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The Easy Naturalist: Signs of Spring (Self-Guided Walk), Parsons Marsh, Lenox

Saturday, April 1 – Sunday, April 30

Explore the beautiful sights and sounds of Parsons Marsh in the height of Spring on this family-friendly self-guided walk. Signs will guide you along the 1/3-mile accessible trail, winding through meadows and wetlands, prompting you to look at your surroundings from a naturalist’s perspective. You will learn about the delicate wildflowers, fascinating pollinators, lively amphibians, and musical bird songs that make this time of year so special.

Directions:

Address: 170 Under Mountain Road

From Lenox: From the center of Lenox, head south on Main St. Turn right at the 1st cross street onto MA-183 S/West St and follow for 1.4 miles. Turn right onto Under Mountain Rd. The trailhead is 0.9 miles down the road on the right.

 

Family Self-Guided StoryWalk on the Old Mill Trail, Hinsdale

Learn about different animal tracks! 

When/Where: 

The StoryWalk® will be on display for a self-guided adventure from Saturday, March 11th – Sunday, March 26th (dawn to dusk) on The Old Mill Trail in Hinsdale.  

Description: 

Animals are all around us. While we may not often see them, we can see signs that they have been there. Some signs might be simple footprints in snow or mud (tracks) and other signs include chewed or scratched bark, homes or even poop and pee (traces). In Animal Tracks and Traces, children will become animal detectives after learning how to read the animal signs left all around. Smart detectives can even figure out what the animals were doing!  

While the audience of the book is Kindergarten to 3rd grade, the content is great for all ages- even adults!  

Directions:  

From the center of Dalton: take Route 8 south to the Hinsdale line. From the town line, continue 4/10 miles to a left on Old Dalton Road. The trailhead parking is the first, immediate left, across from the Hinsdale Trading Company.  

GPS: 42.4480, -73.1305 (trailhead parking) 

For questions please reach out to Mariah at mfogg@bnrc.org 

Job Posting: Stewardship Crew

Berkshire Natural Resources Council
February 2023

StewardshipCrew2023.pdf

Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) is a nonprofit conservation organization in western Massachusetts that cares for the ancestral homelands of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans, who were forcibly displaced from the region by European colonization. As a land trust, BNRC conserves land, protects wildlife and habitat, preserves local farms, and provides free access to the Berkshire outdoors for everyone, at over 55 nature reserves across the region. Since 1967, BNRC has helped conserve more than 100,000 acres of forest, fields, wetlands, and farmlands, and now holds over 23,000 acres of land and conservation restrictions and manages over 60 miles of trails.

Berkshire Natural Resources Council (El Consejo de Recursos Naturales de Berkshire) es una organización sin ánimo de lucro que conserva el terreno, protege la vida silvestre y el hábitat, preserva las granjas locales y contribuye a mantener los exteriores de Berkshire libres y accesibles para todos. El BNRC está contratando personal. Aunque el trabajo que se describe a continuación se inicia completamente o casi completamente en inglés, el BNRC agradece el interés de los candidatos bilingües que puedan ayudar a la organización a ser más inclusiva en su trabajo.

Description

BNRC is seeking two Stewardship Crew members to join its Stewardship team. The Stewardship  Crew’s time will be primarily spent assisting BNRC’s Property Manager with maintaining BNRC’s 60 miles of hiking trails and 24 trailheads across the county. The crew will also conduct monitoring and boundary marking on BNRC’s fee-owned Reserves.

Other responsibilities may include assisting BNRC’s Trail Crew with trail construction projects and assisting BNRC’s Community Conservation Staff with hosting public programming and volunteer workdays.

This is a 40-hour/week position. The crew will enjoy a high level of independence and a large amount of self-motivation is required. These are field positions and the crew should expect to be outside nearly every day. The seasonal crew works from May 29th to August 18th, with some flexibility on both ends.

Specific responsibilities include:

  • Regular maintenance of BNRC properties and trails including:
    • Trailhead mowing and weed whacking
    • Trail corridor widening
    • Clearing trails of fallen trees
    • Repainting trail blazes
    • Trash collection
  • Property Improvement projects, such as:
    • Installing/replacing signs
    • Constructing and installing kiosks, benches, and other infrastructure
  • Marking of BNRC property boundaries
  • Monitoring of BNRC’s fee-owned property
  • Assisting with construction of new hiking trail and/or repair of existing trails with
    guidance from Trails Manager.
  • Assisting with hosting volunteer workdays with guidance of Community Conservation
    staff.
  • Other stewardship related tasks as required

Qualifications

  • Ability to work unsupervised
  • Willingness to work outside in all weather conditions
  • Comfort with being alone in the woods
  • Strong interpersonal skills
  • Personal transportation
  • Ability to hike for 5 miles over rough terrain

BNRC is an equal opportunity employer.

