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Hi Team,
We hope to see you tonight, either online or in person, at our February Green Drinks event! Wildlife conversation photographer Carla Rhodes is joining us at Barrington Brewery at 5:15 PM, and she'll start speaking at 6 PM. Her presentation will also be accessible online via Zoom.
After a life-changing encounter with endangered Greater Adjutant storks in Northeastern India, former comedic ventriloquist Carla Rhodes switched gears and dedicated her creative energy to conservation photography. With work published in The New York Times, The Guardian, and more, Carla’s untraditional path to helping elevate wildlife through the art form of photography inspires people to chase their wildest dreams.
Join us to hear how Carla went from comedy to conservation and hear about some of the remarkable places this career path has taken her while also viewing some of the awe-inspiring moments Carla has captured through her photography. Click here to RSVP and learn more about the social gathering!
On a different note, February is Black History Month. BEAT will be celebrating Black environmentalists, spotlighting environmental inequalities, and honoring the contributions of Black folks to the environmental justice movement. Scroll down to learn about Solomon Brown, the first Black employee at the Smithsonian.
That's all for now!
With gratitude,
Jane, Rose, Jake, Noah, and Chelsey
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This week we are celebrating Solomon Galleon Brown.
Before environmentalism even had a name, many Black figures made monumental environmental contributions.
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Solomon Brown was born in 1829 and became the first Black employee at the Smithsonian in 1952, just six years after the Institution was founded. During his 54 years at the Smithsonian, Solomon held many titles and performed many tasks, from building exhibit cases and cleaning to preparing maps and drawings for lectures. He even helped defend museum collections from the first Smithsonian Secretary, who opposed the Institution being a museum and sought to make it only a research center. Early in his career, Solomon developed a close relationship with the Smithsonian's assistant secretary (and eventually, secretary), Spencer Baird, a skilled naturalist. While working with Baird, Solomon Brown educated himself on natural history and eventually began lecturing on topics such as "The Social Habits of Insects." Not only was he a skilled naturalist, but he was also an illustrator, lecturer, philosopher, and poet. And although he never obtained a "formal" education, Solomon was so widely respected that he was known as Professor Brown. In 1890, as Jim Crow laws took hold across the South, he was demoted to the ranks of a common laborer and sent to work in the basement of the Smithsonian with very little pay. The lack of financial resources made it difficult for him to retire, and he continued to work as a laborer for an additional 16 years until he left the Smithsonian in February 1906. Even with decades of experience and knowledge of how things work within the Institution, Solomon's career ended in the same place it started, over half a century before. Solomon G. Brown died less than four months after leaving.
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CARLA RHODES: FROM COMEDY TO CONSERVATION – BERKSHIRE GREEN DRINKS
Wednesday, February 8 from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
at Barrington Brewery, 420 Stockbridge Rd, Great Barrington, MA & Online via Zoom
BEAT TRACKING CLUB: WILDLIFE TRACKING WALK AT APRIL HILL
Thursday, February 16 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
at April Hill, the Greenagers property in South Egremont
ERADICATING INVASIVE HARDY KIWI
Friday, February 17 from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
at Burbank Park, Pittsfield • part of 10x10 festival
WINTER TREE IDENTIFICATION
Saturday, February 18 from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
at Springside Park, Pittsfield • part of 10x10 festival
WHAT'S WILD IN BURBANK PARK?
Tuesday, February 21 from 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
at Burbank Park, Pittsfield • part of 10x10 festival
BEAT TRACKING CLUB: WILDLIFE TRACKING WALK AT THE BIDWELL HOUSE MUSEUM
Sunday, February 26 from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
at The Bidwell House Museum in Monterey
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Action Alert: Support Pollinator Habitat Expansion in Massachusetts!
