Beakuency welcomes Rene Wendell, a longtime member and former president of the Hoffmann Bird Club, and a land steward for The Nature Conservancy in Western Massachusetts. In this interview, he shares some of the highlights from the 16th Berkshire Biodiversity Day, which took place in September 2025. Berkshire Biodiversity Day, also known as Berkshire BioBlitz, is a community event organized by Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT). It invites nature lovers of all ages to join scientists, naturalists, and environmental educators in identifying as many species as possible, including plants, animals, fungi, and more, over the course of 24 hours. Rene and his fellow Hoffmann Bird Club members led the event’s daytime bird walk and evening owl prowl. He explains how Berkshire Biodiversity Day and the club’s activities help participants of any skill level notice and appreciate biodiversity, fostering curiosity and a deeper understanding that will nurture a future generation of stewards.

Hoffmann Bird Club hoffmannbirdclub.org

Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam

Berkshire Biodiversity Day www.berkshirebioblitz.org

Berkshire Natural History Conference
Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025 at 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Williams College, ‘62 Dance and Theater Center
www.berkshirecc.edu/news-events/bnhc.php

Bird-inspired Music of the Month
Inspired by the Hoffmann Bird Club members’ impressive imitation of owls during the owl prowl, this month’s episode features recordings of Inuit women imitating geese, Tuva people imitating owls and wolves, and the Kayabí, an indigenous group from Mato Grosso, Brazil, imitating birds.

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Hosted by Mayuko Fujino, "Beakuency" invites the local community to be inspired by the joy, beauty, and wisdom bird enthusiasts find in the nature of our neighborhoods. Every episode features an interview with local bird people, plus a freeform mix of sound made by birds and humans inspired by birds.

Read the interview transcripts and see more photos at beakuency.substack.com.

mayukofujino.com