BNRC does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification and expression, age, physical or mental disability,
marital status, genetic information, veteran status, being a member of the Reserves or National Guard, status as disabled or Vietnam Era veteran or status in any group protected against discrimination by federal, state, or local law.

We welcome applications from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, women, and veterans. BNRC is actively engaged in ensuring its properties are welcoming to all, and in increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion
in all aspects of its work.

Though the job described above will begin entirely or almost entirely in English, BNRC welcomes interest from bilingual candidates who can support the organization in being more inclusive in its work.

Compensation: $17 per hour

Benefits Include:

  • 3 paid personal days, with the opportunity for a season’s-end bonus.
  • Personal vehicle mileage reimbursement

To apply: Email your resume and cover letter to jobs@bnrc.org with “Stewardship Crew” in the subject line. Resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Please note: this position requires up-to-date Covid vaccination.

From Skeptic to Believer: Online Wills and the Berkshire Outdoors

About three years ago, I received an email from someone who wanted to sell BNRC on an online platform where anyone can write their own will for free.

I was skeptical—I get a LOT of sales pitches and most of them are for products and services BNRC doesn’t need.

On the other hand, I’m always interested in innovations that offer mutual benefit to both BNRC’s mission, and the individual donors who are an essential part of the BNRC team.

So I agreed to listen to what this person had to say. Turns out, they were down to earth, honest, and authentic in their approach.

Long story short: The idea was compelling, BNRC signed up, and three years later over $7 million has been designated to BNRC via wills created at freewill.com/bnrc. 

Explore FreeWill 

That’s terrific!

These are special commitments. 

Honestly, I don’t know the words to communicate my gratitude. When writing a will, one only chooses a few people or causes with which they share their soul. When folks choose to care for the Berkshire outdoors forever, that’s a big deal. 

Here’s what I’ve learned about writing a will online, for free, over the last three years: 

  • Your heart already knows how to protect your loved ones, and your values. An online will-writing platform provides prompts that help you identify in your mind the things your heart already knows.
  • It’s fun to play around on your own. On FreeWill, you can model different scenarios, at your own pace, at a time that works for you. Want to tinker on it at 10 p.m. after the kids are asleep? Easy. Do you do your best thinking before offices open for the day? No problem. You get the idea.
  • You can write a draft to discuss with an attorney. You don’t need to put whatever you write on FreeWill into use. Many do. Others use FreeWill as a thinking tool, and then use the document they create as the basis for further work with their lawyer. How you use FreeWill is up to you.
  • If you don’t have a will, the best time to make one is now. It’s not too early. Rather than some kind of morbid contingency plan, wills are actually ways to contemplate and act on your values. Today. And you can change them over the years, as you change, and as your needs change. So why not have a will for the person you are today? For the people you love right now? For the causes that are doing what you most want for the world? 

Three years, and $7 million in committed intentions later, those are my takeaways… that’s what I’ve learned by working with the FreeWill team and watching several dozen members of the BNRC community put the platform to use. 

It seems to me that it’s been mutually beneficial—for the folks using it, for BNRC, and ultimately, for the Berkshires. (Though you do not have to designate a contribution to BNRC to use the free service.) 

When people make long-term provisions to support conservation, wildlife, farming, climate resilience, and free access to the Berkshire outdoors for everybody… the impact of that generosity lasts for a time measured in hundreds of years… at the least.

That’s powerful. 

FreeWill is free to use. Check it out. If you have questions, let me know.

And thanks always for all you do for the Berkshire outdoors. See you out there!  

Rich
rmontone [at] bnrc [dot] org
Director of Development
Berkshire Natural Resources Council

Easy Naturalist: Wildlife Signs and Tree Bark (self-guided walk)

Follow the signs along the 1.4-mile Green Trail. Each sign shares interesting and fun information to engage in observation and discovery.

a green sign

interpretive sign in winter

WHERE/WHEN: 

The self-guided Easy Naturalist: Wildlife Sign and Tree Bark walk will be on display from Monday, February 6 to Sunday, March 5 (dawn to dusk) at The Boulders reserve in Dalton.  

