April 6, 2022
Hi Friend,

This is going to be an abbreviated The BEAT News because Chelsey is off for the week. I've done my (Jane) best to update the calendar, jobs board, and Environmental Monitor - but only a couple of stories this time.

Thank you to Janice Tassinari for posting the great video of a coyote next to the Housatonic River captured by a BEAT camera that she is tending.

Thank you to our many amphibian crossing guards who helped hundreds of peepers, woodfrogs, and salamanders cross roads in different locations in the Berkshires. Each year we hope to add more and more locations and more crossing guards. If you'd like to be on the list for next year, please let Noah know.

Thank you to Jim Pelletier and the group he organized to learn how to certify a vernal pool. You can learn more about these really cool habitats on our website. We plan to submit at least a dozen new pools for certification this year. This offers these ephemeral pools a little more protection and puts them on the map so people know they are there even if/when they dry up in the summer.

Thank you to Laura Beasley for the electric string trimmer and long cord to reach our whole yard!

We are still looking for another very stable kayak. If you have one that needs a new home, please let Jane know.

Thanks for all you do to protect the environment!

Jane, Rose, Jake, Noah, and Chelsey
IN THE NEWS
This is why microgrids are becoming popular: Jigar Shah

Microgrid Knowledge
Jigar Shah, a well-known energy entrepreneur who now serves as director of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) loan programs, posted on LinkedIn last week: “This is why #microgrids and #distributedgeneration are becoming so popular.”

Shah was referring to a US Energy Information Administration (EIA) graphic that shows power production costs falling and delivery prices rising over the last decade. In other words, if you’re wondering why your power bill went up, look to the grid of transmission and distribution wires, not the power plants, solar and wind farms, and hydroelectric facilities that make the energy.
Black bear winter den research

MassWildlife
MassWildlife biologists visited 27 black bear dens this winter to collect important data and place radio tracking collars on adult female bears. This information helps biologists better understand how bear populations are changing in Massachusetts.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR 
We list events from a variety of local and regional organizations and individuals. 
 

Events with BEAT:

FRIDAY, APRIL 8 

Community Calendar: 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6

THURSDAY, APRIL 7

FRIDAY, APRIL 8

SATURDAY, APRIL 9
Birding Workshop: Spring Waterfowl - multiple locations outdoors
Spring Birding Series - multiple locations outdoors

SUNDAY, APRIL 10

MONDAY, APRIL 11

TUESDAY, APRIL 12
Tuesday Treks - Cropseyville, NY

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13


JOBS
We list jobs related to the environment from a variety of organizations. 
 

BOLD & GOLD Outdoor Leadership Instructor | YMCA Camp Hi Rock | Mt Washington
Administrative/Program Assistant - Hunter Education | Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game | Westborough
Tern Colony Site Manager (Seasonal) | Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game | Westborough
Tern Colony Assistant - Habitat Management (Seasonal) | Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game | Westborough
Summer Camp Staff | Flying Deer Nature Center | Chatham, NY
MA River Stewards of Tomorrow (2 internship positions) | Housatonic Valley Association | Stockbridge
Director of Land Conservation | Berkshire Natural Resources Counsel | Pittsfield
Seasonal Park Interpreter at Mt. Greylock State Reservation | MA Department of Conservation & Recreation | Lanesborough
BerkShares Outreach Coordinators (2 positions) | Schumacher Center for a New Economics | Pittsfield or North Adams
High Road Manager | Berkshire Natural Resources Council | Hybrid/Berkshires
Stream Crew Members (3 positions) | Greenagers | South Egremont
Trail Crew & Conservation Crews | Greenagers | South Egremont
Trail Crew Leader | Greenagers | South Egremont
Seasonal Stewardship Crew (3 positions) | Berkshire Natural Resources Counsel | Pittsfield
Trail Crew | | Berkshire Natural Resources Counsel | Pittsfield
Special Assistant to the President | Berkshire Natural Resources Counsel | Pittsfield
Part-Time Summer Land Management Internship | MountainStar Forest and Eagle Eye Institute | Peru, MA
Pittsfield Energy Advocate (part-time) | Ener-G-Save | Pittsfield
Conservation Technician | Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) | Stockbridge
Administrative and Marketing Manager | Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires | Great Barrington
Administrative Manager | Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires | Great Barrington
Marketing and Communications Manager | Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires | Great Barrington
Summer Program Curriculum Developer | The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University | Boston | deadline 3/30
Visitor Services Fellow — USFWS North Atlantic-Appalachian Regional Office | American Conservation Experience | Hadley | deadline 3/31
Energy and Climate Policy Analyst | Acadia Center | Preference for Boston & Hartford, CT | deadline 3/31
Senior Energy Attorney | Acadia Center | Preference for Hartford, CT or Providence, RI | deadline 3/31
National Litigation Attorney | National Environmental Law Center | Boston | deadline 4/1
Senior Manager, Energy Efficiency and Building Energy Justice | Acadia Center | MA, CT, or RI | deadline 4/7
Campaign Associate with Zero Waste Team | U.S. PIRG | Boston | deadline 4/17
Field Campaign Director | Fund for the Public Interest | Boston | deadline 4/22
Conservation Intern | Town of Sharon Conservation Commission | Sharon | deadline 4/22
Outdoor Educator/Camp Counselor | Allendale Form | Chestnut Hill | deadline 4/29
Campaign & Advocacy Fellows (Multiple Positions) | Environmental League of Massachusetts | Boston
EPA Student Interns | New England Regional Office of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Summer Program Instructor | Kestrel Educational Adventure | Hamilton
Coastal Waterbird Crew Leader | Mass Audubon Coastal Waterbird Program | Multiple Locations, MA
Coastal Waterbird Field Assistant | Mass Audubon Coastal Waterbird Program | Multiple Locations, MA


Environmental Monitor
MARCH 23, 2022

The Environmental Monitor provides information on projects under review by the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office, recent MEPA decisions of the Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs, and public notices from environmental agencies.
 
Berkshire Index:
Lenox — Notice of Intent to Initiate an Ecological Restoration Project (click on the link, then at the top, click on attachments) – habitat restoration at Mass Audubon's Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary – posted 3/23/22
Windsor – Notice of Application for a 401 Water quality Certificate (click on the link, then at the top, click on attachments) — culvert repairs along Route 8A/9 (Berkshire Trail) over Jenks Brook – posted 3/23/22

Pioneer Valley Index:
Multiple municipalities - Notice of Submission of a Yearly Operational Plan (click on the link, then at the top, click on attachments) - Amtrack vegetation management - comments due 5/6/22
Multiple municipalities - Notice of Submission of a Yearly Operational Plan (click on the link, then at the top, click on attachments) - New England Central Railroad vegetation management - comments due 5/6/22
Chicopee – Secretary's Certificate Notice of Project Change – Pilot Travel Center (aka Chicopee Hotel Redevelopment) – Does not require an Environmental Impact Report - issued 3/11/22
 
Statewide Index:
Notice of Submission of a Yearly Operational Plan (click on the link, then click on attachments tab) - comments due 5/6/22
Notice of Public Hearing re: Vegetation Management Plan - Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. (click on link, then attachments tab) - Public Hearing 4/7/22
Public Notices
Public Notices listed here are from a variety of sources, from town conservation commissions and select boards to state and federal agencies. These listings are for Berkshire, Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin counties. Listings are only posted if they are environmental in nature. You can find all public notices for Massachusetts here. 
Berkshire Environmental Action Team
20 Chapel St., Pittsfield, MA 01201
(413) 464-9402
See what's happening on our social sites: