Are you a wood frog? More of a giant leopard moth? Maybe a blue heron? You can be any of the above and more because it's the perfect time to rock your favorite BEAT t-shirt! Whatever species you choose, this is a great season to represent the wildlife we're all working to protect. Visit our online store. | |
We hope you're feeling as energized as we are. For us, that energy is flowing from many places: neighbors planting native species, volunteers preparing for river cleanup season, the launch of new resources designed to help residents reduce energy costs and overcome barriers to home improvements, and so much more.
Thank you to everyone who came for this year's native plant giveaway; it was a great success! Native plants function like highly specialized (and very popular) restaurants. Many insects eat only a few specific species, including most of the insects that songbirds rely on to raise their young. Without those plants, these birds and insects simply can't survive.
In other short-notice news, today at 1 PM join us in a call for affordable energy and climate solutions that put people before utility profits. The group will meet at Allendale Plaza in Pittsfield and rally at Berkshire Gas headquarters. All are welcome! More information.
Later this month, volunteer for our annual river cleanup on the West Branch of the Housatonic River, helping remove trash from the river and its banks and continuing a tradition of hands-on stewardship that has made a visible difference over the years.
Environmental work often happens through ordinary acts: planting a native species, helping clean a river, showing up to a rally, or talking with neighbors about the issues affecting our communities. Those actions add up; thank you for being a part of the work with us.
Below you'll find program updates, upcoming events, environmental news, and ways to get involved.
Brittany, Chelsey, Jay, Melanie, and Rose
| | |
ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE
Rosemary Wessel was invited as a keynote speaker alongside Cathy Kristofferson (Pipeline Awareness Network for the Northeast) by ISO New England’s Consumer Liaison Group at its quarterly meeting.
Their presentation focused on the rapid growth of data center proposals across New England and the increasing use of “bring your own power” or “bring your own generation” models. Recently promoted by Governors Healey (MA), Lamont (CT), Mills (ME), and Ayotte (NH), these policies encourage data centers to build their own electric generation facilities on-site. Nationally, more than 75% of proposed data center power projects are fueled by natural gas, raising concerns about local air pollution and increased demand for gas pipeline expansion.
The meeting took place in Lowell, home to one of New England’s largest data centers. During a tour of the surrounding area, participants learned that the facility operates multiple backup diesel generators and that the Markley Group has purchased the nearby, currently decommissioned Tanner Street peaker power plant. The company has also been acquiring residential properties adjacent to the site, expanding its footprint in the neighborhood as demand for data center development continues to grow.
| | |
CLEAN ENERGY & COMMUNITY OUTREACH
BEAT has launched a new web resource about Energy Efficiency and Savings. These resources will help Berkshire County residents better understand available energy-efficiency programs, navigate the Mass Save process, and identify solutions when barriers prevent recommended upgrades from moving forward.
Many households qualify for energy-efficiency improvements but encounter problems that existing programs do not cover. Common examples include:
- Electrical repairs, including knob-and-tube wiring removal
- Moisture, mold, or leak remediation
- Structural repairs
- Vermiculite or asbestos removal
- Access issues that prevent contractors from completing work
Through community outreach, workshops, multilingual educational materials, and one-on-one support, BEAT helps residents connect with programs that can:
- Lower energy costs
- Improve home comfort
- Reduce energy use
- Create healthier living conditions
Stay posted for a forthcoming Mass Save toolkit and information about BEAT's Community Chest program, which is being developed to provide targeted assistance for repair-related obstacles that stand between a household and recommended energy-efficiency improvements.
| | |
Old Maid's Park Charette / 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 by Monday, June 15 and let us know if you need childcare or have any dietary restrictions.
Registration is Required
Forests Close to Home
Wednesday, June 24 @ 10:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Greylock Glen Outdoor Center, Adams, MA
A half-day conference focused on forest stewardship, climate resilience, wildlife habitat, and the future of woodlands in our region, featuring keynote speaker Ethan Tapper, as well as Paul Catanzaro, along with a variety of conversations and learning opportunities centered around forests and land stewardship.
Register & More Info
| |
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!
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
| | |
|
ISO-NE Consumer Liaison Group Talks Data Center Impacts
RTO Insider
Consumer and environmental activists, including BEAT's Rosemary Wessel, voice continued concern about how potential data center development could negatively affect the region’s decarbonization efforts and energy affordability. ISO New England Consumer Liaison Group is a forum for the exchange of information between ISO New England (the region’s power grid operator) and electricity consumers.
READ MORE
| |
Mass. removed more than a dozen dams last year. Hundreds more are considered hazardous
WBUR/The Open Source Investigations Lab, Northeastern University School of Journalism
Massachusetts removed more than a dozen dams last year and is considering many more as aging infrastructure, stronger storms, and increasing flood risks raise concerns across the state. With more than 3,000 dams in Massachusetts (~330 classified as high-hazard) advocates and state officials say removing obsolete dams can reduce flood risks, improve climate resilience, restore river habitat, and reconnect waterways for fish and wildlife.
READ MORE
| |
5 energy affordability policies to watch right now in Mass.
Miriam Wasser & Barbara Moran, WBUR
These major energy affordability proposals under consideration on Beacon Hill, include changes to Mass Save, support for new energy sources, utility regulation reforms, and measures aimed at lowering monthly energy bills for residents. The debate highlights growing tension between short-term affordability concerns and long-term climate and energy goals as lawmakers work toward a comprehensive energy package this year.
READ MORE
| |  | |
‘Ready to cave’: How liberal governors warmed to Trump’s pipelines
Benjamin Storrow, Scott Waldman, E&E News, Politico
Several Democratic governors in the Northeast, including leaders in New York, Connecticut, and Maine, have become more open to discussing natural gas pipeline projects as residents face some of the nation's highest electricity prices. The shift reflects growing tension between climate commitments and concerns about energy affordability, grid reliability, and the pace of renewable energy development, with projects such as the Constitution Pipeline again entering regional policy discussions.
READ MORE
| |
Children find signs of a healthy Hoosic River at North Adams River Fest
Izzy Bryars, The Berkshire Eagle
The Hoosic River is the centerpiece of the North Adams River Fest, a community festival featureing paddling, educational activities from local organizations, and discussions about the long-term work of improving water quality, habitat, and public access along the Hoosic River corridor.
READ MORE
| |
Massachusetts’s slow adoption of EV chargers through federal program is ‘mystifying’ to transit advocates
Jordan Wolman, CommonWealth Beacon
Nearly four years after receiving approximately $64 million through the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, Massachusetts has yet to open a single highway charging station funded through the initiative, despite selecting vendors in 2024 and setting statewide EV adoption goals. Transit advocates and transportation experts have questioned the delay, noting that expanded charging infrastructure is critical to reducing transportation emissions and supporting broader climate goals.
READ MORE
| |
Sandisfield land deal strengthens wildlife route for bears, moose and bobcats
The Berkshire Eagle
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation has acquired 384 acres of forestland in Sandisfield, expanding a protected corridor between Sandisfield and Tolland State Forests within the Berkshire Wildlife Linkage. The acquisition will help maintain habitat connectivity for species such as moose, black bears, and bobcats.
READ MORE
| | Our work wouldn't be possible without the help of our supporters. Thank you for empowering us to continue to fight for the protection of the environment in western Massachusetts and beyond! | | | | |
