It is one thing to know what species an animal belongs to, but seeing into their inner lives is another thing entirely. Observing another animal’s life is difficult for most of us to do, but it can foster a deeper multispecies connection In a course called ‘Keystone Kin,’ students from Amherst College collected this stunning imagery at Kestrel’s Bright Water Bog in Shutesbury. Led by Dr. Lisa Brooks, the students set up trail cameras to consider and understand individual wildlife in a familial context rather than a purely scientific one. By researching wildlife with trail camera and historic records, they have been able to better understand the animals' relationships to the land and to each other. Their work shows a range of species coexisting all in one flourishing ecosystem, and we begin to understand that every place is made up of the overlapping and interconnected lives of thousands of living beings. #conservation #wildlife #nature #Massachusetts #amherstma #forest #kestrellandtrust (fb)

As enormous waves of news from Washington continue to flood the country, you may be worried about how all these changes will affect local lands and waters. Fortunately, the Valley’s conservation community is resourceful and resilient. Together, nonprofits, municipalities, and state agencies can find smart ways to stay the course and become even more effective, even as the federal landscape shifts. In the face of adverse federal conditions, the Valley’s conservation movement can become stronger—if we stand together, community by community, farm by farm, forest by forest. In a guest editorial in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Kestrel's Executive Director shares how we are responding, and how you as an individual can respond, too. https://www.gazettenet.com/Guest-columnist-DeBoer-60341601 #westernmassachusetts (fb)