Subhankar Banerjee has traveled the world, doing archival and field research (and photography) on shorebirds. His journeys have taken him across the United States to field locations in Alaska, Massachusetts, Maine, and New Mexico, and internationally to the Sundarban Tiger…
Over the course of her long career, Gigi Hopkins has seen enormous changes in the world of decoys and miniatures: who collects them, how they are sold, and how they are understood by the art market and by museums and…
Barry Van Dusen’s art and career took on an exciting new dimension when he decided to devote himself to drawing and painting nature subjects outdoors—direct from life. Hear about his inspirations and influences, his challenges and setbacks, and his progress…
As a boy, Frank W. Benson spent every free moment tramping the marshes surrounding his boyhood in home in Salem, Massachusetts and sketching the birds that filled them. His first painting, at age 16, was of a snipe. Almost 70 years later,…
Bird art is a collecting category with many branches. Colleene Fesko and Amy Montague will engage in a lively discussion exploring why bird imagery speaks to several, often quite different, audiences—and if, in fact, there is a common denominator. Colleene…
Look closely at the inherent beauty of nature’s microscopic world to see the interplay between art and science. We’ll take a deep dive into some microscopic structures found in nature, such as feathers and pollen attached to native bees, and…
Learn about native birds, turtles, caves, and more at the Seventh Annual Berkshire Natural History Conference on Saturday, November 18, from 9 AM to 4 PM. The event, which features fascinating presentations by local and regional naturalists and acclaimed authors,…
Join Ben Nickley of Berkshire Bird Observatory (BBO) for an early morning mist-netting demo during the 14th Berkshire Biodiversity Day (aka Berkshire BioBlitz). This demonstration is an excellent opportunity for people to experience some of the biodiversity surveying methods used…
In North America, there are approximately 4,000 species of wild bees that are critical for pollinating plants in our forests, gardens, and fields. At the 14th Annual Berkshire Biodiversity Day (or Bioblitz), Aliza Fassler will talk about the diversity of…
Join Wade Institute, Berkshire Community College (BCC), BEAT, and the City of Pittsfield's Engineering Division this summer for a 5-day professional development course that focuses on watersheds and how engineering supports natural systems and habitats in Berkshire County. During this…