Failing Becker Pond Dam To Be Removed

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Failing Becker Pond Dam (right) with now-closed bridge overhead (left and right). Courtesy The Nature Conservancy.
MOUNT WASHINGTON, Mass. — The nearly 100-year-old Becker Pond Dam that is failing and deemed a public safety concern will be removed.
 
The dam is located in the Nature Conservancy's 1,500-acre Mount Plantain Preserve. 
 
Closed to the public since 2016, the 95-foot earthen embankment dam will now be removed, beginning in November 2025, and eventually a new, improved walking trail will provide access there. 
 
The Becker Pond Dam is located on an unnamed stream that flows into Sage's Ravine, a popular walking and hiking area in Sheffield in the Southern Berkshires, that empties into Schenob Brook. The Appalachian Trail crosses about one mile downstream from the brook. An old deteriorating wooden bridge crosses over the dam as well.
 
Environmental leaders are pleased about the long-planned dam removal. 
 
"It's a win-win for nature, and for all the people who hunt, hike, ski, walk, and use this beautiful area in the Berkshires with a safer, improved trail and access," said Karen Lombard, The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) Director of Stewardship and Restoration. 
 
She will be part of a webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 8 (Global Dam Removal Day) at 7 p.m. to discuss the Becker Pond Dam project. Register here for the webinar. 
 
After a 2016 inspection found serious deficiencies in the dam's stability, the dam area was closed to the public. One of the walls is cracked and detaching from the dam's main core, causing it to be a serious hazard to hikers and hunters who frequent that recreational area, adjacent to the Mount Washington State Forest and south of the YMCA Camp High Rock. 
 
The Nature Conservancy has been working with the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game's Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) to permit, fund and remove the dam. Once complete, Lombard said the hope is that the cold-water stream will be restored as a vital habitat for brook trout. A new, higher quality trail will also be built in the vicinity.
 
"We are proud to partner with The Nature Conservancy on this important project," said DER Director Beth Lambert. "By removing the Becker Pond Dam, we are restoring a healthy, free-flowing, coldwater stream. This isn't just about taking a structure out; it's about giving fish and other wildlife the space they need to survive and adapt during a warming climate. Investing in these projects is one of the most effective ways we can protect the biodiversity of Massachusetts for future generations."
 
TNC's new Massachusetts State Director Kris Sarri said: "This project demonstrates The Nature Conservancy's commitment to restoring natural habitats. Removing this dam reconnects the river and reopens pathways for native fish to migrate and spawn. Dam removal also reduces flooding risks to people and allows more diverse wildlife to thrive throughout the river system—creating healthier communities and habitats for generations to come."
 
Funding for removal of the dam has been provided by the MA Division of Ecological Restoration, the Massachusetts Environmental Trust and two anonymous foundations.
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Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
 

The company uses digital printing to create the upholstery fabric, saving water and saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A unique furniture store has popped up on Elm Street this month.

Mom-and-daughter store Pryor & Peacock is hosting the pop-up storefront from Aug. 13 to Aug. 25 at 6 Elm. The New Marlborough business is co-founded by Rosalina Wright and Luca Shapiro, who is also the creative director. 

Their online shop was created in 2024 but they wanted people to see the pieces in person, so they're renting the space for a limited time before a long-term tenant moves in.

The store sources prints to create unique fabrics and reimagines vintage and antique furniture acquired at auctions, local shops, and online.

"We source prints from all over the world that date from the late 1600s up through mid-20th century, and Luca turns those prints into fabric by manipulating them, scanning them, oftentimes has to add or subtract things, and then we manufacture the fabric using only digital printing, which is very environmentally friendly, unlike traditional textile printing," Wright said.

Upholstering the furniture can take weeks of work. Shapiro looks for the perfect design for each piece and, if need be, uses Adobe Photoshop to extend the art work to fit or enhance the print.

"One of the most difficult parts comes in marrying the fabric to a piece of furniture because we only use antique and vintage frames also to be earth friendly, and they're also more beautiful and durable than new furniture," Wright said. "So the image has to go with the furniture, so that takes a lot of work."

One of Pryor & Peacock's missions is to be environmentally friendly. Digital printing doesn't use the same amount of water as traditional textile productions do nor does it contaminate water with ink according to their website.

Not only are they saving water, but they are saving furniture from going into the landfill while also using more durable furniture that doesn't break as easily as current pieces. They started their business to create something unique and to help the environment together.

"It's creating something nobody else is doing. People can't continue to buy throwaway furniture. Six percent of American landfills is furniture, and digital printing not only opens up the possibility of being able to put unique images on a piece of furniture, but it also is, as I said, environmentally friendly. So, for us, the excitement is to take an old East Lake settee that somebody's going to store in their barn and forget about, and make it something completely new and surprising," Wright said.

They hope their furniture helps bring a pop of fun to someone's home.

"We think our furniture is very whimsical and surprising, and most furniture today is oatmeal colored couches and gray neutral chairs, and it's boring," she said.

The two named their business after their mothers' maiden names to honor them and believe the name reflects their pieces.

Shapiro works in interior design outside of the business and the two liked working together and thought it would be great to start a business together. Shapiro says they can work well together and that her and her mother, Wright, has flipped houses before and have the same eye for design.

"So it's very easy for us to work together. When we see something, generally we agree on whether it works or doesn't work on a piece. We agree on the color schemes and that sort of thing. So it's very fun and fulfilling to work together," Shapiro said. 

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