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X-WR-CALNAME:Berkshire Environmental Action Team
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Berkshire Environmental Action Team
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260530T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260530T120000
DTSTAMP:20260605T040706
CREATED:20260519T173854Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260519T173854Z
UID:10005341-1780135200-1780142400@www.thebeatnews.org
SUMMARY:Native Plant Giveaway & Exchange at BEAT’s Rain Garden
DESCRIPTION:Like previous years\, BEAT will thin out the rain garden this spring at our Environmental Leadership & Education Center\, and we’d love to spread some of these native plants out to other areas in Berkshire County! \nDATE: Saturday\, May 30 \nTIME: 10 AM to Noon \nLOCATION: BEAT’s Environmental Leadership & Education Center\, 20 Chapel Street\, Pittsfield\, MA 01201 \nFive years ago\, with the help of volunteers\, BEAT planted a pollinator-supporting rain garden at our Environmental Leadership & Education Center located along the West Branch Housatonic River in Pittsfield. Not only does this garden collect and filter stormwater before running off and draining to the Housatonic River directly behind our building\, but it also supports native pollinators. For the last two years\, we have been amazed at how huge and dense the plants get each summer\, with blue vervain and other native plants over nine feet tall! The garden is filled with pollinators all summer\, and then in the fall\, birds feast on the fruit. \nWe’ll be at BEAT’s Center (20 Chapel Street\, Pittsfield) giving out plants from 10 AM to Noon on Saturday\, May 30. Feel free to stop by at any time during those hours. Some species that will be available to take home are Sweet Joe-Pye-Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)\, common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)\, seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens)\, blue vervain (Verbena hastata)\, great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) and likely a few other species as well. Also\, if you have an abundance of native plants in your garden and would like to share them with others\, please feel free to bring them along — but it’s also not necessary.
URL:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/event/native-plant-giveaway-exchange-at-beats-rain-garden-2/
LOCATION:Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT)\, 20 Chapel St.\, Pittsfield\, MA
CATEGORIES:BEAT Events,Biodiversity,Gardening,Native Plants,Pollinators
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/compressed-BEAT-building-and-rain-garden-2022-e1714766401374.jpeg
ORGANIZER;CN="Berkshire Environmental Action Team":MAILTO:team@thebeatnews.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260516T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260516T120000
DTSTAMP:20260605T040706
CREATED:20260514T191622Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260514T191622Z
UID:10005336-1778922000-1778932800@www.thebeatnews.org
SUMMARY:Bird Walk
DESCRIPTION:Join Bee Friendly Williamstown for a morning bird walk at the height of spring migration. Naturalist and avid birder David McGowan will help us understand what we see and hear around us during this busy bird season. \nTo learn more\, visit https://www.beefriendlywilliamstown.org/home. \nDATE: Saturday\, May 16\nTIME: 9:00am\nLOCATION: The Spruces\, 60 Main St\, Williamstown\, MA 01267
URL:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/event/bird-walk/
LOCATION:The Spruces\, 60 Main St.\, Williamstown\, MA
CATEGORIES:Biodiversity,Birding,Community Events,Hikes,Outdoor Activity,Walks,Wildlife
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/bee.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260513T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260513T193000
DTSTAMP:20260605T040706
CREATED:20260507T155804Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T155804Z
UID:10005237-1778695200-1778700600@www.thebeatnews.org
SUMMARY:Growing Wildlife-Friendly Gardens
DESCRIPTION:Join Mass Audubon for a gardening workshop! \nAt this workshop\, discover native and pollinator-friendly flowers\, shrubs and trees that grow well in the Berkshires and provide essential food and shelter for native insects and birds. Learn why sustainable landscaping can help wildlife in the Berkshires\, then hear ideas\, design tips\, and lists of garden-worthy natives that can help you choose plants well-suited to your site. \nThis program is primarily indoors\, but may have a short outdoor component at the end to explore plants on-site. See “Instructions and Directions” below for more information on the site where this program will take place. \nLearn more and register at this link: https://www.massaudubon.org/programs/pleasant-valley/101681-growing-wildlife-friendly-gardens?utm_source=pv_apr26_programblast&utm_medium=email+&utm_id=programs \nThis event costs $15-$20. \nDATE: Wednesday\, May 13\nTIME: 6:00pm – 7:30pm\nLOCATION: The Mount\, Edith Wharton’s Home\, 2 Plunkett St\, Lenox\, MA 01240
