May 17, 2023

Hi Team,

This Saturday, BEAT's No Fracked Gas in Mass team will be joining the Springfield Climate Justice Coalition's Stop The Pipeline Rally & March in downtown Springfield in Sterns Square at 1pm Saturday, May 20 (rain date May 21). For more information, contact Rose.

Also this Saturday, BEAT will be joining the Cleanup Day with MassWildlife and the Housatonic Valley Association. BEAT & HVA will be doing a river cleanup by canoe/kayak. Check our website to sign up.

Next Saturday, May 27th, we need volunteers to help us at the West Side Block Party at the Riverside Park on Dewey Ave in Pittsfield. We will have an information table and be hosting Kids in Kayaks. We need people to help parents sign in, help kids put on personal floatation devices (life vests), and supervise kids kayaking. Contact Jane if you would like to help.

Quick update: During May, our weekly invasive kiwi removals will be on Sundays from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM. This week's kiwi pull might be cancelled as it is the rain date for the Stop The Pipeline Rally & March. We invite you to join us for that event and will send out an email to our kiwi volunteers by Friday night if the pull is to be cancelled.

BEAT is still looking to hire a Deputy Director! See our Jobs Board for this and other jobs to protect the environment.

In other big news - renovations to our Environmental Leadership & Education Center have begun! THANK YOU to all of you who have helped make this possible. The current renovations will make the street level fully accessible with a new sloped walkway, an accessible bathroom, and an accessible balcony over the riverbank!

That's it for now. Thanks for all you do to protect the environment!

Jane, Rose, Chelsey, John, and Lucas

Rally and March Stop the Springfield Pipeline this Weekend!

Please join us as we March to Stop the Eversource Pipeline and Put Gas in the Past! BEAT, No Fracked Gas in Mass, Breathe Easy Berkshires and dozens more organizations from across Massachusetts will be joining Springfield Climate Justice Coalition in the Rally and March in Springfield this weekend.

WHERE:

Rally at Stearns Square in Springfield. March from Stearns Square to Bliss Street gas regulator station (near the Basketball Hall of Fame).

WHEN:

Saturday, May 20

Rain date: May 21

(alert will be sent by 10 PM on Friday, May 19)

SCHEDULE:

12:00-1:00 PM

Activities for children! Connect with folks around the state informally or visit tables to learn about climate, environmental and justice organizations. Pick up a takeout lunch at one of the restaurants around Stearns Square or bring your own.

Musical performance by Bomba de Aqui, a dance and music company that performs and teaches Afro-Puerto Rican traditions

1:00 PM sharp

Rally and March!

Speakers, chants and music, followed by a half mile march past the Bliss St. gas regulator station. Bring used inhalers, if you have any, for an action along the route. At the end of the march a group will send you off with appreciation and music.

ACCESSIBILITY:

Rally and march route are wheelchair accessible

Spanish language interpretation

PARKING:

Free parking at MGM Casino. The rally site is 6/10ths of a mile from MGM but very close to the end of the march route so this is a great choice if you want to be near your car at the end of the march.

Parking close to the Stearns Square rally site: limited on-street parking (no meter fee on weekends) and a large parking lot (with a fee) at the corner of Dwight and Harrison (enter on Harrison).

RSVP here!

Can’t make it? Sign the petition to Put Gas in the Past and share it widely with friends.

COMING UP WITH BEAT

CLEANUP DAY WITH MASSWILDLIFE, HVA, AND BEAT

Saturday, May 20th from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM

at Decker Landing, 298 New Lenox Rd, Lenox, MA 01240

VOLUNTEER WITH BEAT: INVASIVE HARDY KIWI PLANT REMOVAL

Sunday, May 21st from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

at Onota Lake Boat Launch, Burbank Park, Pittsfield, MA

EPA HOUSATONIC RIVER CITIZENS COORDINATING COUNCIL MEETING

Wednesday, May 24th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

on Zoom

VOLUNTEER WITH BEAT: INVASIVE HARDY KIWI PLANT REMOVAL

Sunday, May 28th from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

at Onota Lake Boat Launch, Burbank Park, Pittsfield, MA

IN THE NEWS

After years of searching and waiting for the 'Holy Quail,' a birder's dream of seeing the elusive hoopoe is realized

Clellie Lynch | The Berkshire Eagle

"“There, there on the crest of the rise,” Mary Bishop, a fellow birder staying at the amazing Paradise in Portugal lodge, calmly says, “A hoopoe!” Our driver, Frank McClintock, an excellent birding guide who has run the lodge for more than 30 years, immediately stops and the six of us birders hop out of the van. The hoopoe … the hoopoe in all its strange and wondrous glory is hopping amid the cattle feeding troughs, pulling insects from the rough ground. It lifts off and giddily glides a few feet, spreading its black and white crest as it lands and starts feeding again. I ignore the nearby tawny pipits, spotless starlings and chattering common waxbills. I just watch and stare at this weird bird as it moves about, sometimes looking mechanical, at other times, graceful and sleek. Finally, my Holy Quail!"

