Events update... Many additional programs of interest from our partners
Dave Small
Athol Bird & Nature Club
Field Trips & Meetings 2012
Unless otherwise noted, programs meet at
the Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street, Athol.
If weather is questionable on a field trip day,
please call the trip leader at least an hour before the scheduled meeting time.
Wednesday, February 8, 7 p.m. Wild Things of North Quabbin
At our regular meeting here at the Center, New Salem resident and nature lover Henry Cramer will present “Wild Things of North Quabbin,” an entertaining and educational documentary with natural sounds and narration. The film is a collection of action scenes featuring a wide variety of local animals, including some rarely observed behaviors of herons, turkeys, fish, bobcats, otters and more.
Wednesday, March 14, 7 p.m. Butterflies Near and Far
Join expert naturalist Sue Cloutier here at the Center for our regular monthly meeting, an evening of butterfly photos that will take you from your own neighborhood to the Arctic in search of these beautiful insects.
Tuesday, April 17, 8-10 a.m. Accessible Birding with Joe
Join Joe Superchi on the second Tuesday of the month visiting local sites. (Note Change: The April trip will be the 3rd week to coincide with the school vacation) Open to birders of all abilities. Meet at the Center. Call ahead for wheelchair van access, 978-248-9491.
Due to the unprecedented attendance at Jim Viera's program last night, we had to turn many folks away because GCC's Sloan Theater was filled to capacity. A larger venue was not able to be arranged, however, Jim has agreed to repeat his program this coming Thursday, Feb. 9th, 7 pm at GCC's Sloan Theater. The Sloan has a capacity of about 100. If you are perhaps bringing a group, please let us know in advance so we can make suitable arrangements. Thank you. Richard Little, PVI President
Here's the original notice sent out last week:
"Mysterious Stone Chambers of New England"
Thurs., Feb 2nd, 7 pm. Sloan Theater, Greenfield Community College
This talk is by Jim Viera, stonemason. "Jim has been exploring local stone chambers for years now as a member of the Northeast Antiquities Research Association, which has studied these structures for some 60 years. He will describe the stone ceremonial landscape of New England, carbon dating evidence and historical texts. His slides document local sites and others in New England, and he will discuss what they represent and who may have built them." (PVI Brochure)
This talk is sponsored by the Pioneer Valley Institute, a multi-disciplinary educational program based at GCC. All the Spring PVI programs can be found on this GCC web site http://web.gcc.mass.edu/pvi/ Interesting!
(This message is going out to my "local geo" email list. Reply "remove" if you wish.)
Additional programs which may be of interest to our members
Focus on Feeders Weekend is Here!
February 4th and 5th, 2012
Take part in the fun of discovering the variety and
number of birds dining in backyards across Massachusetts!
Participating in Focus on Feeders is easy:
- Count the highest number of each bird species seen together in your backyard and feeders at any one time.
- Report your observations on our online report form.
- Or, record your observations on an official Focus on Feeders Report Form and mail your report form to Mass Audubon.
Ask your friends and neighbors to join the fun! The more data we collect, the more we know about the winter birds of Massachusetts.
PLUS - everyone who reports their bird sightings will be entered in a drawing to win prizes, including Mass Audubon baseball caps and more!
Get your camera ready!
Focus on Feeders will once again include a photo contest, and we will award prizes in several categories for wildlife photographs submitted with bird observations.
New this year: All photos will be entered online starting February 4. Check out details on how to enter!
Thank you for your help!
View previous years results and winning photos.
| |
|
|
Mass Audubon
208 South Great Road
Lincoln, MA 01773
781-259-9500 / 800-AUDUBON
http://www.massaudubon.org/
Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust to Host Free Wildlife Tracking Workshop
Skyfields Arboretum, Athol—Veteran local tracker and naturalist Paul Wanta will lead a morning walk through the trails and woods around Skyfields, headquarters of the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, looking for tracks and signs of New England wildlife. The walk, which will be held Saturday, February 11th, from 9am until Noon, is free and open to trackers of all ages and levels of skill.
