Tree Identification Walk in Lower Bowker's Woods

04:13PM / Friday, August 11, 2023Print Story | Email Story

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) will lead a free tree identification walk on Sunday, Aug. 20, at 9:30 AM.

Participants will meet at the trailhead of Lower Bowker's Woods, a Laurel Hill Association property located near Stockbridge. The walk will last between 1.5 and 2 hours. Anybody is welcome to join, but the number of participants is limited.

Registration is required to join. Register at this link: https://tinyurl.com/August2023-BEAT-Tree-ID

Participants will learn key characteristics of common trees in western Massachusetts and get tips to help identify them by species. The 1-mile trail meanders along the Housatonic River and through a charming upland forest. The trail is typically considered an easy route, but it has uneven terrain in some areas with many roots; it also intersects railroad tracks. Some areas of the trail can be wet and muddy.

This walk is sponsored by Berkshire Environmental Action Team. BEAT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Pittsfield, MA. They work with the community to protect the environment for wildlife in support of the natural world that sustains us all.

Tags: BEAT,

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Monument Mountain Sophomore Wins Congressional App Challenge

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
12:12PM / Saturday, January 17, 2026

Congressman Neal takes questions from students during his visit.

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Monument Mountain Regional High School sophomore Jonah Sanabria is the winner of this year's Congressional App Challenge for the 1st Massachusetts District.

His Health Advocate application acts as just that in your pocket, Sanabria said, helping resolve one of the biggest problems in health care — miscommunication.

"Every day, patients of all ages go to the doctor feeling stressed, confused, scared and uncertain, meaning they often forget what they wanted to say, and they leave without fully understanding what was said or the plan ahead," he said.

"It's not because doctors don't care; it's because the system is set up in a way that makes relaxed communications really hard. Appointments are abbreviated. Patients aren't always sure what they can ask physicians, and nerves often make them forgetful."

The challenge was authorized by Congress in 2015 to promote interest in science, technology, engineering and math. Each representative may host an official computer science competition in their districts. More than 85,000 high school students in all 50 states have since participated, with more than 18,000 in 2025.

Jonah beat out nine other submissions in the 1st Mass. His app will be featured on the challenge page and displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. In addition, he will have the opportunity to visit Capitol Hill in the spring at a celebration called #HouseOfCode, where winning teams from across the country hear from lawmakers, interact with sponsors and partners at the STEM Expo, and demonstrate their apps.

Before a scheduled doctor's appointment, the program asks the user about their symptoms, health issues, and health goals and organizes and prioritizes questions to ask during the doctor visit.

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