Science & Environment Organizations

Berkshire Environmental Action Team

Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) is a 501(c)3 non-profit whose mission is to work with you to protect the environment for wildlife in support of the natural systems that support us all. Anybody who knows us will tell you that we take the “Action” part of our name seriously. Please take some time to get to know us by reading our story. When you’re finished reading, please consider contacting us and lending a hand.

Berkshire Environmental Action Team
29 Highland Ave
Pittsfield, Massachusetts 01201
413-230-7321
[email protected]
thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam

 

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission is the official region-wide planning agency in Berkshire County providing comprehensive planning services to municipalities which include land use, transportation, community and economic development, housing, public health, and environmental planning. BRPC promotes regional collaboration among communities and works to increase coordination between all levels of government. Volunteers and interns welcome on various projects.

1 Fenn Street, Suite 201
Pittsfield, MA 01201
413-442-1521
www.berkshireplanning.org

Cricket Creek Farm

Cricket Creek Farm is a growing, productive, multi-facted organism.  We are a grass-based dairy farm.  We are one of the oldest dairy farms in the region, but infused with new life and energy.  Our primary activity is raising dairy cows for their good milk.  We are licensed to sell raw milk from the farm. The rest of our milk we make into artisanal cheese in our farmstead creamery.  We also have a bakery on site, which supplies fresh baked goods to our farm store.  We raise grass-fed beef and whey-fed pork.  We also have a small flock of laying hens.  We sell our goods through our farm store, our diversified year-round CSA, at local farmers markets, and through various regional cheese shops, food co-ops, restaurants, and other establishments.  We are an open farm – we welcome visitors and encourage questions.

Our mission is to produce nourishing food that honors our animals, respects the land, and feeds our community, and to exemplify a sustainable model for small-farm viability.

1255 Oblong Rd
Williamstown, MA 01267
413-458-5888
[email protected]
cricketcreekfarm.com

Friends of Pontoosuc Lake

The Friends of Pontoosuc Lake is a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting the interests of Pontoosuc Lake.  The goals are to ensure high water quality in the lake, maintain high environmental standards in the watershed, hold nuisance aquatic vegetation in check, and ensure that the lake can be enjoyed by the citizens for a variety of uses and that facilities are provided to support these uses.

www.lanesborough-ma.gov/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7BD7AB9D5F-94D5-4DFA-B311-DEF66F032218%7D

Lenox Environmental Committee

The Lenox Environmental Committee’s mission is to promote environmentally sound policies and practices in and about the Town of Lenox. The Committee will work with town departments and businesses to implement environmentally responsible approaches to the delivery of services. The Committee will increase the public’s awareness of ways to protect human health and the  environment through education and outreach. By fostering environmentally friendly practices, the LEC aims to enhance the quality of life for our residents, visitors, and future generations.

townoflenox.com/public_documents/lenoxma_bcomm/Environmental

6 Walker Street
Lenox, MA 01240
Phone: 413-637-5510

Massachusetts Climate Action Network

The Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN), a 501(c)3 non-profit, fights the climate crisis one town at a time, with the help of local MCAN chapters – and you! MCAN’s role as a facilitator of municipal-level action is unique among Massachusetts environmental groups. We empower our local chapters by enhancing communication, promoting town-level projects that improve communities, decreasing climate change-causing pollution, and reducing development time for those projects. MCAN speaks on behalf of all chapters to improve Massachusetts energy and climate policies and programs.

massclimateaction.org

Local Chapters:

Math Riddles

Many students find math dry in high school and junior high school. The purpose of the webpage is to help students and teachers see that math can be fun, interesting and applicable.

In addition to the riddles, there is a student/teacher corner where detailed explanations are given, not just of how to solve the problem, but how to try to attack it. In particular, often promising approaches that don’t pan out are discussed. The purpose is to help students and teachers learn how to approach new problems.

Additional Information & Current Opportunities:

learning-in-action.williams.edu/opportunities/math-riddles

The Sanctuary for Independent Media

The Sanctuary for Independent Media is a telecommunications production facility dedicated to community media arts, located in an historic former church at 3361 6th Avenue in north Troy, NY. The Sanctuary hosts screening, production and performance facilities, training in media production and a meeting space for artists, activists and independent media makers of all kinds.

NATURE Lab (North Troy Art, Technology and Urban Research in Ecology) promotes sustainability, and urban research in ecology using art, technology and science. NATURE Lab is a volunteer-led initiative of The Sanctuary for Independent Media. Our ecosystem in North Central Troy is one of the most environmentally devastated neighborhoods of New York State. One block from the Hudson River, our environmental education campus is adjacent to brownfield areas, combined sewer overflows, and seemingly endless litter. The long-gone prosperity of this neighborhood is evident in its architecture, with many historic buildings left vacant and decaying. NATURE Lab seeks to remediate the disrepair through education, resource access, and inspiration.

The Sanctuary for Independent Media
PO Box 35
Troy, NY 12181
518-272-2390
mediasanctuary.org
[email protected]

Williamstown COOL Committee

The purpose of the Williamstown COOL (CO2 Lowering) Committee is to promote sustainable living practices in Williamstown in a way that inspires community engagement, prompts individual action, and promotes exchange of ideas and practices in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The COOL Committee is a group of volunteers from Williamstown who work to implement the town’s Climate Action Plan. Anybody interested in working with the COOL Committee should feel free to contact a committee member.

coolwilliamstown.org