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Hi Team,
Thanks to all who attended this month's Green Drinks with John Pitroff from Second Chance Composting. John gave an enlightening look into the world of compost, covering the the tiny details of what happens in a compost pile, to the broad impacts that composting can have on our future. Don't worry if you missed it. The event recording is now available on BEAT's Youtube and embedded below. Share with a fellow compost lover!
In other important news, the next Housatonic River Cleanup CCC Meeting will be held Tonight, January 24 from 6:00PM - 8:00PM both in-person at Lee Middle & High School as well as online. This is an opportunity for to remain updated on the Housatonic River PCB remediation and make public comments.RSVP for in-person attendance by filling out this online form. Those who wish to attend online must register in advance to receive the meeting link. Click here to register for online participation.
That's it for now. Thank you for all you do to protect the environment!
Jane, Rose, Chelsey, John, Lucas, Andrew, and Brittany
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 | "The Williamstown Farmers Market will have its first winter farmers market on Saturday, January 20 from 9:00am-12:00pm in the Community Hall of First Congregational Church. Thereafter, the market will be held the third Saturday of each month through April 20. Fifteen plus farmer and artisan vendors will offer everything from meats and cheeses, to seafood, fiber arts, bakery items, honey, pottery, woodworking and more. A winter market has been an aspiration for the WFM Board for some time, and now that aspiration has become a reality. 'We're incredibly excited to be able to facilitate these four gatherings this winter -- to support our local farmers, food producers and artisans, as well as to build community together during the winter.' Said Mike Evans, President of the Board. Market manager Jeannie Alexander believes the expansion of the Market to include a winter market is 'essential to providing our neighbors continued access to healthy delicious food from our local farmers year round,' and reminds us that 'our farmers are the foundation of our community, they are our friends, and our neighbors, and we are stronger as a community when we have a direct connection to our food as a living holistic process of people, land, and animals.' Community members and visitors to the Market will additionally be delighted to find the SNAP matching dollars program will be available at the winter market, wherein SNAP recipients will receive a dollar-for-dollar match from the market up to $30. 'Food insecurity is a real problem for our community, and one that Williamstown Farmers Market is committed to addressing through SNAP matching funds, and in new creative ways going forward,' said Alexander." READ MORE |  | |
The Outside Story | Northern Woodlands
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"My yard is full of eastern white pine trees, and every three years or so, it is full of pine cones. This is one of those years. Pine cones have fallen all over the yard, the sidewalk, the driveway. The neighborhood wildlife seem pleased by this bounty. A resident gray squirrel has made a fallen log in my yard its snack site. Pine cone fragments are neatly arranged in a circle around the squirrel’s perch. Synchronized conifer masting cycles – or the yearly variation in the number of cones produced – vary by species. For eastern white pines, cone “mast years” – when the trees produce a large number of cones – occur every few years. Mast years benefit the trees through a phenomenon ecologists call predator swamping. When multiple trees produce masses of seeds all at once, there are more seeds than predators can eat, and some of these seeds therefore have a chance at germinating. Non-mast years give trees time to recover their energetic reserves, and also to starve out seed predators. By the time the next mast year arrives, the predator population – having diminished with less available food – will be relatively sparse.