URL:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/event/growing-wildlife-friendly-gardens/
LOCATION:The Mount\, 2 Plunkett St\, Lenox\, MA\, 01240\, United States
CATEGORIES:Biodiversity,Conservation,Gardening,Talks,Trainings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IMG_0919.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260425T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260425T150000
DTSTAMP:20260605T040706
CREATED:20260313T180500Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T180500Z
UID:10005189-1777122000-1777129200@www.thebeatnews.org
SUMMARY:Spring Ephemeral Botany Walk
DESCRIPTION:Join Women on the Land for an educational wildflower walk! Early spring is an exciting time\, and the changing of the seasons is often marked by the emergence of spring ephemeral wildflowers. These plants have a short window of time in which they bloom\, often appearing after the melting of snow but before trees leaf out. Spring ephemerals are especially diverse in rich hardwood forests\, which are common throughout Berkshire County. Women on the Land will be joined by Peter Grima\, DCR Service Forester and botanist\, to explore the wonder of these short-lived blooms at Field Farm\, a mix of fields and forests overlying limestone bedrock. You will learn about the ecology\, identification\, and beauty of these plants that\, if you aren’t there at the right time\, you’ll miss them until next year! \nRegistrants should come prepared for potentially wet/muddy trail conditions. The walk will cover 2-3 miles on existing trails over more or less level terrain. Optional items include a hand lens\, binoculars\, and wildflower field guide. \nRegister at this link: https://tinyurl.com/SpringEphemeralWalk. \nDATE: Saturday\, April 25 \nTIME: 1:00pm – 3:00pm \nLOCATION: Field Farm Reservation\, Williamstown\, MA
URL:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/event/spring-ephemeral-botany-walk/
LOCATION:Field Farm Guest House\, 554 Sloan Road\, Williamstown\, MA\, 01267\, United States
CATEGORIES:Biodiversity,Botany,Flowers,Hikes,Native Plants,Outdoor Activity,plants,Talks,Walks
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0891.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260411T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260411T120000
DTSTAMP:20260605T040706
CREATED:20260206T164041Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260326T134041Z
UID:10005186-1775899800-1775908800@www.thebeatnews.org
SUMMARY:Making Way for Wildlife: Reconnecting Nature Across Our Landscapes
DESCRIPTION:La traducción simultánea estará disponible en el evento. \nSome 40 million miles of roadways encircle the earth\, yet we tend to regard them only as infrastructure for human convenience. From frogs and turtles to bears and bobcats\, more than a million animals are killed on roads every day in the U.S. alone. Creatures from antelope to salmon are losing their ability to migrate in search of food and mates\, and the very noise of traffic chases songbirds from vast swaths of habitat. \nToday\, road ecologists are seeking to blunt that destruction through innovative solutions. Conservationists are building bridges for mountain lions and tunnels for toads\, engineers are deconstructing the labyrinth of logging roads that web national forests\, and community organizers are working to undo the havoc highways have wreaked upon American cities. \nJoin Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) for an engaging and enlightening event exploring road ecology and wildlife connectivity\, featuring two nationally recognized leaders in the field. \nDr. Patricia Cramer will share an overview of how communities across the U.S. are working to reconnect wildlife habitats across roads\, from science to emerging transportation policy. She’ll discuss what’s coming in the 2026 Transportation Act\, the potential for a new Wildlife Road Crossing Program\, and offer a closer look at the Massachusetts State Wildlife and Transportation Plan (SWTAP)\, which she helped develop. Dr. Cramer will also explore how this plan can be put into action here in Western Massachusetts. \nBen Goldfarb\, award-winning environmental journalist and author\, will join us virtually to take us on a journey into the hidden world of road ecology. While roads often fade into the background of our daily lives\, wildlife experiences them as forces of disruption and danger. Ben will explore how transportation infrastructure impacts animals and ecosystems\, and highlight how we can create a better\, safer world for all living beings. \nIn addition to the talks\, this event will feature: \n\nA hands-on stream table demonstration showing how water\, land\, and