Children and adults who are fascinated by wildlife will get a rare opportunity to see and hear about mammals living in the forests and streams near our homes. Susan Morse, a nationally recognized naturalist and wildlife expert, will be at Berkshire Community College’s Robert Boland Theater on Friday, October 26 from 7-9 PM.
The entertaining and educational evening will kick off with a slide show of Morse’s spectacular wildlife photos and an interactive talk on the biology and ecology of mammals in New England. Morse uses humor and personal anecdotes to impress on wildlife enthusiasts of all ages the importance of landscape-level planning to protect habitat and wildlife corridors. She has captured photos of mammals in the wild during her 30 years of tracking and exploring how wildlife uses habitat. Morse’s research has focused on cougar, bobcat, black bear, and Canada lynx.
The program is hosted by Berkshire Keeping Track and Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT).
Keeping Track® was founded by Susan Morse in 1994 to teach adults and children how to observe, interpret, record, and monitor evidence of wildlife in their local communities. Almost 100 teams have completed Morse’s “University of Nature†and many are currently monitoring and recording wildlife data in their home areas throughout the northeast and Quebec. These teams attract all kinds of people, Morse reports. “What we’re finding is, they all care passionately about wildlife habitat. And they’re putting their differences aside to go out together and learn these skills for the purposes of intelligent planning in their communities.â€
The first Berkshire Keeping Track group completed its training in May 2007 and the 16 graduates are currently working in three teams to identify key habitat areas they will monitor. This first group includes volunteers from 20 to 60+ years old who reside in 14 of our region’s towns. 18 more volunteers from the Berkshire region will start the next Keeping Track training in January 2008. Anyone interested in joining can get information at the slide show or online or by calling Joan Cousins at (413) 329-7382.
Sue Morse has been featured in: National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition†and in magazines such as Smithsonian, Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, the National Wildlife Federation’s Ranger Rick, Adirondack Life, Vermont Life, Orion, and Wild Earth. Her photography and life work are featured in The Woods Scientist, part of the Houghton Mifflin Company’s “Scientist in the Field†series.
Berkshire Community College is located at 1350 West Street in Pittsfield. Tickets may be purchased with cash at the door: Children $5, Adults $7, Families $20. For more information call Berkshire Keeping Track’s Coordinator, Joan Cousins, at (413) 329-7382 or visit www.thebeatnews.org/kt/kt.html and www.keepingtrack.org
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Taconic High Names Top Students of the Class of 2026
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Taconic High School Principal Matthew Bishop has announced the valedictorian and salutatorian of the class of 2026.
They will speak during the graduation ceremony on Friday, June 12, at 4 p.m at Tanglewood in Lenox.
Gavin O'Donnell, son of Kevin and Colleen O'Donnell of Pittsfield, has been named valedictorian with a grade average of 103. Hunter Bentz, son of Heidi Bentz of Pittsfield, has been named salutatorian with a grade average of 102.4.
Throughout his high school career, O'Donnell has exemplified the values of leadership, commitment, and excellence that define the Taconic community. He achieved high honors all four years and made significant contributions to both the school and the wider community. He was an active member of the Link Crew, Green and Gold, and Class Council, just to name a few of his activities.
A dedicated athlete, O'Donnell played soccer and baseball all four years and was named captain of the varsity soccer and baseball teams both junior and senior years. His commitment to service extended beyond athletics, as he volunteered with Unified Games and was a math tutor at Taconic. He has also been an active part of Pittsfield Soccer Club, where he has helped
referee youth soccer games and assisted in getting the fields ready for game days.
He has earned several awards, including being a member of the National Honor Society, the John and Abigail Adams Award, and being an AP Scholar and an AP Capstone Graduate.
O'Donnell plans to pursue a degree in finance at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., where he will continue to play baseball and hopes to excel as a student.
Cassidy Flynn scattered five hits in a complete-game effort in the circle as Lenox upset top-seeded Hoosac Valley, 3-2, in the quarter-finals of the Division 5 State Tournament. click for more
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Jason Codey struck out 13, walked two and allowed just an infield single as the Generals earned a 7-1 win over Wahconah to claim their third straight regional title. click for more
Gracelyn Wright struck out eight, and Genevieve Lagess went 3-for-5 with four runs batted in as the Hurricanes beat Monson, 17-3, to claim their first Western Mass title in four years. click for more
For the boys, Ward Bianchi helped lead the way with a win in the shot put and a second place in the javelin as the Mounties finished 16 points ahead of runner-up Pittsfield (pending the results of the pole vault, which were unavailable at 11 p.m. Friday night). click for more
