Marine Hugonnier's film trilogy (Ariana, The Last Tour and Traveling Amazonia) deals with the political and environmental regulation of landscape attractions. Ariana (2002), which will be on view in Badlands, explores her inability to take 360 panoramic images of many of the most beautiful landscapes in modern Afghanistan.

Jane Marsching travels even further afield - and into the future - with Arctic Listening Post (2006-present), an inter-disciplinary multimedia project that deals with historic impressions of the Arctic and how we can imagine a future there. With the fanciful air of Jules Verne, Marsching is working in collaboration with scientists, architects, artists and even science fiction writers to conceive how we could sustain life at the North Pole in 100 years.

How disasters affect the land

Another group of artists addresses both natural and man-made disasters and how they affect the land and its inhabitants. Leila Daw's large-scale paintings deal with floods and volcanoes and how they impact both the landscape and civilization; in her work the constructed environment is always being wiped out as a lesson to the interlopers. Melissa Brown and J. Henry Fair deal more directly with the beauty of a declining landscape. Brown's Anime-inspired paintings look like postcard images of national parks until closer examination reveals an oil slick on the surface of the water or a technicolor view of Niagara Falls. Fair's unaltered aerial photographs seem to capture beautiful abstractions of the landscape, while, in truth, their "beauty" is actually the result of man-made chemical processes that are actively polluting the landscape.

Land use and aesthetics

Sustainability and politics of land use are at the forefront for artists who look at how people use the landscape, and also at alternative modes of energy. Center for Land Use Interpretation's (CLUI) mission is to better understand land and landscape usages through research, artist residencies and exhibitions. For Badlands, CLUI will present a project entitled Massachusetts Monuments: Images of Points of Interest in the Bay State, which uses photographs and text to take museum visitors on a virtual tour of land usage throughout Massachusetts. Visitors weave through a world of plants and paths, occasionally discovering small carved marble highways and cityscapes in Yutaka Sone's indoor "jungles" -- ideal worlds where nature engulfs "progress." Joseph Smolinski, on the other hand, provides a creative solution to the politics of the land use by creating a wind turbine made to look like an enormous pine tree - not unlike the cell phone tower "trees" that dot our highways - merging a facsimile of a natural environment with a renewable power source.

Though much of the work in Badlands deals with decline and ecological ruin, the exhibition is not without beauty, and the ultimate message is, perhaps, just to look, really look at the landscape around you. The final group of artists marvels at the physical "beauty" of the natural world. Anthony Goicolea straddles fantasy and reality by presenting monumental photographs of unpopulated, surreal landscapes that reference the Hudson River School and Ansel Adams but are decidedly contemporary, and almost sinister. Snowscape (2002-03), a 26-foot panoramic print, will be installed in MASS MoCA's Tall Gallery. Jennifer Steinkamp's projections offer views of swaying trees or dancing flowers that blend a sort of technicolor beauty with digital rather than naturalistic effect.

Nina Katchadourian entices viewers to look beyond the gallery walls to the outdoors. Visitors who search long and far enough will be rewarded with the sight of an altered tree, installed with permanently brilliant fall foliage, impervious to the change of seasons. Mary Temple similarly plays with traditional notions of how we look at trees. As soon as viewers of Badlands walk into the gallery they will see shadows of trees on the walls, miraculously visible without nearby windows. This is Temple's work, subtle wall drawings of the shadows of trees, both seemingly present and disappearing before our eyes, just like the landscape itself.

The exhibition, which will cover the entire first floor of Building 4, will be open to the public starting Sunday, May 25, 2008, and running through Spring 2009. There will be an opening reception for members only on Saturday, May 24, from 5:30 - 7:30 PM.

The exhibition is supported in part by Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation and the LEF Foundation.

About MASS MoCA

MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) is one of the largest centers for contemporary visual and performing arts in the country and is located in North Adams, Massachusetts, on a restored 19th-century factory campus. MASS MoCA's galleries are open 11 - 5 every day except Tuesdays. Gallery admission is $12.50 for adults, $9 for students, $5 for children 6 - 16, and free for children 5 and under. Members admitted free year-round. For additional information, call 413 662 2111 or visit http://www.massmoca.org
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Youth Environmental Summit  (YES!)
Thursday June 5th  9 A.M. to 1:30 P.M
Lee Middle & High School
Organized by Berkshire Environmental Educators Network (BEEN) & Center for Ecological Technology (CET). 