DIRECTIONS: 

To the trailhead parking area on Gulf Road, Dalton: take routes 8/9 east from the center of Pittsfield.  Take a left onto Park Avenue in Dalton, past Craneville School.  Take a left onto Gulf Road. Park at the pull-off on the left, opposite the parking for the Appalachian Trail. 

GPS: 42.4816, -73.1783 (trailhead parking on Gulf Road) 

 

 

BNRC is for Farmers

I love to end (or begin) a perfect day at one of the Berkshires’ many farm-sourced restaurants. And summers wouldn’t be complete without stops at Berkshire farmer’s markets or farm stores. I think we can agree that local, fresh ingredients just taste better.

Do you have a favorite spot to dine? Or a favorite marketplace? What is your favorite locally produced cheese?

We love our area farmers. But farmland is at risk across the United States and within the Berkshires. The latest Census of Agriculture, completed in 2017, showed a 10% decrease in the total number of Berkshire farms.

What will the 2022 census show? How many more farms will be subdivided because the land is worth more than the next generation of farmers can afford? Or because the farmer does not have heirs who want to take over the business?

As a BNRC donor you preserve Berkshire farms and support Berkshire farmers.

Donate to BNRC

The risk to farmland is, unfortunately, an issue nationwide.

The New York Times recently published this article: “Farmland Values Hit Record Highs, Pricing Out Farmers.”

The article highlights some distressing facts:

  • Nationwide, farmland values increased by 12.4%, the highest annual increase on record since 1970
  • Young farmers named “finding affordable land for purchase” the top challenge in 2022 in a National Young Farmers Coalition survey
  • About 40% of US farmland is rented, most of which is from landlords who aren’t actively involved in farming
  • Annually, less than 1% of farmland is available for sale

These facts are alarming. But together we can address these concerns in the Berkshires.

At BNRC, farmers and farmland are a top priority.

BNRC has facilitated the protection of thousands of acres of local farmland—in part using Agriculture Preservation Restrictions (APRs)—and will continue to do so.

BNRC purchases Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares–a system in which shares of a farmer’s harvest are purchased in advance, providing those farmers with immediate income at the beginning of the growing season to support their work.

BNRC also owns agricultural land, thanks to land donors. A thoughtful strategy is being developed by staff, with the help of other land trusts and community partners, to determine how to best serve local farmers with this land.

These efforts seek to ensure farmers can afford to live and work farms right here in the Berkshires. And to ensure residents and visitors can support local agriculture by shopping those farmer’s markets, those farm stores, those local restaurants.

These efforts are possible thanks to donors like you.

Donate to BNRC

BNRC is donor-funded. Your contributions today make all this happen in an ongoing way.

Thank you for all that you do as a BNRC donor!

Jenny Hansell
President, BNRC

Thank You Volunteers!

October 2022

By Charlotte Hood, Volunteer & Outreach Assistant

On a gorgeous fall afternoon, BNRC staff, volunteers, loved ones, and community partners gathered to recognize the hardworking and thoughtful individuals who volunteer their time to help care for Berkshire land and trails.  Coming together around food, drink, and games amidst the beautiful scenery of Wild Acres, a City of Pittsfield conservation property, painted a clear picture of how essential volunteers are to the sense of community and comradery that we value at BNRC.

 

 

 

 

 

 


With around 80 active volunteers, BNRC’s volunteer program is ever-growing.
 Volunteers in attendance went back as far as 30 years (shoutout to Ginny Akabane!) and as recently as this summer. Whether they be lifelong residents of Berkshire County or recent transplants, students, or retirees, we all unite around our love for the outdoors and the importance of access to nature for all.   

A short, leisurely hike to an observation tower at Wild Acres offered a spectacular view of Mahanna Cobble at the northern end of  Yokun Ridge. The creation of BNRC’s Mahanna Cobble reserve, (and many others) was made possible in large part by the hard work of volunteers, who helped build the dramatic switchback trail. Volunteers continue to help steward it by stocking maps (over 8,000 trail maps across BNRC reserves so far this year!), submitting trail reports, and helping clear blowdowns. 