A white pine tree produces both male and female cones. The cones we find on the ground are female. Male cones look like miniature versions of the female cones and release yellow pollen during spring. You’ve likely noticed this pollen coating your driveway – and, perhaps, causing sneezing fits. Conifers are wind-pollinated, so the powder-like pollen grains reach female cones on the breeze. Pollen grains that land inside the developing female cone fertilize an embryo there, and that embryo becomes a seed." READ MORE
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Oliver Milman | The Guardian
| "If the US is to rid itself of fossil fuels then one of its primary replacements, solar energy, is going to need land. A lot of land. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which oversees more of the public realm than any other federal government agency, has outlined exactly how much of western America should be made available for solar panels and their associated cables and transformers – 22m acres. That is roughly the size of Maine, or an area larger than Scotland. This total, part of a new administration plan to accelerate solar energy in the US west, will give the US 'maximum flexibility' to meet climate goals, the BLM said. A smaller area of this available land, around 700,000 acres, will definitely need to be dotted with solar panels to meet a goal set by Joe Biden to have a 100% clean electricity grid by 2035. This is still a big leap from the status quo, where only around 34,000 acres of bureau land is used for solar." READ MORE | |  |
 | "The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced the award of $982,360 in grants to ecological restoration projects throughout Massachusetts by the Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Division of Ecological Restoration (DER). These projects, supported through three DER programs, will strengthen community resilience to climate change, improve climate-ready infrastructure and public safety, and restore crucial habitat and water quality, among other benefits. DER awarded $327,361 in funds through its Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance (CRMA) Grant Program to eight municipalities, $555,000 in grant funds to five Priority Restoration Projects, and $100,000 to support three Restoration Partnerships through DER’s Regional Restoration Partnerships Program. These projects and partnerships will help Massachusetts prepare for the impacts of climate change, address public safety concerns, improve habitat and water quality, and restore important ecosystems throughout the state. 'Ecological restoration offers transformational benefits for both climate resilience and biodiversity. These priority actions will reduce flooding, improve water quality, and reconnect and restore critical habitats for fish and wildlife,' said DFG Commissioner Tom O’Shea. “As climate change brings increasing challenges, these projects and partnerships will support Massachusetts’ ResilientMass planning efforts to ensure the Commonwealth is prepared to withstand, adapt to, and rapidly recover from extreme weather events.' 'We are proud to support these powerful and diverse restoration projects through technical assistance, technical services, and funding,' said DER Director Beth Lambert. 'Working together with many dedicated and knowledgeable partners, we will continue to drive restoration efforts forward and see the innumerable benefits of this work now and into the future.' READ MORE |  | |
Jewish Climate Action Network
| "The holiday of Tu BiShvat, the Jewish new year for trees, has become a focus for environmentalism. In the Jewish calendar, the holiday occurs on the 15th day of the month of Shvat. It's a lunisolar calendar, meaning months are based on the lunar cycle, while the year is based on the sun. The date in the secular calendar will vary, this year it's January 24-5. Tu BiShvat is the day when each tree is considered to age. This is important because during a tree's first 3 years, you cannot eat its fruit, but after the 4th year you may. Traditionally, Tu BiShvat is a minor Jewish observance. Similar to Passover, it has it's own seder meal, during which one appreciates the diversity of fruits and nuts. In recent decades, it has become a holiday generally reminding of the duty to care for the earth. Today's environmental awareness means radically decreasing carbon. With just three steps, many households can do their part in the climate emergency: install heatpumps before the heating system needs overhauling; make it an electric vehicle at the next purchase; put up profitable solar panels wherever there's an available roof. And of course, cherish and plant those decarbonizing marvels: trees." FROM JEWISH CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK |  | "Mary Lou Nicholson reached out with a grabber tool and picked up yet another plastic water bottle littering the beach at Fort Phoenix State Reservation in Fairhaven. Nicholson organized her first beach cleanup in 2011 and founded a nonprofit called Be the Solution to Pollution. She estimated she has done nearly 140 cleanup events, collecting a cumulative 27,000 pounds of trash. A lot of that is plastic water bottles, she says, and the tiny alcohol bottles called 'nips.' 'It’s mostly non-carbonated beverages,' she said. 'And it drives me crazy because we wouldn’t see so many of these if we just update the bottle bill and cover these things.' The 'bottle bill,' the informal name for the law behind Massachusetts’ deposit system, was enacted in 1983 and applies only to containers of carbonated drinks. Consumers pay a 5-cent deposit for each bottle or can, and — if they return the used container — they get that money back at their local store or redemption center." READ MORE | |
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR
We list events from a variety of local and regional organizations and individuals.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24
EPA Housatonic River Cleanup: CCC Meeting — Lee Middle & High School, & Online
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25
Qi Gong/Tai Chi — Mount Greylock State Reservation
If These Artworks Could Talk! (Mass Audubon) — Online
FRIDAY, JANUARY 26
Volunteer with BEAT: Invasive Hardy Kiwi Plant Removal — Pittsfield
Winter Tree Identification Hike — Mount Greylock State Reservation
Nice and Easy Walk at Great Falls Discovery Center — Turner
SATURDAY, JANUARY 27
Family Winter Exploration Walk (Williamstown Rural Lands) — Williamstown
Guided Bird Walks on the Riverfront Trail with Ben Nickley — Great Barrington
Winter Wildlife Tracking — Mount Greylock State Reservation
Mindfulness Forest Walk — Mount Greylock state Reservation
Family Friendly Outdoor Activities — Mount Greylock Reservation
Going Against the Flow: The History of Montague's Navigational Canal — Turners Falls
SUNDAY, JANUARY 28
Winter Ecology & Wildlife Hike/Snowshoe with Aimee Gelinas —Windsor
"Burned" Film Screening and Roundtable Talk — Cummington
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31
New Hope for Ash: Breeding EAB-Resistant Trees — Online
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2
Volunteer with BEAT: Invasive Hardy Kiwi Plant Removal — Pittsfield
Nice & Easy Trail Hike at Mount Greylock State Reservation
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3
Winter Botany Workshop — Williamstown
Guided Bird Walks on the Riverfront Trail with Ben Nickley (BBO & GBLC) — Great Barrington
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4
Caminata hacia el Estanque de la Cuenca — Lee
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7
Senior Snowshoes — Ashfield
Dam Busters 101: Assessing Local Impacts Both Historic and Indigenous — Online
See Calendar for More
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JOBS
We list jobs related to the environment from a variety of organizations.
