EVENTS IN THE BERKSHIRE TACONIC LANDSCAPE

May 17^th – WALK at TNC Perry Preserve in Wassaic, NY, 10:30 – Noon

June 27^th – TALK on Seeing the Landscape with presentations Invasive Species new Remote Sensing Technology and also on Habitat Restoration for Bog Turtle, Bushnell-Sage Library Sheffield, MA 4-6 PM

July 19^th – HIKE up Round Mountain (MA/CT boarder) lead by Jess Toro - 8:30 -11:30

For more information on any of these events contact Allison Lassoe at 413-229-0232 x229 or alassoe@tnc.org

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April 2008 -  Berkshire Taconic Landscape Newsletter

Hello Friends of the Berkshire Taconic Landscape,

Spring is here, and nature is waking up and on the move in our landscape. Exciting things are happening here at The Nature Conservancy as well. This spring will see some staff changes and a series of walks and talks to get you out in the landscape.

            Angela Sirois, restoration specialist, has received grant funding to obtain her Master’s degree from the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York. She will focus her research on habitat restoration for bog turtles, a passion honed over 3-years studying and tracking these threatened turtles in the Berkshires. Angela will be working part-time starting in May and though the summer as she begins her field work for graduate school. While we will miss having Angela in the office, we are thrilled that she has chosen her focus area as the Berkshires and that much of her research time will be in our wetlands.

                In May, Angela will be leading two days of bog turtle tracking blitzes. A group of twelve scientists will head to the wetlands to scout for bog turtles emerging from hibernation. As scientists locate the turtles, they will outfit them with small radio tracking devices so that we can record their activities this summer. This monitoring program has guided the Conservancy’s restoration efforts and helps bolster the population of this endangered species. You can learn more about bog turtles and the Conservancy’s restoration work at our June 27^th talk: Science in the Landscape (details below).

             Also at the June 27^th talk, Jess Toro will unveil new technology that we have tested in the Berkshire Taconic Landscape to locate invasive species in forested areas. Jess will show how new, high resolution aerial images of the landscape can help us identify plants by their color telemetry. This will be a fascinating look at our landscape that shows where invasives are located and how they spread.

            This new technology is part of the ongoing Weed-It-Now work pioneered in the Berkshire Taconic Landscape. During the past five years, we have treated over 9,000-acres, and the work continues. Jess recently secured agreements to treat invasive species on two new parcels: 404-acres in Sheffield owned by Berkshire School and Taconic State Park property in New York. Both properties have long been considered important for Weed-It-Now. Thanks to Jess’s tireless efforts and your support, that work is now able to take place.

            The work of the Berkshire Taconic Landscape Program also extends beyond the forest and into the wetlands. In conjunction with the Conservancy’s Eastern New York (ENY) Chapter, the BTL program recently received a $30,000 Invasive Species Eradication Grant to control purple loosestrife and common reed in five globally rare calcareous wetlands in Dutchess County. Jess and Angela are working with a Student Conservation Association intern in Eastern New York to collect baseline data that will help measure the effectiveness of the invasive species control program. This treatment will involve the use of the well-tested and now very widely distributed purple loosestrife bio-control (Galarucella beetles). You can join Jess and staff from ENY on a walk in the wetlands of Dutchess County on May 17^th at the Perry Preserve.

            We hope to see you out in the landscape. Thank you for your support, we could not do this work without you.

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February 2008 - Berkshire Taconic Landscape Newsletter

Hello Friends of the Berkshire Taconic Landscape,

Every new year brings a new opportunity to build on the incredible conservation legacy of the Berkshires. We continue to preserve the forests, rivers and wetlands of Western Massachusetts by protecting land, promoting sound science and practicing conservation in the field and in everything we do.

Some of our greatest accomplishments come when we use your contributions to leverage federal funds. Recently, Jason Miner and thirty Conservancy supporters came out for a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) hearing regarding the development of the first Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, which is considering expansion. One area proposed for inclusion is the East Branch of the Westfield River—a key freshwater priority for the Conservancy. This designation would mobilize critical funds to protect watershed lands, restore native fish and bolster water quality and quantity in the Westfield River. The planning process will continue until September, at which point the USFWS will produce a document summarizing next steps.

The Conservancy’s expertise in science-based planning is one of our strongest assets and the importance of this work was recognized this fall when Massachusetts’ Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Department of Conservation and Recreation and Department of Fish and Game presented the Berkshire Taconic Landscape Program with a Certificate of Appreciation for our dedication to preserving and restoring the unique and irreplaceable resources of Kampoosa Bog.

