Between Monsoons a lot of events to participate in.
Da...@dhsmall.net
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, 1:00 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 ,
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 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.
Sunday July 27, 2025, 1:00 pm in-person Dragonflies of the Ware River Watershed Sheila Carrol
Sunday August 3, 2025, 1:00 pm in-person Will Close – "4 Season Nature Journaling- a Series
Sunday August 10, 2025, 1:00 pm in-person (open) Stay tuned for program updates
Sunday August 17, 2025, 1:00 pm in-person (open)
Sunday August 24, 2025, 1:00 pm in-person (open)
Cliff Swallow colony in Rowe, MA: For Immediate action
Please send an email voicing your concern for the Cliff Swallows of Rowe, MA. Talking points are listed below. Please use the points but create your own message. Let’s try to save one of the last few Cliff Swallow colonies in the state.
Send the email to the following (send in to all recipients in one email):
town...@rowe-ma.gov admi...@rowe-ma.gov bo...@rowe-ma.gov bo...@rowe-ma.gov bo...@rowe-ma.gov
A significant and rare colony of Cliff Swallows nests on the Rowe town hall in Rowe, MA, where artificial clay nests are installed to prevent nests from falling, a common occurrence with the prevalence of painted barns today. The Rowe selectboard does not want the Cliff Swallows nesting on the town hall after 2025, and they are going to put structures under the eaves next year to prevent the birds from nesting there. A small group of birders has tried everything in our power to convince them not to do so and even tried to compromise. This year we didn't put any ceramic nests over the windows, and every year we take the ceramic nests down and clean them and put them up in spring on freshly painted boards so they look nice. We have explained that the swallows and their minimal droppings (which we hose down) outside the building are absolutely not a health threat. We have also conveyed that Cliff Swallows are a very rare species in MA; there are approximately 8 known colonies in the state.
The selectboard has requested that we "move" the colony to a nearby barn by putting the ceramic nests on that barn. We put 3 up on this barn and no pairs are using them. Mara Silver, who has worked on swallow conservation projects for 35 years, has explained that you can't just "move" them. The town hall is their preferred nesting site. They are so successful there that last year they arrived in late April and were done nesting and absent from the Town Hall by July 3--that is less than 10 weeks! Cliff Swallows are not a listed species in MA, but they are a Species of Greatest Conservation Need MassWildlife's State Wildlife Action Plan, and they are listed as Threatened just north of us in New Hampshire. The Rowe colony, with over ~30 pairs, is the second largest colony in the state and thus hosts a significant portion of the swallows nesting in the state. The MA state ornithologist has written a snail mail letter and email to the town to no avail. Many local residents and birdwatchers are against the elimination of this colony.