Berkshire County Postings
Hopkins Memorial Forest Manager | Williams College | Williamstown
Assistant Director | Williamstown Rural Lands | Williamstown
Wild and Scenic River Program Coordinator/Conservation Manager | Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) | Stockbridge
Berkshire Watershed Director | Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) | Stockbridge
Conservation Commission Agent | Town of Lenox | Lenox
Postings with Deadline
Seasonal Ecological Education Intern | Linda Loring Nature Foundation | Nantucket, MA | deadline 1/24/24
Seasonal Conservation Research and Stewardship Intern | Linda Loring Nature Foundation | Nantucket, MA | deadline 1/24/24
Assistant General Counsel | League of Conservation Voters | Flexible Location, Remote | deadline 1/25/24
Design Specialist | Public Interest GRFX | Boston | deadline 1/26/24
Environmental Engineer IV – Wastewater | MassDEP | Springfield | deadline 1/28/24
Regional Planner III – Municipal Waste Reduction | MassDEP | Boston | deadline 1/30/24
Environmental Analyst III – Bureau of Air and Waste | MassDEP | Boston | deadline 1/30/24
TTAP Member – Landscape Stewardship Corps – Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site | American Conservation Experience | Cambridge, MA | deadline 1/30/24
Landscape Crew Member | New Leaf Eco Landscapes LLC | Hudson, NY | deadline 2/1/24
Horticulturalist (Various Positions) | Landscape Collaborative of New England | Belmont, MA | deadline 2/2/24
Wilderness Fellow (Green Mountain National Forest) | Society for Wilderness Stewardship | Mount Tabor, VT | deadline 2/2/24
Policy Analyst | Frontier Group | Boston | deadline 2/2/24
Seasonal Ecology Internship (3) | Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission | Edgartown, MA | deadline 2/5/24
2024 Atkinson & Lovejoy Plant conservation Internships | Native Plant Trust | Wayland, MA | deadline 2/9/24
2024 Everett Plant Conservation Internship | Native Plant Trust | Wayland, MA | deadline 2/9/24
Campaign Jobs to Protect the Environment | Fund for the Public Interest | Boston, MA | deadline 2/9/24
Marine Biologist (ASM) | A.I.S. Inc. | Gloucester, MA | deadline 2/12/24
Regional Planner IV – Bureau of Air and Waste | MassDEP | Boston | deadline 2/13/24
Program Manager – Drinking Water Source Protection Program | NEIWPCC | Albany, NY | deadline 2/14/24
Wastewater Infrastructure Project Manager or Environmental Engineer | NEIWPCC | Kingston, NY | deadline 2/14/24
Applied Ecology Apprentice | Norcross Wildlife Foundation | Wales, MA | deadline 2/16/24
Seasonal Trails Coordinator I | VT Dept of Forests Parks and Recreation | Springfield, VT | deadline 2/16/24
Canvass Field Manager | Fund for the Public Interest | Boston | deadline 2/16/24
Seasonal Botany/Ecology Field Assistant | Nantucket Conservation Foundation | Nantucket, MA | deadline 2/16/24
Land Stewardship: Internship for the Future of the Adirondacks | Adirondack Land Trust | Keene, NY | deadline 2/18/24
Applied Ecology Internship | Norcross Wildlife Foundation | Wales, MA | deadline 2/20/24
Contracted Student Interns – Bureau of Air and Waste | MassDEP | Springfield | deadline 2/20/24
Pond Monitoring Technician | Association to Preserve Cape Cod | Dennis, MA | deadline 2/23/24
Grant Proposal Coordinator | Conservation Legacy | Remote | deadline 2/23/24
Seasonal Wildlife Field Assistant | Nantucket Conservation Foundation | Nantucket, MA | deadline 2/23/24
Coatue Ranger/Shorebird Monitor | Nantucket Conservation Foundation | Nantucket, MA | deadline 2/23/24
Seasonal Research Technician | The White Memorial Conservation Center, Inc. | Litchfield, CT | deadline 2/23/24
Refuge Operation Technician (Resource Management and Visitor Services) | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Branford, CT | 2/23/24
Recent Postings
Forestry Technician – Invasive Plant Control | Bay State Forestry Service | Montague, MA
Assistant Forester | Bay State Forestry Service | Montague, MA
Engineering Aide I | Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection | Worcester, MA
Environmental Analyst IV (1) | Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection | Woburn, MA
Program Coordinator III | Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection | Woburn, MA
Environmental Analyst IV (2) | Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection | Woburn, Ma
