Flying Cloud Institute returns to in-person residencies in local public schools
GREAT BARRINGTON — Flying Cloud Institute (FCI) educators, artists, scientists, and engineers are once again bringing multi-week residencies into Berkshire County public schools, offering student-led projects and showcases of learning for the community. Educators recently completed a residency at Lee Elementary School, are currently teaching at South Egremont School, will be at WEB Du Bois Middle School in March, and are planning to come to the Pittsfield Public Schools next school year.
At the Lee Elementary School residency last month, FCI educators led 4th-grade students in making observations to show that energy can be transferred through sound, light, heat, and electrical currents. Students explored energy transfers by observing convection currents, designing their own vehicles, and creating LED circuits. Data collection stations led to hands-on investigations and a deeper understanding of how speed relates to energy.
The culminating event of the residency was a showcase for their peers, where the ideas from science came to life. The fourth grade scientists and engineers hosted grades K-6 in their lab and led hands-on design challenges and experiments.
FCI educators are currently bringing weekly hands-on science investigations, design challenges, and performance art to the kindergartners of the South Egremont School. Students are investigating the natural phenomena in their back yard to learn about the changing seasons and explore the mysteries of light, physics, material science, and biology. At the conclusion of the residency, students will collaborate with FCI artists to perform a play, inspired by their work, for teachers and caregivers.
The Du Bois residency will introduce 7th grade students to the magnitude of geologic time through physical modeling. Youth will create original stop-motion animation movies of geologic phenomena. The goal is to connect students to their environment through a new sense of geologic time and scale, using the fun and collaborative nature of claymation to model their planet’s ever-changing surface in a creative way. Students will display their videos with classmates and parents as an online Film Fest.
—A.K.
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Honorees chosen for 2022 Berkshire Nonprofit Awards
GREAT BARRINGTON – The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires, in partnership with The Berkshire Eagle, announces the seven honorees who will receive recognition at the 5th annual Berkshire Nonprofit Awards on Tuesday, May 24. The Berkshire Nonprofit Awards recognize the accomplishments and dedication of the people who work in the nonprofit sector.
A panel of 21 judges from the business and nonprofit sectors deliberated to choose one honoree in each category from among 86 nominations. The honorees are:
- Board Leadership: Marie G. Rudden, MD/Berkshire Community Diaper Project
- Executive Leadership: Ananda Timpane/Railroad Street Youth Project
- Lifetime Achievement: Gerard E. Burke/Hillcrest Educational Centers
- Rock Star: Katie Clarke/Community Access to the Arts (CATA)
- Samya Rose Stumo Youth Leadership: Jade Schnauber/Lever, Inc.
- Unsung Hero: Courtney Kimball/Construct Inc.
- Volunteer: Charles Bonenti/Berkshire Immigrant Center
On May 24, Representative William “Smitty” Pignatelli will co-host a 45-minute virtual event featuring a presentation to the honorees, a message of inspiration from Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, entertainment by Music in Common, and a drawing for a $3,000 cash prize for one nonprofit in attendance.
The event is free and open to the public. Register to attend the Berkshire Nonprofit Awards online at npcberkshires.org or call 413-441-9542.
—A.K.
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Internet safety presentation at Drury High School rescheduled for March 30
NORTH ADAMS — The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Massachusetts State Police, Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, and North Adams Public Schools are teaming up to provide parents, caregivers, and educators a presentation on how to best protect children from online exploitation.
The law enforcement agencies will present at Drury High School on Wednesday, March 30. The Berkshire Food Project is providing dinner starting at 5:45 p.m. and the presentations will follow. The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and Williams College will provide free child care to those who need it.
The topics will include internet safety, social media 101, digital footprints, online gaming, cyberbullying, sexting, sextortion, and protection against online predators. The speakers will be Chief of the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office’s Child Abuse Unit Stephanie Ilberg, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Grant, F.B.I. Child Exploitation Task Force Officer Danielle Rex, Massachusetts State Police Troopers Deshawn Brown and Andy Canata, and U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Specialist Lauryn Myers. U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins, DA Harrington and North Adams Public Schools Superintendent Barbara Malkas will provide opening remarks.
“Our children now spend an enormous amount of time online where they can be vulnerable to exploitation. This presentation gives parents and educators the tools to ensure that our youth are safe,” District Attorney Andrea Harrington said.
Those interested in attending should RSVP to Stephanie Puc at the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition: 413-663-7588 or spuc@nbccoalition.org by March 28. Please note if you would like child care.
—A.K.
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Mass Audubon announces April events in Berkshire County
BERKSHIRE COUNTY — Mass Audubon has announced its lineup of April events in Berkshire County, which includes workshops in Lenox, Sheffield, and Pittsfield. Pre-registration is required for all events.
Frogs, Salamanders, and Vernal Pools
Friday, April 8, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox
Members: $12, nonmembers: $14
Discover the delicate world of vernal pools and the creatures that visit them in the spring. Take a deep dive into amphibian and invertebrate life that inhabit the pools while discussing the important conservation pieces of protecting this resource. With goals of finding wood frogs and spotted salamanders, spend time around the vernal pools in the evening. Waterproof shoes and a flashlight are great items to bring for this program.