Paul Wanta, former teacher/naturalist at the Farm School in Athol, has been a tracker for twenty five years. He and his wife Heather ran an educational non-profit: In This Place, in Wendell. The workshop will be limited to 25 participants based on order of pre-registration. To register or for directions please call or email David Kotker at (978) 248-2055 X19 or kot...@mountgrace.org
North Quabbin Garden Club
Thursday, February 17, 2012 7 p.m.
Millers River Environmental Center
100 Main Street, Athol, MA 01331
Travel to England and the Chelsea Flower Show
North Quabbin Garden Club member Debbie Kent will take us on a pictorial trip to London and the Cotswolds during our meeting on Thursday, February 17th at 7:00 p.m. Featuring her day at the Chelsea Flower Show, England's finest show of the Royal Horticultural Society, Debbie is sure to engage us with thoughts of spring. We'll also be introduced to small towns of the Cotswolds as well as Bleinham, Warwick and Windsor castles. The "Royals" may not appear, however, we can enjoy their beautiful gardens in the height of spring.
An affiliate of the Millers River Environmental Center in Athol, the North Quabbin Garden Club formed in 2006 to encourage interest in all phases of home gardening. With efforts to promote better horticultural practices and foster civic beauty, emphasis is placed on use of native plants, organic gardening, and the conservation of natural resources. Monthly meetings are usually held on the third Thursday evening of each month featuring informative speakers or workshop sessions. Members are currently working on a wildlife habitat garden at the Millers River Environmental Center and planning their annual spring sale of perennial plants and specialty items. Guests and new members are always welcome, so join us this month and learn something new about gardening. Meetings are free to members and guests are asked for a donation.
North Quabbin Food Forum Cultivates Real Skills and Strong Communities
Event Name: Third Annual North Quabbin Food Forum
Date and Time: Saturday February 25, 10am to 3.30PM
Location: Orange Innovation Center, 131 West Main Street, Orange MA 3rd Floor (elevator accessible)
Contact Info: Seeds of Solidarity, for more info or to request a flyer:
d...@seedsofsolidarity.org 978-544-9023
Admission: Free, priority to those who live or work in the North Quabbin region. No pre-registration. Capacity limited to 60, first come basis. Attendees asked to stay the whole day.
Seeds of Solidarity Education Center presents the Third Annual North Quabbin Food Forum, Saturday February 25th, 10am-3.30PM at the Orange Innovation Center, 131 W. Main St, Orange. This day of workshops and conversation unites North Quabbin residents to gain practical skills and share ideas towards food resiliency and strong communities. Fresh healthy food for all, and our ability to survive and thrive in tough times depend on sharing skills that nourish our lives, families, and communities. Food Forum workshop presenters- farmers, gardeners and food enthusiasts- are all residents of North Quabbin towns, volunteering to share their incredible knowledge and experience.
The event is free, with priority to those who live or work in the North Quabbin Region, and is geared towards adults and interested teens. There is no pre-registration but capacity is limited to 60, first come basis. A full house is expected, so those interested are asked to arrive by 10am and to plan to stay until 3.30PM. Coffee, tea, baked goods will be available for purchase in the morning from the Bohemian Kitchen or Maple Grove Farmhouse Bakery in the Orange Innovation Center. Please bring a potluck dish or beverage to share for lunch, that doesn’t need to be heated and if possible includes a local ingredient. Bring your own utensil if you can, but compostable plates and forks will be provided too.
Whether you are new to raising food or experienced, there is something for everyone. In the morning, participants will choose from an assortment of great workshops: Learn about Backyard Sugaring with Dan Leahy, Raising Chickens or Turkey with Annie Diemand, Garden Design and Planning with Sally Kleinfeldt, Fostering Soil and Pasture Health with Rachel and Bruce Scherer, or Ceremony for Honoring your Land with Joseph Cayoni Johns and Ricky Baruc. After a potluck lunch and conversation, participants can wander downstairs to tour the North Quabbin’s very own food co-op in the Orange Innovation Center, then enjoy a “Grow Food Everywhere” presentation from Seeds of Solidarity staff on using raised beds with mini-hoophouses to extend your gardening to three seasons. The afternoon offers another set of fabulous workshops by North Quabbin farmers and gardeners from which to choose: learn the joys of Worm Composting at Home with Catherine Bryars, Cultivating and Foraging for mushrooms with Sue Paquet, Growing Greens and Green Smoothies with Rachel Gonzalez, or Growing and Storing Root Crops to make your winters delicious with David Locksmith and Kathleen Geary. After the workshops, participants will close with more ideas for action to transform and nourish our communities towards healthy and food vibrant places for all. Those who stay all day and take advantage of the wealth of information and community building might even win a prize in the raffle!
