Millbrook School to launch environmental arts project on Feb. 21

Invited to be a featured speaker at The Millbrook School’s launch of The Firefly Environmental Arts Project on Friday, Feb. 21, Eileen Fielding, Director of the Sharon Audubon Center, paused for a photo with Bob, the American Kestrel, a long-term resident at the Center due to respiratory troubles.

Photo by Leila Hawken

Millbrook School to launch environmental arts project on Feb. 21

MILLBROOK — Inspired by hope and resiliency found in nature, the Millbrook School is launching The Firefly Environmental Arts Project, assembling area artists, naturalists and environmentalists, seeking to build community through shared experiences in nature and the arts. The project will kick off at the Millbrook School on Friday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m.

In the event of snow, the date will move to Sunday, Feb. 23, at 1 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Guest speaker will be Eileen Fielding, Audubon Center of Sharon Director since 2018, preeminent expert, active in the protection of wildlife within the regional landscape. The title of her talk will be “Bending the Bird Curve.”

“There are so many environmental and sustainability issues that it’s a challenge to decide where to focus,” Fielding commented on Saturday, Feb. 1. “For this talk, I’ll discuss climate change, and how we can address it in part through natural climate solutions as they can be applied in the Northeast,” she added.

Pleased to have been asked to participate in the Millbrook School’s environmental work and the current project, Fielding said, “There’s a rising cohort of young people who are capable, creative, concerned over the state of the planet, and motivated to do something about it. Audubon is one of the organizations offering pathways for young leaders to take action. I welcome this opportunity to invite their participation and encourage them. They have a lot to give.”

Tim Good of the Good Gallery in Kent was responsible for curating the art and artists. Students from eight area independent schools are expected to participate in the Firefly Project, along with 15 prominent visual artists from the region, all combining talents and energy to environmental issues.

“This event will allow young artists to display their work alongside established artists. That invitation is an important vote of confidence, a recognition that their work and their perspectives are valuable,” Fielding said.

“In the same way, the event recognizes a connection between art and advocacy for the environment. In my talk, I hope to highlight how these two endeavors can inspire and strengthen each other,” Fielding said.

Fielding earned a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Connecticut and a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources from the University of Massachusetts.

Before becoming the Sharon Audubon Center’s director, she volunteered to help with the bird rehabilitation department and contributed actively to the Center’s advisory board.

Latest News

Webutuck defeats Housatonic softball team on the road in Falls Village

Webutuck's Olivia Lopane-Wickwire, no. 2, eyeing a pitch as she steps off first base.

Photo by Riley Klein

FALLS VILLAGE, Conn. — Webutuck High School softball defeated Housatonic Valley Regional High School 14-9 on Thursday, May 15.

The non-league game was played in Falls Village, Connecticut, in what is a becoming an interstate rivalry. When these teams met last year, Housatonic won 16-3.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hillsdale flea market returns May 24
to Hamlet Park

The annual Columbia County event draws hundreds of bargain hunters to Hillsdale’s Hamlet Park.

Provided

HILLSDALE —The town of Hillsdale’s flea market returns Saturday, May 24.

Dozens of vendors will be selling things at Hillsdale Hamlet Park, southwest of the intersection of routes 22 and 23 in Columbia County.

Keep ReadingShow less
Webutuck Community Day — indoor and outdoor fun festival

Producing a blizzard of bubbles, the Bubble Bus delighted visitors to the annual Webutuck Community Day at the high school on Saturday, May 17.

Photo by Leila Hawken

AMENIA — Outdoor and indoor fun activities awaited area families who attended the Webutuck Community Day at the high school on Saturday, May 17. The popular annual event was co-sponsored by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the Webutuck PTA.

In addition to outdoor displays including a car show, large trucks, a helicopter, a state police water rescue vehicle and a bubble bus producing blizzards of bubbles, the indoor displays numbered more than 60 local and area organizations, vendors, demonstrations and volunteer opportunities, nearly all giving things away for free.

Keep ReadingShow less
$125K grant funds NorthEast-Millerton Library repairs

Funding for repairs to the NorthEast-Millerton Library were secured Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-106).

Photo by Aly Morrissey

MILLERTON — The NorthEast-Millerton Library is set to receive a facelift thanks to a $125,000 grant to support overdue repairs and necessary upgrades to the library’s Annex.

NorthEast-Millerton Library Director Rhiannon Leo-Jameson said the repairs are scheduled to begin around mid-June and conclude in early August. The grant will be used to repair structural and cosmetic damage, including rotting wood, chipping paint and damaged siding. Leo-Jameson said if there is any budget remaining, the library will replace an exterior door and window.

Keep ReadingShow less