Birding Workshop: Spring Waterfowl
Saturday, April 9, 7:30–11:30 a.m.
Berkshire Lakes, various towns
Member fee: $22, nonmembers: $28
Enjoy the courting displays and sounds of ducks and geese as they make their way back to their breeding grounds in the north. Spring is an exciting time to witness some entertaining displays like that of the hooded merganser or the eerie but beautiful sounds of the wood duck as they settle in. Tour Berkshire lakes and ponds, beginning with Richmond Pond, in search of spring’s great diversity of waterfowl.
Spring Frog and Salamander Search for Families
Friday, April 15, 6:30–8 p.m.
Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox
Members: $12, nonmembers: $14
Search the woods and wetlands for fun and fascinating amphibians of the spring. Spotted salamanders and wood frogs spend their days under logs, stones, and other forest-floor objects, venturing out only on cool, moist evenings. Search Pleasant Valley for the sights and sounds of amphibians at night. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Dress for the weather with long pants, long sleeves, and boots. Flashlights and headlamps are suggested.
Birding at Canoe Meadows
Friday, April 22, 7–8:30 a.m.
Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, Pittsfield
Free
Canoe Meadows’ beautiful grounds are ideal for spotting migrant species, especially colorful wood-warblers, orioles, and thrushes. Explore wetlands, meadows, and woodlands, while seeing different bird species each week.
Birding at Canoe Meadows
Friday, April 29, 7–8:30 a.m.
Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, Pittsfield
Free
Canoe Meadows’ beautiful grounds are ideal for spotting migrant species, especially colorful wood-warblers, orioles, and thrushes. Explore wetlands, meadows, and woodlands, while seeing different bird species each week.
Spring Birding Series: Three classes
Audience: Adult. Members: $44, nonmembers: $59. Join Zach Adams from Mass Audubon for a three-part series on spring birding. Sign up for the whole series of three for a discounted price.
Session 1: Spring Waterfowl Workshop at Berkshire Lakes and Ponds
Saturday, April 9, 7:30–11:30 a.m.
Enjoy the courting displays and sounds of ducks and geese as they make their way back to their breeding grounds in the north. Spring is an exciting time to witness some entertaining displays, like that of the hooded merganser or the eerie but beautiful sounds of the wood duck as they settle in. Tour the Berkshire lakes and ponds, beginning with Richmond Pond, in search of spring’s great diversity of waterfowl.
Session 2: Spring Warblers by Sight and Sound at Lime Kiln Farm
Saturday, May 21, 7:30–10 a.m.
Sift though the challenging but rewarding migrating warblers as they refuel on their journey back to their breeding grounds. Lime Kiln Farm’s younger forest can lend great opportunities to watch warblers from closer treetops, and is also a great place to hear a huge variety of warblers and other spring birds. Binoculars and ears are the best equipment for this workshop.
Session 3: Birding by Ear at Pleasant Valley
Saturday, June 11, 8–10 a.m.
Spring birdsong is a symphony worth hearing, and an insight into the world of our feathered friends. Pleasant Valley is a great spot for learning bird song in the forest, fields, and wetlands. Dive into the world of birdsong, from woodpeckers to warblers. Bring binoculars if you’d like, but your ears are the only requirement.
—A.K.
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Berkshire Art Association seeks art for biennial show, ‘RE:FRESH’
PITTSFIELD — The Berkshire Art Association (BAA) seeks contemporary art for its biennial show, planned for October 7–November 26 at the Lichtenstein Center, 28 Renne Ave. in Pittsfield. The show will open Friday, Oct. 7 from 5–8 p.m., with a reception Saturday, Oct. 8 from 3–5 p.m. Artwork in all media is sought. Experimental media is encouraged.
Artists working in the Berkshires, New York, and New England are invited to submit, responding to the theme of “RE:FRESH.” All artwork must have been made within the past two years.
The theme speaks of the challenges, inspirations, and new possibilities presented to all of us over the past two years. Art is an ever-changing, ever-evolving expression that reflects and defines the time of its making. How have the past two years reformed, informed, refreshed or reinvigorated your studio practice?
Entries are being accepted online through April 24, 2022. Notification of acceptance will be sent by email no later than May 9.
Eligibility: The 2022 Juried Biennial Exhibition is open to all Berkshire, New England, and New York residents. Applicants must be 18 years or older, working in media including but not limited to painting, drawing, printmaking, fibers, metals, ceramics, sculpture, photography, audio, video, performance, and installation. Work must have been completed between 2020 and 2022, and relate to the theme. There is a $25 entry fee. Berkshire Art Association will retain a 20-percent commission on any work sold from the exhibition. The artist will receive 80 percent of the retail price.
Jurors for the exhibition are Kinney Freylinghuysen, artist and director of the Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio; Genevieve Gaignard, multi-disciplinary artist based in Los Angeles and Massachusetts; and Linda Johnson, curator at Hancock Shaker Village.
For more information, contact BAA President Mary Beth Eldridge at president@berkshireartassociation.org or info@berkshireartassociation.org.
—A.K.
