Berkshire HorseWorks Equine-Assisted Reading Program for Children

03:09PM / Wednesday, April 30, 2025Print Story | Email Story

RICHMOND, Mass. — Berkshire HorseWorks, Inc. will launch a new program this spring called "Book Club at the Barn," offering an equine-assisted reading experience for children. The after-school program aims to enhance literacy, reading comprehension, and vocabulary through discussions and interactions with horses.

The program will be facilitated by Eagala-certified practitioners Hayley Sumner, an Equine Specialist, and Caitlin Scott, a Speech-Language Pathologist, at the Berkshire HorseWorks campus in Richmond.

Two series will be offered on Mondays from 4:00 PM to 5:15 PM:

Graphic Novel Series (Ages 7 and up):

May 5 – "Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth" by Judd Winick
May 19 – "The Moth Keeper" by Kay O’Neill
June 9 – "Picture Day" by Sarah Sax

Chapter Book Series (Ages 9 and up):

May 12 – "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
June 2 – "Pages and Co: The Book Wanderers" by Anna James
June 16 – "The BFG" by Roald Dahl

Participants are expected to read the assigned book before each session. Discussions will focus on themes such as friendship, bravery, self-esteem, and environmental care. Following the discussion, participants will engage in equine-assisted activities based on the Eagala model. The program is ground-based, and no prior horse experience or riding is required.

Individual sessions are priced at $70 per participant, and the full three-part series is $195. Sliding scales are available. The program has a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 20 participants.

Berkshire HorseWorks, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that offers equine-assisted psychotherapy, learning, and team-building programs. The "Book Club at the Barn" is a new educational initiative.

For more information, call 978-660-3442 or email bookclubatthebarn@gmail.com.

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Pittsfield ConCom OKs Stairs at Pontoosuc Lake

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:59AM / Friday, August 07, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Shoreline access stairs are coming to the south side of Pontoosuc Lake.

Last week, the Conservation Commission approved an amendment to the Order of Conditions for work at Pontoosuc Lake Park. There will be two stair sets on the south shoreline, and additional bank stabilization.

In 2025, the park's south side saw new stairs from the parking lot, a boardwalk, and other improvements. Later phases of the project will enhance the north side of the park for swimming, and remedy a concrete barrier wall that is partially underwater.

"Generally, what we're looking to do at Pontoosuc Lake Park is install some stair sets in two locations to help folks access from up above the bank, over the bank, and into the water," Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained during the July 23 meeting.

"We're sensitive to some of the issues that are currently existing on the bank, and we're also sensitive to some of the needs for lake recreation out there."

Stairs for water access will be placed on the shoreline at the beginning of the boardwalk, where it is highly eroded, and the second staircase will be at the extreme western end of the project area, which has around 100 feet of highly eroded bank.

Additional brush layering will also stabilize the bank.

An area near the boat ramp where live stakes were vandalized will see them replanted after the ConCom found some of the bank erosion was worse than believed on a site visit last year.

The city originally proposed not replanting the area where live stakes were removed.

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