May 4, Saturday, 10:00 AM. Riverside Wildflower and Plants Walk with Stephanie Bergman
Stephanie Bergman, who holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Education and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. Carpooling is encouraged. Meet at ELT property (a field) on Rt. 71 which is .8 miles north/west on Rt 71 from the N. Egremont Store. You’ll see our ELT sign on a post there, on the right. Pull well off the road to park. Rain date is May 5, Sunday 10:00 AM. Free.
May 25, Saturday, 7:30 AM. Rain or shine. Spring Bird Walk with Brian Kane.
Brian is an associate professor of commercial arboriculture at UMass Amherst, and he is passionate about bird watching. He is the author of a scholarly study on tree-cavity-dwelling birds. Meet at parking lot at Jug End State Reservation. Free.
September 7, Saturday, 11 a.m. ELT’s annual meeting at French Park, North Egremont.
After a nature presentation, ELT will conduct its annual meeting, followed by a lunch provided by ELT. Everyone is welcome. Free. More details to follow.
Like many other environmental organizations, the Egremont Land Trust was formed in response to a development threat. In 1985, opponents of the development of the old Jug End Resort’s 1100 acres organized Egremont Environmental Action and challenged the developers’ proposal for 605 housing units there.
Eventually, after several years of complicated proceedings, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management and the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, acquired the property and established the Jug End State Reservation and Wildlife Management Area.
EEA changed its name in 1998 to the more descriptive Egremont Land Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We embraced our mission: Recognizing the pressures on land use and also recognizing the rights of individual property owners, we believe that is imperative to preserve and maintain the rural New England character of Egremont for present and future generations.
Change is inevitable, and it is ELT’s aim to influence its direction to benefit all members of the community. Our collaborations with Berkshire Natural Resources Council, The Nature Conservancy, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Sheffield Land Trust, MA Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and other local land trusts help us with our mission.
Although ELT’s first interest is in preserving land, we take seriously our educational mission. We offer a series of walks and presentations featuring the ecology of Egremont. Our annual September meeting, open to all, includes a wildlife presenter and our business meeting. We send out an annual newsletter.
We support projects with the public school (kindergarten/first grade) in South Egremont, sponsoring special nature courses and helping with the children’s garden.
The Egremont Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Membership and donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.
