Events Update
Dave Small
Athol Bird & Nature Club
Field Trips & Meetings 2013
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.
Scroll down for more special events around the region
Special Fundraising announcement: The Blind Pig, 98 Exchange Street in Athol, Has pledged to donate to the Athol Bird and Nature Club .25 cents for every glass of "Athol Ale" served in March and April. So if you're in town, have a great sandwich or other delicious meal add a cool glass of Athol Ale and help support our club.
A special thanks to the North Quabbin Trails Association for the many hours of hard work in making our Center look great! We look forward to collaborating the NQTA, North Quabbin Garden Club and the Millers River Watershed Council on projects and displays to make the Center a real destination in the North Quabbin.
Sunday, April 7, 7 a.m. “Early Bird” Birding with Jeff
Join Jeff here at the Center before heading out to explore the North Quabbin area for spring migrant birds. Come for as long as your schedule allows. Severe weather cancels. Info: Jeff Johnstone, 978-249-9052.
Tuesday, April 9, 8-10 a.m. Accessible Birding with Joe
Join Joe Superchi on the second Tuesday of the month in a search for birds at local sites. Open to birders of all abilities. Meet at the Center. Call ahead for wheelchair van access, 978-248-9491.
<<>>Wednesday, April 10, 7 p.m. Naturally Curious
Join us here at the Center for our regular meeting, when naturalist/photographer Mary Holland will share her passion for the flora, fauna, and landscapes of New England with a presentation and display of her natural artifacts collection. Holland is the author of Naturally Curious: A Photographic Field Guide and Month-by-Month Journey through the Fields, Woods, and Marshes of New England, copies of which will be available for purchase.
Sunday, April 14, 7 a.m. “Early Bird” Birding with Jeff
Join Jeff here at the Center before heading out to explore the North Quabbin area for spring migrant birds. Come for as long as your schedule allows. Severe weather cancels. Info: Jeff Johnstone, 978-249-9052.
Monday, April 15. 6 p.m. Potluck & Skydance
We will join our MREC partners, the North Quabbin Trails Association, for their monthly pot luck supper here at the Center followed by a visit to Cass Meadow at sunset to witness the mating ritual of the woodcock. Bring a dish to share and your own drink. Info: Bob Curley, atph...@yahoo.com.
Sunday, April 21, 7 a.m. “Early Bird” Birding with Jeff
Join Jeff here at the Center before heading out to explore the North Quabbin area for spring migrant birds. Come for as long as your schedule allows. Severe weather cancels. Info: Jeff Johnstone, 978-249-9052.
Saturday, April 27, 6 a.m. Warblers at Mount Auburn
Visit this beautiful historic cemetery, a famous spring hotspot for migrating songbirds. Meet at the Center for carpooling at 6 a.m. or let us know if you wish to meet us at the gate of the cemetery at 7:30 a.m. If time allows, we’ll also visit the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Bring snacks or a lunch, and water. Info: Joan or Larry Duprey, 978-249-4964.
Sunday, April 28, 7 a.m. “Early Bird” Birding with Jeff
Join Jeff here at the Center before heading out to explore the North Quabbin area for spring migrant birds. Come for as long as your schedule allows. Severe weather cancels. Info: Jeff
Thursday April 4th Native Bees and Pollinators with Tom Sullivan
Orange Innovation Center – 131 West Main Street, Orange
Native Bee expert Tom Sullivan will speak about the importance of native bees and other pollinators in sustaining our agricultural and natural systems. He will discuss native bee habitat needs, including forage and nesting requirements, the threats they face, and human practices that can ensure they survive and potentially thrive. Tom will give you the tools and the inspiration to help increase native bee population so that we can rely on them to pollinate flowering plants. This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP with Willa Caughey at outreach_...@mountgrace.org or at (978) 248-2055 x24.
MassWildlife News
Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Wayne F. MacCallum, Director
Phone: (508) 389-6300, Fax: (508) 389-7890, Email: Mass.W...@state.ma.us
Visit our Website! www.mass.gov/masswildlife
NEW SPRING EAGLE COUNT April 5, 2013
Eagle and other wildlife enthusiasts are asked to save April 5, 2013 to participate in a new statewide spring eagle count. This effort will include a concentrated survey of the major rivers, lakes, and reservoirs across the Commonwealth. Organized by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) the survey will be conducted by agency staff and volunteers. Teams will be checking known eagle territories and exploring areas with potential eagle habitat to try to locate “new” eagle nests. If inclement weather prevents the survey on April 5, the backup date is April 12, 2013. Additionally, the Division encourages anyone to submit eagle sightings throughout the year by email to natural....@state.ma.usor by postal service to “Eagle Survey”, MassWildlife, Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, 100 Hartwell Street, Suite 230, West Boylston, MA 01583.
The new spring Bald Eagle Survey will replace the Division’s long-standing Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey. “Although MassWildlife has participated in the winter eagle surveys for over 30 years, the federally administered Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey was designed to monitor the North American population of Bald Eagles,” said Andrew Vitz, State Ornithologist. “Now that Bald Eagle numbers have greatly increased and have been removed from the Federal Endangered Species List, the need to monitor nationwide populations has been reduced. At the same time, as the number of eagles has increased across the Commonwealth and a spring eagle count meets the Division’s need to more closely monitor eagle breeding status and distribution in Massachusetts.”
April Events - Millers River Watershed Council 
MRWC “River Verses Poetry Event”: Let the creative verses flow this spring! a Come join us for poetry night April 5th to hear winning poems recited. We will share in verse what makes the rivers and streams of our watershed a special joy and wonder. You’re a poet and we know it! At MREC in Athol, doors open at 6:45 PM. MRWC will also present 2013 Watershed event information.
