Berkshire Green Drinks: Stream Restoration on the Konkapot River

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SHEFFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Environmental Action Team welcomes the first Green Drinks speaker of 2026, Zach Adams of Trout Unlimited.

Adams will share about this summer's stream restoration project on the Konkapot River on Jan. 14.

This project both created habitat in the Konkapot River and stabilized the stream bank to prevent Hartsville-Mill River Road from washing out in the next 5 years. This project required 80+ trees with root wads, tons of boulders, and a lot of adaptability. Adams will share photos and stories about this fairly unique project in Massachusetts. Audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions after the presentation.

This free hybrid event will take place online via Zoom and in person at Dewey Hall, 91 Main Street, Sheffield. The in-person social gathering will begin around 5:30 PM; the presentation and Zoom meeting will start at 6:00 PM.

Zach Adams is a writer, photographer, avid outdoorsman, and lifelong conservationist. He holds a Bachelor's of Science from Juniata College and has worked and studied from the Chesapeake Bay to the Adirondacks. Adams has lived along the banks of the Housatonic River for his entire career, and is passionate about conservation in the Berkshires where he lives with his wife Evelyn and his German Shorthaired Pointer, Millie. He now works for Trout Unlimited, managing stream restoration projects in Berkshire County. You can find him chasing brook trout in the hills, walking behind his bird dog, or scratching his head over a rare bird identification.

Adams writes a sporting column for the Berkshire Eagle, has publications in multiple magazines, and is the author of the field guide Birds of New England.

Learn more and RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/Jan-2026-Green-Drinks

Berkshire Green Drinks is sponsored and organized by the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT). For more information regarding Berkshire Green Drinks, contact Andrew Ferrara, andrew@thebeatnews.org


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Reps. Leigh Davis, Bud Williams Filing Legislation Honoring Freeman

SHEFFIELD, Mass. — State Reps. Leigh Davis of the 3rd Berkshire District and Bud L. Williams, of the 11th Hampden District, are filing legislation establishing Aug. 22 as Elizabeth Freeman Day of Equality, Healing, and Remembrance in the commonwealth.
 
The legislation would direct the governor to annually issue a proclamation recognizing the courageous contributions of Elizabeth Freeman, an enslaved Black woman known as Mum Bett, whose landmark freedom suit helped spark the legal end of slavery in Massachusetts.
 
"Elizabeth Freeman's story began here in the Berkshires, but its impact reached every corner of the commonwealth," said Davis. "More than two centuries later, her legacy continues to inspire us. Establishing Elizabeth Freeman Day will ensure that future generations learn not only about her extraordinary bravery, but also about the power of one person to change the course of history."
 
In 1781, Freeman, of Sheffield at the time, challenged the institution of slavery by filing suit against her enslaver, Col. John Ashley. In the landmark case Brom and Bett v. Ashley, a Berkshire County jury ruled in favor of Freeman and her fellow plaintiff, Brom, granting them their freedom. The case demonstrated the power of the Massachusetts Constitution's declaration that all people are born free and equal and helped pave the way for the Quock Walker decisions that ultimately ended slavery in the commonwealth. 
 
"Freeman's courage changed the course of history in Massachusetts," said Williams. "At a time when the odds were stacked against her, she stood up and demanded that the promises of liberty and equality contained in our Constitution apply to her as well. She risked everything to challenge an unjust system, and her victory helped lay the foundation for the end of slavery in our commonwealth. Her legacy deserves to be recognized and remembered by every resident of Massachusetts."
 
Although unable to read or write, Freeman understood the meaning of freedom and equality and took extraordinary action to secure those rights for herself and others. Her story remains one of the most powerful examples of individual courage in the face of injustice. 
 
Elizabeth Freeman Day will provide an opportunity for reflection, education, healing, and remembrance, said Williams. 
 
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