October is the time of harvests and Halloween, but environmental groups here are calling October Energy Awareness Month as well and are sponsoring activities all through the month.

In devising the myriad events, "we just wanted to put it on people's radar to think about things" when it comes to conserving, said Stephanie Ciccarello, the town's energy conservation coordinator. "There's always more that people can do."

Ciccarello and the town's Energy Conservation Task Force has been working with the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, which she said "has been incredibly helpful." So this year "we've expanded the offerings to make it better."

Highlights include an evening of "Energy Awareness through the Arts" being held at the Hitchcock Center on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The event features a dance performance by Alicia Morton called "Celebrating Minimalism."

Amherst Regional High School students Solomon Goldstein-Rose and Jonathan Simonds will show films they produced on energy conservation, among other highlights. "It's just a fun night, a good family outing," Ciccarello said.

On Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. at Merrill Science 4 at Amherst College, people will have the chance to learn about what the town's two colleges and the University of Massachusetts are doing to reduce their carbon footprints because what they are doing "ultimately impacts the quality of life."

Other highlights include a workshop on "Asthma, Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency" at Cowls Building Supply Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. Health officials will also be there to talk to people. Circcarello said people will be able to learn about products to help them improve air quality.

For people who want to become energy efficiency leaders in their neighborhoods, there's a workshop Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. sponsored by Cozy Home Performance that "will train people to be community leaders ... to show them the tools that can be used to help" their neighbors save energy.

The month's activities end Oct. 28 with a presentation by Hampshire College professor Steven Roof called, "Climate Change: What's Happening Now?" in Bangs Community Center at 7 p.m.

"Roof does climate research and he'll talk about where we are now with climate change and what we can expect in the future," Ciccarello said.

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