What the Supreme Court's recent EPA ruling means for climate change

Madeleine LaPlante-Dube | Orion Magazine

In a stunning blow to environmental protections, the U.S. Supreme Court declared on June 30 that the Clean Air Act does not, in fact, give the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority to regulate emissions from U.S. power plants. The vote, which was 6-3 with conservative justices leading the majority, was a win for the business sector and a major loss for environmental advocates across the globe.

To get a better handle on what just happened and why it matters, we spoke with Bill McKibben, a longtime environmentalist and reporter who’s spent the majority of his career chasing the science on global warming. He gives us the scoop." READ MORE

Graffiti vandalism at Umpachene Falls in New Marlborough sparks fury and calls for a silent meditation

Heather Bellow | The Berkshire Eagle

"The falls are considered sacred, and residents come here to find peace, swim, hike and picnic. Only New Marlborough residents and their guests are officially permitted, but the town has been generous in allowing the wider public to enjoy the falls.

In 2017 Pilobolus, a modern dance troupe, performed at the falls.

Alden’s Facebook post stirred anger and sadness over the graffiti.

“Senseless,” replied one commenter. Another said: “Hoping that whoever did this will #1 need to pay and clean up what they did #2 learn and appreciate the importance of the indigenous peoples who were here for centuries before us. Connections and lessons are badly needed.” READ MORE

Ultrasound reveals trees' drought-survival secrets

Katherine Bourzac| ScienceNews

"Species that can withstand drought conditions and recover more quickly may become more populous in future forests as climate change causes droughts to become more frequent and intense (SN: 3/10/22). That means the compositions of the trees that make up the world’s temperate forests could change as the climate warms, with uncertain consequences for the other plants and animals in these ecosystems." LEARN MORE

Spotlight on the Decomposers: Inside the Mysterious Lives of Fungi

Peter Wohlleben and Jane Billinghurst| Orion Magazine

"You could think of a fungal thread as a sort of inside-out digestive system. We break food down inside our guts. In fungi, this deconstruction of organic matter into the phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen plants need to grow takes place on the outside of the fungal threads. If you look at the bags of fertilizer you can buy at your local store to feed the vegetables in your garden, you’ll see numbers representing the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium they contain. The fungi provide a home-delivery service of these essential foods for trees. But, as the advertisements on television say, that is not all. The tips of fungal threads contain acid, which liquefies rock to release minerals such as copper and zinc that the trees need to stay healthy and grow strong. Tree-friendly fungi also prevent toxic substances like heavy metals from getting into their green partners and form an effective barrier against other fungi that might want to attack their trees." READ MORE

A look at what it takes to keep a pollinator population healthy in Berkshire County

Jane Kaufman | The Berkshire Eagle

"The Washington beekeeper is selling a nucleus colony of five frames of bees and needs to locate the queen to ensure the health, longevity and continuity of the colony. While Lew sells honey under the name Bluebird Farm Apiary, honey production isn’t her primary goal or concern. She says she harvested only 100 pounds last year, selling it in 2-pound jars. Lew is primarily interested in helping the bees survive — in lives that extend from one season to another and from one year to another. This is important work, as the native honey bee population is in decline." READ MORE

Tell Your Legislator – Restructure MassSave!

Newly proposed bills could be a game-changer.

Energy efficiency is crucial to cutting climate-destroying emissions. Common problems with Mass Save, like trouble getting an audit scheduled, finding a participating contractor, finding information on energy efficiency incentives, getting the rebates you’re owed and understanding interconnected agency processes for lower income customers, stem largely from the unwieldy, decentralized structure of the MassSave program. Right now, the MassSave incentives and programs are designed and run by the various utility companies across the state. Entrusting our energy efficiency performance to the very for-profit companies that sell us the energy we’re hoping to conserve is a conflict of interests at best. Two bills currently proposed in the Mass State Legislature - one proposed in the Senate and one in the House - call on wholesale restructuring of the MassSave program, taking it out of the hands for the utility companies and putting it under the control of a Board of diverse stakeholders. The Board would elect an Executive Director to manage the program, putting a central office in control. Please use the link below to call on your Massachusetts State Legislators to co-sponsor the bills.

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-legislators-restructure-masssave-newly-proposed-bills-could-be-a-game-changer/

If You Stop Mowing This May, Will Your Lawn Turn Into a Meadow?

Margaret Roach | The New York Times

"I started growing my first little meadow about 30 years ago, and since then I have stopped cutting a few other areas, too, except for that one day a year.

