Buds, Twigs, and Bark: How to Identify Trees and Shrubs in Winter

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Join Chelsey Simmons of Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) for the February Berkshire Green Drinks virtual event to explore the buds, twigs, and bark of common trees seen in the New England landscape. 
 
It may be surprising, but winter is actually an excellent time to learn how to identify woody plant species. The absence of leaves allows for the opportunity to take a closer look at the characteristics that are often overlooked, like the subtle features of a twig, the arrangement of buds, and the overall form and structure of a tree. Chelsey will go over the steps to tree identification, break down twig morphology, and give helpful hints on remembering one species from another — all of which will aid in tree and shrub identification year-round.
 
The presentation will be live-streamed via Zoom at 6 PM on Wednesday, February 14. Registration is required to receive the meeting link. Register at: http://tinyurl.com/Feb2024-Berks-Green-Drinks
 
Chelsey Simmons is the programs director for Berkshire Environmental Action Team, a nonprofit based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. As part of her work for BEAT, she leads numerous naturalist walks throughout Berkshire County year-round. For the past few years, she's been working on an identification book of trees and shrubs found in western Massachusetts, meticulously drawing and painting each page by hand and sharing those pages with the public through BEAT's "Tree of the Month" series with the hope of getting people excited about trees and interested in the native species found in our region.
 
Berkshire Green Drinks (formerly Pittsfield Green Drinks) is an informal gathering that takes place once a month. A guest speaker talks for about 30 minutes beginning at 6 PM, and the presentation is followed by a discussion and Q&A. These nights are free and open to everyone with any environmental interest. 

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PHS Community Challenges FY27 Budget Cuts

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee received an early look Wednesday at the proposed fiscal year 2027 facility budgets, and the Pittsfield High community argued that $653,000 would be too much of a burden for the school to bear. 

On Wednesday, during a meeting that adjourned past 10 p.m., school officials saw a more detailed overview of the spending proposal for Pittsfield's 14 schools and administration building.  

They accepted the presentation, recognizing that this is just the beginning of the budget process, as the decision on whether to close Morningside Community School still looms. The FY27 budget calendar plans the School Committee's vote in mid-April.

Under this plan, Pittsfield High School, with a proposed FY27 budget of around $8.1 million, would see a reduction of seven teachers (plus one teacher of deportment) and an assistant principal of teaching and learning, and a guidance counselor repurposed across the district.  

The administration said that after "right-sizing" the classrooms, there were initially 14 teacher reductions proposed for PHS. 

"While I truly appreciate the intentionality that has gone into developing the equity-based budget model, I am incredibly concerned that the things that make our PHS community strong are the very things now at risk," PHS teacher Kristen Negrini said. "Because when our school is facing a reduction of $653,000, 16 percent of total reductions, that impact is not just a number on a spreadsheet. It is the experience of our students." 

She said cuts to the high school budget is more than half of the districtwide $1.1 million in proposed instructional cuts. 

Student representative Elizabeth Klepetar said the "Home Under the Dome" is a family and community.  There is reportedly anxiety in the student body about losing their favorite teacher or activities, and Klepetar believes the cuts would be "catastrophic," from what she has seen. 

"Keep us in mind. Use student and faculty voice. Come to PHS and see what our everyday life looks like. If you spend time at PHS, you would see our teamwork and adaptability to our already vulnerable school," she said. 

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