Poisonous Weeds and Plants in Western Mass.
Jul 18, 2017
UMass Extension weed specialist Randy Prostak interviewed by TV22 in spot on poisonous plants and insects. TV22 Springfield, 7/18/2017
Extension in Western Massachusetts
About Western Massachusetts
The western region of Massachusetts is composed of Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties. The largest city in the region is Springfield, located in Hampden County, along the Interstate 91 corridor on the Connecticut River.
UMass Amherst Campus Awash in Spring Color
May 15, 2017
In mid-May, Professor Amanda Bayer, who specializes in plant materials at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, led a campus tour of ornamental trees and shrubs. The two-hour tour left attendees surprised and amazed at the botanical treasures and landscape beauty the campus offers.
What Are Those Flowering Trees/Bushes I Drive By Every Day?
May 5, 2017
Photo feature shows flowering trees in bloom now in western Massachusetts. Author credits UMass Extension Assistant Professor Amanda Bayer. (Advocate, 5/5/17)
Season's First Gypsy Moth Hatch Reported
Apr 28, 2017
Entomologists at UMass Amherst report that some of this season’s first gypsy moth egg masses have begun to hatch, as observed on April 26 in Belchertown at a location off Route 202. Extension entomologist Tawny Simisky reports that a single egg mass can hold as many as 1,000 eggs. Gypsy moth is a non-native invasive insect in North America.
This Year’s Gypsy Moths Have Started to Hatch in Massachusetts
Apr 28, 2017
Entomologists at UMass Amherst report that some of the first gypsy moth egg masses to hatch in the state in 2017 have been observed on Wednesday, April 26 in Belchertown, Mass. at a single location off US-202. On April 27, egg hatch was also reported in Hingham, Mass.
Counting Sheep at UMass: Rare Birth at Hadley Farm Equine and Livestock Research and Education Center
Apr 11, 2017
Dorset sheep, the type that roam around the UMass Hadley Farm, are known to give birth to one, two or maybe three lambs at once. However, on April 7, one of the farm’s ewes delivered not three or four, but five healthy lambs!
Kestrel forest project has many benefits
Mar 1, 2017
An editorial supports land preservation in Pelham. Town and state officials comment as well as Paul Catanzaro, an assistant professor at UMass whose forest measurements students helped catalog trees, other plants and wildlife. (Gazette 2/27/17)
UMass workshop lets grape lovers garden, play
Feb 27, 2017
Some 20 people tried their hands at pruning grapes at a workshop at the University of Massachusetts Cold Spring Orchard Research & Education Center on Saturday morning. Participants carefully snipped and shaped vines that will produce the orchard’s wine grapes, led by Sonia Schloemann, fruit specialist at UMass Extension. (Gazette 2/25/17)
Greenfield Surpasses Goal to Reduce Energy Use, UMass Professor Ben Weil Assists
Jan 3, 2017
GREENFIELD — It’s taken a bit longer than originally projected, but the town has succeeded in its goal of reducing energy use by 20 percent. In fact, according to preliminary estimates, it has cut municipal energy consumption by 22 percent. Ben Weil, assistant professor of environmental conservation at UMass Amherst, worked with town officials to assess how buildings performed and made recommendations. (1/3/17 Recorder)
UMass Entomologist Comments on Emerald Ash Borer's Destructive Path
Dec 19, 2016
Although the emerald ash borer is killing ash trees around the state, it has done the most damage so far in Berkshire County, according to Tawny Simisky, entomology specialist with the UMass Extension program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. (12/19/16 Berkshire Eagle )