The evening came to a close with an award ceremony—“Crushin’ It,” “Rock Star,” and “Ground Breaker” were among the titles—highlighting the dedication and personalities of volunteers. It was a time for us all to reflect with gratitude on the role volunteers play in the regional popularity of BNRC trails and reserves. Thank you, volunteers! 

If you’d like to learn more about volunteering with BNRC visit bnrc.org/volunteer.  

  

 

Your 2022 Autumn Newsyletter

Right now, BNRC donors are helping put together one of the largest land protection projects in BNRC history—one that will result in over 14,000 acres of contiguous conservation land.

I’ll get to that in a minute. First it’s important to remember how these projects come to be.

When you walk a BNRC property, when you pick berries, spot birds, and pause to enjoy the rushing waters or the soft breezes, take a moment to remember that every one of these places was once cared for by a family who had a choice to make.

When the land’s future was up for grabs, they made a choice that benefits all of us. And you make it possible for families to make conservation-minded decisions that shape the Berkshires forever.

Donate to BNRC

As this very busy summer winds down, it’s my pleasure to report to you on what you make possible when you donate to BNRC in 2022.

But first, this note about the past… and the future.

When I arrived at BNRC, we’d just celebrated its 50th anniversary with a big party. This year, BNRC is 55 and there’s no party. Instead, there’s… planning.

Yes, planning. If you’ve read some of my letters to you in the last few years, you’ll know I’m kind of a planning nerd. Along with BNRC’s (incredible) staff and (amazing) board, and you, we’re looking out 5, 10, 20 years and asking:

What does the Berkshires need that only BNRC can accomplish? (And by “BNRC” I mean all of us—staff, board, volunteers, donors, hikers…)

  • What lands are most endangered?
  • How can we build climate resilience?
  • Who doesn’t have access to nature?

About that last question: a few weeks ago, a team of Roots Rising Farm Crew teens took a walk at the Old Mill Trail in Hinsdale, with BNRC’s Director of Public Programs, Mackenzie Greer. She’s also a Roots Rising board member and is passionate about its mission to empower teens through farming, food, and meaningful work.

She shared with me that the teens were particularly excited that the Old Mill is accessible—they really connected to the importance of making it easy for people to experience nature.

The Old Mill, and Parsons Marsh, and the Hoosac Range, and over 50 other properties that you’ve helped protect, make it possible for teenagers to connect to nature. For people with physical challenges to get outside. For toddlers to discover their first salamander.

You help people experience the transformative power of nature.

Donate to BNRC

So, about those 14,000 acres.

You are leveraging enormous investment in nature.

Right now, you’re helping BNRC with one of the largest projects it has ever done—connecting over 14,000 acres in Monterey and Tyringham. It includes 836 acres of new conservation land (about the size of NYC’s Central Park).

Over $800,000 in donations from BNRC supporters will leverage nearly $2.4 million in grants and in-kind donations from state agencies and foundations.

The result: connecting, and adding to, large swaths of already-conserved land to create a habitat corridor for black bear, moose, and bobcat. Opening new opportunities for hiking, snowshoeing, fishing, mountain-biking, and swimming. Building the climate resilience of the Berkshires.

This happens when we build partnerships:

  • with families, who trust BNRC to look out for their interests and care for their land;
  • with other conservation organizations, who work together on projects;
  • and with state agencies, who know they can rely on BNRC to complete large and complex projects with integrity.

Huge as it is, this is only one of the projects in progress right now.

New land and farm conservation is going on in West Stockbridge, Richmond, Lenox, Great Barrington, Lanesborough, Williamstown, Sandisfield, and New Marlborough.

And trail and habitat improvements are underway in Great Barrington, Lee, North Adams, Dalton, and Pittsfield.

In other words, ALL OVER THE BERKSHIRES.

Thanks to you.

Donate to BNRC

You’ll see some new faces in the field… and in the office.

The NEW office, I mean—BNRC recently moved to sunny, spacious new digs in Lenox. In the Landkeepers Report, you met the summer crew—those hardworking folk who are doing the backbreaking work of moving rocks, heaving logs, and creating those effortless-looking foot paths.

You may have also run into Charlotte Hood out on the trail. BNRC’s new Volunteer and Outreach Assistant, this NYC native always found herself drawn to the natural world, whether it be the pigeon outside the window or the classroom bunny.