The day will be a combination of presentations and workshops for students from grades 4-8 . We still have openings for student or adult-led workshops of about 40 minutes in length.  These workshops are specifically designed so that students can share their work in environmental studies with their peers.  We hope that you can encourage the teachers who have participated in your school based work-any kind of environmental project over the course of this school year-to consider bringing a group to YES to give a workshop about what they did.  A consultant from BEEN can help the teacher and group of students design and conduct it. The campus at Lee offers a stream, woods, wetlands, grassy areas, and three science laboratories.  The students will also have the opportunity to learn about other projects by participating in many of the other workshops as well as hear presentations by students during the morning session. 

If you do not have any students that would want to conduct a workshop but your organization can provide a fun, engaging, and informative adult-led workshop for the students at YES, please contact us to sign up.  Local media will be covering this event from across the county, so this event is also a great opportunity for your organization to get some exposure.

Ezra Small-BEEN Coordinator
Office: 413-213-0405
Cell: 413-230-9719
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EPA-GE Citizens Coordination Council 2007-2008 Schedule

For more information go to: http://www.thebeatnews.org/GE/GEissues/CCC.html

FREE Workshop Series – “Protecting Special Places”

I am pleased to invite you to a series of planning and preservation workshops, “Protecting Special Places: How to Help Your Community Plan for Its Future,” sponsored by the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission, Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor, Inc. and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.  A follow-up to the recently completed Heritage Landscape Inventory project, the workshops will provide information on strategies for preserving your community’s character for future generations. 

Workshops are FREE and open to all.  Local historical commissions, planning boards, select boards, conservation commissions, municipal staff and landowners are particularly encouraged to attend.  To come to a workshop, please RSVP at least two days in advance to Joanna Doherty, Blackstone Heritage Corridor (joanna_doherty@nps.gov or 401-762-0250) or Bob Levite, Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor (boblevite@hotmail.com or 508-831-1223 x244).  Directions to workshops are available upon request.

Local Measures to Protect Historic Resources
Wednesday, May 14, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m
Sutton Town Hall, 4 Uxbridge Road

A variety of strategies are available to help protect the historic buildings, landscapes and neighborhoods that make your town special.  Learn the ins-and-outs of three particularly effective, locally-initiated tools: Local Historic Districts, Neighborhood Architectural Conservation Districts and Demolition Delay bylaws.  Presented by Christopher Skelly, Director of Local Government Programs, Massachusetts Historical Commission.

The Community Preservation Act: Strategies for Success
Thursday, May 29, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Oxford Community Center, 4 Maple Road

The Community Preservation Act (CPA) is a powerful tool for historic preservation, open space protection, affordable housing and recreational opportunities.  This workshop will discuss the benefits of the CPA and strategies for a successful CPA campaign, and provide information on a special initiative to help central Massachusetts towns pass the CPA.  Presented by Kathy Roth, Associate Director, Community Preservation Coalition.

Smart Growth and Preservation
Thursday, June 5, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Dudley Municipal Complex, 71 West Main Street

The “smart growth” approach to development focuses on sustainability, in part through zoning mechanisms that encourage concentrated development and support existing settlement patterns.  Learn about two such tools: Smart Growth Zoning (Chapter 40R) and Village Center Zoning.  Presented by Eric Hove, Acting Director of Land Use Policy, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and Bill Reyelt, Smart Growth Program Coordinator, Department of Housing and Community Development.

What about Open Space? Balancing Development and Preservation
Thursday, June 12, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Douglas Municipal Center, 29 Depot Street

Municipalities across the Commonwealth struggle with how to preserve open space, especially with increased residential development.  This workshop will focus on two tools that can help your community balance growth with preservation: Open Space Residential Design and Transfer of Development Rights.  Presented by Eric Hove, Acting Director of Land Use Policy, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
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Paint/Oil collections slated for South Berkshire Towns

CET will coordinate three separate collections of oil paint, stains, paint thinners, and turpentine, as well as waste motor oil in Lenox and Great Barrington for South Berkshire Towns. Pre-registration with CET is required.

