Biodiversity
Gardening With Native Plants, Why and How: Providing habitat for pollinators, birds and other essential wildlife
Amy Meltzer's talk will focus on the current biodiversity crisis, the evolutionary history among native plants, insects, birds and fungi, and how these interdependent relationships among diverse species are necessary for their survival. She will show how growing native plants…
Carbon Countdown 2023
On Tuesday evening, May 16 at 7 pm, via Zoom, Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer will focus on an equitable and sustainable future: A Vision for Massachusetts. Her talk will be followed by four brief introductions to local community driven initiatives (see below) on…
Knowing Your Landscape: Wetlands Specialist Site Visit
Come learn on the land with Andre-Anne Chenaille, a wetlands specialist at Guntlow & Associates, Inc. We will explore local wetlands ecosystems while discussing the importance of wetlands to our local environment, when you would employ the services of a…
Wild Edibles Walkabout at The Clark
The Clark Art Institute 225 South St., Williamstown, MAJoin naturalist and wild edibles enthusiast Arianna Alexsandra Collins on a 1 hour walk to identify wild edibles and medicinals. Flora and fungi characteristics will be discussed for proper identification and meal and medicine preparation. Trailside nibbling will be encouraged.…
Wildlife in a Changing Climate: The Secret Lives of Wild Bees
OnlineYou’ve probably heard “Save The Bees!” but do you know which bees need saving? Over 4,000 species of bees inhabit North America, and most don’t live in hives or make honey. These wild bees come in every size, shape, and…
Stand Out for October Mountain State Forest
453 Washington Mountain Road 453 Washington Mountain Road, Washington, MA, United StatesPlease join in the Stand Out to protest the proposed DCR logging project within 447 acres of October Mountain Forest in Washington, MA. It will feature various speakers and a tour of previous logging sites. Come, bring signs, and show…
Pondering Ponds
Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center 475 Dyken Pond Rd., Cropseyville, NYEver wonder what lives in ponds? Join Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center to find out just what is lurking at the bottom of these essential bodies of water and why they are so important. Catch and release frogs, salamanders, insects,…
Wild Edibles Walkabout at The Clark
The Clark Art Institute 225 South St., Williamstown, MAJoin naturalist and wild edibles enthusiast Arianna Alexsandra Collins on a 1 hour walk to identify wild edibles and medicinals. Flora and fungi characteristics will be discussed for proper identification and meal and medicine preparation. Trailside nibbling will be encouraged.…
Summer Track & Sign Day
The summer season for wildlife tracking can take us to many different types of habitats, including along river banks, across sand plains and even along silt-covered roads of agricultural fields or puddle-laden dirt roads. These are places we will consider in our quest to…
Grassland Birds Talk
William Cullen Bryant Homestead 207 Bryant Rd, Cummington, MA, United StatesHere in New England, our hayfields, pastures, and meadows serve as vibrant breeding grounds for threatened grassland bird species such as the beautiful bobolink. Learn about these sensitive species and how to manage habitat for them with a talk by…
Seeds, Sprays, and So Much More: How Neonicotinoid Insecticides are Impacting Birds
OnlineIt's been 10 years since American Bird Conservancy (ABC) published its monumental report: The Impact of the Nation's Most Widely Used Insecticides on Birds which documented impacts from neonicotinoids (aka neonics) on our feathered friends. A decade later, and not…
Wild Edibles Walkabout at The Clark
The Clark Art Institute 225 South St., Williamstown, MAJoin naturalist and wild edibles enthusiast Arianna Alexsandra Collins on a 1 hour walk to identify wild edibles and medicinals. Flora and fungi characteristics will be discussed for proper identification and meal and medicine preparation. Trailside nibbling will be encouraged.…
Wild Edibles Walkabout at The Clark
The Clark Art Institute 225 South St., Williamstown, MAJoin naturalist and wild edibles enthusiast Arianna Alexsandra Collins on a 1 hour walk to identify wild edibles and medicinals. Flora and fungi characteristics will be discussed for proper identification and meal and medicine preparation. Trailside nibbling will be encouraged.…
2023 Berkshire Biodiversity Day (BioBlitz)
April Hill 62 Undermountain Rd., South EgremontUPDATE: BIOBLITZ IS HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND! Some people have asked what will happen with Biodiversity Day this weekend if it's raining. We still plan to go ahead with the programs and the surveying, regardless of the weather forecast. We're keeping a close eye…
Wild Bee Walk with Aliza Fassler at Berkshire Biodiversity Day
April Hill 62 Undermountain Rd., South EgremontJoin Aliza Fassler for a wild bee walk during the 14th Berkshire Biodiversity Day (aka Berkshire Bioblitz). Aliza will encourage participants to look for and observe bees doing their usual pollinating work and talk about who is found! This walk…
“What is a Spider and What is Not” with Joseph Warfel at Berkshire Biodiversity Day
April Hill 62 Undermountain Rd., South EgremontJoseph Warfel will present on spiders and other arachnids at the 14th Annual Berkshire Biodiversity Day (or Bioblitz). He'll give an overview of spiders and their relatives, including brief life histories of arachnids and their place in nature and the global…
Amphibian + Reptile Walk with Tom Tyning at Berkshire Biodiversity Day
April Hill 62 Undermountain Rd., South EgremontJoin Professor Tom Tyning, an expert on amphibians and reptiles and an authority on New England’s natural history, for a guided herp walk at the 14th Berkshire Biodiversity Day. As part of the biological surveys, Tom will lead folks through…
“Local Mushrooms and Their Roles in the Ecosystem” with John Wheeler at Berkshire Biodiversity Day
April Hill 62 Undermountain Rd., South EgremontJohn Wheeler will speak about local mushrooms and their role in the ecosystem at the 14th Annual Berkshire Biodiversity Day (or Bioblitz). He’ll go over the symbiotic relationship between plant roots and fungi (mycorrhizal fungi) and mushrooms that get their…
“Backyard Leafminers” with Charley Eiseman at Berkshire Biodiversity Day
April Hill 62 Undermountain Rd., South EgremontCharley Eiseman will speak about leafminers — insect larvae that spend at least part of their lives feeding between the thin, outer (epidermal) layers of leaves — at the 14th Annual Berkshire Biodiversity Day, or Bioblitz. In North America, leafminers…
Mist Netting + Bird Banding Demo with Berkshire Bird Observatory at Berkshire Biodiversity Day
April Hill 62 Undermountain Rd., South EgremontJoin Ben Nickley of Berkshire Bird Observatory (BBO) for an early morning mist-netting demo during the 14th Berkshire Biodiversity Day (aka Berkshire BioBlitz). This demonstration is an excellent opportunity for people to experience some of the biodiversity surveying methods used…