Massachusetts Pollinator Network
| "An Act to Protect Pollinator Habitat (H.D.2715 / S.D.1320), Introduced by Rep. Keefe (Worcester) and Sen. Lewis (Winchester), would establish a commission of government officials, experts, and stakeholders to study statewide opportunities for increasing and enhancing native pollinator habitat. This bill would also permit examination of many issues relevant to pollinator health, including current laws and regulations, funding, best management practices, and the use of public lands. The science is very clear that habitat loss is a leading cause of insect biodiversity loss, along with pesticide exposure and climate change, and that pollinators are an especially vulnerable group. This legislation comes at a pressing time when pollinator populations are in decline, posing a threat to human food security and the resilience of our natural areas. Take Action Now: **Click here** to send an email (within seconds) to your state representative and senator asking them to co-sponsor these bills!" Read More |  |
Registration Open: Williamstown Rural Lands February Vacation Kids Program
Williamstown Rural Lands (WRL)
| "Williamstown Rural Lands will hold a kids nature program for Grades K – 4 over February vacation, February 21 – 24 from 1 – 4 p.m. at Sheep Hill, 671 Cold Springs Rd., Williamstown. The theme will be Animals in Winter, and kids will get to answer the question: "What do animals do in winter?" and more as they explore, wonder, and imagine animals’ lives after the snow falls through storytelling, crafts, hiking, tracking and outdoor play. This 4-day program costs $120 for Williamstown Rural Lands members, $145 for non-members. Register by February 14. To register and for more information, click here; or call 413-458-2494 or email [email protected]g." |
Massachusetts Open Space Conference
The Trustees of Reservations
| "The Massachusetts Open Space Conference is hosted by the Massachusetts Open Space Network and seeks to provide resources, peer-to-peer learning, and project inspiration for members of Open Space Committees, as well as anyone interested in or involved in local land conservation efforts. This year, the conference will be held over Zoom and take place every Thursday in February at noon. Anyone interested in attending can find more information and register for the webinars on the Massachusetts Open Space Network's 2023 Massachusetts Open Space Conference page." Learn More |
Scientists Find New Research for Why Bears Rub Up Against Trees
Pandora Dewan | Newsweek
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"...there is so much more to this back rubbing than just scratching an incurable itch.
As well as spreading their scent to other bears, this behavior could also serve as a way of repelling disease-transmitting ticks, as is evidenced by a new study on brown bears published in the Journal of Zoology. 'Brown bear rubbing against trees is widely accepted as a form of chemical communication, crucial for social interactions between individuals of this non territorial species with such extended home range, Agnieszka Sergiel, a professor at the Polish Institute of Nature Conservation and one of the study's authors, told Newsweek. 'By rubbing to trees, individuals may self-advertise for mate attraction, communicate dominance status, assess competition or limit infanticides.' However, tree rubbing is also often accompanied by clawing and debarking of the tree's trunk, which releases a sticky resin that clings to the bear's fur. In the present study, this resin was shown to repel parasitic ticks." Read More
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When Boston's new electric school buses will hit the road
Nik DeCosta-Klipa | WBUR
| "...Boston’s yellow buses are about to get a little more green. Mayor Michelle Wu and other local officials are getting together ... in Hyde Park to celebrate the arrival of the city’s first electric school buses. It’s just the beginning of Wu’s pledge to electrify the entire Boston school bus fleet by 2030. For this first order, Boston is using $7 million in COVID relief funds. [...] Wu’s office says the initial batch of 20 buses will go into service after February vacation. But first, the city is planning “extensive training” for drivers, mechanics and operations staff. [...] There’s still a long way to go: Boston has over 700 gas-powered school buses, which account for 11% of the city government’s greenhouse gas emissions. Wu has said the deployment of this first group of electric buses will help the city figure out where to place charging stations and how to adjust routes for their more limited range. [...] Zoom out: Boston’s not the only one. WBUR’s Carrie Jung reports that five Massachusetts school districts, including Lawrence, New Bedford and Fall River, qualified for federal grants to put a total of 76 new electric buses on the roads by next year." Read More |  |
Someone Called the Police on a Girl Catching Lanternflies. Then Yale Honored Her.
