Category Archives: Get Involved

Your Backyard Birds Count

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Rosemary
© Susumu Kishihara

© Susumu Kishihara

Want to become a part of something big for birds? Join the Great Backyard Bird Count on February 13-16!

Mass Audubon has a long history of partnering with friends and members to collect backyard bird sightings. Massachusetts residents have been sending us their observations for over 40 years, and this vital information helps us understand and protect birds in our state.

This year we’re embarking on an alternative to our independent backyard bird count, Focus on Feeders. Instead, we’re joining forces with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Great Backyard Bird Count, one of the largest citizen science projects in the world.

Joining in is easy. During this annual four-day event, count birds on one or more days and report your sightings online at birdcount.org. Everyone’s welcome, from beginners to experts. It’s a lot of fun, and it helps all of us protect birds and ultimately our shared environment.

Of course, we still love hearing about (and seeing photos of) your sightings anytime of the year. Share them on our Facebook page or  report specific species using one of our reporting tools.

Bottle Bill Heads to the Ballot!

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Mass Audubon
Courtesy of MASSPIRG

Courtesy of MASSPIRG

Last week, the Coalition to Update the Bottle Bill delivered the necessary signatures to move forward with a November ballot question that would update the three-decade-old Massachusetts Beverage Retainer Recovery Act.

Although Mass Audubon did not participate in the signature collection, we are fully supportive of the ballot campaign for this much-needed update. The campaign is heading to the ballot because the state legislature failed to pass an update to the existing bill by their deadline.

We urge Mass Audubon members and Massachusetts voters to Vote YES on Question 2 this November to Update the Bottle Bill!

About the Bottle Bill

The Bottle Bill, the nickel deposit on beverage containers, is the state’s most successful recycling and litter prevention program. Since the Bottle Bill’s passage in 1983, more than 35 billion containers have been redeemed, contributing to a healthier environment, cleaner and safer communities, and a stronger economy. But to keep up with the times and consumers’ tastes, the Bottle Bill must be updated.

An updated Bottle Bill would expand our container deposit system to include drinks such as non-carbonated beverages, water, iced tea, juice, and sports drinks. Almost 70% of deposit beverage containers are redeemed each year under the current Bottle Bill, adding to the 9-10% of containers recovered through curbside recycling.

Overall, deposit containers are recycled at a rate of about 80%, while non-deposit containers are recycled at only 23%.

Stay Informed

You can stay up-to-date on how to help with the ballot campaign by visiting the Coalition to Update the Bottle Bill’s website.

Congratulations to the Coalition for all the work that went into collecting these signatures! We will keep you informed as the campaign moves into high gear over the summer and into the fall election season.