infrastructure interact\nPartner organizations tabling—offering opportunities to learn more\, ask questions\, and get involved locally\n\nWhether you’re a wildlife lover\, transportation enthusiast\, or someone who’s just started noticing animals along the roadside\, this event offers a look at how smarter road design can create safer\, healthier landscapes for both wildlife and people. \nDATE: Saturday\, April 11 \nTIME: 9:30 AM to Noon \nLOCATION: Berkshire Community College (BCC)\, 1350 West St\, Pittsfield\, MA \nREGISTER HERE \n\nABOUT THE SPEAKERS \nDr. Patricia Cramer is the nation’s leader in wildlife connectivity across transportation. She is the founder and director of The Wildlife Connectivity Institute. This non-profit focuses on restoring and protecting wildlife connectivity across landscapes and roads. Through science and education\, her work helps states identify where to mitigate roads for all kinds of wildlife\, and to build the most effective wildlife crossing structures. She has conducted studies for 15 departments of transportation\, including MassDOT\, and monitored over 100 wildlife crossing structures. She has received awards from the Federal Highway Administration\, the Utah Department of Transportation\, the Utah Wildlife Society\, the Denver Zoo\, and others. \nBen Goldfarb is an environmental journalist whose work has appeared in National Geographic\, The Atlantic\, Smithsonian Magazine\, The New Yorker\, and many other publications\, and has several times been anthologized in the Best American Science & Nature Writing. His most recent book\, Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet\, was named one of the best books of 2023 by The New York Times and received the Rachel Carson Award for Excellence in Environmental Writing and the Banff Book Competition’s Grand Prize. His previous book\, Eager: The Surprising\, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter\, won the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. He lives in Colorado with his wife\, his daughter\, and his dog\, Kit — which is\, of course\, what you call a baby beaver. \nThis event is presented in partnership with Berkshire Community College (BCC)\, with support from The Nature Conservancy\, Housatonic Heritage\, Housatonic Valley Association (HVA)\, Greenagers\, The Conway School\, Wild & Scenic Westfield River\, and Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC).
URL:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/event/making-way-for-wildlife-reconnecting-nature-across-our-landscapes/
LOCATION:Berkshire Community College\, 1350 West St.\, Pittsfield\, MA
CATEGORIES:BEAT Events,Biodiversity,Community Events,Fish,Land Protection,Legislation,Natural History,Networking,Talks,Wildlife,Wildlife Tracking
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Making-Way-for-Wildlife-eventbrite-2160-x-1080-px.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Berkshire Environmental Action Team":MAILTO:team@thebeatnews.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260411T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260411T121500
DTSTAMP:20260605T040706
CREATED:20260313T175017Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T175017Z
UID:10005188-1775898000-1775909700@www.thebeatnews.org
SUMMARY:Gardening for Today & Tomorrow
DESCRIPTION:Join the Western Massachusetts Master Gardeners’ Association for a symposium on sustainable landscaping. The event includes two keynote sessions at 9 am and 11 am. Whether you own many acres of land or a few planters on a balcony\, learn how and why your landscaping can support birds and other wildlife in the Berkshires in the face of climate change. Other topics include: invasive species of Western Mass\, localizing your landscape with native trees and shrubs\, deer defense\, and more. Registration required\, $35 fee. A full description of the event can be found at this link: https://tinyurl.com/GardeningforTodayandTomorrow. \nDATE: Saturday\, April 11 \nTIME: 9:00 am to 12:15 pm \nLOCATION: Lenox Memorial Middle & High School\, 197 East Street\, Lenox\, MA
URL:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/event/gardening-for-today-tomorrow/
LOCATION:Lenox Memorial Middle & High School\, 197 East St.\, Lenox\, MA
CATEGORIES:Biodiversity,Community Events,Gardening,Invasive Species,Native Plants,plants
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/communitygardenscanoemeadows.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260303T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260303T193000
DTSTAMP:20260605T040706
CREATED:20260115T144837Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260115T145134Z
UID:10005183-1772560800-1772566200@www.thebeatnews.org
SUMMARY:Stop Stocking: The Harmful Practice of Fish Stocking in Massachusetts and What You Can Do to Help