This program is sponsored by the 15 towns that form the South Berkshire Household Hazardous Waste Collaborative.  The participating towns are: Alford, Becket, Egremont, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, Monterey , Mount Washington, New Marlborough, Otis, Richmond , Sheffield , Stockbridge, Tyringham and West Stockbridge. 

Saturday, May 17, 9 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Lenox Department of Public Works
275 Main Street (Across from Mass Highway )

Saturday, June 14, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Great Barrington Recycling Center
Route 7 (across from Monument Mountain High School )

Latex paint will not be accepted at any events.  Usable paint can be given away through freecycle.org or some non-profits.  Empty or dried-up cans of latex paint can be disposed with the regular trash.  Empty cans of oil-based paint, stains and solvents can be disposed with the regular trash as well.

To pre-register or for information about what can be brought to the collection, visit www.cetonline.org or email amandad@cetonline.org. Or call Amanda at 413-445-4556 ext. 17.  Residents from communities that are not participating should call their City or Town Hall for information about household hazardous product collections.
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BERSHIRES SPRING EVENTS WITH THE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS

More information and programs at www.thetrustees.org

Daily mid-April to mid-May  9:30AM-4:30PM
Wildflower-of-the-Week
BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, WEATOGUE RD., SHEFFIELD
413-229-8600
The Trustees of Reservations welcome you to an exceptional wildflower area to enjoy the progress of spring with the new weekly wildflower sign board. Free with admission of $5 per adult, $1 per child.

Thursday May 8, 15, 22, 29    9-11:30AM
Eco-Volunteers at Bartholomew’s Cobble
BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, WEATOGUE RD., SHEFFIELD
413-229-8600
Join the Trustees of Reservations to care for one of the Berkshires foremost ecological treasures. Help us pull, lop, and chop invasive weeks to protect the unique ecology of the Cobble. Call for more information. FREE.

Sunday June 8 1-4PM
Fresh Ink: Nature Writing Workshop
BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, WEATOGUE RD., SHEFFIELD
413-229-8600
Enjoy a relaxing afternoon of contemplative walking, watching and listening with Tammis Coffin and the Trustees of Reservations. Guided activities will help cultivate a fresh written response to moment and place. Writers of all levels welcome. Please pre-register. Members: $8. Nonmembers: $10.

Saturday May 10   8-10AM
Bird Walk – Spring Migration at Bartholomew’s Cobble
BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, WEATOGUE RD., SHEFFIELD
413-229-8600
With a Trustees of Reservations naturalist, explore various avian habitats for arriving spring migrants. Birders of all levels are welcome. Bring binoculars. Please pre-register. Members: FREE. Nonmembers: Adult $5; Child $3.

Sunday May 11 2-4PM
Mother’s Day Wildflower Walk and Tea
BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, WEATOGUE RD., SHEFFIELD
413-229-8600
Enjoy a leisurely stroll on Cobble trails to locate the latest wildflowers with Trustees of Reservations naturalists, then sample a variety of teas infused with flower blossoms.  Please pre-register. Members: Adult/Child $5; Family $10. Nonmembers: Adult/Child $6; Family $15.

Wednesday May 14  9AM-12NOON
Garlic Mustard Jamboree
BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, WEATOGUE RD., SHEFFIELD
413-229-8600
Join volunteers and staff with the Trustees of Reservations to help control one of the biggest threats to biodiversity at Bartholomew’s Cobble. Call for details. FREE to all.

Saturday May 17 10AM-12NOON
Grace Greylock Niles Day
MOUNTAIN MEADOW PRESERVE, BENEDICT RD, POWNAL, VT
413-458-3135
Join the Trustees of Reservations for guided walks and activities to honor the legacy of the woman botanist who published Bog Trotting for Orchids  in 1904. FREE to all.

Monday May 19 7-8:30PM
Flower Moon Twilight Walk
TYRINGHAM COBBLE, JERUSALEM RD., TYRINGHAM
413-298-3239 x3003
Join a Trustees of Reservations naturalist to enjoy the sounds and scents of spring on this leisurely hike and watch for the rising full moon. Please pre-register. Members: FREE. Nonmembers: Adult/Child $5; Family $10.

