As fall migration takes the goldfinches, bluebirds, wrens and other songbirds that nest in western Massachusetts away for the winter, a few will be powered by seeds, bugs, nectar and fresh water on campus at the new Songbird Garden on Governors Drive. It’s the latest project launched by landscape management staff and students to make campus more welcoming year-round to wild creatures living in the area.

Casey M. Brown, professor of civil and environmental engineering at UMass Amherst, has received a one-year, $500,000 award from the Rockefeller Foundation to support his research and analysis of freshwater resilience around the globe. This new round of funding brings the foundation’s support for Brown’s work to $1.6 million during the past four years.

ValleyBike Share, the new automated bike sharing program serving five municipalities in the Pioneer Valley, is now in service on campus with approximately 50 pedal-assisted bikes across five stations. ValleyBike Share promotes short trips by bicycle within core communities where there are clusters of large employers, colleges, shopping and tourist destinations.