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There is no shortage of discouraging environmental news lately, but spring remains stubbornly alive. Streams are running high, plants are returning to understories, and the hum of gardeners giving advice to each other can be heard around every corner.
BEAT’s work centers on paying closer attention to places and processes, and on helping people spend more time connected to the landscapes woven into daily life here. Environmental work often looks simple: neighbors pulling invasives, monitoring streams, attending meetings, sharing knowledge, or learning a landscape more closely over time.
That connection between everyday experience and larger environmental systems carried through several recent events. BEAT Executive Director Brittany Ebeling recently joined a panel discussion hosted by Berkshire Community Land Trust on “Community, Economy, and Climate,” a conversation touching on biodiversity, pollution, climate policy, and the difficult, necessary work of building resilient communities.
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The same questions surfaced more quietly at Old Maid’s Park in Housatonic during a lively community open house. People traded stories about the park, kids turned over rocks searching for aquatic life, and conversations unfolded easily beside the water as neighbors spent time together outdoors.
We have a busy season ahead, so below you’ll find our full upcoming events calendar leading up to Berkshire Biodiversity Day this September, along with program updates, volunteer opportunities, and ways to stay involved.
Brittany, Chelsey, Melanie, and Rose
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Transportation
BEAT was selected as a member of this year's Transportation for Massachusetts Champion's Institute cohort! The Champions Institute welcomes advocates and public officials work toward building street infrastructure that uplifts environmental justice, promotes walkability and bikeability, and reduces emissions. (Photo: Champions Institute participants perform a walk audit in Worcester, MA. Photo credit: Transportation for MA)
Take Action
Interested in getting involved in transportation advocacy? Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) is seeking letters of interest from community members to participate in an advisory board on micro-transit. Contact BRTA administrator Kathleen Lambert (kathleen.lambert@berkshirerta.gov) for more information or to volunteer.
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Sludge + PFAS
Williamstown has become the first municipality in Massachusetts to approve a local ban on the land application of sewage sludge and sludge-derived products, driven by growing concerns over PFAS contamination in soil, water, and food systems. In a WAMC interview, BEAT Executive Director Brittany Ebeling discussed the growing movement against sludge spreading, while noting that the bylaw itself was drafted by BEAT Deputy Director Melanie Risko as part of the organization’s broader sludge and PFAS advocacy work.
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Pipelines
Enbridge has announced a new open season for proposed expansion capacity on its Algonquin Gas Transmission (AGT) pipeline system serving New England. The proposal, referred to as “Project Beacon,” would move forward if sufficient market interest is secured from gas distribution companies or power generators, with potential additional capacity estimated at up to 300 million cubic feet per day and a projected in-service date of 2030.
The proposal comes alongside several other recent or ongoing expansions across the AGT system. Enbridge completed multiple AGT expansion projects in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island in 2024 and 2025, and is currently advancing the 75 million cubic feet per day AGT Enhancement Project (also known as R.A.R.E.), which has been pre-filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and is projected for completion in 2028. Get updates soon on the No Fracked Gas in Mass site.
Take Action
Join Pittsfield protest in statewide People Over Utility Profits rallies! On June 10, Mass Power Forward is holding a statewide rally with three locations across MA, asking legislators to cut our ties to utilities and pass a climate bill that puts people over utility profits. At the time of the rally, legislators will have just 50 days to pass climate legislation to help make energy clean and affordable. Join us and make your voice heard.
We'll rally outside of the Berkshire Gas headquarters and meet at the Allendale Plaza on June 10 @ 1 PM. RSVP here.
Join us at BEAT for an art build for the rally on June 4, 4-6 PM.
Email team@thebeatnews.org to RSVP.
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Native Plant Giveaway
Saturday, May 30 10AM-12PM
BEAT's Center, 20 Chapel St. Pittsfield, MA
Some of the species we will have are seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens), New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), blue vervain (Verbena hastata), common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale), great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), and sweet joe-pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum) — and likely a few others! Stop by to grab a few free native plants to add to your gardens at home to boost biodiversity and uplift pollinators here in Western Massachusetts!
ISO New England Consumer Liaison Group Meeting
June 2 @ 12:00 - 3:30 PM
Virtual & at Coburn Hall, UMass Lowell, 850 Broadway Street, Lowell, MA
Stakeholder forum between ISO New England and regional consumer organizations and advocates to exchange information about the economic impacts of New England’s bulk power system and wholesale electricity markets. BEAT’s Rosemary Wessel and PLAN-NE’s Cathy Kristofferson will be speaking on the impact of data center proposals on gas pipeline proliferation.
More Info & Registration
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Old Maid's Park Charrette / Community Dinner & Conversation
Thursday, June 18 @ 6-8:30PM
Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire
1089 Main St, Housatonic, MA 01236
Join us for a community conversation about the future of Old Maid’s Park on Thursday, June 18 from 6-8 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Housatonic. Dinner will be served and childcare will be available. Please register below and let us know if you need childcare or have any dietary restrictions.