Maya King | The New York Times
| "When Bobbi Wilson, 9, took it upon herself to spend hours of her summer aiming to obliterate the invasive spotted lanternflies that were ravaging her northern New Jersey community, she did not expect much attention. She just wanted to help. She went out to the streets of her neighborhood in Caldwell, N.J., armed with a container with a mix of dish soap and water — a recipe to disarm the bugs that she found on TikTok, and enhanced by adding apple cider vinegar. She was determined to get as many of the insects as she could But her one-girl extermination campaign got her reported to the police about three months after it started, when a neighbor complained about a “little Black woman, walking and spraying stuff on the sidewalks and trees” a few houses from the girl’s home on Oct. 22, according to a recording of the call obtained by CNN. Though no further action was taken, the police questioned Bobbi and her mother in an episode that reflects the larger dialogue on racial profiling and the treatment of Black children across the country — a lesson that Bobbi’s mother does not want to go unlearned. [..] The incident ended up getting the attention of individuals and institutions alike, including Yale University, which held a ceremony on Jan. 20 that recognized Bobbi’s efforts to eradicate the lanternflies. Her insects will be added to the Peabody Museum’s collection." Read More |  |
EPA Blocks Controversial Alaska Gold Mine To Protect Salmon
Brian Bushard | Forbes
| "The Environmental Protection Agency...blocked a controversial proposed gold and copper mine in a remote region in Alaska to protect one of the biggest salmon spawning grounds in the world, although the company behind the mining proposal says it will take the agency to court. [...] The EPA issued a determination under the Clean Water Act prohibiting certain mining deposits from the Pebble deposit in southwestern Alaska, following a two-decade environmental review of the roughly 300-square-mile area, as well as petitions from local indigenous tribes for an EPA veto, the Anchorage Daily News reported. [...] The agency’s review found discharges from dredging and fill from the copper and gold mine—which has not yet been constructed—would have 'unacceptable adverse effects' on Alaska’s salmon fishery and the Bristol Bay watershed, which the agency called an 'area of unparalleled ecological value,' with a level of salmon diversity 'unrivaled anywhere in North America.' [...] The final determination also prohibits future proposals to construct or run the Pebble deposit, finding it would lead to a large-scale loss' or damage to the watershed that supports the Sockeye salmon fishery. [...] In a statement on Tuesday, however, Pebble Limited Partnership, the developer behind the proposal, slammed the EPA’s decision as being 'not supported legally, technically or environmentally,' saying it plans to challenge the agency’s decision 'to fight this injustice.' [...] Pebble CEO John Shively argued the decision violates Alaska’s Statehood Compact—which he said set aside the land for its mineral potential when Alaska was granted statehood in 1959—as well as a provision of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which requires a vote of Congress to approve new park land in the state." Read More | |
Check out BEAT's annual End-of-Year Newsletter! | |
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
We list events from a variety of local and regional organizations and individuals.
Events with BEAT:
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8
Carla Rhodes: From Comedy to Conservation – Berkshire Green Drinks — Great Barrington & Online
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16
BEAT Tracking Club: Wildlife Tracking at April Hill — South Egremont
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17
10x10 Festival: Cutting Invasive Hardy Kiwi at Burbank Park
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18
10x10 Festival: Winter Tree I.D. in Springside Park
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21
10x10 Festival: What's Wild in Burbank Park?
