BEAT Upcoming Vernal Pool Workshop

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) is hosting a hands-on, full-day workshop on vernal pools and the organisms that use them on Saturday, April 15, from 9 AM to 4 PM. 
 
It will be led by Professor Tom Tyning, an expert on amphibians and reptiles and an authority on New England's natural history. 
 
Vernal pools are unique wetland habitats that fill with water during variable periods throughout the year and become completely dry during other parts of the year, revealing shallow depressions in the earth. This periodic drying prevents fish from becoming established, yet these woodland pools support a staggering array of life and are essential habitats and resources for many species.
 
The workshop will take place at Berkshire Community College (BCC) in Pittsfield and a nearby state park. Participation is limited to 24 people, and it costs $75 (plus the Eventbrite registration fee) to participate. All proceeds go to BEAT. 
 
Each participant will receive "A Field Guide To the Animals of Vernal Pools" by Leo P. Kenney and Matthew R. Burne at the end of the workshop. Light snacks, coffee, tea, and lunch will also be provided. 
 
Visit this link to learn more and reserve a spot: https://vernal-pool-workshop.eventbrite.com

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Adams Man Convicted in Murder of Stephanie Olivieri

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — An Adams man was found guilty in the 2019 murder of 32-year-old Stephanie Olivieri, a Pittsfield native and mother of two.
 
A jury found Tyler Sumner, 30, guilty on Friday of murder in the first degree and possession of ammunition without a Firearm Identification Card.
 
The trial was held in Berkshire Superior Court. Judge Francis Flannery will schedule sentencing.
 
"Today justice was served in the tragic death of an innocent bystander, Stephanie Olivieri; however, this guilty verdict will do nothing to bring her back," said Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue. "Tyler Sumner murdered Ms. Olivieri while she sat in a car filled with gifts and decorations for her child's birthday. She was preparing to celebrate a wonderful event when her life was ruthlessly cut short."
 
Olivieri, who had been living in Yonkers, N.Y., was found sitting in her running car on Columbus Avenue when police responded to reports of masked men near South John Street and heard gunshots on the way.
 
The officers found Olivieri gasping for breath and blood running down the right side of her head. She was treated by emergency medical services and then transported to Berkshire Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead. The Chief Medical Examiner found the cause of her death to be a homicide caused by wounds sustained from a bullet to her head.
 
Multiple individuals testified that they believed Sumner was targeting an individual living in the area of the shooting and that Olivieri was not the intended target.
 
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