She quickly found herself at home amongst the trees while attending Skidmore College in upstate New York. With a degree in Environmental Studies and a background in environmental education, Charlotte loves sharing her love for nature with you.

I’m also really excited to welcome Deanna Smith, High Road Manager. Deanna owned her own trail-planning and building company, constructing trails across the country and the Berkshires. She is committed to sustainable and equitable access to nature. Deanna is hard at work fleshing out the plan for the next High Road legs throughout the county. I know she is really looking forward to sharing them with you.

And a few key people behind the scenes, too: Ashley Winseck joins us as the Special Assistant to the President. That lofty-sounding title doesn’t come close to describing the wizardry she is bringing to every aspect of the organization. She does everything from figuring out the best project management software to keeping track of all the board committees, all the while keeping me and BNRC’s meetings organized.

And Kathleen Mosher is BNRC’s new Assistant Director of Development. You will be hearing a lot from her—she’s organizing all kinds of get-togethers to help you stay in the know and connected to the work going on to care for and protect your Berkshires.

One final summertime thought:

Everything we do depends on dozens, if not hundreds of friends.

That’s one reason we are determined to pursue ideas and initiatives that benefit the whole community… to foster a belief that land can be shared, with plants and animals as well as with each other.

Your friendship and financial support is indispensable to successful projects like these… it’s essential to building a stronger community.

Thank you for caring for this land we all share.

Donate to BNRC

Yours truly,

Jenny Hansell
President

Your 2022 Spring newsyletter!

June 3, 2022

For those of you not signed up to receive BNRC’s “Newsyletters,” or for those wondering what a newsyletter is, these regular updates are one excellent way to keep up-to-date on BNRC’s recent accomplishments and upcoming plans – all sent right to your inbox! We hope that you’ll enjoy reading our spring feature below, and, if you like what you see, you can sign up to receive them by clicking here.

What do you love most about the Berkshires?

That question came up recently on a local Facebook group I follow. People were asked to respond with pictures.

Almost immediately, the photos started coming: serene lakes, mountain vistas, rugged trails. A secret tract of forest. Deer, bears, and bees.

Do you know why we have this serenity, beauty, and ruggedness? Why the views, and the quiet… why the wildlife isn’t gone?

It’s because of you, and people like you: people who love the Berkshires and who have decided its mountains, trees, and bees are important.

People who have chosen to act with their heart, their hands, and their money, to protect what matters most.

Donate to BNRC

It’s funny, isn’t it, to measure success in what hasn’t happened?

What if together we hadn’t acted to protect Baldwin Hill in Egremont?

When you walk Baldwin Hill today, what you don’t see is development. You don’t see the collective efforts of hundreds of people like you. All you see is—beauty. Open fields. The majestic elm… Egremont’s most beloved resident!

But it IS the work, the coming together, the focusing of our time, energy, and money on what we value, that ensured that Baldwin Hill… and Undermountain Farm in Lenox… and Hollow Fields in Richmond… and hundreds of other places across the county… will stay as they are—as our generations received them.

You did that. You and folks like you can do that this spring by donating to BNRC.

Donate to BNRC

But this wasn’t meant to be a typical fundraising letter! Actually, at this point in the year, I usually write what we call a Newsyletter—filled with updates on recent accomplishments and plans for the coming seasons.

So here’s some great news:

