BEAT: Bringing Pollinators Home

08:00AM / Friday, April 12, 2024Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Join Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) for an enlightening evening dedicated to exploring ways to promote sustainable biodiversity through intentional gardening and the cultivation of native plants that support native pollinators and wildlife.

This free and open-to-the-public event will be held on Wednesday, April 17, from 6 PM to 8 PM, on the lower floor of the Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield's Public Library, 1 Wendell Ave.

Starting with a social gathering and a chance to review the available prizes that will be given away at the end of the night, the event will feature a recorded presentation by Doug Tallamy, an entomologist, ecologist, and author, where he discusses his book "Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens."

Following the viewing of Tallamy's talk, Jim McGrath, the Open Space and Natural Resource Program Manager of Pittsfield's Parks, will outline plans for native plantings in downtown Pittsfield.

Bruce Winn, a Berkshire Community College (BCC) Professor and BEAT board member, will discuss ongoing efforts to transform BCC into a "pollinator campus," while Terri Stiffler, also a BEAT board member, will lead a discussion on "No Mow May." The evening will conclude with a giveaway of prizes, which include gift certificates from local businesses.

RSVP for this event through Eventbrite; register here: www.tinyurl.com/Native-Plants-Pollinators

This event is sponsored and organized by Berkshire Environmental Action Team, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Pittsfield. Learn more at www.thebeatnews.org.

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Pittsfield Schools Schedule Morningside, Budget Hearings This Week

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:23AM / Monday, April 06, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee will hold another public hearing for the potential closure of Morningside Community School.

On Thursday, April 9, at 6 p.m., community members will have the chance to give feedback in the Reid Middle School library. Last month, the Pittsfield Public Schools announced the possible closure of Morningside, which serves elementary grades, for the 2026-2027 school year and redistribution of its students to other city schools.

In the last couple of weeks, the district has solicited input from employees and community members through meetings at the school.

Morningside Community School was built in the mid-1970s with an open classroom concept. Morningside serves about 374 students and has a 7 percent accountability score, outperformed by 93 percent of the state.

For fiscal year 2027, the district has allocated about $5.2 million for the school. The committee has also requested a version of the proposed $87.2 million district budget with Morningside closed.

Pittsfield has another open concept school, Conte Community School, that is planned to consolidate with Crosby Elementary School, and possibly Stearns Elementary School, in a new building on the Crosby site by 2030. The status of the project's owner's project manager will be discussed on Tuesday, April 7, at 5 p.m. at Taconic High School during the School Building Needs Commission meeting.

That leaves the school officials wondering if Morningside students could have better educational outcomes if resources followed them to other nearby schools. Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips has stressed that a decision has not yet been made.

Considerations for the school’s closure include: The feasibility of the facility to provide a conducive teaching and learning environment with an open campus design, the funding allocation needed to ensure Morningside students can have equitable learning opportunities, and declining enrollment across Pittsfield elementary schools.