Your support is pivotal in maintaining this restoration program and in helping us deploy teams of interns from the Student Conservation Association (SCA) to remove invasive species from sensitive wetland areas like Schenob Brook, Jug End and Kampoosa Bog. You can join our interns in the field this summer by coming out for one of our volunteer workdays: keep an eye out for dates in future newsletters and on the Massachusetts Chapter’s website.

Those of you who have been long-time supporters may remember the Conservancy’s purchase of the 880-acre Camp Hi-Rock property in 2004. As part of the transaction, the Camp was leased a portion of the property to continue operating and plans were drafted to build a new driveway on the Conservancy’s land. Shortly after construction, concerns were raised about the driveway’s impact on wetlands and the Conservancy, the Camp, the town of Mount Washington and state agencies worked together to create a new layout that avoids the stream crossing. As this work begins, native plants and tress will be planted along previously cleared sections of the route, helping to restore the forest to its natural state. Our doors are always open should you want to discuss the project in more detail.

If you are looking for a chance to get out into the snowy landscape please join us for a late winter snowshoe outing on Mount Washington on Saturday, March 8^th, 10:00 - 11:30 A.M. Jason will lead the snowshoe along a one and a half mile wooded road with a slight incline. Depending on snow conditions the walk may be moderate to difficult. Please dress in layers of warm comfortable clothing and bring snowshoes, ski poles, water or a hot drink, snacks and binoculars. For detailed directions and to register, please contact Venessa Salvucci, by February 29th,at vsalvucci@tnc.org or 617-227-7017 x309.

We hope to see you out in the landscape and as always thank you for all your support,

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December 2007 - Berkshire Taconic Landscape Newsletter

Hello Friends of the Berkshire Taconic Landscape,

Season’s Greetings! As snow begins to blanket our landscape, the crisscrossing tracks of animals through our woods and fields show that they are busily preparing for the season. The Berkshires program has been busy too—with on-the-ground land protection, stewardship and the science that guides all of The Nature Conservancy’s work.

Last fall, members and friends came out for two great events in our landscape. On a beautiful October day, Emily and John Alexander hosted a brunch and walk in which Jason Miner and Frank Lowenstein guided guests along the Alexander’s trails, discussing the wetlands and forest that comprise this globally significant ecosystem. We also heard from Wayne Klockner, Massachusetts State Director and Team Leader for the Conservancy’s Climate Change Team, who spoke about the birding experiences of his childhood. Wayne noted that while his old birding journals remain, many of the habitats that once supported the birds are gone. His words reminded us that the special places we enjoy today cannot be taken for granted if we want them to remain available for future generations.

A few weeks later, members and friends had the unique opportunity to explore a protected area of the landscape not normally open to visitors. Jason Miner and Greg Overton, Northwest Highlands Program Director for The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut, led a walk into the heart of Schenob Brook, home to many threatened species. Through your ongoing support, this critical ecosystem—and many others—will remain protected, benefiting rare species and the “sweet” water that makes these wetlands so unique.

Stepping out of the Berkshires’ wetlands, our Restoration Specialist Angela Sirois traveled to Mexico this fall as part of a Global Learning Trip sponsored by The Nature Conservancy. Nominated for her hard work and dedication to the Conservancy’s mission, Angela and other staff spent a week in the Yucatan learning about science and restoration techniques in the Maya forest. Angela will put her global experience to action in the Berkshires’ forests and wetlands as she continues her work to restore these unique natural systems.

Speaking of restoration, we are happy to announce that our work to eradicate invasive species from the Berkshires’ wetlands just got an added boost from a $30,000 grant from the State of New York. The Berkshire Taconic Landscape program is proud to be at the forefront of achieving state and federal funding: in the past few years, we have received over 1.2 million dollars in grants. Your private contributions to our program are vital to this success as they provide the critical matching funds required—thank you!

Your contributions, along with the long-term vision of two families and the Town of Mount Washington, led to the protection of 141 more acres on the Taconic Plateau this November. Working in partnership with Elaine and John Alexander, and Ruth and Scott Reed, the Conservancy established conservation restrictions over this towering forest of old hemlocks, oaks and pines, protecting it from future subdivision and connecting other protected areas, helping us further our mission of protecting large tracts of core forest habitat.

