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Keyword search: CONSERVATION

By BELLA LEVAVI

ASHFIELD — Six towns are pooling resources to hire a paid conservation agent to serve their communities as the number of permit filings exceeds the capacity of the all-volunteer conservation commissions.Williamsburg, Whately, Goshen, Ashfield,...

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

A new hiking trail through Ashfield and Goshen is opening to the public this weekend.Hilltown Land Trust and Ashfield Trails will host an inaugural hike through the Hilltown Boulders Trail on Saturday at 1 p.m. Attendees will stroll along a 2-mile...

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

A new conservation agent has been hired to serve the towns of Williamsburg, Whately, Ashfield, Buckland and Hawley.Greenfield resident Kelly Kowal was chosen out of 27 applicants. A hiring committee consisting of representatives from each town...

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

SUNDERLAND — The state Department of Environmental Protection will begin overseeing erosion and wetlands issues at Falls Farm following a unanimous vote of the Sunderland Conservation Commission last Thursday.Diane McClellan, representing Falls Farm,...

By CHRIS LARABEE

DEERFIELD — With the execution of two separate conservation restrictions by Historic Deerfield and the Antonellis family, more than 200 acres of land in Deerfield will remain permanently accessible for agriculture.In early May, Historic Deerfield...

By CHRISTINE HATCH

Swamps are great story villains. They are notoriously difficult to navigate due to their sinking sticky mud, spiked vines and dense vegetation; they are neither fully land nor water, negating boats and footwear as helpful vessels for traversing them;...

By DOMENIC POLI

It seems people from all over are anxious for warmer weather to arrive as bookings at the three state camping locations in Hampshire and Franklin counties are filling up fast, mirroring a trend at state-run campsites throughout Massachusetts.The state...

By MADDIE FABIAN

Ask almost any conservationist about an Endangered Species Act (ESA) success story and they will tell you about the bald eagle.“Growing up, I would have never seen a bald eagle in western Massachusetts,” said Jeff Collins, senior director of...

By MADDIE FABIAN

SOUTHAMPTON — At a special Town Meeting on Tuesday, voters will decide whether to appropriate around $420,000 to permanently conserve over 700 acres of land as part of the Mountain Waters Project.The project, which the town of Southampton, Kestrel...

By MADDIE FABIAN

SOUTHAMPTON — When Ed and Mary Hamel first bought their 80-acre property — now home to Glendale Ridge Vineyard — more than 30 years ago, the two expected to develop the land, even acquiring an approval to construct a bank.But with expansive rolling...

By MADDIE FABIAN

Editor’s note: This is the third of four articles from the Western Massachusetts Solar Forum series taking place in September.AMHERST — At Joe Czajkowski Farm in Hadley, not only does the broccoli field produce fresh vegetables, but rows of solar...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

SHUTESBURY — A significant drop in the level of Lake Wyola in mid-July, apparently caused by the intentional release of water through the dam, is prompting the Conservation Commission to issue the town a violation notice under the Massachusetts...

By MADDIE FABIAN

HADLEY — With Earth Day around the corner, four regional land trusts are joining together for their fourth annual Give Back to the Land Day, which will take place on Thursday.The 24-hour online fundraising event, organized by Kestrel Land Trust,...

By EMILY THURLOW

EASTHAMPTON — Pascommuck Conservation Trust has added another 10 acres to its protected areas, completing the preservation of an ecologically vital area near where the Oxbow and the Manhan River meet.At the close of its 40th anniversary this past...

By EMILY THURLOW

SOUTHAMPTON — When Ted Hendrick wanders around the woods along Cold Spring Road, he’s reminded of a “Big Rock Candy Mountain.” The song, released by singer Burl Ives in the 1940s, speaks of the “buzzin’ of the bees in the cigarette trees,” which...