In each space, new species keep showing up. They’re not all desirable, admittedly, as I have made very clear repeatedly, in rude language, to the brambles encroaching on the oldest, largest area. They fight back in their own way, their thorns drawing blood. Mine.

Woody invaders and all, these wilder portions of my place have been the site of a decades-long continuing-education course in the early stages of ecological succession — and a four-season delight to me and a diversity of wildlife." LEARN MORE

NERC urges power plant, transmission owners to prepare for winter in highest-level alert ever issued

Ethan Howland | Utility Dive

“When cold weather events such as Winter Storm Uri occur, system operators may need to shed firm customer load to prevent uncontrolled load shedding and cascading outages which may not only result in major disruption but also have very real human consequences,” the grid watchdog organization said.

The electric system is becoming more reliant on variable energy resources, such as wind and solar, and on natural gas, according to NERC.“Extreme winter weather events have stressed the supply of traditional fuels and the dependability of new resources,” NERC said. “Preparation of resources for operation during extreme winter weather and situational awareness in both planning and operations by applicable registered entities is necessary for optimal reliability.” READ MORE

What does the history of soil teach us about our planet today?

Sandy Hetherington | World Economic Forum

"Early soils, like those preserved in the Rhynie chert, supported a diverse range of fungi. Some formed beneficial relationships with plants, helping them mine for nutrients in exchange for carbon provided by the plants – others fed on decaying plant tissue.

These soils also formed a hunting ground for mites, nematodes (roundworms) and early arachnids. The plants, animals and fungi together formed a complex food web.

This thin soil was already teaming with life."

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

We list events from a variety of local and regional organizations and individuals.

THURSDAY, MAY 18

BIPOC Forest Bathing Immersion — Green Mountains Retreat

Wild Edibles Walk — Williamstown

Gardening with Native Plants, Why and How — Zoom

Organic Landscaping Series: Pesticides and Families — Zoom

FRIDAY, MAY 19

Nice and Easy Walk — Turner Falls

Community Gathering at River Run Farm — Great Barrington

SATURDAY, MAY 20

Wilderness First Aid Training — Windsor

Carbon Countdown 2023 — Zoom

Cleanup Day with MassWildlife, HVA, and BEAT — Lenox

Woods Walk: Forest Health and Climate Resilience at Fox Brook Reservoir — Shelburne Falls

March and Rally to Stop the Eversource Pipeline and Put Gas in the Past — Springfield

Family Overnight Campout — New Marlborough

SUNDAY, MAY 21

All About Beavers — Ashfield

Nature Scavenger Hunt — Adams

Volunteer with BEAT: Invasive Hardy Kiwi Removal — Pittsfield

Family History in the Park — Adams

Guided Hike: The Cascades — North Adams

Garlic Mustard Volunteer Day — Lanesborough

TUESDAY, MAY 23

Tuesday Treks — Cropseyville, NY

Knowing Your Landscape: Wetland Specialist Site Visit — Williamstown

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24

EPA Housatonic River Citizens Coordinating Council Meeting — Zoom

See Calendar for More

JOBS

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

BEAT is hiring!

Deputy Director | Berkshire Environmental Action Team | Pittsfield

Berkshire County Postings

Trail Crew | Berkshire Natural Resource Council | Lenox

Seasonal Steward – Notchview | The Trustees of Reservations | Windsor | deadline 5/31/23

Farm Crew Coordinator | Greenagers | South Egremont

Field Teacher/Environmental Educator | Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary | Lenox

Berkshire Clean, Cold and Connected Restoration Coordinator | The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) | Stockbridge

Lead Education Coordinator – Camp & School Environmental Education Programs | Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary | Lenox

Crew Leaders & Assistant Crew Leaders | Greenagers | South Egremont

Lead Day Camp Counselor | Mass Audubon’s Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary | Pittsfield

Day Camp Environmental Educator | Mass Audubon’s Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary | Pittsfield

Camp Counselor | Mass Audubon’s Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary | Pittsfield

Preschool Camp Counselor | Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary | Lenox

Lead Day Camp Counselor | Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary | Lenox

Day Camp Environmental Educator | Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary | Lenox

Camp Counselor | Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary | Lenox

Assistant Day Camp Counselor | Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary | Lenox

Postings with Deadline

Community Outreach and Education Member | American Conservation Experience | Brookline | deadline 5/18/23

Seasonal Stewardship Position: Aquatic Invasive Plant Removal | FirstLight Power | Turner Falls | deadline 5/19/23

2023 Preserve Steward Internship | Pound Ridge Land Conservancy | Pound Ridge, NY | deadline 05/19/23

Community Outreach and Education Member | American Conservation Experience | Brookline | deadline 05/21/23

Seasonal Land Management Field Crew | Town of Wayland Conservation | Wayland | deadline 5/30/23

