Category Archives: Get Involved

Lend a Helping Hand

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Mass Audubon

Enjoy the arrival of spring by participating in Mass Audubon’s Work for Wildlife Statewide Volunteer Day on Saturday, April 25. Join with other volunteers, family, and friends at 16 wildlife sanctuaries across the state from 9 am to noon.

We have a variety of projects for people of all ages and interests–all guaranteed to put you in touch with nature and provide a sense of accomplishment! Projects include (but are not limited to):

  • Painting the wildlife blind at Canoe Meadows in Pittsfield
  • Preparing butterfly and hummingbird gardens at Felix Neck on Martha’s Vineyard
  • Plum Island Beach Cleanup in Newburyport with Joppa Flats
  • Constructing an outdoor classroom at Endicott Wildlife Sanctuary in Wenham
  • Removing invasive species of plants such as the kiwi and bittersweet vines from many of Mass Audubon’s trails

During last year’s Statewide Volunteer Day, 450 volunteers cleared acres of beaches, spread mulch and woodchips, restored turtle nesting areas, and created new trails. With last year’s turnout, many sanctuaries were able to accomplish weeks of tasks in a single morning.

To show their appreciation, sanctuaries will provide a variety of food and afternoon activities, including BBQs at Wellfleet Bay and Felix Neck, pizza in Pittsfield, a nature walk along Laughing Brook in Hampden, and a live animal presentation at the Blue Hills Trailside Museum in Milton. Find a list of projects and register for one today!

Guest post by Nathan Yeo

A Switch Worth Making

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Hillary T.

You’ve switched out lightbulbs and replaced old appliances with Energy Star ones. You bring your own bags to the grocery store and fill them with organic, locally grown produce. You’ve had an energy audit and properly insulated all of your home’s nooks and crannies. Short of installing solar panels, which may not be feasible or affordable, what can you do to green your house even more?

Simple. Make the Switch to Green Electricity via Mass Energy’s affordable and effective New England Wind and New England GreenStart programs. The good news: You can do this in a matter of minutes online or over the phone. All you need is your electricity bill.

How it Works 

When you buy electricity from a traditional utility such as NSTAR or National Grid, your power comes from a variety of sources, including power plants that use coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear fuel.

When you Make the Switch, Mass Energy matches your electricity use with local green power. It brings renewable power from wind, solar, biomass, and low-impact hydro to the collective grid on your behalf. You will still be billed through your utility and it will still be your contact for power outages and so on.

Depending on your electric utility, you can either pay for this option (which on average costs an additional $14 to $23 more a month) directly through your utility bill or by way of a separate payment.

Live in a municipality, or use a non-participating utility? You can still Make the Switch by investing a set amount each month toward the purchase of green power through Mass Energy’s New England Wind Friends program. It’s still adding green energy to a larger grid and you can choose to make monthly payments or a one-time payment.

Mass Energy provides a Green Calculator to give you an idea on cost. Whichever program you choose, the billing process is automatic and hassle free, and the premium is tax deductible when it is itemized on federal returns.

Leading By Example

Since 2009 Mass Audubon has eliminated all carbon emissions from electricity use. Any green power that we don’t generate ourselves from our 35 photovoltaic arrays, we purchase through Mass Energy.

Seeing what an impact purchasing green electricity through Mass Energy has made on our footprint, we wanted to bring the same options to our members.

The Make the Switch initiative that aims to inspire at least 1,000 Mass Audubon member households and other concerned citizens across the state to choose green electricity in the next year. We don’t profit from this program at all. Our only goal is to take a meaningful action against climate change.

By working together in new ways, we can make sure that future generations of wildlife and people have a healthy and livable planet to call home.

Have You Made the Switch?

We want to hear your stories! Please share in the comments why you switched. Better yet, tell the world via Facebook and Twitter!