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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Pittsfield Pitchers Dominate in Little League Post-Season Opener

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires.com Sports
ADAMS, Mass. – The Pittsfield 12-year-old Little League All-Star pitchers started postseason play with a bang on Wednesday night.
 
Shayne Clairmont and Andrew Scalise combined on a no-hitter to lead Pittsfield to a 10-0, five-inning win over Adams-Cheshire in the opening game of the Don Gleason District 1 Tournament.
 
Mateo Herrera and Clairmont went 6-for-6 with a triple and a double between them at the top of the lineup for Pittsfield, which ended the game on Ryder Froio’s RBI groundout with nobody out in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Pittsfield scored at least two runs in four of the five innings, but the big story was the two Pittsfield pitchers, who combined to strike out seven and walk three.
 
Pittsfield coach Matt Mazzeo said the flow of the game dictated his approach to using the seven pitchers on his 13-player roster.
 
“We were going to start each one of our pitchers and only go 20 [pitches], just to see how it was going to go,” Mazzeo said. “And we ended up leaving Andrew [Scalise] in because he was pitching so well.”
 
The move from Clairmont to Scalise with one out in the third allowed Pittsfield to give the Adams-Cheshire hitters a different look as the designated home team switched from a right-hander to a southpaw.
 
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