Region's tree-lined colleges confront damage from Halloween storm

SOUTH HADLEY - Two and a half months after the freak Halloween snowstorm, grounds crews at the region's colleges continue to address the damage to their tree canopies. Paul Breen of Mount Holyoke College says 90 percent of the 1,100 trees on the core campus in South Hadley sustained some damage, and just over 50 will have to be removed. Campuses around the Pioneer Valley are in various stages of recovery.

• Related story: Communities to replant in storm aftermath

Hitchcock Center for the Environment plans $4 million home at Hampshire

AMHERST - The Hitchcock Center for the Environment, a regional leader in nature education, is planning a new $4 million energy-efficient building on the Hampshire College campus. It would replace the Hitchcock Center's home since 1975 off South Pleasant Street, a drafty former carriage house that lacks adequate space for the expanding staff and programs, said executive director Julie Johnson.
The Hitchcock Center is looking at two to four possible sites on the Hampshire campus, Johnson said. It is hoping to identify the best site next spring and start a campaign to raise between $3.5 million and $4.5 million for construction, she said.

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Hampshire College seeks socially responsible investing

AMHERST - Hampshire College is about to adopt what it claims is one of the most comprehensive policies on socially responsible investing in the country.

The college released a draft of its Policy on Environmental, Social and Governance Investing last week and is taking comment from the college community through Tuesday.