  • Thanks to the generosity of the owners of Ice House Hill Farm, BNRC has accepted a conservation restriction on 130 acres of the farm (formerly part of the Malnati Farm). This means the farm is preserved and its scenic views are protected in perpetuity. Because of donors, BNRC has expert land conservation staff who can act on opportunities like these on a moment’s notice…
  • Speaking of a moment’s notice, last November, BNRC was contacted by Cynthia and Randolph Nelson who wanted to donate their property of 120 acres that bordered Sleepy Hollow and Dublin Roads in Richmond. Their hope was to complete the donation quickly, and thanks to folks like you, it all came together just in time for the New Year’s Day holiday. This was a new opportunity for BNRC to offer more open land for public enjoyment, deepen its commitment to ensuring that farmers have access to farmland, and help land donors achieve their conservation goals. BNRC is in the process of learning more about this parcel and how best to open it fully to the public.
  • Over at Basin Pond in Lee, I’m thrilled that BNRC’s land stewardship team is currently in the permitting phase of improving the stream crossings along the trail that lead to the pond—a place that is perfect for picnicking, birding, and writing. Getting into those improvements this year will make it easier for more of us to use the trails (the stream crossings have been a bit precarious the last few years). It will be good for the streams too, keeping the edges of those beds in shape.
  • There’s also going to be improved access at the Olivia’s Overlook reserve on Yokun Ridge South—it’s seen a sharp rise in use since the start of 2020 and is also part of the newly opened High Road segment of trails to towns, thanks to the 600+ households that donated to the project several years ago.
  • Access is about more than trails too! Folks have written to the BNRC office and shared on social media that the Spanish language trail maps for BNRC reserves that you made possible are a huge hit!
  • You’ve also helped BNRC acquire outdoor equipment like snowshoes and gear packs, to share with local outing groups such as Berkshire Family Hikes and Latinas413.
  • In 2022, there will be new trail at Thomas & Palmer in Great Barrington, designs for parking access at the forthcoming Tom Ball reserve, and lots of other work on dams, bridges, culverts… which you might not notice but you would if they didn’t get done!
  • More conservation is in the works too. All in all, there are at least ten pending conservation projects, in various stages, amounting to over 2,000 acres of Berkshire forests, fields, vistas, farms, and waters—places that will remain unspoiled… where you can notice what hasn’t happened.

A final note: I wrote earlier in this letter that you all, together, are why the Berkshires look the way they do—why so many people on Facebook were able to share images of Berkshire beauty.

But I want to single out one particular person, who painstakingly, ferociously, persistently did the work to make these conservation projects happen.

If not for BNRC’s Director of Land Conservation, Narain Schroeder, the Berkshires would look very different today.

Narain is not someone who calls attention to himself. The only reason I’m doing so now is that, after 19 years, he’s decided to conclude this chapter of his career and seek new opportunities. As he told me, his kids have left for college and beyond, and now is the right time to go. He will be deeply missed.

For Narain… for the Facebook pictures… for the bobolink and moose… for the places where we fall in love… for the conservation projects in process… for free public access to nature…

please donate this spring to provide for everything we accomplish together through BNRC. It’s great having you on the team!

Yours truly,

Rich

Jenny Hansell
President

 

Saying “Hi” from The High Road

May 19, 2022

Dear Reader,

The view from Yokun Seat along Yokun Ridge.

If you’ve been keeping up with BNRC, you are likely aware of the many exciting changes afoot. In addition to new staff, new conservation projects, and even a new office, you may have heard about the new Yokun Ridge trail that opened last summer.

The significance of this trail is not due solely to its natural beauty, unique ecology, and scenic vistas (although I assure you, those exist in abundance). It is also the first completed leg of The High Road, BNRC’s vision to create a more walkable, interconnected Berkshire County.

Which leads me to my originally intended purpose of addressing you, the reader: To introduce myself as BNRC’s new High Road Manager.

My first exposure to this project was back in 2017. My neighbor, who knew I had a deep interest in both land conservation and trail development, excitedly brought me a copy of a BNRC newsletter with the inaugural showcase of The High Road on its front cover. I remember eagerly opening to the booklet’s colorful centerfold and becoming enchanted by the vivid and imaginative description of a sinewy network of woodland trails, which would someday connect the many towns dotting the Berkshire’s hilly landscape.

Back then, I had no clue that my neighbor’s introduction to The High Road would culminate with me taking a managing role on the project five years later. Nor did I know that in the intervening time, I would have the good fortune to be involved in many trail initiatives, both nationwide and here in the Berkshire region. And that in those years, I would develop a deep, crystalized belief in the importance of sustainable and equitable access to nature.

And so, when presented with the opportunity to join BNRC as its High Road Manager early in 2022, I jumped at the chance.

In the initial days, weeks, and months in this role, I look forward to speaking with and getting to know many of you. Learning the significance of this momentous project and how it fits into BNRC’s mission is paramount.

As they say, Rome was not built in a day, (nor were all roads purportedly leading to it), so I suspect that this “road” won’t be, either. And that, in my opinion, is a good thing. It is my hope to honor the original spirit with which The High Road was founded, while keeping an open mind to the inevitable twists and turns any project of this magnitude is certain to take.

I’ll leave you with a favorite quote of mine from the novelist, Louis L’Amour, one that I will carry with me as I begin my work on The High Road.

“The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast, and you miss all you are traveling for.”

-Deanna Oliveri, High Road Manager