Winter Woodcraft Program during February School Break

11:37AM / Friday, February 06, 2026Print Story | Email Story

SOUTH EGREMONT, Mass. — Flying Cloud Institute will hold an all-new science and art exploration program during the February school break for children aged 7 to 13 years.

It runs February 16 - 19, 2026, Monday to Thursday, from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm (with early drop-off at 8:30 am), at the April Hill Education and Conservation Center in South Egremont. Participants will engage in science investigations, art projects, engineering challenges, and nature explorations.

The theme this year is "Winter Woodcraft." There are two meanings to the word "woodcraft:" to work with wood, and to know the forest and the skills you need to survive and explore it. The program will explore both meanings, with science activities that focus on trees and forests, skills sessions that teach how to stay warm in the winter wilderness, and art projects using wood and inspired by our relationship to the forest.

The February Break program will be located at April Hill Education and Conservation Center, which serves as the headquarters for Greenagers, as well as a resource for community gatherings and education. The nearly 100-acre property has nature trails, vegetable gardens, orchards, pastures and hayfields, and abuts the Appalachian Trail.

The cost is $270 for the four-day program and financial aid is available. To register, visit flyingcloudinstitute.org or call (413) 645-3058 with questions.

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Free Pet Food Drive-Thru in Becket

10:43AM / Friday, February 06, 2026

BECKET, Mass. — Berkshire Humane Society will give out bags of cat and dog food to pet owners in need during a drive-thru event this Saturday, Feb. 7 from 9:00 – 11:00 am, at the Becket Washington School Parking Lot, 12 Maple Street in Becket.

The drive-thru is in conjunction with the Becket Food Pantry.

Cat and dog owners can drive up to the distribution point and remain in their vehicle while someone takes their order and loads it into their vehicle. Cat owners will get a 6-pound bag of food and dog owners will get a 20-pound bag, no questions asked. The event is open to all, regardless of enrollment in Berkshire Humane Society's Pet Food Bank or participation in the Becket Food Pantry and is made possible by donations from Wendy and James Martin of the Martin Family Donor Advised Fund, the Eichenbaum/Archer Family Foundation and an anonymous private foundation.

"We gave out nearly 7,200 pounds of pet food in our holiday drive-thrus in Great Barrington, North Adams and Pittsfield," said John Perreault, Berkshire Humane Society's Executive Director. "People not only drove, but walked up to those events. I can't tell you how many of them told us how thankful they were for help feeding their cats or dogs," he said. "With the cold weather lately, we don't want people choosing between staying warm and feeding themselves or their cats their pets. With this event, we're hoping to reach more folks in the hilltowns. Thanks to our generous donors, we have more than 7,500 pounds of pet food to do just that! Thank you to the Becket Food Pantry for making the event possible."

Berkshire Humane Society's Food Pantry events are part of the nonprofit's efforts to keep families together and prevent people from feeling they must surrender their pet to the shelter. Other programs include the shelter's monthly Pet Food Bank, to which drive-thru recipients may enroll; low-cost spay and neuter and other veterinary services at the Society's Wellness Clinic; and dog obedience classes at Family Dog School.

Berkshire Humane Society also accepts donations to provide pet food for more families in need. Monetary donations are preferred because the shelter has agreements with pet food companies to buy nutritious food at a bulk rate, feeding more animals per donor dollar. For more information about the drive-thru event or making a donation, call 413-447-7878, extension 127.

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