Community Calendar:
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8
Senior Snowshoe with All Out Adventures (Hilltown Land Trust) — Goshen
Carla Rhodes: From Comedy to Conservation – Berkshire Green Drinks (BEAT) — Great Barrington & Online
Mountain Mindfulness Series: Forest Bathing Walk (DCR) — Mount Greylock, Adams
MCLA's Green Living Seminar: "Doughnut Economics" — North Adams
Why & How We Need to Protect Our Stream with Michael Jastremski — Online
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9
2023 Open Space Conference Webinar Series (The Trustees, UMass, DCR, et al.) — Online
Naturalist Club with Greenagers & Railroad Street Youth Project — Great Barrington area
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10
Nice & Easy Trail Hike (DCR) — Mount Greylock, Adams
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11
Mount Greylock Photo Group Meet-Up: Water & Ice/Hearts in Nature (DCR) — Mount Greylock, Adams
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12
Nature Scavenger Hunt (DCR) — Mount Greylock, Adams
Family Movie Matinee – Purple Mountain Majesty: A History of the Thunderbolt Ski Run (DCR) — Mount Greylock, Adams
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13
Finding Your Way in Winter (DCR) — Mount Greylock, Adams
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14
Eversource Listening Session for Proposed PITTSFIELD Project — Online
Tuesday Treks (Dyken Pond Center) — Cropseyville, NY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15
Spotted Lanternfly in Massachusetts: quarterly update (MDAR) — Online
MCLA's Green Living Seminar: "MCLA's Green Living Seminar: "GDP is Gross, Wellbeing is Better" — North Adams
Protecting Your Legacy webinar series: Moving from Planning to Action (UMass) — Online
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16
Mountain Mindfulness Series: Qi Gong/Tai Chi (DCR) — Mount Greylock, Adams
2023 Open Space Conference Webinar Series (The Trustees, UMass, DCR, et al.) — Online
Making Reparations: Seeding a Just Future (Schumacher Center) — Online
Naturalist Club with Greenagers & Railroad Street Youth Project — Great Barrington area
BEAT Tracking Club: Wildlife Tracking at April Hill — South Egremont
LEARN! Wildlife Connections Using Trail Cameras (BNRC) — online
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17
10x10 Festival: Cutting Invasive Hardy Kiwi at Burbank Park (BEAT) — Pittsfield
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18
Winter Wildlife Tracking at Mount Greylock State Reservation (DCR) — Mount Greylock, Adams
10x10 Festival: Winter Tree I.D. in Springside Park (BEAT) — Pittsfield
The S'mores Tours: Animal Tracking (Dyken Pond Center) — Cropseyville, NY
See Calendar for More
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JOBS
We list jobs related to the environment from a variety of organizations.
BEAT is hiring!
Program Associate | Berkshire Environmental Action Team: No Fracked Gas in Mass | Pittsfield/Remote
Berkshire County Postings
NEW! Massachusetts Conservation Corps Project Leader | Student Conservation Association | Rowe | deadline 2/28
NEW! Crew Leaders & Assistant Crew Leaders | Greenagers | South Egremont
NEW! Soil Conservationist / No-Till Program Coordinator | Berkshire Conservation District | Berkshire County
NEW! Lead Day Camp Counselor | Mass Audubon’s Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary | Pittsfield
NEW! Day Camp Environmental Educator | Mass Audubon’s Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary | Pittsfield
NEW! Camp Counselor | Mass Audubon’s Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary | Pittsfield
NEW! Preschool Camp Counselor | Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary | Lenox
NEW! Lead Day Camp Counselor | Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary | Lenox
NEW! Day Camp Environmental Educator | Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary | Lenox
NEW! Camp Counselor | Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary | Lenox
NEW! Assistant Day Camp Counselor | Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary | Lenox
NEW! Trail Crew Member | Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) – Student Conservation Association | Pittsfield | deadline 2/28
NEW! Pathways to the Trades Director | Greenagers | South Egremont
NEW! Development Manager | Greenagers | South Egremont
Assistant Land Steward | The Nature Conservancy | Sheffield | 2/17
Stewardship Coordinator | Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) | Lenox | deadline 2/10
Massachusetts Conservation Corps | Student Conservation Association | Rowe | deadline 2/28
Common Loon Field Biologist | Biodiversity Research Center | Berkshires | 3/03
Maintenance Manager, Livestock Manager, Farm & Garden Staff, Visitors Services, Site Interpreter | Hancock Shaker Village | Pittsfield
