On Thursday, June 7, at 10 a.m. Berkshire Bank will present a $35,000 check that will fund the first year of the Berkshire Bank BEST (Berkshire Environmental Schools Teams) Project to the Center for Ecological Technology (CETsm) and its public school partners, including Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA).
The grant check will be presented at the Lanesborough Elementary School on Summer Street. Sixth-grade students from Lanesborough will present highlights of environmental projects from the current school year.
The grant is the first of three annual grants that will fund “learning laboratories†where students throughout Berkshire County are actively engaged through their science and technology curriculum about local and global real-world environmental issues and solutions. The Berkshire Environmental Schools Teams (BEST) Project will begin in the 2007/2008 school year with Lanesborough Elementary School, as well as Conte Middle School in North Adams and Muddy Brook Elementary School in Great Barrington.
CET will work with a team of staff and teachers from each of the participating schools to modify and incorporate into their existing Science and Technology curriculum an environmental program tailored to their local needs and interests. Topics of study include waste management (recycling, composting and waste and toxics use reduction); energy (efficiency, renewable energy and climate change); and school habitat (biodiversity and water resources).
In each subsequent year, additional schools will have an opportunity to become environmental school partners and participate in the Berkshire Bank BEST Project.
For more information contact Nancy Nylen (nancyn@cetonline.org) or Cynthia Grippaldi (413.445.4556 ext. 25 or cynthiag@cetonline.org); or contact Peter J. Lafayette (413-447-1722 or plafayette@berkshirebank.com) from Berkshire Bank.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Companion Corner: Robert and Marmee at Berkshire Humane Society
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There is a bonded pair of felines looking for a new home where they can window watch.
iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.
Marmee and Robert are two domestic shorthair cats who are about 5 years old and have been at the shelter for a couple of months.
Feline/small animal adoption counselor Alyssa Petell introduced us to them.
"They were originally strays, and they were found together with their kittens that they had," she said. "We adopted out all of the kittens that they had, and they did end up with a respiratory infection, which we did have to isolate them for a couple months to let them recover from that respiratory infection. They have since recovered from that, and they're doing amazing now."
After recovering, they have shown to be very affectionate. While a little shy at first, they want to know who you are.
"Robert and Marmee are super affectionate. They love to be pet. They just want love all the time. Chin scratches and all," Petell said.
The two are bonded and would need to go home together. They love to play with string toys and lounge around together.
"Robert and Marmee are super super bonded, as I mentioned earlier. So they definitely need to go home together. They sleep together. They groom each other. They just absolutely love each other, and they are also super playful," she said. "They got lots of toys, and they both have just wonderful personalities."
The cats can go to a home with children and possibly other cats. They have not been tested with dogs but it may be OK with a cat-friendly dog.
"We don't know about how they would be around dogs because you know we don't have much history since they were strays," Petell said. "But with other cats, they should be fine. They're really good with each other, and they've been really tolerant of other cats in our shelter, so I think they would do great with other cats. Kids should be fine, and I guess we're just not really sure about dogs."
When bringing them into their new home, they will be very curious but will be an amazing addition to a family.
"They are really curious. They definitely are funny. They do like to get into things, so just be careful with what food you have out or items, because they just want to know what's going on and see if they can find a little snack sometimes." she said. "But they are just wonderful, super affectionate, super curious and amazing cats."
You can visit the two at the Berkshire Humane Society and read more about them on the website.
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