The Food Forum is an event of Seeds of Solidarity, a non-profit organization in Orange MA, with support from the Orange Innovation Center via their generous contribution of a beautiful space, and all the community members sharing their time and skills to provide workshops. For an event flyer or other questions contact Deb Habib at 978-544-9023 or d...@seedsofsolidarity.org
Nature Drawing and Painting at Petersham Craft Center
Internationally recognized wildlife artist, Barry Van Dusen, who resides in central Massachusetts, will present a program at the Petersham Craft Center to help participants learn how to capture the artistry of the natural world. The day long workshop will be held on Sunday, February 25, from 10AM to 4PM.
In this full day workshop, Barry will share his philosophies and approaches, showing how he uses a regular program of field sketching to explore and record his impressions of the natural world. Participants will learn how to develop what Barry calls the Art of Seeing – starting with warm-up exercises to develop hand-eye coordination, and moving on to valuable contour drawing techniques and memory drawing skills.
Working in realms of tone and color, students will learn the basics of handling watercolors, with a full discussion of materials. Hands-on exercises will help develop brush-handling skills, value control and color mixing/glazing techniques. Barry will show how his field work is used later in the studio to create larger, more complex watercolor paintings and illustrations.
Barry’s art has appeared in Bird Watcher’s Digest, Birding, and Yankee magazines, as well as in a variety of history books and pocket guides for the Massachusetts Audubon Society. In 1994 Barry was elected a full member of London’s Society of Wildlife Artists. His work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the U.S. and Europe. He has traveled to Spain, Ireland, England, Israel, and Peru, working alongside other wildlife artists to raise money for conservation of threatened habitats.
The art of drawing has been used for centuries to learn about and form a deeper connection with nature. Artists and nature lovers of all skill levels are welcome. The class is $85 for nonmembers and $70 for members. A list of required materials will be available for participants. Call the Petersham Craft Center at 978-724-3415. The Craft Center is located at 8 North Street, just off Route 32, near Petersham Common.
Mass Audubon's 20th annual Birders Meeting will take place Saturday, March 3, at Bentley University in Waltham. The program, BIRDS, BALEEN, and 20 YEARS of MARINE CONSERVATION, will be co-hosted by the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, an organization also celebrating a 20th anniversary.
The all-day event will feature outstanding plenary presentations by well-known ornithologists and scientists Dr. STEVEN KRESS, best known for his efforts to successfully re-establish Atlantic Puffins to the Gulf of Maine; DEBI SHEARWATER, founder of the popular Shearwater Journeys, Inc. tour company; Dr. DAVID WILEY, scientist at Stellwagen Bank Marine Sanctuary highly acclaimed for his underwater studies of humpback whale foraging behavior; and SHAWN CAREY and JIM GRADY of Migration Productions, professional nature photographers and videographers who will premiere their latest video presentation on shorebirds.
Other speakers will include ANNE-MARIE RUNFOLA, Volunteer Coordinator for NOAA/Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary; Dr. JULIE C. ELLIS, seabird expert and professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University; BRIAN HARRINGTON, retired shorebird biologist at the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences and authority on the Red Knot; and JOAN WALSH, Director of Bird Monitoring at Mass Audubon and Coordinator of the Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas 2.
Attendance at the Birders Meeting will include lunch, access to a variety of quality vendors, and the opportunity to take a chance on a variety of tempting raffle items and silent auction offerings. To register online or to get more information visit: www.massaudubon.org/birdersmeeting Hunt's Photo and Video will take the lead in sponsoring this not to be missed event!
Wayne R. Petersen, Director
Massachusetts Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program Mass Audubon
208 South Great Road
Lincoln, MA 01773
Protecting the Nature of Massachusetts
Please let us know if folks are interested in carpooling to this event
da...@dhsmall.net
Dave Small
president
Athol Bird and Nature Club
Millers River Environmental Center
100 Main Street Athol Ma 01331