Stream Continuity/Culvert Survey Project: Survey Training April 6th @ MREC Athol. MRWC is partnering with Millers River TU to survey the condition of culverts at stream crossings across the watershed. Failing culverts restrict fish and small wildlife passage and risk road wash-outs. The ongoing survey will identify and help prioritize where improvements are needed. We need volunteers for 1-3 Saturdays and team leaders for the April 6th training. Contact wate...@millersriver.net about this effort. Training starts at 9 AM.
Trib Watch is a volunteer monitoring program that seeks to broaden the baseline information on the health and water quality (WQ) of streams throughout the Millers Watershed. MRWC will conduct a number of sampling approaches, and for each; Volunteers will be needed to help collect the data. Which type of sampling interests you? contact us.
Program components:
1. Macro-invertebrates: Bugs
Volunteer screening program using aquatic insects as water quality indicators
Bugs Identify if stream has good health & supports WQ sensitive bugs
2. Stream Temperatures
Phase1 in 2013: use digital/spirit thermometers, weekly checks.
Begin long term baseline (climate warming & CWF review)
3. Stream Flow
Establish basic gage system at fixed point.Weekly visit to check flow (& temp)
Long term baseline info.May provide early indicator of changing stream conditions
4. Stream Continuity – culverts
Survey culverts per UMass protocols and record data. Form volunteer survey teams, 2-3 people
Identify stream sites needing continuity improvements. Bad Culvert design/conditions restrict wildlife stream migration. List of culverts needing improvements can help with planning
Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary
30 Peck Road
Monson, Massachusetts 01057
Phone / Fax:(413) 267-9654
Vernal Pools for Educators
Saturday, April 6, 2013
9:00am – 2:00pm
This workshop is for teachers who are interested in bringing vernal pool studies into their classrooms. You don’t have to be a science teacher!
In this workshop we will learn about the ecology of a vernal pool and how to identify the animals and plants that you will find in them, including a diverse array of invertebrates . You will discover a variety of interdisciplinary activities which tie vernal pool studies to State Frameworks and learn the locations of vernal pools in your community so you and your class can study them. We will even take a short walk to see a vernal pool at the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary (weather permitting).
Workshop Leaders: Leo Kenney (Vernal Pool Association) and Matt Burne (Walden Woods Project).
Workshop is free, lunch is included and space is limited! To reserve your place, e-mail Jennifer at oh...@norcrossws.org
Petersham Craft Center
Award winning photographer, Gail Hansche Godin, will visit the Petersham Art Center for a two-part program on using creative digital photo-shopping techniques. The classes will be held on Saturday, April 13, and Saturday, April 20, from 9AM-12 Noon. The Photoshop Elements program will be the basis of the instruction, but the ideas reviewed would be useful for anyone. Beginning to experienced photographers will benefit from the class to learn how to create any imaginable work, from funny and whimsical to the classically beautiful.
Gail will begin the first part of the program by demonstrating image enhancement by adjusting lighting, color and clarity. She will discuss the use of proper work flow and how to use short cuts to speed up the work. Function of tools, using layers, burning (darkening) and dodging (lightening) areas of a photo, removing unwanted areas of a photo, cloning from one image to another (adding images), filters, and converting to black and white will be some of the discussion points. For the second day of the program, participants come back to the class with questions from practicing assignments from the first program.
The classes will be tailored to the level and needs of each individual participant.
Gail is a well-regarded teacher and artist who has won numerous awards in international photography competitions. She has had her photographs published in National Wildlife, Massachusetts Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy and Massachusetts Audubon Connections magazines. She is especially passionate about advocating for preservation of our wildlife treasures and natural heritage through photographic art.
The two-part class is $30 for members and $45 for nonmembers. There are no computers provided but the instructor will demonstrate on her own computer, or participants may bring their own computers. Call the Petersham Art Center at 978-724-3415 to register or for more information. The Art Center is located at 8 North St, just off Rt. 32, near the Petersham Common.
American Chestnut Foundation (ACF) and restoration program
being introduced/led by the ERS staff and students
Date: April 20th, 2013
Time: 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Cost: FREE
Taught by: Vice President of the ACF MA/RI Chapter; Lois Breault-Melican
This class is introducing the ERS's new involvement of preserving New England's lost species of the American Chestnut. Due to a major airborne fungal blight the American Chestnut has dropped population to a point where there is very few trees that even come to fruition. This will be explained in detail at the talk. The ERS is receiving some trees to aid in this cause and will be planted on this day and monitored thereafter by Daniel Larrabee and his team. You may visit their website for more information: http://masschestnut.org/index.php. Matt Waldrip (See Class Below: Delineating Wetland Species) will briefly discuss the characteristics that make up wetlands and the values they provide to society (e.g. 8 interests of the Massachusetts Wetland Protection Act). We will follow up with discussing on how human development and landscape alteration have led to wetland degradation and in turn has had a direct influence on the values wetlands provided for people and wildlife. We are hoping to have a talk concerning the Emerald Ash Borer and the Japanese Longhorn Beetle and hopefully a discussion about invasive plant and endangered and threatened species. We will keep you posted. All are welcome to participate in the assistance of protecting our native trees and plants. We will be having a much larger class than normal, but space is still limited. A free 2013 membership for all attending.
Dave Small
president
Athol Bird and Nature Club
Millers River Environmental Center
100 Main Street Athol Ma 01331