As the weather is turning colder, you can keep informed about our work in Massachusetts and across the world by joining the Great Places Network at Nature.org/MyPage. You’ll receive a free monthly e-newsletter filled with the latest conservation news, recent success stories and information about places you care about. Another great way to keep in touch with what is happening on the ground is to spend time outdoors in one of the spectacular landscapes you have helped us protect. Please join us for a late winter snowshoe outing on Mount Washington on Saturday, March 8^th, 10:00 - 11:30 A.M. For more information or to sign up, please contact Venessa Salvucci at vsalvucci@tnc.org or 617-227-7017 x309.

This holiday season, we are reminded of all you do to support our work in the Berkshires—we most certainly could not do it without you.

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September 2007 - Berkshire Taconic Landscape Newsletter

Hello Friends of the Berkshire Taconic Landscape,

Between South Egremont and Mount Washington, the colors have begun to turn on the trees, and we are excited for fall. The summer months have been busy, and from the science that guides our work to on-the-ground stewardship of critical areas, there have been many exciting accomplishments for the Berkshire Taconic Landscape program and our partners.

If you listen to WAMC, you may have heard two interesting stories about The Nature Conservancy’s projects in the Berkshires this summer. In July, Jess Toro, Conservation Program Manager, was interviewed about the Weed It Now (WIN) program and, specifically, a new facet of that program that uses a low-flying airplane to identify and monitor invasive species. Until now, invasive plants were located through on-the-ground surveys that are very accurate but impractical for assessing all 25,000 acres of deep forest on Mount Everett. This cutting edge “remote sensing” technology captures images of the landscape that are then analyzed for reflected telemetry (the color frequency that bounces back off the plant) to help us locate invasive species in forested blocks. This flyover study will provide us with a better understanding of the location and extent of invasive species on the ground and will provide us with a “snapshot in time” to compare with future images.

In August, Angela Sirois, Restoration Specialist, took WAMC listeners out into the field to learn how the Conservancy and its partners are monitoring, tracking and protecting the federally threatened bog turtle. There are three known bog turtle sites in Massachusetts – all of them in Berkshire County. To gain a better understanding of the turtle, our crew tracks the tiny turtles in their wetland habitats through a small radio transmitter attached to the turtles’ shells. At least twice a week during the turtles’ summer “growing” season, a member of our crew heads out to the field to find the turtle, noting its location and site conditions. This fall, the Conservancy and partners from eight organizations will hold a meeting to share and discuss strategies to manage, preserve and protect the turtles and their habitat. One key outcome of this collaboration will be a Conservation Action Plan (CAP) for bog turtle protection in the region that guides ongoing and future work in three states and across all agencies. Both stories can be found at www.WAMC.org by searching stories for “Nature Conservancy”.

With the help of two Student Conservation Association (SCA) crews, the Conservancy is also hard at work in the Schenob Brook, Kampoosa Bog and Jug End wetlands. The six crew members, who have all become wonderful and enthusiastic members of the Berkshire Taconic Landscape team, will be working until late October or early November. In Schenob Brook and Kampoosa Bog, they are removing the invasive wetland plant Phragmites in targeted areas. In Jug End, their work focuses on maintaining stable hydrology. The intern program is funded by grants from the federal Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) that must be matched by either private donations or volunteer hours. To help match the federal funds, Jess Toro submitted a successful grant application to the El Paso Corporation, which owns the pipeline that runs near the area. This source of private money allowed us to hire a larger crew than in previous years, enabling us to treat all parts of Kampoosa Bog for the first time – a critical step towards maintaining its biodiversity.

To celebrate ten years of ongoing success, the Kampoosa Stewardship Committee, the Conservancy and other partners are hosting a celebration in early October. This is just another example of how we work with partners in a variety of capacities: from providing a strong scientific foundation for restoration, to training and managing crews of interns and volunteers, to protecting nature and preserving life.

Looking ahead, the Berkshire Taconic Landscape program is excited to launch a new project with Project Native and the Sheffield Land Trust to restore floodplain forest along the Housatonic River – a project that will restore key habitat for wildlife and establish a buffer between the river and agricultural lands. Next summer, our partner Project Native should begin on-the-ground restoration by planting native species along the river bank.

If you are interested in getting out into the landscape to see one of the places you have helped us protect and restore there are two opportunities:

*Autumn Walk and Brunch at the home of John and Emily Alexander. In appreciation for your support of The Nature Conservancy, celebrate the natural history and beauty of the Berkshires on a walk lead by Jason Miner, Berkshire Taconic Landscape Director on October 7th at 9:30 A.M., followed by brunch at 11:00A.M. Please contact Kara Flyg at kflyg@tnc.org or 617-227-7017 x 319 for more information or to sign up.

