Becky Cushing-Gop

A core component of environmental education for elementary students in western Massachusetts is the Berkshire Environmental Literacy (BEL) Program. As the director of Mass Audubon West's network of wildlife sanctuaries, Becky Cushing-Gop is the driving force behind the success of this exemplary nature- based, outdoor laboratory and classroom learning initiative. Conceived and implemented by Becky in 2015, she and her dedicated team of naturalist- educators reached 225 students that inaugural year. During the 2019-20 school year the program has expanded to 1,500 students in 85 classrooms (36 of which were new pilot programs). They also reached an important milestone of serving fully half of all Grade 3 and Grade 5 students in Berkshire County's ten school districts.