Author Archives: Hillary T.

About Hillary T.

Where: Mass Audubon Headquarters, Lincoln Who: Massachusetts transplant by way of Florida and New York. Raising two young girls, who she hopes will be budding naturalists Favorite part of the job: Learning something new every day from some of the smartest and most enthusiastic groups of people

From a “Mom Whose Son is Flying High”

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Hillary T.

North River Accessible TrailOne of our goals here at Mass Audubon is to make nature accessible for everyone. The public facilities at most of our staffed wildlife sanctuaries are already universally accessible and we have many accessible trails.

So you can imagine our delight when our president, Henry Tepper, received the following email from Kerri Nagle in regards to an experience she recently had with her son. She graciously agreed to let us share her thoughts.

—– 

I am writing this email to say thank you. Thanks to you and your organization, my 10 year old son who has CP [Cerebral palsy], is in a wheelchair, but is extremely intelligent, can enjoy life like never before!!! This may sound dramatic but it’s not, he has just started bird watching and we took him to North River and Daniel Webster in Marshfield and because of your amazing kindness, he was able in his special stroller to hit all the trails!!!!!!!

The paths , the wooden bridges, are amazing!!! To think these where right under our noses is incredible, we have had an amazing week discovering all they have to offer, and we joined as a family today once we determined that Declan could benefit, which he can!!!

To say the trails are magical is so so true!!!

You have made a difference in the life of a young boy who wants nothing more than to enjoy life like you and I do. Please let me know what other sites are as accessible, because we have a whole summer coming up where we can explore them all, we live on the south shore of Boston so we can start down here.

So again , thank you!!!

I wanted to make sure you knew how truly amazing they are!!!

Kind regards,
A mom whose son is flying high
Kerri Nagle

—

Learn more about our efforts to make nature (and Mass Audubon) more accessible for all to enjoy, including a list of accessible and multi-sensory interpretive trails.

Tick Check? Check

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Hillary T.

Deer TickIt’s been a hot sticky summer so far. This may not be ideal whether for us humans, but the ticks are loving it.

And if there’s one thing you don’t want to bring home with you after a trip outdoors, it’s a deer tick. This pesky insect thrives in the summertime and is the primary culprit of Lyme disease in Massachusetts.

Types of Ticks

There are two types of ticks common in Massachusetts: the deer tick (I. scapularis) shown here and the dog tick. An adult deer tick is substantially smaller than the more common dog tick, however size is not always a useful indicator since an engorged tick can be several times the size of one that has not fed. It is far better to avoid ticks altogether than to attempt to differentiate between deer ticks and dog ticks.

How to Check for Ticks

The best way to reduce your chances of getting Lyme disease is to do a proper tick check after being outdoors (even if it’s just in your backyard). Here’s how:

Step 1: Scour your clothing. Ticks latch on to clothing from the top of low-lying vegetation, such as grass and shrubs, so pants are a good place to start. Once clothing is removed, throw it in the wash.

Step 2: Scour your body (or your kid’s body). Ticks like to hide in crevices. Be sure to look under the arms, behind and inside ears, around the hairline, through the scalp, behind knees, between toes, inside belly buttons, and around the waist.

Step 3: Take a warm shower or bath. This may help dislodge any ticks that haven’t yet attached. And also provides another opportunity to look for any stragglers.

Found a Tick?

If you discover an embedded tick, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to your skin’s surface as possible and pull straight out with steady, even pressure. If you wish to have it tested for Lyme, immediately place the tick in a sealable plastic bag.

Cleanse the bite area with rubbing alcohol and wash your hands with soap and water. Make a note of the date as well as the location on your body where the tick was discovered and call your doctor to determine next steps.

Our website provides more information on ticks and the diseases they carry as does the Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services.