Saturday May 24  10AM-12NOON
Wild Edibles Extravaganza
BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, WEATOGUE RD., SHEFFIELD
413-229-8600
Join naturalist Rene Wendell of the Trustees of Reservations to gather and prepare a variety of tasty ingredients fresh from the wild. Please pre-register. Members: Adult $6; Child $3. Nonmembers: Adult $8; Child $4.

Memorial Day, May 26   9AM-12NOON
Sundays, June 1, 8, 15 (FATHER’S DAY) 8:30-11:30AM
Saturdays, June 21, 28  8:30-11:30AM
Housatonic Paddle – Guided Canoe Trip
BARTHOLOMEW’S COBBLE, WEATOGUE RD., SHEFFIELD
413-229-8600
Paddle the winding Housatonic with The Trustees of Reservations and explore the rich and varied habitats of the river. Bring a hat, sunscreen, water and binoculars. All other equipment is provided. Please pre-register. Members: Adult $24; Child (10-16) $12. Nonmembers: Adult $30; Child (10-16) $15.

Saturday May 31 10AM-NOON
Field Farm Garlic Mustard Pull
FIELD FARM, SLOAN RD., WILLIAMSTOWN
413-458-3135
Join Trustees of Reservations Ecologist Julie Richburg for one day of concerted effort to bring this invasive under control and bring home as many of these spicy salad greens as you like! FREE to all.

Saturday June 7  7AM-9AM
Bird Walk at Mountain Meadow
MOUNTAIN MEADOW PRESERVE, MASON RD., WILLIAMSTOWN
413-458-3135
This is a great time of year to see spring migrants so join Leslie Reed-Evans and the Trustees of Reservations for a bird walk at lower Mountain Meadow Preserve, located on Mason Rd. off Rt. 7 in Williamstown. Bring binoculars and a field guide if you have them. FREE to all.

Saturday June 7, 1-5PM
Hike to Flag Rock
MONUMENT MOUNTAIN, RT. 7, GREAT BARRINGTON  
413-298-3239 x 3000
Celebrate National Trails Day with a long hike all the way from the Rt. 7 parking area to the least-visited side of Monument Mountain. Co-sponsored by the Trustees of Reservations, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, and Great Barrington Trails and Greenways. Please pre-register. FREE.

Tuesday June 17  6:30-8:30PM
Monument Mountain by Twilight
MONUMENT MOUNTAIN, RT. 7, GREAT BARRINGTON
413-298-3239 x3003
Savor the golden evening light on one of the longest days of the year by joining a Trustees of Reservations naturalist on a guided hike up Monument Mountain to watch for the rising strawberry moon. Please pre-register. FREE to all.

Saving Special Places. For Everyone. Forever. Visit The Trustees of Reservations online. Call the Berkshires regional office at 413-298-3239 x 3000 or E-mail westregion@ttor.org
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DCR Bureau of Forestry, Management Forestry Program

An opportunity for public information and comment on proposed timber harvests on Massachusetts state forests and parklands. - Thursday, July 17th at 3pm and at 6pm at the Regional Headquarters (740 Sotuh St., Pittsfield).

Two times a year (in January and July), every proposed timber harvest will be posted on the DCR Forestry website, and at the regional office for a 45-day review period. Project harvesting summaries documents include all the necessary contact information, public comment period dates, the DCR property, town, and closest road to the harvest, stand description, aesthetic, recreation, environmental and wildlife considerations, sale layout, silvicultural treatment and a locus map. Each proposed harvest site will be posted with a sign informing viewers of the project and include forester contact information. Public informational meetings will be held on the third Thursday of January and July at DCR Regional Offices at 3 pm and 6 pm to discuss these timber harvests.

All public comments will be addressed in writing. Projects of high public sensitivity will have additional measures taken to address public concerns. This may include: fact sheets, news releases, public meetings, field trips, additional data collection and consultation with other qualified specialists.

Once these steps have been taken, a detailed silvicultural prescription will be prepared. This prescription will be prepared according to the Massachusetts Forest Cutting Practices Act, Endangered Species Act, and Wetland Protection Act as well as Bureau of Forestry policy, direction and guidelines, and all applicable planning documents. A Forest Cutting Plan will be prepared, reviewed and approved by the appropriate Bureau Service Forester and other qualified specialists. This document is available for public review at the regional DCR office and the local conservation commission office.

