Presentation on Benthic Macroinvertebrates to be Held at Williams College

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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Hoosic River Watershed Association, Williams College Center for Environmental Studies, and the Zilkha Center for the Environment will host a presentation titled "Turning Stones: a Presentation on Benthic Macroinvertebrates" with aquatic ecologist Declan McCabe on Tuesday, April 29, from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM in Griffin Hall Room 3 at Williams College.

The program is free and open to the public, and families with children are welcome.

During the presentation, Declan McCabe will use a slide show and live aquatic macroinvertebrates to discuss several topics, including:

  • The properties of water that support life.
  • The differences in the characteristics and inhabitants of flowing and standing water ecosystems.
  • Adaptations of organisms that live on the water's surface.
  • Non-toxic methods for reducing mosquito populations near homes.
  • Low-cost ways to study macroinvertebrates locally.
  • Simple actions to protect watersheds and improve water quality.

Registration for this free program is required and can be completed by clicking the provided link.

Declan McCabe is an aquatic ecologist and a professor of biology at Saint Michael’s College. His book, Turning Stones: Discovering the Life of Water (2024, Down East Books), examines the biodiversity found in rivers. Mr. McCabe has experience communicating biological concepts to students and has also worked with high school audiences. His writings are featured in "Northern Woodlands" and "Connecticut Woodlands" magazines, as well as "The Outside Story" natural history series.

 

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Williamstown Moves Annual Town Meeting Back to Elementary School

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Town Meeting will be held at Williamstown Elementary School for the first time since 2019 after a unanimous vote by the Select Board last Monday night.
 
The board voted 4-0 to move the annual meeting back to the Church Street school after it was held at Mount Greylock Regional School the last four years.
 
Twice, in 2020 and 2021, the meeting was held outdoors at Williams College's Weston Field during the height of the pandemic.
 
Technically, the 2022 meeting was scheduled for WES, but by the time it was convened, everyone who attended knew that the first order of business would be a motion to adjourn to a couple of weeks later at Mount Greylock to take advantage of the larger gym.
 
That gym was home to the meeting the next three years.
 
Board members discussed whether to move the May meeting back to WES and closer to the center of the town's population made sense.
 
"It would be nice to get a younger generation participating," Shana Dixon said. "A two-minute walk down the street as opposed to an eight-minute drive to Mount Greylock makes a difference, a big difference."
 
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