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This weekend, join us in cutting and pulling hardy kiwi vines—particularly removing any fruit before it can be eaten by wildlife and spread further. It's a chance to spend a morning outdoors, get your hands dirty, and work alongside others helping protect Berkshire ecosystems. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
There is satisfaction in learning a place well enough to care for it. Sometimes that means removing an invasive vine; other times it means noticing a dragonfly you've never seen before, listening for a bird by its song, or turning over a stream rock to discover the life beneath it. As we look ahead to September, we're excited to share the first details of this year's Berkshire Biodiversity Day. Mark your calendars as we celebrate our 17th year of this 24-hour community science event, and learn more about its history and what makes it such a unique experience.
Whether you're joining us to remove hardy kiwi, spending a day documenting wildlife, or reading along from home, thank you for being part of this work. We hope you'll find something below that invites you outside, teaches you something new, or helps you see a familiar place with fresh attention.
Brittany, Chelsey, Jay, Melanie, and Rose
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PIPELINE PROPOSALS
BEAT has expanded its online pipeline resources to make it easier to participate in energy infrastructure decisions. Our updated Open Comment Opportunities page now includes a new How to Submit Effective Public Comments guide, links to BEAT's past comment letters, and our recently filed comments to FERC on proposed changes to the agency's blanket permitting rules (Docket RM25-12), giving community members additional tools and examples for participating in public review processes.
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CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION
Some of BEAT's work has been underway for years, even if it is only now finding a permanent home on our website. Our new Clean Energy Solutions: Alternatives to Peaker Power Plants page explains how energy efficiency, demand response, battery storage, transmission improvements, geothermal, and renewable energy can help meet growing electricity demand while reducing pollution and avoiding new fossil fuel infrastructure. As conversations continue around data centers, grid reliability, and energy affordability, the page brings together many of the solutions that have long been part of BEAT's advocacy for a cleaner, more resilient energy system.
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Westside Neighborhood Summit
Saturday, August 8, 1–3:00 PM
Durant Park, 30 John St, Pittsfield, MA
Come visit BEAT at the Westside Neighborhood Summit to hear about BEAT’s programs and ongoing work in Pittsfield, connect with neighbors and local organizations, and celebrate the people and partnerships that make the Westside a place where neighbors show up for one another.
Invasive Hardy Kiwi Plant Removal
Saturday, August 8, 9 AM - 12 PM
Burbank Park, 309 Lakeway Drive, Pittsfield, MA — We'll meet at the Onota Lake Boat Launch parking lot, NOT the main parking area for Burbank Park.
On this workday, we’ll focus on cutting and pulling hardy kiwi vines—particularly removing any fruit before it can be eaten by wildlife and spread further. This is a great opportunity to get outdoors, get active, and connect with others who care about protecting our local environment. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
Learn More & Register
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Points East: Possible Impacts of Constitution Pipeline for New England
Saturday, August 15, 2-5 PM
BEAT's Center, 20 Chapel St., Pittsfield, MA 01201
(Hybrid in-person/Zoom)
Join Cathy Kristofferson of Pipe Line Awareness Network for the North East (PLAN-NE) and Rosemary Wessel of Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) for a presentation and discussion of the Constitution Pipeline’s potential impacts on the Northeast region. Learn about the market and political factors driving current gas transmission expansion, how pipeline expansion will affect our communities, and what you can do.
Registration is required to attend in-person or via Zoom.
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Berkshire Biodiversity Day
September 19 - 20
Bartholomew’s Cobble, Sheffield, Massachusetts
Join BEAT for our annual 24-hour BioBlitz, where community members, scientists, and naturalists work together to document the incredible biodiversity of the Berkshires. Explore guided walks, bird banding, species surveys, hands-on demonstrations, presentations, and family-friendly activities while helping identify hundreds of plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms.
Learn More
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State to remove dam at Old Maid's Park in Housatonic
Talia Lissauer, The Berkshire Eagle
Great Barrington's Selectboard has voted to support removing the Old Maid's Park dam, allowing the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to move forward with planning for the project's next phase. BEAT Executive Director Brittany Ebeling presented to the Selectboard before the vote, and the project aims to restore a healthier, free-flowing section of the Housatonic River while improving the park for future generations.
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Rewilding a Massachusetts Golf Course Back to Wetlands
Nicole Williams, The Magazine of the Sierra Club
A former golf course in Northampton is being transformed into restored wetlands, forests, and public open space in what organizers describe as the first golf course rewilding project of its kind in Massachusetts. The project aims to restore wildlife habitat while reducing flooding and returning the landscape to a more natural state.
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Williams College charts course for energy future
Lauren R. Stevens, The Berkshire Eagle
Williams College is expanding on-campus solar energy with new rooftop installations and electrical upgrades as part of its long-term effort to reduce emissions and electrify campus operations. College officials say continued investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and battery-ready infrastructure will reduce reliance on the grid while improving the campus's long-term resilience.
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Berkshire residents brave summer storm to learn about pilot study aimed at preserving amphibian habitats during Housatonic River remediation project
Leslee Bassman, Berkshire Edge
Residents gathered in Pittsfield despite heavy rain to learn about a pilot study that will test methods for protecting and restoring vernal pools used by amphibians during the upcoming Housatonic River PCB cleanup. The meeting focused on how species such as salamanders and wood frogs could be safeguarded while remediation moves forward, and gave community members an opportunity to ask questions and provide input on the proposed study.
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Ridership for Berkshire public bus system hits record high
Josh Landes, WAMC
The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) has reached record ridership, with fare-free service helping more residents rely on public transportation for work, school, medical appointments, shopping, and other daily needs. Transit officials say the continued growth demonstrates the importance of investing in affordable, accessible public transportation for Berkshire County.
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Berkshire County Turtle Rescue Gives Injured Turtles a Second Chance
Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires
Berkshire County Turtle Rescue is giving injured turtles a second chance through rehabilitation, nest protection, and public education, helping hundreds of turtles return to the wild each year. The organization also encourages residents to watch for turtles on roads, leave nests undisturbed, and return rescued turtles as close as possible to where they were found, since many species rely on familiar home ranges.
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