Upon completion of this process, the project will proceed.
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* New! Exhibit Info

View Topics * Registration Info * Sponsor Info

2008 AWRA Summer Specialty Conference

Riparian Ecosystems and Buffers:

Working at the Water's Edge

Founders Inn & Spa * Virginia Beach, VA

June 30 - July 2, 2008

The study of riparian ecosystem functions and the proliferation of initiatives and programs using riparian areas as buffers and living shorelines have demonstrated the need to remain on the cutting edge of science and practice when working at the water's edge.

Exhibit information is now available.

Contact Terry Meyer with questions.
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Education in a Changing Climate
July 27 - August 1, 2008
Unity, Maine

Education in a Changing Climate is a week-long workshop that will take place at Unity College in Maine. Designed for educators of all kinds, the workshop challenges participants to teach about the environment in innovative ways and aspires to find new audiences and venues for environmental learning. The workshop is co-sponsored by Unity College and The Orion Society. More info and application procedure here. Application deadline is April 15th.
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Third Biennial Northeast Transportation and Wildlife Conference

SAVE THE DATE!!
September 21-24, 2008
at The Inns at Mill Falls
Meredith, New Hampshire

This event is brought to you by:
NH Dept. of Transportation
NH Fish and Game Dept.
US Federal Highway Administration
McFarland-Johnson
The Nature Conservancy

Stay tuned for more information!

++++++++++++++++++
Cathy Goodmen
Senior Environmental Manager
Bureau of Environment, NHDOT
603-271-6781
cgoodmen@dot.state.nh.us
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Green Drinks-Great Barrington is a regular meetup of folks interested in green issues, always on the first Tuesday of each month, and is hosted by The Orion Society. There are Green Drinks chapters in Pittsfield and Northampton, too. Email me for details.

Next meetings:

New for Spring, and maybe just for this next month, Green Drinks in Great Barrington will happen on the first Wednesday, May 7th, at Route 7 Grill.

Route 7 Grill is just the place we should gather with spring bursting forth! It's the best restaurant around for locally-grown dining, and that's the topic of our meet-up next week: the new growing season & all things 'local ag.' Folks from Berkshire Grown will be there, local growers, and hopefully you, too, to chat about what's coming up in the garden. And whatever else you want to talk about, of course.

So please plan to join the staff of Orion magazine/Orion Grassroots Network and dozens of others in the region interested in all things green at the Route 7 Grill, May 7th, from 5:15 on.

Route 7 Grill is on, well, Route 7 (#999 Main Street), in Great Barrington, just north of the Sheffield line. Call them at 528-3235 for more info.

We'll be back at the Brewery in June and probably July, too, on first Tuesdays. (More information to be posted as available.)

And please pass this on to a friend or three! See you soon.

Erik Hoffner
Orion Grassroots Network
888-909-6568
http://www.orionsociety.org/ogn

The Orion Grassroots Network provides services and support to 1,100 grassroots organizations engaged in ecological, social, and cultural change.
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Pittsfield "Green Drinks" Gathering Scheduled 5/20, 6/17, 7/15, 8/19

The next Pittsfield Green Drinks is Tuesday, May 20th beginning around 5:15 at the Pittsfield Brew Works at 34 Depot Street in Pittsfield. Come one, come all - casual, friendly, conversation - often green, but always fun.

Green Drinks is a fun opportunity for environmentally-minded people to mingle, network, etc. Please, tell all your family and friends - that's the easiest way to spread the word - and we'll see you there. Green Drinks is held the third Tuesday of every month beginning at 5:15 at the Pittsfield Brew Works on Depot Street. It is co- sponsored by the Center for Ecological Technology (CET) and the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT).

CET & BEAT look forward to seeing you there. There are also Green Drinks in Great Barrington on the first Tuesday of each month at 5:15 pm at the Barrington Brewery, and in Northampton on the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Northampton Brewery.

For more information about Pittsfield Green Drinks, contact Jamie Cahillane at CET (413-445-4556 ext. 14) or Jane Winn at BEAT (jane@thebeatnews.org or 413-230-7321).
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