Berkshire County — The Lenox-based organization OneWater Project, led by Director Leslie Gabriel, has organized a series of events in its “Bringing Water to Earth” series.
The series started on March 22 with a “World Water Cold Plunge Weekend Retreat” in West Stockbridge led by Michael Christoforo.
Also on March 22, Air Force veteran and Eisenhower Media Network Senior Fellow Christian Sorensen presented a lecture at Stockbridge Town Hall on the environmental consequences of war on water sustainability.
Over the next few weeks, the organization will present other events as part of the Bringing Water to Earth series:
- Water’s Sweet Side: A maple sugaring display at the Ioka Valley Farm, 3475 Hancock Rd., Hancock, on Saturday, March 29; Sunday, March 30; Saturday, April 5; and Sunday, April 6. Each day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The display will detail maple syrup production and the essential role water plays in it.
- Liquid Light: An interactive workshop on the metaphysical properties of water at The Burrow, 881 Dalton Ave., Pittsfield, on Saturday, March 29, from 2 to 4 p.m.
- “Laundry Love” at the North Street Co-op, 320 North St., Pittsfield, on Sunday, March 30, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. An event offering free laundry services to those in need.
- “Brick Splash: LEGO Water Adventure” on Sunday, March 30, from 1 to 4 p.m., at Bottomless Bricks, 163 South St, Pittsfield. A family-friendly, water-themed LEGO-building experience.
- A screening of the documentary “The Devil We Know” at the Dalton Free Library, 462 Main Street, Dalton, on Saturday, April 5, from 1 to 4 p.m. The documentary explores the hidden dangers of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) used in Teflon manufacturing.
- “Swim Like the Sea Invitational” swim event celebrating marine life and water at the Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center, 165 East St., Pittsfield, on Saturday, April 5, from 12 to 4 p.m.
- “Ride the Wave: surf, art, and pizza” at Betty’s Pizza Shack, 26 Housatonic St., Lenox, on Saturday, April 12, from 12 to 3 p.m.
- An eco-kitchen workshop at the Berkshire Food Co-op, 34 Bridge St., Great Barrington, on Saturday, April 19, from 12 to 4 p.m. A hands-on workshop that explores water-efficient cooking and sustainable food practices.
- Rooted in Water: A plant-cutting party at The Plant Connector, 46 West St., Pittsfield, on Saturday, April 19, from 12 to 2 p.m. The event will teach participants how to propagate plants in water.
- Earth Day costume dance party at Methuselah, 391 North St., Pittsfield, on Saturday, April 19, from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.
This series will culminate with the Pittsfield National Water Summit at the Zion Lutheran Church on Saturday, April 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will include community leaders, activists, and scientists to discuss various topics concerning water, including bioremediation, revitalizing urban waterways, and innovating outdated water systems.
Gabriel, who hosts the podcast “And So It Flows” which he started in 2005, told The Berkshire Edge that, in general, we tend to take water for granted. “Water is the source of all life, and we need to develop a relationship with it,” Gabriel said. “There are so many different levels of conversations we can have about water. For some, it’s a conversation about fishing; for others it can be about boating, or even pirates. There are so many different ways we can connect ourselves about water, and it’s much more than just what is coming out of the tap.”
Gabriel, who has been following water issues throughout Berkshire County including the ongoing Housatonic Water Works situation, said the aim for the series of events is to make people understand the relevance of water in our lives, along with the issues surrounding water. “I have hope that, instead of using our minds to build technology to vaporize each other, we can use it to clean water up,” Gabriel said. “There are so many benefits if we clean the water up: We could have a perpetual economy, we can help with people’s well-being, and we can create blue spaces that bring communities together, including waterfronts, riverfronts, and access to new economies.”
For more information about the series and the OneWater Project, visit the organization’s website.
