December 7th, 2018
Seniors Will Keating, Shauna Sullivan, and Drew West presented at Log Lunch on their work this semester in the environmental studies senior seminar, taught by Sarah Gardner.
The project was commissioned by David McGowan of Williamstown Rural Lands. Berlin Mountain, only five minutes away from campus, is rife with recreational opportunities like hiking, camping, mountain biking, and hunting. However, the area is made up of parcels that have various property owners, making management of the area tough.
The three students were asked to identify solutions to existing problems with the area, like lack of signage and poor trail management. The area is wet and steep, snow plowing is needed in the winter months, and the parking lot is more like a wet, mushy turn-around than a place people know they can park to embark on an outdoor adventure.
Will, Shauna, and Drew explicated these problems, bringing to light a lot of the details and planning that most don’t think about when they enjoy public recreation. They incited the Log Lunch crowd to think more deeply about what goes into management of these areas, and gauged interest in various possibilities for the future of Berlin Mountain.
—Jane Tekin, ’19
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