Onset, MA © Dean Martin

Take 5: Down By the Sea

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Ryan D.

The coastal towns of Massachusetts are an artist’s dream: historic fishing villages, picturesque lighthouses, sandy beaches, rocky coastlines, and harbors brimming with boats of all shapes and sizes make for postcard-perfect scenes, accompanied by the vibrant culture and deep history of the region.

Unfortunately, climate change is threatening our coastal communities. Rising ocean temperatures cause water to expand, and with global glaciers and land ice melting (adding more water to our ocean), we’re experiencing a phenomenon called sea level rise.

These five photos of coastal scenes from our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest show just what’s at stake. Take one of our climate pledges to commit to reducing your greenhouse gas emissions and help share what makes the nature of Massachusetts so important by entering your photos in the 2020 contest today!

Onset, MA © Dean Martin
Onset, MA © Dean Martin
Eastern Point Wildlife Sanctuary © Michael Le
Eastern Point Wildlife Sanctuary © Michael Le
Rockport, MA © Jessica Speece
Rockport, MA © Jessica Speece
Gloucester, MA © Adam Doyon
Gloucester, MA © Adam Doyon
Chatham, MA © Carol Duffy
Chatham, MA © Carol Duffy

Received Unsolicited Seeds in the Mail? Don’t Plant!

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Hillary T.

As if 2020 events couldn’t get any stranger, people across the country are receiving packets of seeds in the mail they did not order.

Example of unsolicited seeds via Washington State Department of Agriculture
Example of unsolicited seeds via Washington State Department of Agriculture

If you happen to receive unsolicited seeds, whatever you do, do not plant them. Instead, report and send them to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (if not in Massachusetts, send to your state’s plant regulatory official).

There is still much to learn about who is sending them and what they are, but the current thinking by is that they could be invasive plants. The USDA is collecting the seeds to better understand what they are and their impact on the environment.

If you’re looking for something to enhance your garden, consider native plants that attract pollinators.