Local Resources for Watersheds and
Teaching Outdoors
The United States Dept.
of Agriculture has a Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) office located at the Federal
Building in Pittsfield.
Through this office, teachers can review information as well as activity
ideas for teaching about natural resources; including information on soils,
watersheds, and agricultural related topics.
This office also houses aerial photos that teachers may borrow to use
with their classes. These photos are
both black and white dating back to 1942, and color infrared photos taken in
1985. The conservationists from this
office are available for classroom visits as well. For further information you may call 413-433-1776
ext. 3.
The Center
for Ecological Technology (CET) located at 112 Elm Street in Pittsfield offers classroom presentations and
educational consulting on air quality , recycling, composting, waste reduction,
non-point source pollution and integrated pest management, among others. CET
can work with schools to establish or revitalize a recycling or waste reduction
program and has developed a mercury curriculum for grades 4 to 8 that is
available on their website. For more information contact CET at
413-445-4556. www.cetonline.org
Mass Audubon’s Berkshire
Wildlife Sanctuaries, in Lenox, offers programs for elementary and
middle school students in Berkshire
County. Two multi-session programs are available: The
Berkshire Environmental Literacy Project for grades 2-5, and the Housatonic River
Watershed Education Program for grades 5-8.
Both programs culminate in field trips--a half-day canoe trip on the Housatonic River for the watershed program, and a
field trip to Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary for the environmental literacy
program. Teachers may also schedule
field trips to Pleasant Valley Sanctuary independent these programs. To find out more call 413-637-0320 or email www.berkshires@massaudubon.org