Postings w/ Deadline
NY Agricultural Stewardship Associate | American Farmland Trust | Remote, NY | deadline 2/09
Seasonal Conservation Research & Stewardship Intern| Linda Loring Nature Foundation | Nantucket | deadline 2/10
Seasonal Environmental Education & Outreach Intern | Linda Loring Nature Foundation | Nantucket | deadline 2/10
Seasonal Botany/Ecology Assistant | Nantucket Conservation Foundation | Nantucket | deadline 2/10
NEW! Seasonal Hunter Education Instructor | MA Department of Fish & Game | Westborough | 2/13
NEW! Executive Director | Sudbury Valley Trustees | Sudbury | deadline 2/21
Summer Science Intern | Great Pond Foundation | Edgartown | deadline 2/22
Field Crew Leader | Great Pond Foundation | Edgartown | deadline 2/22
NEW! Education Director | Westport River Watershed Alliance | Westport | deadline 3/01
Capacity Building Branch Manager | MA Division of Ecological Restoration | Boston | deadline 3/05
Ecological Horticulture Internships | Norcross Wildlife Foundation | Wales, MA | deadline 3/15
Assistant Forester | Bay State Forestry Service | Northfield | deadline 3/31
Invasive Plant Control/Forestry Technician | Bay State Forestry Service | Northfield | deadline 3/31
NEW! Wetland Scientist/Lead Wetland Delineator | TRC Companies | Lowell | deadline 3/31
NEW! Wetland Scientist/Lead Wetland Delineator | TRC Companies | Windsor, CT | deadline 3/31
NEW! Wetland Scientist/Lead Wetland Delineator | TRC Companies | Ithica, NY | deadline 3/31
Social Media & Outreach Coordinator | MA Division of Ecological Restoration | Boston | 4/05
HPTC Traditional Trades Advancement Program Intern – Springfield Armory National Historic Site | Stewards Individual Placements | Springfield | 4/18
Recent Postings
NEW! Assistant Farm Manager | Bardwell Farm | Hatfield
NEW! Farmstand Crew | Bardwell Farm | Hatfield
NEW! Earthwatch Facilitator for Teen Teams | Earthwatch | Newton
NEW! Tree Worker / Arborist | New Leaf Tree Services | Hudson, NY
NEW! Contracted Farm Manager | The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts: Cultivating for Community | Hadley
NEW! Backyard Tick Ecology Technicians (2) | Vermont Center for Ecostudies | White River Junction, VT
Environmental Analyst III – Bureau of Air and Waste (BAW) Hazardous Waste Programs | MassDEP | Boston
Environmental Analyst III – TURA and Mercury Management Programs | MassDEP | Boston
Executive Director | Franklin County Community Meals Program (FCCMP) | Greenfield
Conservation Project Manager | Winnakee Land Trust | Rhinebeck, NY
Wildlife Technician (Part-Time)| Meridian Bird Removal | Albany, NY
Education & Outreach Manager (Part-time) | The Bike Hub | Bennington, VT
Farm & Food Business Finance Specialist | Franklin County Community Development Corporation (FCCDC) | Anywhere in MA | Remote/Hybrid
New England National Scenic Trail Community Volunteer Ambassador | Conservation Legacy | Springfield
Click Here for More Jobs
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Environmental Monitor
January 25, 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:
• Lanesborough – Pontoosuc Lake Annual Drawdown Project – EENF – comments due 2/24/23
• Pittsfield – Notice of Availability for the Pittsfield Municipal Airport Draft Addendum to the Vegetation Management Plan – (click on the link, then at the top, click on attachment) – posted 1/11/23
• Multiple towns – National Grid Vegetation Management Plan – (click on the link, then at the top, click on attachment) – comments due 1/20/23
CT River Valley Index:
• Westfield – West Parish Water Treatment Plant – EENF – comments due 2/24/23
• Springfield – Notice of Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Final Public Notification Plan – (click on the link, then at the top, click on attachment) – comments due 2/15/23
• Chicopee – Notice of Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Final Public Notification Plan – (click on the link, then at the top, click on attachment) – comments due 2/27/23
• Multiple towns – National Grid Vegetation Management Plan – (click on the link, then at the top, click on attachment) – comments due 1/20/23
• Westfield – Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport – Single EIR Certificate – issued 1/13/23
Statewide Index:
• MassDOT Snow and Ice Control Program – ESPR – comments due 2/10/23
• REVISED – Notice of Comment Period and Availability of DRAFT Massachusetts 2022 Integrated List of Waters – (click on link, then attachments tab) – comments now due 1/6/2023
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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.
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Berkshire Environmental Action Team
20 Chapel St., Pittsfield, MA 01201
(413) 464-9402
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