Summer is breaking - join us for some seasonal fun!
Da...@dhsmall.net
Athol Bird & Nature Club
Field Trips & Meetings 2025
http://www.atholbirdclub.org
Help Wanted
Many programs can use some extra help: Garlic and Arts volunteers both for working the ABNC Booth and volunteer time with the festival committee. We are looking for a new ABNC Treasurer – Jillian Whitney is asking to be replaced as treasurer and will remain an active board member. If you or someone you know would be interested in assisting us in this volunteer opportunity please let us know. No Natural history skills needed just helping with our finances.
Da...@atholbirdclub.org
Field Trips in Brown Text – Indoor Meetings in Black Text
Birding Walk with Mount Grace
Saturday, June 14, 2025, 7 AM – 9 AM Join us at Guiney Memorial Forest in Royalston for a birding walk that’ll be 
suitable for beginners and seasoned birders. We’ll take a walk-through the areas that were managed for bird habitat last year. The focus of the walk will be on looking for nesting behavior to see which bird species are using the newly created habitat.
Hike Details: We’ll be hiking over woody debris on logging roads, there will not be any groomed trails. The walk will be about a mile in length. To RSVP: Please email May at grzyb...@mountgrace.org.
A call for birding volunteers! Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust is seeking the support of birding volunteers to visit Guiney Memorial Forest in Royalston, MA. Our conservation area is undergoing habitat restoration and management work focused on supporting birds. Volunteers will help us gather information on bird diversity in the area by using eBird. If interested, please contact May at grzyb...@mountgrace.org.
June 20th at 9:30 am join the North Central Mass. Nature journal club to explore the Wampanoag trail in Gardner on June 20th at 9:30 am. We will be focusing on birds so bring binoculars. If you have any questions or would like to join us email Trina at thewa...@gardnerale.com, for directions and in case of schedule changes due to weather. Free, open to all.
The WARE RIVER NATURE CLUB newsletter for June is available with the link below.
It can also be accessed by copying and pasting this link into your browser:
https://www.warerivernatureclub.org/uploads/4/4/1/6/44166651/wrnc_june_newsletter_2025.pdf
Sunday July 6, 2025, 1:30 pm in-person Join Linda and Ernie Leblanc at “The New England equestrian center of Athol is a 250-acre municipal equestrian park located at 802 New Sherburn Road in Athol. There are several 
multi-use trails winding through the parks pine/hemlock/oak forest, a vernal pond, meadow, and more. We'll be walking the forested “Join Up Trail” which has been enhanced with the addition of Chrissy Dorn’s beautiful artwork in the form of 20 original native plant identification signs throughout the trail. Although parts of the park may also be explored depending on the interests of the group. Linda will share her love and knowledge of Natural History of NEECA as you walk along the parks well maintained trails. Meet at 1:30 PM at the spectator parking area. There are clear signs directing one into the park and to that parking area. Bring insect spray and sun hat, and water if you like. To learn more about NEECA check on the website https://www.neeca.org ,
Saturday, July 12 · 10am - 1pm EDT Drawing through the Microscope ($75 fee) In this workshop, we will use 
graphite pencil, ink pen, and color pencil to learn accurate drawing techniques for microscopic images. Microscope is 8x to 320x and we will capture your images with photos and work from those. We will have a wide array of natural materials to choose from including botany slides, insect wings, seeds, mushroom spores, etc. You might want to explore Brooks Woodland Preserve across the street before the workshop, to collect biological materials to draw. Parking for the workshop is available along the roadside across the street on East Street, and along Oliver Street. No previous experience required, and all materials provided. Just bring your curiosity! Instructor Nancy Lowe is an artist, naturalist and educator.
Sunday July 13, 2025, 1:00 pm in-person Sunday Open House A close look at Pond Life - Aquatic biologist Cathy Szal 
and Katrina Walton Aquatic biologist Cathy Szal and science teacher Katrina Walton will offer a hands-on exploration of pond life. There will be a brief introduction to ponds and different types of pond life. They will bring in live aquatic invertebrates, plankton samples and aquatic vegetation. There will be microscope tables with both compound and dissecting scopes for visitors to observe microscopic pond life and aquatic vegetation. There will be pans of live aquatic invertebrates and magnifying glasses. They will also have drawing materials for nature journaling.
Sunday 1:00 pm July 20, 2025, in-person (Will Close – "4 Season Nature Journaling- a Series" Will Close is an artist, designer, educator, and wildlife tracker who specializes in the intersection of nature, art, design, and teaching. He holds a degree in Fine Art Painting from Massachusetts College of Art and Design and studied wildlife track and sign under Dan Gardoqui and Daniel Hansche. Bring your sketch pad, pencils, and a portable chair for comfortable drawing in the field.
Sunday August 3, 2025, 1:00 PM , in-person Junior Duck Stamp open house -Please join us in celebrating the 2025 Junior Duck Stamp Artists on Sunday August 3, 2025, between the hours of 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. at the Millers River Environmental Education Center, 100 Main Street, Athol, MA. The MREC is wheelchair accessible. No RSVP required.
Attend this open house to leisurely enjoy the artwork of students in grades K-12. Take some time to meet other student artists, educators, and guests. In addition to the artwork, you are invited to enjoy the natural history exhibits, native pollinator gardens, and the adjacent Alan Rich Environmental Park. Lite refreshments will be offered.
The intention of the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation through the Arts Program is for students to communicate visually what they have learned about waterfowl, habitat, and wetland conservation by creating and submitting artwork of a native North American duck, goose, or swan. In Massachusetts, the Junior Duck Stamp Program is sponsored by MassWildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with support from the Massachusetts Sportsmen’s Council.
Sunday July 27, 2025, 1:00 pm in-person Dragonflies of the Ware River Watershed Sheila Carrol. Stay tuned this program is part of the Northeast Chapter of the Dragonfly Society of the Americas regional meeting to be held at MREC. Watch for additional details.
Wednesday 7:00 pm September 10th, The Impact of Rodenticides on Wildlife in New England.
A zoom presentation with Stephanie Ellis and Laura Kiesel. Hawks, owls, eagles, foxes and other predators are highly effective at keeping rodent populations in check and ecosystems in balance. But the increased use of rodenticides, particularly second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, poses a growing threat to wildlife. These highly toxic and persistent pesticides are having a wide-ranging impact on predator and prey species in both urban and rural environments, sickening and killing non target species and becoming widespread in the wildlife food web. Several states have introduced legislation to restrict or ban anticoagulant rodenticides, and some municipalities in Massachusetts have successfully worked to pass regulations restricting or prohibiting their use.
Stephanie Ellis, wildlife rehabilitator and Director of Wild Care, Inc. in Eastham, and Laura Kiesel, journalist and founder of Save Arlington Wildlife and the nonprofit Save Massachusetts Wildlife, will lead a discussion around the reasons behind the rise of the use of anticoagulant rodenticides, how they are impacting wildlife, and how citizens can advocate for safer and more effective alternatives to rodent poisons in their communities.
Dave Small
978-413-1772
Athol Bird and Nature Club
Millers River Environmental Center
100 Main Street, Athol Ma 01331
The Environmental Center is now open by appointment and available for use by our partners