Director of Land Stewardship | Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy | Kent, CT | deadline 5/31/23

Senior Land Protection Specialist | Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy | Kent, CT | deadline 5/31/23

Research Technician in Forest Ecology | Black Rock Forest | Cornwall, NY | deadline 5/31/23

Web Designer & Curator | Northeast Organic Farming Association / Massachusetts Chapter | Remote / Florence | deadline 6/01/2023

Senior Statistician | Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc. | Remote | deadline 6/01/23

Power Infrastructure Specialist | Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc. | Remote | deadline 6/01/23

Ecological Restoration Technical Services Branch Manager | MA Division of Ecological Restoration | Boston | deadline 6/05/23

Summer Camp Assistant | The Nature Museum at Grafton | Grafton, Vermont | deadline 06/07/23

Ecological Restoration Specialist – Dam Removal | MA Division of Ecological Restoration | Boston | deadline 6/10/23

Executive Director | New England Fishery Management Council | Newburyport | deadline 6/11/23

Ecological Restoration Specialist – Coastal Wetland Restoration | MA Division of Ecological Restoration | Boston | deadline 6/14/23

Conference Coordinator | Northeast Organic Farming Association / Massachusetts Chapter | Remote / Florence | deadline 6/16/23

Stream Crossing Specialist | MA Division of Ecological Restoration | Westfield or Boston/Hybrid | deadline 6/18/23

Education Director | Northeast Organic Farming Association / Massachusetts Chapter | Remote / Florence | deadline 6/19/23

Administrative Director | Northeast Organic Farming Association / Massachusetts Chapter | Remote / Florence | deadline 6/31/23

Recent Postings

Communications and Events Intern | Highstead | Redding, CT

Geographic Information Systems/Aquatic Organism Passage Coordinator (GIS/AOP Coordinator) | Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

Farmland Conservation Associate | Connecticut Farmland Trust | Hartford, CT

River Stewards of Tomorrow 2023 Internship | Housatonic Valley Association | Cornwall Bridge, CT

Invasive Plant Internship | Town of West Newbury | West Newbury

Community Conservation Coordinator | Connecticut Land Conservation Council | Middletown, CT

Climate Smart Stewardship Coordinator | Connecticut Land Conservation Council | Middletown, CT

Visiting Faculty: Environmental Law for Policy | Bard College’s Center for Environmental Policy | Annandale-on-Hudson, NY

Regional Planner V (Branch Chief, Municipal Waste Reduction) | Mass DEP | Boston

Regional Planner IV (Recycling Grant Manager) | Mass DEP | Boston

Lead Nature Preschool Teacher | Boston Outdoor Preschool Network | Framingham

NESS AmeriCorps STEM Educator | New England Science and Sailing Foundation, Inc. AmeriCorps | Stonington, CT

Research Fellow Timber Products Output | University of Massachusetts | Amherst

Avian Point Count Technicians | Cornell University | Statewide, NY

Northeast Campaign Coordinator, Offshore Wind Energy | National Wildlife Federation | Boston

Executive Director | Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN) | Remote MA

Orange County Food Pantry Coordinator | Franklin County Community Meals Program (FCCMP) | Orange

Connecticut Watershed Manager | The Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) | Cornwall, CT

Biological Field Intern | Trout Unlimited | Lock Haven, PA

Assistant Farm Manager | Bardwell Farm | Hatfield

Farmstand Crew | Bardwell Farm | Hatfield

Earthwatch Facilitator for Teen Teams | Earthwatch | Newton

Executive Director | Franklin County Community Meals Program (FCCMP) | Greenfield

Click Here for More Jobs

Environmental Monitor

April 26, 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 – 1 Melville Court invasive species removal without herbicides – submitted 4/26/23
Great Barrington, Lenox, Sheffield, Lee, Pittsfield, Stockbridge – Notice of Submission of a Yearly Operational Plan – Housatonic Railroad – comments due 6/9/23
Many towns – Notice of Submission of a Yearly Operational Plan – Eversource – comments due 5/24/23

CT River Valley Index:

Granby – Lots C7 and C8.12 Kendall Street – ENF – site visit 5/4/23 – comments due 5/16/23
Many towns – New England Central Railroad – Notice of Submission of a Yearly Operational Plan – comments due 5/24/23
Many towns – Eversource – Notice of Submission of a Yearly Operational Plan – comments due 5/24/23

Statewide Index:

• Notice of Federal Consistency Review – The United States Environmental Protection Agency intends to issue the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit MAG640000 for discharge from Potable Water Treatment Facilities

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.

BEAT Public Notices PAGE

Berkshire Environmental Action Team

20 Chapel St., Pittsfield, MA 01201

(413) 464-9402

[email protected]

www.thebeatnews.org

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