Berkshire Botanical Garden 'Rooted In Place' Ecological Gardening Symposium

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Berkshire Botanical Garden's 12th annual Rooted In Place ecological gardening symposium will take place on Sunday, Nov. 1, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Berkshire Waldorf High School, 6 Main Street.

The theme for this year's symposium, "The Living Forest," focuses on the ecological, cultural and community connections that make forests essential to our lives, stated a press release. From carbon storage and climate resilience to tree health, forest management and the relationships between species, this symposium brings together ecologists, foresters, educators, and land stewards to explore what makes a forest a living, interconnected system and how we can become better stewards of it.

Keynote speaker Tom Wessels, terrestrial ecologist and professor emeritus at Antioch University New England, will close the symposium with an exploration of self-organization, coevolution and the forces that create stable and resilient ecosystems in his talk, "Coevolution: The Backbone of Ecosystem Resilience and Stability."

The day's presentations include Dr. Ali Kosiba and Dana Bishop's "Forest, Carbon and Climate Change," exploring how forests play a vital role in mitigating climate change by capturing and storing carbon, from trees to soil, including a case study on the use of trees in the context of climate change. Tom Worthley of UConn Extension will deliver a talk titled, "Still Standing: White Oak, a Living Symbol of Liberty and Legacy," exploring the past, present and future contributions of white oak as a species to the history, culture, economy, and environment of southern New England.

The day will also include a choice of three breakout sessions: "DCR Service Forestry," with Pete Grima and Colin Mettey; "Tree Health Care" with Ken Gooch; and "Forests for the Bees" with Aliza Fassler.

Rooted in Place is sponsored by Walter Cudnohufsky Associates, Landscape Architecture and Planning.

Units Available at Lee's New Eagle Mill Housing Development

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
01:57PM / Tuesday, October 27, 2026

It's took more than a decade to bring the Eagle Lofts to fruition in the former Eagle mill. 

LEE, Mass. — Hearthway wants community members to know there are three-bedroom units available at The Lofts at Eagle Mill with little to no waitlist. 

The apartments at 73 West Center St. recently came online in the historic building on the banks of the Housatonic River after more than a decade of work. The first tenants began moving in last week. 

Three-bedroom units are less than $2,000 per month for those who meet income requirements. 

"These units are $1,855 a month with hot water included. To qualify, applicants must be under the 60 percent AMI income limit by household size and be able to afford the rent," the affordable housing provider wrote in a communication on Monday. 

"Mobile vouchers are welcomed."

A ribbon was cut at the former paper mill over the summer for 56 one- to three-bedroom, mixed-income units in the heart of downtown. 

According to a chart provided by Hearthway, 60 percent area median income is $55,320 per year for a one person household, $63,240 a year for a two-person household, $71,160 a year for a three-person household, and $79,020 a year for a four-person household. 

Applications are available in English and Spanish. They can submitted via email to leasing@hearthway.org, drop off to the main office at 1 Fenn St in Pittsfield, fax to 413-403-2710, or USPS mail to P.O. Box 1180, Pittsfield, MA 01202-1180.