Tag Archives: volunteer

Volunteering with the New England Patriots

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Hillary T.

View a slideshow of the event

Over the years, we’ve had all sorts of people volunteer with us—scouts, corporate groups, schools, families, etc. But on Tuesday, October 16, we officially added a new group to our roster: professional football players!

As part of the New England Patriots Celebrate Volunteerism campaign, three Patriots players (Zoltan Mesko, Ryan Mallett, and Danny Aiken) joined our regular volunteers from HMEA (an organization committed to working with people with developmental disabilities) at Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Norfolk. The task at hand: spreading wood chips at the future site of Stony Brook’s new Nature Play Area. The project is especially meaningful to Dan White, of Wrentham Boy Scout Troop 131, who is leading the charge of creating the play area as a way to earn Eagle Scout status.

The crew was able to accomplish a tremendous amount during the 45-minute work session. In between hauling and raking wood chips, there was plenty of time for laughs and a chance to learn more about Mass Audubon. Mesko was especially enthralled with all that the organization is doing in the realm of solar power, emphasizing how important it is to be proactive in conservation. “Mass Audubon is an organization that is leading the way.”

The day was capped off with the Patriots announcing their “Difference Maker of the Week” —our very own Ruth Connaughton, a 15-year Wellfleet Bay volunteer. Among the many volunteer ‘hats’ Ruth has worn are Trail Naturalist, Front Desk Greeter, and Nature Center Docent. As a former teacher, she is a natural interacting with visitors of all ages two afternoons a week, and she shares their excitement as they discover the natural world around them—one bird, fish, plant, fiddler crab, or turtle at a time.

Ruth says, “Seeing the enthusiasm and excitement of our visitors is the reason I love what I’m doing.” It is volunteers like Ruth that make the Wellfleet Bay a favorite destination for residents and visitors to the Outer Cape.

We were so honored to be selected by the New England Patriots to spread the word about volunteerism and grateful for the players hard work. We hope to see them again soon! Go Patriots!

Ospreys Up Close

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Mass Audubon

Have you ever seen a hawk-like bird swoop down in the water, diving for fish? Chances are it’s an Osprey. These raptors once dubbed “fish hawks” are in a family all by themselves and can be found on six of the seven continents (both in fresh and salt water).

In Massachusetts, you will start seeing them in late March, reclaiming or finding new nesting platforms. By September 15, they’re on their way south again. And while the state now has an abundance of ospreys, this wasn’t always the case. A look back:

Ancient History
Think of what hadn’t happened by 1620. The land hadn’t been cleared for agriculture, so waterside nesting possibilities (on dead trees) were endless. And fish populations hadn’t been decimated, so food sources (an Osprey’s diet consists of 99 percent fish) were abundant.

Twentieth Century
We know Osprey nests remained in Massachusetts by 1900. Swansea chicken farmers had learned that Ospreys would vehemently protect their nests from hawks, so they coaxed them to nest on their lands. The sphere of protection thus created protected the chickens.

By mid-century, pesticides began causing nest failures, dropping the statewide population to 11 pairs. The banning of such chemicals and a nest platform construction program on the South Coast led to the rejuvenation of the Osprey population in Massachusetts. As of 2011, there were more than 200 Ospreys in Massachusetts.

Locating Ospreys
The best places to see Ospreys in Massachusetts are along the South Coast, Cape Cod, and the Islands. Here, many of our wildlife sanctuaries run Osprey monitoring programs including Allens Pond, Wellfleet Bay, Long Pasture, Felix Neck, and the South Shore Sanctuaries. Volunteer monitors are asked to report on the “phenology” of the birds: the timing of the events of their lives. When do they return to the nest? How long do they take to build or strengthen their nests? When do the eggs hatch? When do we see the first youngsters? When do the little ones fledge?

Learning More
In order to really understand the Osprey, Mass Audubon staff members band Osprey chicks every July. Banding involves placing harmless metallic bands around the lower portions of the legs of the young birds with unique tracking numbers so we might learn more about the individual life of the bird, and more generally about the species in total. Often, monitors are invited to the banding, and get the opportunity to meet “their” Ospreys face-to-face. It’s a remarkable moment.

Get Involved
Most Osprey monitoring projects are low-impact, opportunistic affairs, although protocols vary from sanctuary to sanctuary. We really just need to continue gathering as much data as possible so that we can continue to learn about these wonderful birds. Get involved today by contacting one of the wildlife sanctuaries mentioned above.

Learn more about Ospreys at one of these upcoming programs or by following Mass Audubon’s Westport Osprey Blog.