Category Archives: Stuff We Love

Return of the Eagles

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Hillary T.

For the first time that we can recall, a pair of bald eagles has successfully bred at a Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary (Arcadia in Easthampton and Northampton).

This is no small feat and needless to say, we were all very excited. But to really appreciate what a marvel this is, you need to look at the rise and fall and rise again of the bald eagle.

A Look Back
Revered by Native Americans and considered a symbol of strength, courage, and freedom to the European settlers, the bald eagle became a powerful icon of the United States. Yet in the 1950s and 1960s something alarming happened. The bald eagle population suffered dramatic declines, which were linked to the introduction of the pesticide DDT.

Once DDT was banned in the 70s, the bald eagle population began to slowly come back. Here in Massachusetts, though, a breeding bald eagle was a rare occurrence. Prior to 1989, the last presumed nesting of this species was at the beginning of the century.

In 1982, however, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife teamed with Mass Audubon to launch a project to restore the bald eagle as a breeding bird in the Commonwealth. In 1989, two pairs of eagles successfully reared young at Quabbin.

In the years that followed, the number of nesting eagles has increased and spread across the state. In 2010, 17 bald eagle nests in Massachusetts produced a total of 28 chicks who survived the nestling stage and fledged.

The Present
In 2012, a pair of bald eagles built a nest and produced two eggs at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary. Sadly one egg never hatched and the other nestling didn’t survive. This year, though, we had a much happier ending. Two eaglets successfully hatched, were reared, and most recently fledged the nest.

Keeping a close eye: Mary Shanley-Koeber, sanctuary director at Arcadia. Mary, who has been with Mass Audubon for 30 years (26 years as sanctuary director), is retiring this fall and she couldn’t have asked for a better send off.

View a photo slideshow of this year’s eagles and share your eagle sightings and experiences in the comments!

The Art of Pickling

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Hillary T.

photo via flickr/dom dadaThe process of preserving food via pickling (or fermentation) dates back centuries. In fact, according to the New York Food Museum, people have been “curing” cucumbers since long before the Dark Ages. Cleopatra herself was known to consume pickled cucumbers, and even attributed her good looks to the delicacy.

Of course, these days, pickles are relatively commonplace. But have you ever been curious how pickles are made, or what else you can pickle? Find out during Drumlin Farm’s 3-part series this summer. First Up: A Pickled Pageant on Friday, July 19. To give you a taste of what you may learn during this hands-on program, which is part-lecture, part tasting, read a few interesting pickling facts.

“Pickling” is a process of preserving food. For those who want the nitty gritty details, it uses anaerobic fermentation in brine to produce lactic acid or marinating and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar (acetic acid).

Pickles are not just cucumbers. Anything that is preserved in an acidic brine can be called a pickle and virtually any produce can be pickled including tomatoes, peaches, onions, watermelon rind, etc.

Pickles made and stored properly won’t spoil. In order to achieve this, the pH of the brine needs to be ~4.5 or less, which is low enough to kill off most bacteria.

Almost every culture in the world developed its own form of pickle using local staples, from mangoes in South Asia to olives in the Middle East to turnips in Northern Europe. Some of these are very familiar to us in the U.S. (kosher dills, sauerkraut, pickled eggs) while some are less known (pickled dates, almonds, or lemons).

Ready for more? Sign up now for the A Pickled Pageant. Can’t make it but love to pickle? Share your tips and techniques in the comments.

Photo via flickr/dom dada