CONSERVATION AND LAND TRUST PUBLIC EVENT VIDEOS

SHEFFIELD LAND TRUST PUBLIC EVENT VIDEOS

Our Changing New England Forests: A Talk by Tom Zellerstrom
An illustrated talk by forest-watcher and photographer Tom Zetterstrom. New England was once covered with trees. Little of that virgin forest remains—cleared by settlers for farming, sheep, and making charcoal for lime kilns. Chestnuts and elms succumbed to disease. Oaks and maples, pines and hemlocks now make up much of the forest around us. Tom's prizewinning photographs show the forest of 50 years ago and the forest now, when invasive plants and vines are challenging majestic trees.

More birds! More bees! More Butterlies! Fewer invasives! Taking care of our land in a changing climate
Taking care of our land in a changing climate (Enter Passcode: X1%ZHX1p)

The Secret Lives of Turtles, Frogs, Salamanders & Snakes
Tom Tyning gives an informative and illustrated (and often hilarious) talk about these amphibians and reptiles at the Sheffield Land Trust 2018 Winter Lecture. Tom is professor of Environmental Science at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield and author of “A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles” in the Stokes Nature Guide Series. He was a naturalist at Massachusetts Audubon for 24 years, traveling from Laughing Brook in Hampden to Pleasant Valley and Canoe Meadows in the Berkshires, eventually becoming a Master Naturalist for Audubon statewide. He also leads natural history tours to locales in Peru, Ecuador, and other South, Central, and North American hotspots.

Birds, Bats, Bees, Butterflies...and Bears?
Draw the creatures you want—and keep away the ones you don’t. A 3-part video presented by the Sheffield Land Trust.

Backyard Habitat (Part 1) A Garden for All
How to encourage biodiversity in the garden. Presented by Elisabeth Cary, Director of Education at Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, MA.

Backyard Habitat (Part 2) Being Good Neighbors with Birds
Being good neighbors with birds (and other wildlife) Backyard bird feeding and nest box stewardship can be a fun and beneficial pastime.We’ll learn about some of the best methods to attract birds (and other wildlife) to feeders and nest boxes and important ways to avoid problems. Presented by Dale Abrams. Dale is a life-long naturalist who has studied wildlife and ecosystems in California, the Rockies, and throughout New England. He has lived the Berkshires for the past 16 years, where he works as Naturalist/Education Coordinator for Mass Audubon’s Berkshire Sanctuaries.

Backyard Habitat (Part 3) Berkshire Bears
Understanding Berkshire Black Bears (and other wildlife) A focus on bear biology and behavior as well as ways to avoid conflicts, with a update on other wildlife species including Massachusetts bats. Presented by Andrew Madden. Western District Manager for the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife for the past 12 years, Andrew has degrees from UMass Amherst and the University of Maine. He worked in fisheries and wildlife biology in multiple locations around the U.S. before returning to Massachusetts 16 years ago.

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Arbor Day in Sheffield, MA at Shays Rebellion Monument
On April 30, 2016, a team of volunteers planted six trees at the newly-restored Shays Rebellion monument in Sheffield, Massachusetts. Sponsoring organizations: Sheffield Tree Project, Sheffield Land Trust, Appalachian Mountain Club, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Growing Food, Eating Fresh

How to Start a Garden
Vegetable Gardening: Plant Selection & Care (Powerpoint Slide Show)

Winter Lecture Program & Resources
The Sheffield Land Trusts 23rd Winter Lecture: Growing Food, Eating Fresh! How to start a garden to feed yourself and your neighbors. Tips for everyone, beginners and experts - A Virtual Panel Discussion

The program Welcome Susan Rothschild, president of the Sheffield Land Trust
Prepare the bed How to optimize your garden through site selection and preparation. Will Conklin from Greenagers
Plant selection and care What's best to plant in our area, and when is best to do it? Ron Kujawski, Berkshire Eagle columnist and Master Gardener
Harvest and share the bounty Grow too much for your family? Here are ways to share the bounty through local programs that address food insecurity. Mark Phillips from Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, Margaret Moulton from Berkshire Grown, Jay Weintraub and Mark Lefenfeld from Berkshire Bounty

More about the Speakers
Will Conklin is executive director of Greenagers, a local nonprofit whose mission is “Youth working to strengthen the environment and our community.” Greenagers, working with other community organizations, has pioneered a youth employment program in the greater Berkshires region as well as furthering youth volunteering, service learning, and climate-change education. Greenagers is the owner and steward of the 100-acre historic homestead April Hill Conservation and Education Center located on Route 41 in South Egremont. Will sits on the board of directors of the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area and the Berkshire County Farm Bureau.

Ron Kujawski spent his formative years working on the family onion farm in Florida, NY. From there he went on to earn his BS, MS, and PhD in Biological Sciences from the State University of New York at Albany. After five years of developing and directing the environmental studies program at Simon’s Rock of Bard College in Great Barrington, he moved on to the University of Massachusetts Extension Service as a specialist in landscape, nursery, and urban forestry. Now retired, he spends time as a horticultural consultant, author, writer, and lecturer—that is, when he is not tending to his vegetable garden. His weekly columns appear in the Berkshire Eagle during the growing season and year round in the Berkshire Edge. He and his daughter co-authored the book Week-byWeek Vegetable Gardener's Handbook.

Mark Phillips is program coordinator at Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, as well as a business advisor, writer, fermented foods educator, and jazz guitarist with a diverse array of experience in food, agriculture, and small business development. He is a member of the Climate Adaptation Fellowship’s Vegetable & Small Fruit Program, a peer-to-peer learning program aimed at improving farmer support for climate change adaptation in the Northeast region.

Margaret Moulton is the executive director of Berkshire Grown, a nonprofit located in Great Barrington whose motto is Keep Farmers Farming! Her organization works to support and promote local agriculture as a vital part of the Berkshire community, economy, and landscape. Berkshire Grown builds and strengthens connections between local farmers, food producers, restaurants, and community members by promoting public awareness of issues facing local agriculture, and helping to make fresh, local food accessible community-wide.

Jay Weintraub and Mark Lefenfeld founded and are co-presidents of Berkshire Bounty (previously Backyard Bounty of the Berkshires). Jay, a retired Wall Street financial analyst, instituted Alford-Assist, where town residents can post requests for help from neighbors, and was a founding member of the group that planned, installed and now oversees Alford's municipal-owned fiber-optic network. Mark, a retired investment banker, sat on the Great Barrington Finance Committee for many years and is also a past president of Hevreh of Southern Berkshire