*Hike in to the heart of Schenob Brook with Jason Miner, Berkshire Taconic Landscape Director, and Greg Overton, Northwest Connecticut Highlands Program Director for a flat three-mile hike into the heart of Schenob Brook on October 20^th at 9:30 A.M. Please contact Terry Grady at tgrady@tnc.org or 860-344-0716 x 338 for more information or to sign up

Thank you very much for your continued support of our work, we most certainly could not do it without you.

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July 2007 - Berkshire Taconic Landscape Newsletter

Hello Friends of the Berkshire Taconic Landscape,

The summer field season is upon us, and we want to share with you some news and updates. The first thing you might notice is the new Nature Conservancy logo. The sphere and the tagline “Protecting nature. Preserving life.” reflect the global nature of our work and our renewed recognition that conservation is critical to human well-being. Our work in the Berkshires and beyond continues to be guided by our mission:

The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.

As you know, we bring that mission home by protecting the lands and waters of the Berkshires.

Here are some highlights:

This summer we welcomed two Student Conservation Association (SCA) interns to the landscape. Angela Sirois, BTL Stewardship and Restoration Specialist, is leading interns Matt Daniel and Emma Brower on invasive control work in Schenob Brook and Kampoosa Bog. A second four-person crew will be starting in late July to continue the work in Kampoosa Bog.

Emma is from the Rochester, New York area and recently graduated from the University at Buffalo. While she has seen other parts of Massachusetts this is her first time in the Berkshires. She has enjoyed learning more about the environmental significance of the area and specifically the importance of the Schenob Brook wetlands.

Matt is from Akron, Ohio and while not racing his mountain bike on downhill courses he found the time to graduate from West Virginia University. Matt says his favorite part of the work so far has been seeing the positive impact they are making and getting to know the unique biology of the Berkshires.

While not out battling the invasives, Angela and the crew are busy keeping track of the bog turtles in the three-state area. Angela is using a new Pathfinder GPS unit that allows her to incorporate field data with detailed computer analysis. Using the most up to date scientific approach to conservation, the field work is being backed up by a Conservation Action Plan (CAP). Jess Murray Toro has led a series of meetings among partner organizations that will result in a regional coordinated plan to ensure that bog turtle populations will be effectively protected and managed.

Jess has also been busy writing and receiving federal, state and private grants to fund our work in the area. Along with three United States Fish and Wildlife Service Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) grants – which will help fund work in Jug End, Schenob, and Kampoosa Bog – we have also received a private grant from the El Paso Corporation to benefit the natural character of Kampoosa Bog and remove invasives from this critical wetland.

In Massachusetts, a $550,000 grant from the GE Settlement and the Natural Resources Damages (NRD) claim was awarded to our partner Project Native to restore the floodplain forest along the Housatonic River. As part of this grant we are working with Project Native and the Sheffield Land Trust to secure easements and plant native vegetation along the river in Massachusetts.

In Connecticut, a grant proposal has moved to the second round of the application process. For the Connecticut NRD we are working with the Salisbury Association Land Trust (SALT) and The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) in hopes of being able to protect the floodplain forest of the Housatonic though easements. By the end of the summer we should know if this proposal makes it through the next application stage.

Moving from freshwater to forest, we are working with some landowners in Mount Washington to continue to protect the large core forest that blankets Mount Everett and covers the ridgelines into all three states. Hundreds of additional acres of forest are likely to be protected this year through the conservation vision of private landowners.

Defending that protected forest, Weed It Now (WIN) is completing its fourth year. With the more than one million dollars received though the efforts of Congressman Olver and others, we have worked with 35 landowners and treated invasive species on 6,500 acres. Earlier this spring Jess held a well attended landowner workshop to teach them how to effectively control invasive species on their property. This summer, Jess is working with 15 landowners on 1,500 acres and is planning to add more to the list before the end of the summer. Last month, to confirm the status of our successes in treatment of invasive control we contracted with Robert Turner to fly over the Taconic Plateau. The over-flights captured over 10,000 images which they are analyzing. The results are expected to be available later this summer.

Finally, along with the Massachusetts chapter, we will be starting work later this summer to restructure the Berkshire Taconic Landscape website. As some of you know the Last Great Places website was taken off-line earlier this year. Although it was a wonderful resource, at 400-plus pages it became unmanageable without the help of our high tech partner. We will be working with the TNC Marketing Resource Center to create an updated and equally informative website. Please let us know if you have any ideas about resources you would like to see on the website.