AMC Berkshire Chapter

Enter your best photos on/of the New England National Scenic Trail to our first ever photo contest on Facebook. The winner will have their image featured as our cover photo during the month of January, and will receive a signed copy of Barbara Bosworth's catalog and a NET coffee mug! Contest begins Sunday, December 1st and closes on Tuesday, December 31st. Photos should include a brief caption and may include people, vistas, wildlife and more – be creative! The photo at the end of the month with the most “likes” will be the winner.

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.

"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.

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.