Registration is Required
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Moth Night at Chesterwood
Friday July 24, 8:30pm-11:30pm
Chesterwood, 4 Williamsville Road, Stockbridge, MA.
Join Matthew Rymkiewicz at Chesterwood for a nighttime light-sheeting demonstration in celebration of National Moth Week! Using illuminated sheets to attract moths and other nocturnal insects, we'll watch as these fascinating creatures begin to appear after dark. As the evening progresses, larger and more diverse species will arrive, offering a closer look at their incredible patterns, colors, and adaptations. Participants are welcome to drop in any time during the program—no experience is necessary, just curiosity. Come for a few minutes or stay for the whole evening as we observe, photograph, and try to identify the critters that gather at the sheets.
Registration is Required
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River Cleanup
Saturday, June 27 @ 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Riverway Park, 181 Dewey Ave, Pittsfield, MA
Join us to help support the health of our Housatonic River! We will meet at Wahconah Park in Pittsfield before cleanup teams disperse to nearby locations to gather miscellaneous trash from the river banks and bottom. We’ll finish cleaning up around noon and then eat some lunch, which will be provided for free to all volunteers.
More Info & Sign Up!
Invasive Hardy Kiwi Pull
Saturday, August 8 @ 9AM - Noon
More information coming soon!
Pollinator-Focused Tree Identification Walk
Saturday, August 16 @ 9-11 AM
Cummington, MA
More information coming soon!
Housatonic Heritage Walk: Tree ID on the Housatonic Rail Trail
Sunday, September 6 @ 10 AM - Noon
More information coming soon!
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Berkshire Biodiversity Day
Saturday, September 19-20
Bartholomew's Cobble, 105 Weatogue Rd, Sheffield, MA
The 17th annual Berkshire Biodiversity Day, also known as Berkshire BioBlitz, invites nature lovers of all ages to join scientists, naturalists, and environmental educators in identifying as many species as possible—plants, animals, fungi, and more—over the course of 24 hours.
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Old Maid’s Park Open House Advances Community Climate Planning Effort
Amelia Ellis, Berkshire Edge
An interview with BEAT Deputy Director Melanie Risko in The Berkshire Edge highlights the broader “Resilient Housatonic” climate planning initiative focused on accessibility, ecological health, flooding, and long-term stewardship of the park. Written by Amelia Ellis, the Berkshire Edge.
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North Adams' pilot nip redemption on hold after funding dries up
Izzy Bryars, Berkshire Eagle
A pilot nip bottle redemption program in North Adams that collected tens of thousands of small alcohol bottles from local streets and neighborhoods faces funding challenges after available resources were quickly exhausted. Organizers say the effort highlights both the scale of nip bottle litter across the region and the need for longer-term policy solutions.
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Clean Energy Is Affordable Energy. So Why Is New York Breaking Its Climate Promises?
Vanessa Fajans-Turner & Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, TIME
New York lawmakers and Governor Kathy Hochul are facing backlash after moving to weaken parts of the state’s landmark 2019 climate law, with proposed changes that would delay emissions targets and ease renewable energy requirements over concerns about rising utility and fuel costs. Critics argue the rollback undermines one of the nation’s most ambitious climate commitments at a time when states are expected to lead on climate action amid federal deregulation and growing fossil fuel pressure.
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Berkshire Environmental Action Team celebrates Old Maid’s Park in Housatonic
Shaw Israel Izikson, Berkshire Edge
Highlighting BEAT’s community celebration on May 16 and outreach efforts at Old Maid’s Park in Housatonic, this article features the park’s role as both a neighborhood gathering space and an important part of ongoing community-driven climate resilience planning. Written by Shaw Israel Izikson, the Berkshire Edge.
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UMass forestry expert explores 'hidden cogs' of an old forest in Plainfield, Mass.
Carrie Healy, New England Public Media
UMass extension forester Paul Catanzaro walked through an old forest in Plainfield to discuss ecological forestry and the importance of maintaining a diversity of forest ages, dead wood, and habitat structures; Catanzaro explained how many Massachusetts forests are relatively young due to historic land clearing, and emphasized that long-term forest resilience depends on biodiversity, ecological complexity, and deeper relationships between people and the forests they steward.
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Vermont becomes first US state to ban paraquat herbicide over Parkinson’s fears
Carey Gillam, the Gaurdian
Vermont has become the first U.S. state to ban the herbicide paraquat, citing growing scientific evidence linking exposure to Parkinson’s disease and other serious health risks. The new law, signed by Governor Phil Scott, phases out paraquat use beginning later this year while also requiring reporting on remaining uses and research into safer agricultural alternatives.
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BRTA Fare-Free Service Expected to Continue Through Fiscal 2027
Tara Monastesse, the Berkshire Eagle
The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority is expected to continue offering fare-free bus service through fiscal year 2027, extending a program that has increased ridership and expanded access to transportation across Berkshire County. Supporters say fare-free transit helps reduce transportation barriers, lower emissions, and improve access to jobs, services, healthcare, and regional mobility for residents.
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