Events update, Lots happening and the Sun has made an appearance!
Da...@dhsmall.net
Athol Bird & Nature Club
Field Trips & Meetings 2025
http://www.atholbirdclub.org
Help Wanted
Many programs can use some extra help: June 7 Silver Lake event (10-Noon), Garlic and Arts volunteers both for working the ABNC 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 still be 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 need jut helping with our finances.
Da...@atholbirdclub.org
Field Trips in Brown Text – Indoor Meetings in Black Text
Saturday May 31, 2025, 11:30 AM “Living with Nature with Dave Small” Join 
Dave as he explores the changes in his Athol yard as invasive and undesirable plants are slowly replaced with native species and other projects designed to provide habitat for Birds, Butterflies, Moths, Dragonflies, Amphibians, and humans. See the progress made with a little effort in an average local 1-acre lot. Meet at Petersham Memorial Library, 30 Common Street Petersham Ma. @ 11:30 am. This program is free and open to all. Dave is the long time ABNC president and recently the Director of Conservation at MGLCT.
May 31 @ 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Harvard Forest - Public Event: Tree Identification Walk
Meet at the Fisher Museum 324 N. Main St Petersham, MA 01366
Come learn how to identify trees with Elodie, our Education Assistant! We will practice basic native tree ID through bark, twig, bug, and leaf while walking the trails at Harvard Forest. Not only will we become more familiar with the trees in our landscape, but we will also learn about the important research at Harvard Forest and what we are discovering about these different species. This will include a 1.5 mile level walk on open trails. Please email Elodie at ee...@fas.harvard.edu for any questions or accessibility needs. RSVP not required. This event will occur rain or shine; it will be canceled in the event of lightning/thunder. https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/event/tree-id-walk/
Sunday, June 1, 2025, 10 AM – noon Dragonfly Field Trip Eagle Reserve Conservation Area, Royalston – parking area for 
Birch Hill Wildlife Management Area (WMA) opposite 69 Winchendon Road, Royalston. Join Mount Grace’s Conservation Director (and ABNC president) Dave Small in search of early season dragonflies and butterflies starting at the Mount Grace Eagle Reserve Conservation Area. If you have them, please bring binoculars and a bug net! As time allows, we will include a look at the nearby Birch Hill WMA and Millers River. There are no facilities in the general area so please be self-contained with water, snacks, insect repellant, sunscreen, binoculars, camera, bug net, and shoes for wading in shallow water. To RSVP: Email dwyer-...@mountgrace.org Free, open to all, RSVP encouraged.
Saturday June 7th 7:30 AM Bird Walk with Jon Skinner. Part of the “Our Waters” Program at Silver Lake in Athol. Jon ABNC Board member Jon Skinner for a leisurely walk around Silver Lake looking for breeding birds.
Events Sponsored by the Athol Bird and Nature Club:
7:30 am Early Morning Guided Bird Walk with John Skinner
10 am Aquatic Invertebrate Workshop with Cathy Cszal Aquatic Entomologist
11 am Exploring Dragonflies/Damselflies with David Small
10 am -12 Fishing for beginners with Mass Wildlife & Fishing Guide Allan Butler: Learn to set up your rod, tie knots, cast, and identify fish. Family friendly, and open to all skill levels. Bring your own fishing equipment or borrow ours. Limited gear and bait will be available
11-1:00 ongoing Pickle Ball Clinic on the newly resurfaced Pickle Ball Court!
1:00 Fly Fishing with Millers River Trout Unlimited with demonstrations and lessen on how to cast, catch fish and what to use when.
1:30 Fire Dept. Water Rescue Demonstrations
2 :00 Dog Event American Hounds man will be here so you can see these hard working dogs!
2:30 Fisher Museum of Forestry; learn the importance of the trees and forest to all our waters.
3:00 Library Story Book Walk
For the most up to date information and times, please visit Athol’s Town Web Site Volunteers remain needed to assist at the day of the event. Donations of items for prizes are welcome as well! For more information about the Silver Lake: Our Waters Event and/or to sign up as a volunteer, please reach out to Eric R. Smith, Director of Planning and Development, via email at esm...@townofathol.org or via phone at (978) 721-8517.
The WARE RIVER NATURE CLUB newsletter for May 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_may_2025_newsletter.pdf
MassWildlife Spring Walks 2025
Saturday, June 7, 2025, 7 – 9 p.m. Join MassWildlife for an Evening Whip-poor-will Walk at Muddy Brook Wildlife Management Area Thanks to over 10 years of habitat restoration, you can experience the iconic song of the whip-poor-will firsthand. Birders of all experience levels are welcome. Participants should be prepared for a ~1.5 mile walk and dress for the weather and walking on uneven ground. Limited spots available. Register at : http://tinyurl.com/muddybrook25
DCR - Les and Terry Campbell Quabbin Visitor Center
Saturday, June 7 10am-1pm Exploring the Road to Dana Common 3.6 miles Moderate The old foundations, stone walls, and shade trees of Dana Common will transport you to the past as you explore Quabbin’s unique history. This 3.6 mile round-trip hike will introduce you to some of the notable residents of Dana as you discover what life was like in the Swift River Valley over a hundred years ago. Photos illustrating Quabbin’s past will bring Dana to life before your eyes.
Meet at Gate 40 on Rt 32A in Petersham. Please bring water and dress appropriately for the weather. All ages welcome. Dogs are not allowed. Register here: Saturday June 7, 10am – 1pm Exploring the Road to Dana Common
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 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.
Sunday July 6, 2025, 1:00 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 ,
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 July 30, August 3, 2025, 1:00 PM Join artist and Journalist Will Close for this series of natural history explorations at the Millers River Environmental Center. 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. Currently, Will resides in Concord, MA where he maintains an artistic studio practice and is an outdoor education instructor with the Carroll School located in Lincoln, MA. His passion for nature illustration, tracking and sharing it with others, has taken him from the spruce forests of Maine to the Ecuadorian Amazon. Most recently, he was the inaugural artist in residence with North Country Land Trust in North Central Massachusetts. Meet at 1:00 PM at the Millers River Environmental Center bring writing and drawing material and dress for the weather and prepared for an exploration of the Nearby Alan Rich Environmental Park and Millers River. Rain or shine all welcome.
Dave Small
978-413-1772 cell
