Berkshire Green Drinks: Tracking: Out-of-Sight, Out-of-Mind

Print Story | Email Story
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Daniel Hansche, the founder of Spur Wander and an evaluator with Tracker Certification North America, will speak at the October Berkshire Green Drinks event on Wednesday, Oct. 9. 
 
This free hybrid event will take place online via Zoom and in person at The Barn of the Williams Inn, 101 Spring Street, Pittsfield. The in-person social gathering will begin around 5:30 PM; the presentation and Zoom meeting will start at 6:00 PM. 
 
According to a press release:
 
Wildlife tracking has contributed significantly to our awareness of the species cohabitating in the Berkshires alongside our human population. Especially valuable to the conservation and management of the more nocturnal and crepuscular mammals, tracking allows us to identify or verify those species present on the landscape when they would otherwise be imperceptible. Behaviors and habits that would be virtually impossible to see become part of our everyday awareness. What information can we glean from our backyards or favorite conservation property that would otherwise remain out of sight and out of mind?
 
 
Daniel Hansche, founder of Spur Wander and an evaluator with Tracker Certification, brings a unique perspective to the practice of wildlife tracking. From over 25 years of experience in various forms, including education, field research, and certification, Daniel will offer insights, reflection, and inspiration. Whether your interest is of sheer curiosity or that of the hobbyist, naturalist, or professional, our exploration of tracking will be dynamic and engaging for all.
 
Berkshire Green Drinks (formerly Pittsfield Green Drinks) is an informal gathering on the second Wednesday of the month that is free and open to everyone with any environmental interest. A guest speaker talks about an environmentally related topic for approximately 30 minutes beginning at 6 PM; the presentation is followed by a discussion and Q&A. 
 
Berkshire Green Drinks is sponsored and organized by the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT). 
 

Tags: BEAT,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Menorah Lighting Begins 8 Days of Hanukkah, Thoughts of Gratitude

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff

Mia Wax gets some helping light as she works the controls. The full ceremony can be seen on iBerkshires' Facebook page
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — With a boost from her dad, Mia Wax on Wednesday turned on the first candle of the more than 12-foot tall menorah at the Williams Inn. 
 
Around 40 people attended the community lighting for the first night of Hanukkah, which fell this year on the same day as Christmas. They gathered in the snow around the glowing blue electric menorah even as the temperature hovered around 12 degrees.
 
"We had a small but dedicated group in North Adams, so this is unbelievable," said Rabbi Rachel Barenblat of Congregation Beth Israel in North Adams. "This is honestly unbelievable."
 
Barenblat had earlier observed the lighting of the city's menorah in City Hall, which the mayor opened briefly for the ceremony. 
 
In Williamstown, Rabbi Seth Wax, the Jewish chaplain at Williams College, with his daughter and her friend Rebecca Doret, spoke of the reasons for celebrating Hanukkah, sometimes referred to as the Festival of Lights. 
 
The two common ones, he said, are to mark the single unit of sacred olive oil that lasted eight days during the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem and the military victory over the invading Greeks.
 
"For the rabbis of antiquity, who created and shaped Judaism, these two events were considered to be miracles," said Wax. "They happened not because of what humans did on their own, but because of what something beyond them, what they called God, did on their behalf.
 
View Full Story

More Williamstown Stories