Your 2026 Fall Newsyletter
Dear friend,
I hope you are enjoying the beautiful autumn days here in the Berkshires!
The BNRC Report—our semiannual magazine—will hit your mailboxes soon, featuring both our 2026 Annual Report and our new Strategic Plan. I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts about the plan.
If you've been out on the trails recently, you may have noticed some fresh improvements at some of our reserves. Thanks to generous funding from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) and the Jane & Jack Fitzpatrick Trust, we recently wrapped up our Visitor Experience Improvement Project to make BNRC reserves easier to navigate and more informative from the beginning to the end of your visit.
Here's what that looks like:
- Six upgraded parking lots to make access smoother and safer
- Ten brand-new trail kiosks with helpful reserve information
- Seventeen new trail counters installed to help us better understand when and how our reserves are being enjoyed
We are also celebrating the completion of The High Road's Great Barrington Community Connector (GBCC). This five-mile section connects Thomas & Palmer Brook Reserve to DCR’s Fountain Pond, through downtown Great Barrington—the first segment where visitors will really experience the “town” part of “town to trail.”
We’re rolling right into the next segment—construction starts in the spring on the “Cross-County Connector”—a nine-mile route that will link the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail to our new Farnam’s Hill Reserve, to Bill Laston Park, in Lanesborough.
One really cool part of the Lanesborough plan: there will be a new crosswalk enabling you to cross Route 7 safely.
All of this work builds on our big-picture conservation goals—including the eight properties totaling 1,170 acres protected by BNRC last calendar year alone.
We’ve protected 90 acres so far in 2026, with more than 1,000 additional acresexpected to close by early 2027. Across the county, these projects will protect coldwater streams for native brook trout, fields for agriculture and grassland birds, connected forests for wildlife and climate resilience, and new opportunities for outdoor recreation.
As you know, conserving the land is just the first step—caring for it thoughtfully in perpetuity is where the science and planning come in. We recently received a detailed forest management plan for the Hoosac Range Reserve, giving us a clear, strategic roadmap for caring for this beloved North County parcel.
On the other side of the county, we're also putting pieces in place to launch a similar comprehensive plan at Steepletop Reserve. Both plans ensure we restore the land to be the healthiest possible habitat for the wildlife that lives in and passes through these beautiful woodlands.
At Parsons Marsh, Phase 1 of our invasive species management treatment wraps up before the end of the calendar year, setting the stage for wetland restoration work next year.
Finally, some staff news: I am happy to announce that Kathleen Smolinski has been promoted to Community Engagement Director. Under her leadership, community engagement at BNRC is now its own dedicated department. This change reflects how essential community education, partnerships, and access to nature are to BNRC's mission.
I am also delighted to welcome Dina Bilotta, who is joining the Stewardship team in a permanent capacity, as our Stewardship and Volunteer Associate. Dina joined us with the seasonal trail crew in the spring and will be working full time to support our volunteer team and help monitor BNRC reserves. If you see Dina out on the trails, be sure to give her a warm Berkshire wave.
Speaking of getting outdoors together, did you know that BNRC hosted 40 programs this year, connecting with nearly 800 of you out on the land? One highlight was our very first "Forests Close to Home" event, where close to 100 neighbors and partner organizations came together to talk about sustainable forest management. The conversations were so rich and meaningful that we're already planning a second edition in another part of the county next year.
Everything we do is made possible by people who love the Berkshires.
If you aren't already a monthly donor, consider setting up a recurring gift for $5 or $10 a month. It provides steady, dependable support for trail repairs, community programs, and conservation projects all year round.
Thank you for walking alongside us, virtually or in person. Thank you for caring for these special places and making conservation in the Berkshires possible. Keep an eye out for our BNRC Report for a fuller look at the past year. In the meantime, I hope to see you out on the trails soon!
Warmly,
Jenny Hansell
President, BNRC
P.S. If you have a donor-advised fund, your DAF disbursement can make BNRC eligible to receive matching funds through HalfMyDAF. The deadline is October 8th—visit halfmydaf.com for all the details. BNRC accepts donations in many other ways: stock, an IRA disbursement, and more. Visit bnrc.org.