AMC Berkshire Chapter

Wild Edibles Foraging Workshop

We are fortunate in the Appalachian Mountain Club chapters to be able to apply for funds for Special Projects like trail work and conservation-oriented events. We recently received funds for a conservation workshop like this, foraging for wild edibles in the heart of the Hilltowns.

Come join Berkshire AMC for our Berkshire Bash on Saturday, November 2nd from 6-9 PM. We’ll be at a new place, Willits-Hallowell Conference Center in Mt. Holyoke College (https://www.mtholyoke.edu/willits/directions_willits) . Set in the beautiful historic campus, this modern building has meeting rooms overlooking Stony Brook, providing a beautiful backdrop for our meeting, dinner and presentation by Sue Morse, wildlife educator from www.keepingtrack.org.

The cabin at Upper Goose Pond was closed for the season on Sunday, October 20th after a brief reopening following the government reopening. Hikers may still use the campsites or camp out on the covered porch, but the cabin itself is closed and locked until reopening in May of next year. Please do not cook on the porch, use the covered picnic table behind the cabin. Also as bears are still active please use the bear boxes and remember, carry in/carry out.

"In Your Backyard" is a novel way to introduce families to local adventures. Meeting on the last Sunday of the month, our hikes have included Noble View's Pitcher Brook Falls in Russell, MA, Sanderson Brook Falls in Chester, MA, and Mt. Greylock! Ages have ranged from toddlers to grandparents.

Each hike has a theme from conservation to climate change, and the length adjusts to the ability of the hikers, typically from 2-6 miles. Please Contact Heather Wyman @ SquareRoot123@Gmail.com for more information on participating or with suggestions.

From September through November 2013, the National Park Service, in cooperation with the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, will present TO BE AT THE FARTHER EDGE: Photographs along the New England Trail/Barbara Bosworth, an exhibition of 20 of Bosworth’s photographs the trail. The photographs will be on display at nine different sites―each with its own relationship to the trail―in a unique exhibition that viewers can experience at their own pace as they follow their own paths.

This summer, individuals from UMass, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Nature Conservancy are collaborating on the Outsmart Invasive Species Project in an effort to stop the spread of non-native plants and insects that jeopardize the health of our environment. The Outsmart team, partnering with the Nature Conservancy's Don't Move Firewood program, will be visiting a number of music festivals, farmers' markets, and other events throughout the summer to conduct in-person training in invasive species identification.

Berkshire Chapter leadership is eager to meet new and established members and have you meet each other. We've planned a meet-and-greet with the Sabine Prather, Chapter Chair and Pat Fletcher, Trails Committee Chair, at Agawam Public Library at 6:30 on Monday, July 29th. We can talk about what AMC and Berkshire Chapter does and see what you'd like to do in the club. We'll have coffee and snacks, and some information about the club and Chapter. Please come with questions, or just to meet and talk to folks! You're also welcome to come to Executive Committee and other committee meetings.

We are looking for maintainers (trail adopters) on the following AT sections:
• West Branch Rd to County Rd (2.5 miles) (October Mtn SF)
• Webster Rd to Tyringham Main Rd (1.9 miles) (Tyringham area)
• Home Rd to Housatonic River (2.0 miles) (Great Barrington/Sheffield area)

Maintainers visit their sections several times a year and are responsible for cutting brush that grows into the trail, clearing small downed trees, clearing out waterbars and maintaining blazes. Maintainers for these sections report to the AT Committee's Maintainer Coordinators. No prior trail maintaining experience is required, but prospective maintainers should be comfortable in the woods on their own, have the basic tools, (loppers, and small brush saw), and be available to check on their sections several times a year (typically April, June and August). The Coordinator will take the maintainer through the section the first time to point out any trouble spots and demonstrate basic techniques.

Contact Cosmo Catalano, the Mass AT Volunteer Coordinator at at@amcberkshire.org, or 413-822-0094 if you are interested in this opportunity, or have more questions. A full description of a maintainer's duties can be found here.

2014 AMC Adventure Travel Trips Announced

Think Spring and AMC-Adventure Travel! There are a wide variety of excursions – check out our listings and discover your wanderlust.

http://activities.outdoors.org/search/index.cfm?type=2&sortby=date

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AMC Trains Outdoor Leaders, Volunteer Naturalists, and Trail Volunteers

Conservation leaders from the Appalachian Mountain Club Berkshire Chapter and Westfield Transition Towns are presenting the Work of 1000 Civic Engagement Program at the Westfield Athenaeum on Wednesday, March 27th at 6:30 PM.

This program, a 30-minute film complemented by a personal discussion with the film’s central figure, citizen activist Marion Stoddart - provides a gripping profile of an ordinary citizen who realized her power to make a difference. The film, The Work of 1000, shares Marion’s exhilarating story of her work to clean up the Nashua River, once one of the most polluted rivers in America.

Our communities are facing real challenges. Economic uncertainty, global climate change, and other critical social issues are literally right at our doorstep. And now, more than ever, we need stories of hope, grit, empowerment and change. We need an inspirational model that engages people to make a difference in the world.