Author Archives: Kaylin D.

What To Know About Going Solar

Posted on April 26, 2022 by Kaylin D.

From charging your phone to heating your home, energy powers your life. Unfortunately, not every energy resource is sustainable. Currently, many people rely on fossil fuels for most of their energy needs. Fossil fuels are finite resources—such as coal, oil, and natural gas—found in the earth and release excess greenhouse gases into the atmosphere – the root of climate change.  

Solar energy, on the other hand, is cleaner and limitless. If you are interested in going green, solar panels may be a great addition to your home. Here are the basics you need to know. 

Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

How do solar panels work? 

As you drive through your town, you may see solar panels on the roof of someone’s home. These solar panels, or photovoltaic cells, rely on sunlight to create a microscopic reaction that separates electrons from the atom. This separation results in an electrical current that we can harness and use. Even when the sun isn’t shining, power is generated by an electric grid connected to the module. 

Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary

What to consider before getting solar panels 

There are a couple of factors you need to consider before installing any solar panels on your home, including location and orientation to the sun. Solar panels should be placed in a location with plenty of direct sunlight and free of any trees or buildings that could block the sun’s rays. For houses in the Northern Hemisphere, it is optimal for solar panels to face south.  

Once you confirm that your home is suitable for solar panels, you must decide what type and number of panels to install. A solar photovoltaic (PV) module can be installed on your roof or mounted on the ground. 

Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary

Buying versus leasing solar panels 

While both buying and renting solar panels are cost-effective green solutions to powering your home, there are different advantages to both options. When you buy solar panels, they can increase your home’s value and save you more in your monthly energy costs. On the other hand, upfront costs for solar panels are much less when leasing, and you are not in charge of future maintenance.  

No matter what you decide, there are several statewide and third-party programs to help you finance solar panel installation. If you choose to use a third-party program, there are typically two types of agreements. The first is a lease that allows you to only pay for the solar system rather than the electricity generated. The second option is a power purchase agreement (PPA) in which the provider installs the PV array and then sells the electricity generated back to you at a rate that is usually lower than the local utility price. 

If leasing or buying isn’t feasible for you, a community solar program where you receive energy from a shared solar system, may be a perfect solution. 

Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary © Phil Doyle

Solar at Mass Audubon

Here at Mass Audubon, we strongly support responsibly-sited solar power, and improved access to it, as highlighted in our Action Agenda goals. Through careful site selection and consideration, 20 Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries are powered in part or in full by solar PV arrays. Our teams meticulously choose solar installation sites to minimize the loss and fragmentation of existing ecosystems and support resilient landscapes, so our first choice is to always install solar panels on an available roof. 

Mass Audubon’s largest array, with 119 PV roof panels, powers the Environmental Learning Center (ELC) at Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, and even has excess power for nearby buildings to use. In addition to the ELC, the Nature Center, Farm Life Center, and Green Barn are all equipped and powered in part by separate solar arrays.  

Unlike the panels at Drumlin Farm that are fixed in one direction, the PV array at the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton tilts and rotates to follow the sun. Throughout the day, the panel adjusts to track the sun’s location and generates as much solar energy as possible. Compared to a fixed array, adjustable arrays can harness 45% more power. 

In April of 2022, the Boston Nature Center in Mattapan announced it’s accomplishment of reaching a net-zero energy status, or becoming carbon neutral, through the installation of solar panels on the George Robert White Environmental Conservation Center, and a nearby ground-mounted array. By becoming carbon-neutral, the Boston Nature Center is eliminating the emission of more than 136,000 pounds of heat-trapping carbon dioxide annually.

Learn more

If you want to learn more about the solar panel benefits, costs, and programs, visit Mass Save, an organization that aims to help residents and businesses across Massachusetts save money and energy, leading our state to a clean and energy-efficient future. Be a leader in your community and consider switching to solar power today. 

Come One, Come All: Bird-a-thon 2022

Posted on April 7, 2022 by Kaylin D.

Every May, around a thousand of people participate in Bird-a-thon. Last year, 13 teams recorded a combined total of 274 bird species in 24 hours, while raising over $310,000 to support Mass Audubon’s wildlife sanctuaries, conservation efforts, and education programs across the state. 

Finding 274 different species of birds is quite an accomplishment, but if you’re new to birding, a competition may sound intimidating. Don’t worry! Bird-a-thon is actually a great way to learn and hone your birding skills. Whether you love exploring nature or just want a good reason to go outside, everyone is welcome to Bird-a-thon.  

Read some tips and tricks to help you maximize your time birding. 

Tools and Resources for Bird Identification 

Some birds are easy to identify, like the bright red Northern Cardinal or the unmistakable Blue Jay. But telling a Purple Finch and House Finch, or a Cooper’s Hawk from a Sharp-shinned Hawk, is a bit trickier. 

Experienced birders suggest getting a book or field guide to learn the basic physical characteristics of different species. You can also download tools like the Merlin app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where you can practice identifying birds based on their look and sound.  

Look through our program catalog to find an online and in-person class or event where you can build your birding foundation. Options range from joining staff on a morning walk as they teach you how to identify different species, to taking birdwatching basics class. 

© Susan Balser

Birding Hotspots in Massachusetts 

When you’re ready to put your new skills to the test, start going to birding hotspots, or places that can be “bird magnets”. There are many places across Massachusetts where you can practice your birding, including any Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary. Over a dozen of our sanctuaries have a bird checklist for you to keep track of what you see. Here are just a sample of our hotspots: 

  • The swamps, thickets, and woodlands of Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Marblehead are great spots to find spring migratory birds, especially warblers. Rocks jutting from the ground on Warbler Trail offer a higher observation point to look for birds in the trees below or the sky above.  
  • In the dead trees surrounding the secluded pond at Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary in Hopkinton, you can find woodland birds and waterbirds like Pileated Woodpeckers, Great Blue Herons, Ospreys, and an occasional Great Horned Owls. You may also spot some Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers nesting in the duck boxes installed near the pond. 
  • The Berkshires is an ideal location for both beginner and experienced birders. At Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox, you can join a program with a skilled guide or bird on your own as you look for species like Eastern Bluebirds, Yellow Warblers, and Cedar Waxwings. 
  • Along the salt marshes and woodlands in the Barnstable Great Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Barnstable, you may see birds like the Northern Harrier, Saltmarsh Sparrow, and Willet. The sanctuary is also a great place to see scenic views of the barrier beach habitat.  
© Andy Eckerson

When to go Birding 

Just as the early bird gets the worm, an early birder sees the bird. Bird-a-thon pros know that dawn and dusk are the best times to look for a majority of birds. Many species take advantage of the insects and small creatures crawling around before the sun sends them back to tunnels and holes in the ground. 

For some species, you’ll have a better time finding them after sunset. At dusk, listen for the courting whistles from the American Woodcock or the loud ‘wok’ sounds of the Black-crowned Night-Heron. If you want to hear the haunting calls of a Barred Owl or Eastern Screech Owl, you will have to stay up late or wake up early to hear these night predators. 

How do you Bird-a-thon? 

While birding for Bird-a-thon can be highly competitive, it’s also a great way to get outdoors and learn about wildlife while raising money to support Mass Audubon’s conservation initiatives.  

From admiring them in your backyard to exploring new landscapes, there is no one way to be part of this annual tradition. Visit the Bird-a-thon website to join a team and make an impact.