Marking spring equinox at UMass Sunwheel

AMHERST — The public is invited to celebrate the spring equinox, which marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, at the standing stones of the UMass Amherst Sunwheel on Thursday, March 20, at 6:45 a.m. and 6 p.m.

These hourlong Sunwheel events, at sunrise and sunset, mark the astronomical change of seasons when days and nights are nearly equal in length all around the world.

Observers standing at the center of the Sunwheel’s standing stones will see the sun rise and set over stones placed to mark the equinoxes, very close to due east and due west.

At the gatherings, UMass Amherst astronomer Stephen Schneider will discuss the astronomical cause of the sun’s changing position during the gatherings. He will also explain the seasonal positions of Earth, the sun and moon, phases of the moon, building the Sunwheel, and answer questions about astronomy.

The UMass Amherst Sunwheel is located south of McGuirk Alumni Stadium, just off Rocky Hill Road about one-quarter-mile west of University Drive. Visitors to the Sunwheel should be prepared for especially wet footing this year. Rain or blizzard conditions cancel the events.

Treehouse to host ‘Women Leading Change’ panel

EASTHAMPTON — To celebrate Women’s History Month, Treehouse Foundation is hosting a panel on March 28 entitled “Women Leading Change: Building Strong Communities.” The free program will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Treehouse’s Community Center, 1 Treehouse Circle.

The panel, moderated by Treehouse CEO Erika Kuester, will feature Tara Brewster, vice president of business development and director of philanthropy at Greenfield Savings Bank; Nicole LaChapelle, mayor of Easthampton; and Pamela Lumpkin, a business owner and community advocate.

Panelists will talk about how women are shaping communities, fueling philanthropy and creating social change locally and beyond.

To register, visit treehousefoundation.org/event/women-leading-change/

Holyoke launches wayfinding sign survey

HOLYOKE — The city of Holyoke has opened a public survey asking for feedback as it develops a wayfinding and signage plan for the downtown area.

The plan, under the direction of the Office of Planning and Economic Development, along with consulting firm Stantec, will create a modern wayfinding signage system that may eventually take the place of the current city-owned signs. The city will be using this wayfinding plan to develop and fabricate simple signs in the near future for downtown Holyoke. Using a straightforward yet recognizable and consistent signage design, the new system would make downtown easier to navigate for those using all forms of transportation.

To date, this project has involved an inventory and analysis of current signage. The team is also analyzing other factors important to signage, including accessibility, ideal placement of signs, vehicle and pedestrian travel patterns, and more.

The survey is designed to get a better understanding of people’s experiences and destinations when visiting downtown Holyoke, to hear what people think about existing signage downtown, and to learn about people’s preferences that will inform the development of design-related components of future signs in the city.

This survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/holyokesigns.