DESCRIPTION:In 2023\, Massachusetts made national history when Governor Maura Healey signed Executive Order 618\, committing the Commonwealth to halt biodiversity loss by restoring critical habitats and protecting native species. But one longstanding state practice directly undermines these ambitious goals: the routine stocking of non-native fish into Massachusetts waterways. \nJoin BEAT for an in-depth webinar examining how MassWildlife’s fish stocking program conflicts with the state’s biodiversity mandate and what science tells us about its ecological impacts. \nDATE: Tuesday\, March 3\nTIME: 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM\nLOCATION: Online via Zoom — Registration required; click here to register.  \nEach year\, nearly half a million hatchery-raised\, non-native trout are released into rivers\, lakes\, and streams across Massachusetts\, often into habitats that still support native eastern brook trout. Research shows that stocking non-native fish disrupts freshwater ecosystems\, accelerates the declines of native species\, contributes to pollution\, and wastes significant public resources — as most stocked fish die shortly after release. \nThis webinar will explore: \n\nWhat fish stocking is\nHow non-native stocking impacts native fish and other organisms\, water quality\, and ecosystem health\nWhy stocking conflicts with Executive Order 618 and the Department of Fish and Game’s own conservation goals\nProven\, science-based alternatives like habitat restoration and reconnecting waterways\nHow YOU can make a difference in changing MassWildlife’s practices and pushing Massachusetts to support biodiversity and resilient freshwater ecosystems\n\nParticipants will learn how to take action locally to effect state-wide change. We look forward to seeing you there! \nRegister Here
URL:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/event/stop-fish-stocking-webinar/
LOCATION:Online/Zoom
CATEGORIES:Action,BEAT Events,Biodiversity,Conservation,Fish,Invasive Species,Legislation,Native Plants,Natural History,Pollutants,Skills,Talks,Webinars,Wildlife
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/fish-stocking-webinar-graphic-event-cover-photo.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Berkshire Environmental Action Team":MAILTO:team@thebeatnews.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260220T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260220T200000
DTSTAMP:20260605T040706
CREATED:20251219T152620Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251219T152620Z
UID:10005163-1771612200-1771617600@www.thebeatnews.org
SUMMARY:Healthy Soil through Maximum Biodiversity: Replicable Models for Resilient Design with Evan Abramson
DESCRIPTION:Funded by a Healthy Soils Action Grant from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs\, for the past two years Landscape Interactions has been collaborating with farmers and community gardeners across Massachusetts to develop a series of scalable\, replicable landscape designs and land management practices to improve soil health and increase soil carbon sequestration by supporting native pollinator species at risk of extinction. Through a robust process of on-site data collection\, collaborative design and community engagement\, Healthy Soil through Maximum Biodiversity offers a playbook for building biodiversity and ecological resilience below and aboveground. \nEvan Abramson will present two seasons of data from ten participating sites\, walk audience members through the process of creating the target list of over 150 at-risk species\, and showcase the scalable\, replicable designs that support these species\, all forthcoming in a free\, public access publication. \nEvan Abramson is Founder and Principal of Landscape Interactions\, an interdisciplinary landscape planning and design studio based in western Massachusetts with a renowned focus on biodiversity and science-based practices. Drawing on his diverse experience as a regional planner\, farmer\, community organizer\, filmmaker and photojournalist\, Evan designs landscapes and corridors that build resilience to a changing climate at the ecosystems level. He holds a Master of Science in Ecological Design from the Conway School of Landscape Design\, a Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College\, Certificates in Permaculture Design and Biodynamic Gardening\, is the author of numerous publications\, including Pollinate Now\, Farming for Biodiversity and Lincoln Pollinator Action Plan. \nRegister Here \nDATE: Friday\, February 20 \nTIME: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM \nLOCATION: Online via Zoom
URL:https://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/event/healthy-soil-through-maximum-biodiversity-replicable-models-for-resilient-design-with-evan-abramson/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Biodiversity,Gardening,Native Plants,Pollinators,Webinars
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