Doing What Comes Natural
By Rene Wendell, Berkshire Visitors Bureau contributing writer
October 2008
Since I am the new guy, my first article will be about myself. Of course, this is one of my favorite topics; the others being nature and the Berkshires.
I was born and raised in Pittsfield where my father worked for General Electric and my mother was a homemaker. So far a typical Berkshire County home, but here is where it veers. In those days my father was an avid hunter, fisherman, and trapper. 
It would not be uncommon to have a pile of cottontail rabbits or ruffed grouse on the kitchen floor when I arose in the morning. These would eventually find their way onto our dinner table. In the fall, our basement was full of beaver, mink, and muskrats. And, if we were lucky, he would get a deer or two of the freezer.
So, as you can see, I had no choice, I was destined to be a nature guy. My mother was patient and when I would come home with a garter snake or spotted salamander, she would feign interest and often let me keep it! The woods between Onota and Pontoosuc lakes were my favorite haunts and she would let me roam unsupervised for most of the day. (I am sure this would drive most mothers crazy with worry today.)
My story then becomes typical once more. As a young man, I found different distractions. I eventually struck out on my own to Florida and Arizona. These were great times and places, but were never home like the Berkshires. I came back for my family and the internal need for the regions’ verdant hills and majestic trees
I currently work for the Trustees of Reservations as a conservation ranger at Bartholomew’s Cobble in Sheffield. It is a wonderful place where I share my love for the outdoors through my educational programs. I run canoe trips on the mighty Housatonic river, teach kids about insects, and take this next generation on hunts for amphibians and reptiles. And occasionally, I consol a worried mother and tell her that it is okay for her youngster to catch snakes. He is doing what just comes natural!
If you would like to catch one of my programs, this October you can paddle along on a canoe trip the 13th, 19th, and 26th. There’s fun at the cobble by moonlight too. I’ll lead a hike at Bartholomew’s Cobble on the 11th and help you search for owls on the 18th.
And this is a great time of year to see migrating waterfowl, which can be seen on many Berkshire County lakes, such as Onota and Pontoosuc.
About Rene Wendell
Introduced to nature by his father, Pittsfield, MA native Rene Wendell knew the names of wild creatures as a toddler. After living in Florida and Arizona Wendell returned to the Berkshires to obtain degrees from Berkshire Community College and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and now works a conservation ranger for the Trustees of Reservations. As such, Wendell spends his days knocking back invasive plants, tracking rattle snakes, and teaching others about the great outdoors. He likes to hike, hunt, fish, bird watch, collect antiques, and go metal detecting with his 91-year-old father.