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No upcoming events scheduled at this time. Please check back soon.
PAST EVENTS Berkshire County Soil Evaluator Refresher Workshop (open flyer) This course is designed for professionals who are Certified Soil Evaluators. The focus of the course is interpreting the landscape (landforms), and describing, documenting, and interpreting soil conditions within deep observation holes located in areas with varied soil/geologic conditions. The lecture portion of the workshop will be a review and update of the different aspects of Soil Science that are needed by Soil Evaluators to accurately describe the soil/geologic features in a deep observation hole. During the field portion of the workshop participants will work in small groups and describe, document, and interpret soil conditions within 4 or 5 deep observation holes. Participants will document their finding using the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Form 11 - Soil Suitability Assessment for On-Site Sewage Disposal. A certified professional soil scientist will be available to provide individual or small group instruction. At the completion of the workshop, a soil scientist will discuss his interpretations of the deep holes and lead a question and answer session. Workshop Outline Date: Monday, Nov. 2, 2009 Review of Geology and Soil Science, time is limited and participants will be asked to select the topics for discussion:
Day 2 – Field Exercises Date: Tuesday Nov. 3, 2009
Course Materials: Each participant will receive handouts and a field guide. Field Conditions: The field exercises for this workshop are strenuous and require participants to traverse rough terrain, walk long distances, and enter and exit deep holes. Each participant needs to evaluate their own health and physical conditioning before registering for this workshop. Weather Conditions: Participants should come properly dressed for the field and wear appropriate clothing for the weather conditions. Field Equipment: Participants are to bring their own field equipment that is needed to describe and log a deep observation hole. Attendance: All participants are required to be present during the times stated for the workshop. Attendance will be taken at the start and close of each day. Limited Enrollment: To allow for small group instruction/discussion, enrolment for this workshop is limited to 30 participants. Certificate of Completion: A Certificate will be awarded to each participant who successfully completes the workshop specifying the completion of 10 Training Credit Hours. The New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, the approving authority, will be notified in writing.
Winter Tree Identification Hike
Wildlife Management Workshop For Private Landowners Savoy Mountain State Forest Managing for Early-Successional Forests Sponsored by the Berkshire Conservation District, NRCS and DCR Massachusetts private landowners are invited to attend a hands-on forest management workshop on September 27, 2008, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm at Savoy Mountain State Forest in Savoy, Massachusetts. "Managing for Early- Successional Forests" is co-sponsored by the Berkshire Conservation District, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). A panel of experts from DCR, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), Ruffed Grouse Society, USDA Rural Development and NRCS will discuss the importance of shrub land and young forest habitat for ruffed grouse, woodcock and other wildlife. The techniques and tools of habitat management including timber harvesting, mowing and funding sources for private landowners will be discussed. Wear comfortable shoes for walking and bring bug spray and raingear. This event will be held rain or shine. Meet at the parking lot on north side of Burnett Road in Savoy. For more information, contact The Berkshire Conservation District office in Pittsfield at 413-443- 1776 x102, or e-mail deborah.burke@ma.usda.gov. Plant succession is an ecological process in which one plant community replaces another over time. The early stages of plant succession – grasslands, shrublands, young forest – are typically called early-successional habitats. Early-successional habitats and the species that utilize them are gradually being lost to forest regrowth and development pressures. Planning efforts are underway across the state, including at the Savoy State Forest, to restore early successional habitat to the landscape. The workshop will be held on an 18-acre block of old abandoned field now reverting to forest, dominated by mature aspen. Future plans include removing most of the overstory to allow the shrubs and saplings to return and thus the wildlife species that depend on them. This 18-acre block will connect two other parcels of recently- managed young forest habitat. DIRECTIONS: From Route 116/Savoy Road, turn onto Center Road and go 2.9 miles. Turn left at Adams Road and go 0.2 miles. Turn right at New State Road and go 1.5 mile. Turn left at Burnett Road and go 0.4 mile. Look for the parking lot on the north side of road.
When was the last time you heard a ruffed grouse drumming in the early morning? Or the call of a whip-poor-will at sun down? Or saw an American woodcock perform its unique mating display? If you’re not experiencing these wildlife encounters, you are most likely lacking a habitat type very important to them- old fields, shrubs and thick sapling growth. Unfortunately, you are not alone. Massachusetts forests are estimated to be 1% seedling/young forest, 19% sapling/pole forest, 77% sawtimber and 3% older forest. Research conducted in New England indicates that in a primarily forested landscape, biodiversity would be greatest with a forest age class mix of approximately 10% young forest/seedling, 30% sapling/pole forest, 50% sawtimber and 10% older forest. Thus, biodiversity and the above species should benefit dramatically with the conversion of sawtimber into young forest or early successional habitat. The Berkshire Conservation District, in conjunction with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), held a hands-on-workshop, demonstrating “Managing wetlands, fields, and forest for wildlife and biodiversity” . The workshop was held at the Moran Wildlife Management Area on Rte 8a in Windsor, MA . It featured a fecon mower, a vegetation clearing machine that can efficiently mulch or “eat” standing trees up to four inches in diameter. Jill Liske-Clark, the Upland Program Coordinator for MassWildlife explained , from a wildlife perspective, why it was time to clear the field. A forester was also on hand to talk about different timber harvest prescriptions that generate early-successional habitat, and how you determine if a timber harvest is appropriate for your site. Kate Parsons, district conservationist with NRCS in Berkshire county talked about the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), that provides landowners cost-share to do these types of projects. The hands-on workshop for Berkshire County landowners interested in enhancing wildlife habitat on their property WAS held on Saturday, September 9, 2006 at the Eugene D. Moran Wildlife Management Area, Route 8A in Windsor. The workshop was a HUGE success! Over 25 people attended the 4hour session. Thank you to all who attended! For more information call Kate Parsons, District Conservationist, Berkshire County at 413-443-1776, x109.
Berkshire Wildlife Habitat Workshop a Huge Success WINDSOR, Mass. (Saturday, September 9, 2006) — Over 25 people attended the four hour “Managing wetlands, fields, and forest for wildlife and biodiversity” session held at the Moran Wildlife Management Area in Windsor. The workshop was sponsored by the District in conjunction with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife).
Jill Liske-Clark, the Upland Program Coordinator for MassWildlife explained, from a wildlife perspective, why it was time to clear the field. A forester was also on hand to talk about different timber harvest prescriptions that generate early-successional habitat, and how to determine if a timber harvest is appropriate for your site.
Founded in 1946, the Berkshire Conservation District is one of more than 3,000 Conservation Districts across the country. Authorized by state law and guided by an elected volunteer Board of Supervisors, Berkshire Conservation District is a not-for-profit agency dedicated to the conservation of natural resources in Berkshire County. The District works in cooperation with state, federal, and local agencies on matters of natural resource protection.
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The Berkshire Conservation District hosted a hands-on workshop for Berkshire County landowners interested in enhancing wildlife habitat on their property and the event was a huge success! 
The workshop featured a fecon mower, a vegetation clearing machine that can efficiently mulch or “eat” standing trees up to four inches in diameter. 
Kate Parsons, District Conservationist for NRCS in Berkshire county talked about the federal Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), which provides landowners technical and financial assistance for wildlife habitat restoration and enhancement projects.
