Landkeeper's Blog

TRAIL CREW MEMBER.pdf

Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC), a private, non-profit land trust based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is offering a Trail Crew position to someone interested in hands on, rewarding work throughout 11,000 acres and 60+ miles of trails under BNRC supervision and some of the most spectacular natural environments in Berkshire County.

This is a full-time, seasonal position (through October 30, weather permitting) involving the construction of new hiking trails and the reconstruction/maintenance of existing trails on Berkshire Natural Resources Council properties.  The majority of the season will be spent maintaining hiking trails and paths, and constructing trail features such as retaining walls, steps, bog bridging, hiking tread, and other trail features.  Other duties include hiking existing trails to clear blowdowns, assess trail maintenance needs and make repairs, and other stewardship related tasks.  The crew may also assist with outreach events such as volunteer workdays.  Trail Crew members often work solo and self-motivation is required. Trail Crew members report directly to the Trails Coordinator.

BNRC prioritizes employee health and safety and as such, COVID-19 related guidelines are in effect.  Applicants must be able and willing to follow state health and safety protocols as well as those instituted by BNRC.  BNRC provides basic PPE to field staff.

Responsibilities

• Complete reconstructive building projects including, but not limited to: tread construction, tread hardening, rock construction (cribbing, staircases).
• Perform trail maintenance (with appropriate training and guidance) to a high standard of quality.
• Work collaboratively with trail crewmates, staff across the organization, and with volunteers, youth and professional trail crews while maintaining ongoing social distancing guidelines.
• Represent BNRC with integrity and professionalism at work and when engaging with the public.
• Use and maintain tools and equipment to high safety standards.
• Other duties as required.

Requirements

• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with other team members.
• Ability to complete assigned projects and tasks, meet deadlines and manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to learn on the job and adopt specific construction methods and skills as prescribed.
• Commitment to natural resource protection and Leave No Trace ethics.
• Strong commitment to quality work, a positive attitude, and a professional demeanor.
• Commitment to friendly and helpful interaction with hikers and other BNRC visitors on the trails and in public
•  Interest in learning about trail design and treatments and developing trail building skills
• Must be able to hike with up to 50 pounds of gear and tools.
• Must be willing to work outdoors in adverse weather conditions.
• Must be able to travel throughout Berkshire County to work in remote locations.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation required.  Due to state COVID-19 guidelines, crew members are required to utilize personal vehicles for transportation to and from work sites.  Mileage beyond a certain baseline distance will be reimbursed.
• Trail building experience or landscape construction experience is welcomed but not necessary to apply; the right candidate will have a willingness to learn, a strong work ethic, and an open mind.

Benefits

This is a seasonal, non-exempt, hourly paid position, based in Pittsfield, MA.  $14-$16 per hour depending on experience.  BNRC offers excellent benefits including 401k eligibility, as well as health insurance, sick and vacation time.  Please submit a cover letter, resume and three references to Tyler Fogg c/o frontdesk@bnrc.org.

Posted 7/10/2020

Blog post by Jenny Hansell, Berkshire Natural Resources Council President

How do you know if you have a vernal pool, or just a puddle? My backyard, just under an acre in the hilltowns, has been flooded almost nonstop since we moved in last November, though the previous owner assures me that it will dry up by the end of May.  Observing the soggy mess, I wondered how I might tell the difference between an ordinary puddle and a real vernal pool? I often encounter areas of standing water on my various walks and hikes, so I set out to learn how to tell the difference so I’d know what to look for, both in my yard and out on the trail.

MassWildlife’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP) oversees the certification of vernal pools in Massachusetts, and their website is a wealth of information – it has maps, species lists, and explanations of the ecology of these important habitats.  I quickly learned that the key feature of vernal pools is that they are wet for long enough that amphibian species can reproduce and hatch out, but not long enough for fish to establish a population and eat the amphibians. Their ephemerality is exactly what makes them so valuable, especially to species that are threatened or of special concern, like the blue-spotted salamander .

The NHESP website outlines the process for identifying and certifying vernal pools – anyone can do it, though it is strongly recommended that you have permission from the landowner.

To be considered a real vernal pool, the area must meet a few criteria: it must have no obvious entrance and exit point for the water (so it’s just sitting there); and it must have the species that rely on vernal pools, such as certain frogs, salamanders and fairy shrimp – either the creature itself or its eggs can be evidence.

Once your pool is certified, certain protections kick in, under the Wetlands Protection Act. If you are thinking of certifying one on your property, make sure you are willing to abide by any resulting restrictions.

So far, my backyard wetland doesn’t show any signs of life, other than the cowbirds nesting in the brushpile.  But it’s early yet, and the nights haven’t warmed up past 40 degrees. I’ll be watching and waiting, just in case a wood frog or blue spotted salamander decides to take up residence in my neighborhood.

Blog post by Jenny Hansell, Berkshire Natural Resources Council President

A couple of weeks ago, as I was helping my kid pack up her Simon’s Rock dorm room, I heard the unmistakable peeent of a woodcock. Each time I came out to the car with another armload of laundry, books, or art supplies, I’d hear it somewhere nearby. It was dusk, the hour that these chubby little shorebirds start calling to their mates. You can only hear them for a few weeks in March and early April as they arrive back in the Northeast from their wintering grounds in the Carolinas and Texas.

I used to take Ella and her sister out on chilly spring evenings when they were little, to hear the woodcocks call and try to spot them as the male would rise into the air in a dizzy little dance, trying to impress the female hiding somewhere nearby.  This time, she was too focused on her sadness at leaving campus, and the likelihood that she’d never return to finish out her final year, to care about a little bird.

But I found it comforting that nature was carrying on in spite of the chaos in the human world, and stood for a few minutes by the car, trying to give Ella a few last minutes to say goodbye to her room, while I tried to spot the little creature. Sure enough, it was standing not ten feet from me, illuminated by a lamppost, zzzeeeping, quite unafraid.

Woodcock populations declined dramatically in the 1800s due to hunting, but rebounded in the last century.  Grey and brown all over, they are about the size of a robin but very round and chubby, with very long straight bills. They are found in forest edges, wet meadows and old fields throughout our region – as long as that habitat is protected, we will continue to enjoy the springtime display of the woodcocks.