BEAT Staying Connected Initiative Coordinator Mikael Cejtin, left, and Executive Director Jane Winn show off their locally-made stewardship awards, presented by Patricia Cramer, director of the Wildlife Connectivity Institute.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Environmental Action Team received a stewardship award for its work protecting and re-connecting wildlife habitats in the Berkshire Wildlife Linkage area.
The award was presented June at the International Conference on Ecology and Transportation.
The local environmental organization's habitat effort is part of a larger Staying Connected Initiative: a partnership of many conservation organizations that work together to maintain landscape connectivity across the Northern Appalachians in the Acadian Region of the United States and Canada.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
BRPC, BDAO to Host Community Forum on Kratom
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Effective Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, Massachusetts has temporarily placed Kratom into Schedule I for one year while additional study and evaluation occur.
Under this temporary order, retailers may not display, sell, or distribute Kratom products, though they may store them out of sight. Local Boards of Health hold discretion on determining municipal enforcement.
To address these changes and discuss community impacts, the Berkshire District Attorney's Office, Berkshire Public Health Alliance, and Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative are hosting a community forum on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The event will take place in person at the Berkshire Innovation Center (45 Woodlawn Avenue, Pittsfield, MA) and virtually via Zoom.
The event begins with welcoming remarks from District Attorney Shugrue, followed by a presentation from Dr. Jennifer Michaels, Medical Director at The Brien Center, on Kratom fundamentals and local treatment and recovery resources. Attendees will also hear state and regional perspectives from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards, followed by a collaborative cross-sector discussion on prevention and recovery strategies.
To RSVP or to receive Zoom meeting information, please email Stacy Parsons at Stacy.Parsons@mass.gov.
For additional state background, regulatory documentation, and health guidance, visit mass.gov/info-details/kratom
For this month's Nonprofit Spotlight, iBerkshires sat down with Berkshire Place's Administrator Chanel Hayes, Administrative Services Director Julie Gavin, and Executive Director Edward Forfa to give us an insight into the organization.
click for more
Hoosac Valley High School has postponed this weekend’s football games following a reported alleged hazing incident involving a large number of football players, the athletic director announced Friday afternoon. click for more
Fueling excitement around the World Cup, U.S. Soccer worked with the Massachusetts Youth Soccer League to make these facilities available to 20 communities click for more
The shelter has six guinea pigs that are about a month old. They are each named after a rock: Slate, Lava, Igneous, Pumice, Granite, Limestone.
click for more
Rubinstein, who turns 80 in December, has been crisscrossing the country, doing the show for the past four years: "I can't wait to do it again and again and again," he said. "It's one of the great crowning pieces of luck of my career."
click for more
