Author Archives: Ryan D.

About Ryan D.

Where: Mass Audubon Headquarters, Lincoln | Who: A Vermont ex-pat, lifelong skier, musician, photographer, motorcycle enthusiast, budding native plant gardener, and pun master | Favorite part of the job: Working with wonderful colleagues to make nature accessible to everyone

Turkey Vulture © Beth Finney

Take 5: The Strength to Carrion

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Ryan D.

This week, we’re speaking up for an invaluable member of the avian class: the Turkey Vulture. Sure, their diet of carrion (dead animals) is pretty unappetizing to us, but they are amazing birds and serve a vital function as a member of nature’s cleanup crew. A wake of Turkey Vultures (yes, even their collective name is a little morbid) can clean a carcass down to the bone in a matter of a few days!

There’s still a lot we don’t know about Turkey Vultures, but we do know they have adaptations that together allow them to take advantage of a food resource that would sicken or kill most other animals:

  • Their keen sense of smell (the strongest of any bird, in fact) helps them find food.
  • Their heads are naked so that they can dive right into a carcass without yucking up their feathers.
  • In order to digest rotting tissue and protect themselves from pathogens like salmonella, botulism, and anthrax, they have specialized gut biomes that contain a potent cocktail of gastric enzymes, acids, and bacteria.
  • Their primary defense mechanism is to vomit putrid meat onto would-be attackers.
  • Unrelated to their diet, but still interesting: To keep cool in hot weather, they will defecate on their feet and legs.

And with an average wingspan just under 6 feet, Turkey Vultures are truly awesome birds. On a clear day, look for kettles of Turkey Vultures soaring on rising thermals with barely a flap of their wings, smelling for the faintest whiff of their next meal.

From April to November, you can observe one or more Turkey Vultures at Drumlin Farm’s Bird Hill exhibit, where injured or human-habituated animals that cannot survive in the wild are tended to by the Wildlife Care team—in captivity, Turkey Vultures often have inquisitive personalities and seem to enjoy interacting with different enriching stimuli provided by the caretakers. At the annual Halloween events at Drumlin Farm, one vulture has the important job of sitting on a whale bone “acting scary” and munching on a rat. Here are five photos of magnificent Turkey Vultures from our Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest.

Turkey Vulture © Beth Finney
Turkey Vulture © Beth Finney
Turkey Vulture © George Ann Millet
Turkey Vulture © George Ann Millet
Turkey Vulture © Nigel Cunningham
Turkey Vulture © Nigel Cunningham
Turkey Vulture © Dennis Durette
Turkey Vulture © Dennis Durette
Turkey Vulture © Brad Dinerman
Turkey Vulture © Brad Dinerman
Campers inspect a bird nest at Wachusett Meadow Nature Day Camp in Princeton

Hip, Hip, Hooray for Camp!

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Ryan D.

Summer just isn’t summer without camp. Sunshine, fresh air, friends, and fun in the outdoors are the optimal nourishment for body, mind, and soul. So when COVID-19 shut down Massachusetts this spring, our camp and education staff immediately got to work, developing plans to open some of our day camps if the opportunity presented itself.

While awaiting guidance from the state and local boards of health, they rewrote policies and created new safety and hygiene protocols, ordered PPE supplies, and adapted programming for the age of social distancing. Our top priority was to make camp as safe and fun as possible and give kids a healthy “dose of normalcy” for the first time in months.

Campers inspect a bird nest at Wachusett Meadow Nature Day Camp in Princeton
Campers inspect a bird nest at Wachusett Meadow Nature Day Camp in Princeton

And based on what we are seeing at our 11 day camps that are open across the state, it was all worth it. Don’t take our word for it, though. Here’s what a few camp families have recently shared with us.

Toads and Games and Friends, Oh My!

“What a gift to offer this magical experience during COVID! Our children came home every day energized and inspired, regaled us with stories of their encounters with the farm animals, catching toads, playing games outside, meeting new friends, and entertaining camp counselor stories about birds.”

Epidemiologist-Approved

“I am an epidemiologist and I was so happy with the safety precautions taken by the camp staff! I felt completely comfortable leaving my child at camp each day. The staff went above and beyond to create a fun and healthy environment for campers. I am so appreciative of the entire staff’s hard work this summer!” 

Hitting the Reset Button

Screenshot of a text message from "Kristine" that reads: "I just wanted to reach out to say that just 2 days of camp has reversed months of COVID damage in both my kids. It's compounding each day. [Heart Eyes Emoji] It really is special."
Text message received by one of our camp directors from a happy camp parent.

Rising to the Occasion

“I’m sad that the kids and our world is going through this, but I’m grateful you all rose to the occasion and still made it all happen. You did a GREAT job navigating this year.”

Heartful Thanks

“Camp was the best week we’ve had since COVID closed Massachusetts schools in March, no exaggeration. Your enthusiasm, warmth, professionalism and flexibility were utterly fantastic. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” 

Looking to Join the Fun?

The appreciation from our camper families and the smiles on our campers’ faces (underneath masks, of course) are just the fuel we need to persevere through these challenging times, together.  

There are still a small handful of slots available at a few sites, so if your child is eager to get in on camp this summer, check with your local day camp to see if they have availability. We can’t wait to see you!