Monthly Archives: October 2022

Five Environmental Fellows stand in a line smiling with green leaves in the background.

Meet the Environmental Fellows

Posted on October 26, 2022 by Mass Audubon

Mass Audubon’s Environmental Fellowship Program offers a 14-month position to recent graduates launching their careers. In its inaugural year, Mass Audubon welcomed five fellows.

Five Environmental Fellows stand in a line smiling with green leaves in the background.
Environmental Fellows 2022-2023

Each fellow in the cohort is based in a different Mass Audubon department, but they still see each other often for fellowship workshops and experiences out in nature. Their role at Mass Audubon is two-fold: They are here to gain experience and develop skills that will help advance their careers, and they are also here to contribute their talents to advancing Mass Audubon’s work to protect the nature of Massachusetts. 

“It’s been so fulfilling to work with the fellows,” said Aisha Farley, the early career programs manager. “Each of them brings a well-considered perspective to their work, which is impressive to see from folks so early in their careers.” 

Jovan Bryan, Land Conservation Fellow 

Jovan is wearing a maroon shirt and smiling with trees in the background.
Jovan Bryan

Jovan (he/him) earned his degree in environmental science from UMass Lowell. His studies included minors in climate change and sustainability, as well as architectural studies. He enjoys biking, hiking, laying out in the sun with a cool breeze, and watching movies with his family. His relationship with nature is just as important and personal to him as his relationships with people.

The opportunity to engage with the environment and communities alike through land conservation is what drew him to Mass Audubon. As he builds the skills necessary to create more connections between people and nature during his fellowship, Jovan’s hope is to spread a message of understanding and respect for one another and for the natural world. 

Anna Cass, Marketing & Communications Fellow 

Anna is wearing a blue sweater and glasses, smiling with trees in the background.
Anna Cass

Anna (she/her) graduated from Brandeis University with a degree in public health, public policy, and socially transformative arts. She spent the last few years working in communications for a disability policy research institute, focusing on inclusive communications and improving the reach of impactful, intersectional research.

Anna will soon complete a Master of Science in digital marketing and design. When she’s not at work, you’ll find her painting, taking photos in nature, or tending to a menagerie of house plants.  

Isabela Chachapoyas Ortiz, Policy & Advocacy Fellow 

Isabela wearing a black shirt, smiling with green leaves in the background.
Isabela Chachapoyas Ortiz

Isabela (she/her) graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a degree in environmental and sustainability studies and has been involved in coalition work with several environmental organizations.

She especially enjoys working with youth and focusing on policy for environment-related issues, specifically environmental justice and Indigenous justice. Some of her hobbies include going on hikes, playing soccer, watching shows, and singing. 

Amara Chittenden, Conservation Science Fellow 

Amara wearing a color-blocked button down, smiling with trees in the background.
Amara Chittenden

Amara (she/they) graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in biological sciences. While there, she had the opportunity to research organisms from harvester ants to humpback whales. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new trails, making art out of stained glass, and playing guitar.

After working in labs testing for diseases like COVID-19, she is excited to pivot back to her passion in the environmental field and immerse herself in a team of seasoned professionals who can speak to a variety of career paths in conservation science. 

Isabella Guerero, Environmental Education Fellow 

Isabella wearing a red sweater, smiling with green leaves in the background.
Isabella Guerero

Isabella (she/her/any) graduated from Lesley University with a degree in biology, with a special interest in botany and natural history. She enjoys observing wildlife camera trap data and advocating for food justice and environmental opportunities for underrepresented communities.

In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, reading, and hanging out with her backyard chickens in her home garden. She is excited to work in education, learn from the other fellows and Mass Audubon staff, and become a voice in the environmental science world. 

About the Environmental Fellowship Program

Mass Audubon created the Environmental Fellowship Program to expand early career opportunities for young professionals with identities that have been historically underrepresented in the environmental and conservation fields.

To apply to the program, learn more, or support the program, visit massaudubon.org/efp. 

Post by Anna Cass

Fall Birding Hotspots

Posted on October 17, 2022 by Kaylin D.

When the heat of summer fades in October, the crispness of fall is a signal to birders to get outdoors and search for fall migratory birds. Don’t know where to start? Check out these birding hotspots at some of our Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries. 

Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, Marshfield 

This unique habitat attracts birders wanting to observe and appreciate a wide variety of bird species. Gone are the breeding Bobolinks that are major contributors to the allure of the sanctuary in summer, but now raptors like Northern Harriers take advantage of flourishing populations of Meadow Voles at Daniel Webster that scurry about in the grasslands. These rodents are the perfect prey for numerous raptors because they don’t hibernate or store food like most other rodents, leaving them exposed during their daytime activities.

Other predators like a Great Horned Owl wait until dusk to prepare for its next hunt. For a chance to hear their deep hoo-hoo calls and possibly even see one, walk along the Secret Trail and look through the groves of Red Maples, Gray Birches, and Red Cedars. 

Great Horned Owl © Scott Creamer

Head to Fox Hill Trail for a glimpse of the Green Harbor River and the occasionally flooded fields, where wintering freshwater ducks often congregate, including Green-winged Teal, pintail, Gadwall, wigeon, shoveler, Mallard, and Wood ducks.  

Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, Lincoln 

Migrating birds are hungry birds, and what better place to refuel than in a crop field? At Drumlin Farm, fall is a wonderful time to search between the rows of vegetables or scan the shrubby field edges for sparrows while also keeping an eye on the sky for raptors like Red-tailed Hawks and Sharp-shinned or Cooper’s hawks.  

Bird standing in a meadow.
American Pipit

While you most likely see common species such as crows, American Robins, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Bluebirds, and American Goldfinches, there is also always a chance you might spot something special like American Pipits. These small, slim birds with white outer tail feathers, a brownish back, and white underparts with brown streaks on their breast can be found in almost any type of open ground habitat. If you spot one searching for food, you’ll notice that it often pumps its tail while trying to find insects and seeds. 

Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, Princeton 

During the fall and winter, a variety of sparrows can be found at Wachusett Meadow. Before going on the trails, stop by the feeders near the Visitor Center to look for White-crowned, White-throated, Chipping, American Tree, Song, or Fox sparrows. With patience and persistence, both Lincoln’s and Swamp sparrows can often be found along the edges of the South Meadow Trail. 

Bird sitting on top of a plant.
Lincoln’s Sparrow © Kevin Bourinot

The Lincoln’s Sparrow can most easily be differentiated from other sparrows by the fine streaking on the buffy breast. When its crown feathers are raised, a Lincoln’s Sparrow’s head appears to have a slight crest. Keep your eyes towards the ground to find them foraging, usually not far from a woody edge where they quickly fly for protection when startled. 

Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox 

From a central point at Pike’s Pond at the Pleasant Valley, many fall migrants often sift through the young forest and wetlands along the edges of the pond. One of the best places to spot birds is from the parking lot, which offers plenty of low shrubs in a nearby wetland where the birds frequently fly across the dirt parking lot to reach the next section of the wetland.  

Black-throated Green Warbler © Kim Nagy

A number of migrant warblers regularly pass through Pleasant Valley, including the Black-throated Green Warbler. These bright, yellow-faced warblers have a black throat that leads into their white underside and olive-green backside, but the ones visible in the fall are often immature and lack the black throat. They often mingle with flocks of other migrant and resident birds.  

Once you’ve checked out these locations, find your next birding spot at another Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary. Tag us in any photos you take on our Facebook and Instagram at @MassAudubon.