Join us online or in person for our May 2024 Berkshire Green Drinks event, featuring conservation biologist Linda Merry, who will update us on her ongoing cliff swallows research.

Some may remember Linda from the August 2022 Pittsfield Green Drinks, where she and Mara Silvers took us on their first conservation adventure: artificial nesting and habitat remediation. We’re excited to welcome Linda back for a second conservation adventure where she’ll discuss the natural history of the cliff swallow, the current conservation status, efforts to conserve populations, and her ongoing research: the investigation of correlation in the abundance of local insect prey and nesting density, as well as Ferren’s hypothesis (applied to the BCC main campus) which simply states that “the amount of available source mud is correlated to the potential nesting density of the colony.”

DATE: Wednesday, May 8

TIME: 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM → The in-person social gathering begins around 5:15 PM. 

LOCATION: The Barn of Williams Inn, 103 Spring St, Williamstown, MA  & Online via Zoom
» If the weather permits, the in-person gathering will take place outdoors. «

Registration is required to receive the Zoom link. Click here to register for online participation.

RSVP if you plan to join us for the in-person gathering (doing so helps the restaurant staff).

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Linda Merry is a conservation biologist and operational meteorologist who thoroughly enjoys photography and ornithology. Her work exists at that junction where the sciences and the arts collide. She is currently employed as an Assistant and Adjunct Instructor in the Environmental and Life Sciences Department at Berkshire Community College.

What is Berkshire Green Drinks? Berkshire Green Drinks (formerly Pittsfield Green Drinks) is an informal gathering on the second Wednesday of the month that is free and open to everyone with any environmental interest. A guest speaker talks about an environmentally-related topic for approximately 30 minutes beginning at 6 PM; the presentation is followed by a discussion and Q&A. The drinks aren’t green but the conversations are. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join and bring along questions!

What is Green Drinks? Green Drinks is an international forum where people who work in the environmental field and environmental enthusiasts meet for a drink and snacks at informal sessions. There will be a lively mix of people from non-profit organizations, academia, government, business, and the general public. Green Drinks is a great way of catching up with people you know and for making new contacts. These networking events are very simple and unstructured. Come along, and you’ll be made welcome.