LENOX, Mass. Becky Cushing-Gop, director of Mass Audubon West, is one of the 2021 cohort of winners of the Elizabeth Abernathy Hull Award, a distinction that comes with a certificate of commendation and $1,000 honorarium from the Garden Club of America. As director of Mass Audubon West s network of 18 wildlife sanctuaries, which includes Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox, Cushing-Gop is the driving force behind the successful Berkshire Environmental Literacy Program, a core component of environmental education for elementary students in western Massachusetts. Our work with teachers and schools throughout Berkshire County is critically important in providing early childhood experiences in nature and foundational science understanding, said Cushing-Gop. We have only been able to expand this work because of our incredibly talented education staff team, which continues to grow, and the amazing network of teachers and administrators who have witnessed the po
I think of April as daffodil month since it is when these beauties burst into bloom. They are clearly the most popular of spring flowering bulbs to appear in home
Mindy Lam remembers climbing trees and her mother calling her when she sat quietly in high branches, not wanting to come inside. She would pick the fruit when her younger brothers and sisters were too small to reach. They would call up to her, she said, laughing.
Growing up on a farm in Hong Kong, she saw the bright flashing colors of birds, and moths as large as her two hands. She would jump from rock to rock and wade in the river, looking for shrimp and minnows and dragonflies.
Her family restored the farmhouse, and she would help her father, collecting eggs from the chickens.
Barnwood Site in Ulster Park
After some wildly unseasonable weather last week (snowflakes?! Seriously?), it looks like we’re finally into some real spring stuff this last week of April. Here are some artistic events to enjoy.
Gay Erotic Art Show in Ulster Park | April 30 - May 2
Hosted by Pink Stallion Events, Barnwood is a pop-up show of gay erotic art that will be on view in a historic barn in Ulster Park from April 30 through May 2. The show, which features images of “men from nude to lewd,” includes works for sale by over 30 artists; funds raised by the admission to the exhibition will assist in restoring the 1850s barn for continued use as an art space. Tickets are $20-$25 (credited toward the purchase of any artworks) and must be purchased in advance. Due to the erotic nature of this show, attendance is limited to adults only over the age of 21. To maintain social distancing, a limited number of tickets for each time slot wil
Pro photographers will now pay $75 annual fee to shoot at Schenectady’s Central Park Rose Garden | The Daily Gazette
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Pro photographers will now pay $75 annual fee to shoot at Schenectady’s Central Park Rose Garden
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But Matt Cuevas, garden restoration committee president, said it was a needed control measure.
As the busy season for professional outdoor photo ops begins in May or thereabouts, the volunteer committee that maintains the public garden said it hopes the recently enacted permit fee – and a code of conduct – for professional photo shoots calms traffic at the well-used venue.
The restoration committee requested the City Council adopt the legislation, and according to the city’s Department of General Services, two professional photographers have applied and been issued permits so far.