Outdoor Educator | YMCA Camp Burgess and Hayward | Sandwich, MA
Membership and Outreach Coordinator | E. N. Huyck Preserve, Inc. | Rensselaerville, NY
Executive Director | Sharon Land Trust | Sharon, CT
Program Coordinator | Earthwatch Institute | Remote/Newton, MA
Biological Support Member (Terns) – Monomy National Wildlife Refuge | American Conservation Experience | Chatham, MA
Ecological Restoration Grants Manager | Division of Ecological Restoration | Boston
Senior Conservation Technical Specialist | American Farmland Trust | MA remote
Lead Biological Support Member (Plovers) – Monomy National Wildlife Refuge | American Conservation Experience | Chatham, MA
Outreach Manager for Climate-Smart Forestry | New England Forestry Foundation | Littleton, MA
Communications and Engagement Manager | Housatonic Valley Association, Inc. | Cornwall Bridge, CT
Seasonal Project Assistant Position – Mammal/Tick Project | Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies | Millbrook, NY
Seasonal Trail Crew | Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission | Edgartown, MA
Click Here for More Jobs
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Environmental Monitor
January 10, 2023
The Environmental Monitor provides information on projects under review by the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office, recent MEPA decisions of the Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs, and public notices from environmental agencies.
Berkshire Index:
• Hancock, Lanesborough, Hinsdale, Cheshire, Dalton – WT-02 Transmission Right-of-Way Reliability Project – Draft Environmental Impact Report Certificate DEIR adequately and properly complies with MEPA – filed 12/15/2023
• Florida, North Adams, Monroe, Adams – E131 Asset Condition Refurbishment (ACR) Project – Draft Environmental Impact Report Certificate DEIR adequately and properly complies with MEPA – filed 12/15/2023
CT River Valley Index:
• East Longmeadow – Arment Trucking Inc. Facility – Secretary’s Certificate ENF – Project requires an Environmental Impact Report - published 1/10/2024
• Ludlow – Notice of Intent to Initiate an Aquatic Plant Management Program -(click on the link, then at the top, click on attachments) – The proposed project is seeking approval to implement an Aquatic Plant Management Program at Alden Pond in Ludlow, MA. The focus of this management will be on reducing and controlling nuisance and invasive aquatic vegetation using USEPA/MA registered aquatic herbicides & algaecides in combination with manual removal. This project aims to protect the interests of the Wetlands Protection Act by slowing eutrophication and improving habitat value. – published 1/10/2024
Statewide Index:
• Notice of Public Hearing re: Vegetation Management Plan – ( click on line, then click on attachments) – Several listed municipalities are advised that National Grid proposes to utilize herbicides to treat their Rights-of-Way. To provide all interested parties an opportunity to comment on the proposed VMP, a public ZOOM hearing will be held at 10:00 AM on January 22, 2024. – Comments due 1/22/24
• Notice of Submission of a Yearly Operational Plan – ( click on line, then click on attachments) – National Grid has submitted and holds a current VMP (see previous index listing), therefore, notice of receipt of a YOP and procedures for public review is hereby given as required by Section 11.06 (3). National Grid has submitted a YOP to MDAR for 2024 identifying several municipalities as locations where they intend to use herbicides to treat their electric Rights-of-Way in 2024. In 2024 National Grid will conduct a selective herbicide treatment program on their rights-of-way as part of an Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) program on transmission and distribution lines. – Comments due 1/22/24
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Public Notices
Public Notices listed on BEAT's website are from a variety of sources, from town conservation commissions and select boards to state and federal agencies. These listings are for Berkshire, Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin counties. Listings are only posted if they are environmental in nature. You can find all public notices for Massachusetts here.
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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! | | | | |
