Berkshire Natural Resources Council Earns National Recognition for Conservation Excellence and Strong Commitment to Public Trust

Berkshire Natural Resources Council | Press Release

"Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) has been accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, joining a network of over 450 accredited land trusts across the United States that have demonstrated their commitment to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in their work. About 10% of Massachusetts land trusts are accredited. 'Accreditation shows BNRC’s dedication to permanent land conservation throughout the Berkshires,' said Jenny Hansell, BNRC president. 'We are a stronger organization for having gone through the rigorous accreditation program. Our strength means these special places will be protected forever, making the Berkshire region an even greater place for us and future generations.'" READ MORE

Youth Scholarships at Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center

Friends of the Dyken Pond Center | Press Release

"A gift of time spent in nature can benefit a child for years to come. The Friends of Dyken Pond are proud to announce that scholarships are available to youth for 2023. Youth ages 6–13 can apply for a full or partial scholarship to attend Dyken Pond Center’s Outdoor Adventure Camp. This week-long day camp runs from mid-July through mid-August and provides age-appropriate activities in ecology, wildlife, and outdoor living skills. Games, hikes, and hands-on discoveries will give campers a lifetime full of memories." LEARN MORE

Why Tiny Ponds and Singing Frogs Matter So Much

Margaret Renki | The New York Times - Opinion

"Ephemeral ponds — which are also called vernal pools — first appear in winter as water collects in depressions and shallow basins in the forest. Snowmelt and spring rains, not running water, keep the ponds filled, and cold air slows the rate of evaporation. Under these conditions, any low-lying area in the woods that will hold water will also become a magnet for amphibians. Because vernal pools are not fed by creeks or streams, they dry up in the heat of summer and therefore cannot support fish, which feed on amphibian eggs and larvae. This absence of fish, along with the pond’s abundant insect and crustacean life and the manifold hiding places in a body of water dense with sticks and rotting leaves, makes an ephemeral pond the ideal nursery for tadpoles and larval salamanders. [...] Amphibians are indicator species. Because their porous skin is particularly sensitive to changes in the environment, the health of an ecosystem’s amphibian population is one way to measure the health of the ecosystem itself. When frogs and toads and salamanders thrive, everybody thrives. But amphibian populations are declining by roughly 4 percent every year, according to the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy, a national nonprofit. 'The loss of habitat is by far the biggest threat to amphibian survival and the No. 1 cause of population decline,' JJ Apodaca, the executive director of the conservancy, told me last week. It doesn’t take much to disrupt a wetland habitat, especially one as small as a vernal pond: 'Just a slight change in the landscape can eliminate an ephemeral pool and eliminate reproduction possibilities for thousands of amphibians,' Dr. Apodaca said. Even a simple drainage ditch can be devastating: 'As soon as you put in a ditch, it drains the water table and dries out the land.' [...] As crucial as these micro wetlands are to the immense biodiversity of the Southern Appalachians, ephemeral ponds enjoy no federal protections. Under current interpretations of the Clean Water Act, it’s their isolation from other waterways — the very quality that makes them so critical to amphibian reproduction — that puts them in danger. And that’s just one example of why the conservancy concentrates much of its efforts on habitat conservation and restoration." READ MORE

Earth Machine 80-Gallon Home Compost Bin

Offered at a subsidized cost of $25 per bin

Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District

"Composting is a great way to recycle our organic waste into a beneficial soil amendment for our yards and gardens. Composting at home can also help reduce methane production at landfills. Using compost in our landscapes helps store carbon in the soil instead of releasing it to the atmosphere. Start home composting by placing leaves, grass clippings, garden debris, fruit peels, vegetable scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds, eggshells, paper towels, napkins, and even paper bags into the Earth Machine Bin. It is easy to make compost, and the Member Towns make it even easier by offering these rodent-resistant home composting bins for $25 - over 50% off the retail price. The price difference is offset by the MassDEP Sustainable Materials Recovery Program (SMRP). Each Member Town annually contributes $500 and Northern Berkshire Solid Waste $1,500 of their grant awards to offset costs of Earth Machines and offer additional recycling programming." LEARN MORE

In bid to renew license, Mass. renewable energy provider promises improved fish passage, water flow

Adam Frenier | WBUR

"The operator of hydropower generating equipment on the Connecticut River in Franklin County has reached a key agreement in its bid to receive a license renewal from federal officials. The facilities include the Northfield Mountain pump station and two dams in Turners Falls. The deal is between First Light Power and several other parties. The company agreed to spend $150 million to help improve fish passage in the river, while also committing to improving water flow. [...] One group involved in the talks, but not signing on to the final document is the Connecticut River Conservancy. The organization's Massachusetts River Steward, Kelsey Wentling, said one issue is how long First Light is looking to renew its license for. 'All the parties within this agreement agreed to a 50 year license term which is quite a long time especially in the context of a really rapidly changing climate,' she said. Wentling said another issue is the timeframe to make the improvements, with some elements taking many years longer than she felt necessary, not to mention concerns about adequate flow in some parts of the Connecticut River. [...] Several environmental advocacy groups signed on to the deal, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife." READ MORE

Judge rules LG&E can seize part of Bernheim Forest for new gas pipeline

Joseph Garcia | WHAS11

"A Kentucky judge has ruled LG&E can seize a swathe of land in Bernheim Forest to build a natural gas pipeline following a legal battle earlier this year. The 494 acres of land in question, named the 'Cedar Grove Wildlife Corridor,' consists of two properties in Bullitt County near the Cedar Grove community, according to court documents. Environmental activists and Bernheim's attorneys said the new pipeline would negatively impact the surrounding wildlife and the forest's imperiled bat conservation project. 'The utility hasn’t taken to account what their activity on the land will do to these species that we need to work hard to preserve and allow to continue to live in our area,' Elisa Owens, director of Kentucky Interfaith Power and Light, said. In a statement sent to WHAS11, a Bernheim Forest spokesperson said they are 'morally opposed to the pipeline because of its long-term impacts to land and water. Natural land protection and mitigating the affects of the climate crisis is good for the environment, the economy, ourselves, and for future generations,' they said. 'This is not just an issue of digging a trench and dropping in a pipe, it is about providing a healthy, resilient, connected, and sustainable future for all.' Ultimately, Bullitt Circuit Court Judge Rodney Burress ruled LG&E has the right to use eminent domain to seize the land." READ MORE