Boston Flora

Tag: Dave Small

  • Thursday, December 4, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm Eastern – Welcome to the Dark Side: Discovering Moths, Online

    Join naturalist Dave Small online on December 4 at 7 pm Eastern for an introduction to attracting and watching moths in your backyard. Discover the native plants you can introduce to your landscape to attract a wide variety of butterflies and moths. Learn how to use lights and bait to attract moths for viewing and get a glimpse of some of the moths you might encounter on a warm summer evening.

    Dave is the Director of Conservation leading a team of land protection specialists in fulfilling the mission of Mount Grace in protecting our open spaces. Dave retired in 2013 after 35 years with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where he served as Assistant Regional Director at the DCR Quabbin Reservoir. His dedication to conservation and natural history continues as he leads a team tasked with protecting the landscapes he loves.

    This webinar is sponsored by Newton Conservators, a nonprofit citizens’ group advocating for Newton’s open spaces. Sign up: https://shorturl.at/8keDR

  • Saturday, May 31, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Dragonfly Field Trip

    Join Athol Bird & Nature Club President Dave Small on May 31 in search of early season dragonflies (and butterflies) starting at the Mount Grace Land Trust Eagle Reserve in Royalston, Massachusetts. As time allows, a look at nearby Birch Hill WMA and Millers River will be included. Meet at 10 am at the parking area for Birch Hill opposite 69 Winchendon Road in Royalston. There are no facilities in the general area, so please be self-contained with food, water, snacks, insect repellant, sunscreen, binoculars, camera, bug net, and shoes for wading in shallow water. The program is free and open to all. For additional information contact Dave Small at Dave@atholbirdclub.org

  • Thursday, September 21, 7:00 pm – Living with Nature

    Join the Athol Bird & Nature Club and the North Quabbin Garden Club on Thursday, September 21 at 7 pm at the Millers River Environmental Center in Athol to hear Dave Small as he explores the transformation of his yard from a boring suburban lot dominated by lawn to a rich habitat for our native wildlife. Removing invasive species, planting native plants, and providing water, food, and cover for a variety of wildlife species and people resulted in a space that has become a wonderful place to hang out with family and friends. For more information visit http://www.atholbirdclub.org

  • Saturday, October 8, 6:30 pm – Butterflies of Honduras, Online

    The Massachusetts Butterfly Club is celebrating its 30th year, and its 2022 Fall meeting will be held virtually on October 8 at 6:30 pm on Zoom. The meeting is free but registration is required.

    The Club is excited to host Robert Gallardo to speak on “Butterflies of Honduras”. Robert is building a nature reserve and working on a complete guide to Honduran butterflies, and has made several discoveries of new species in the process. We hope you will join us to learn about tropical butterflies and conservation efforts in Honduras. For more information, click here.

    The meeting will also feature photographs by members and announcement of the officer election results.

    To register for the meeting, visit https://bit.ly/MBCFall22.

    courtesy iNaturalist

  • Tuesday, July 19, 8:30 pm – 10:00 pm – Moths! Under the Portico

    Join the Athol Bird and Nature Club at the Athol Public Library, 568 Main Street in Athol, on July 19 at 8:30 pm, after dark, for an evening of looking at moths outdoors. July is National Moth Month. Why moths?

    • Moths are among the most diverse and successful organisms on earth.
    • Scientists estimate there may be 500,000 moth species.
    • Their colors and patterns are either dazzling or so cryptic that they define camouflage. Shapes and sizes span the gamut from as small as a pinhead to as large as an adult’s hand.
    • Most moths are nocturnal, and need to be sought at night to be seen – others fly like butterflies during the day.
    • Finding moths can be as simple as leaving a porch light on and checking it after dark. 

    Presented by Dave Small, President and Acting Director of the Athol Bird and Nature Club.

    For over twenty-eight years, Dave has been the charismatic leader of the Club. His skills as a naturalist, trip leader, and presenter are in demand throughout New England. Through Dave’s efforts, the Center is recognized as the place to hold meetings that relate to natural history and the environment.

    This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services – Dig-In Grant.

    Registration is required for this event.  Please register here or by calling 978-249-9515. Free and open to the public. Rain date:  July 26.

  • Wednesday, May 11, 7:00 pm – Bat Falcon, Social Flycatcher oh my!, Live or Online

    Athol Bird and Nature Club members Ernie Leblanc, Jeff Johnstone, Bob Mallet and Dave Small ventured to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas in search of these and other rare and unusual birds in early March. Ernie will guide us on a recap of this whirlwind and successful adventure. In person at the Millers River Environmental Center 100 Main Street Athol 01331 or via Zoom.

    When: May 11, 7:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Register in advance for this meeting:https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAlce2prj8jGN2nAoZTwJDynr2J2nteJemh  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

    courtesy: Smithsonianmag.org

  • Thursdays, July 29 – August 12, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, and Saturdays, August 7 & 14, 9:00 am – 11:00 am – Butterfly Institute: Introduction to Butterflies

    This 3-week hybrid course led by members of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club (3 online lectures, 2 field experiences) will introduce you to the diversity, ecology, and life history of our beautiful New England butterflies, along with management tools to help them. This Tower Hill Botanic Garden course is designed for the butterfly enthusiast who wants to dig deeper, and for those who would like to further their appreciation of the natural world around them. This program consists of five classes. When registering, please make sure all five classes are selected.

    General Outline (For a full breakdown click this link)
    Week 1:  Introduction to New England Butterflies: Diversity, Anatomy, Field Identification
    Week 2:  Butterflies in the Wild: Ecology and Behavior
    Week 3: Butterfly Conservation: Creating Habitat through Gardens  

    Bill Benner is a life-long East Coast gardener who has been planting for wildlife and pollinators in western Massachusetts since 2004.  His gardens are particularly focused on butterflies and hummingbirds, with both nectar and host plants, and a strong emphasis on natives.  He is eager to share his enthusiasm for pollinator gardening with others, and he has lectured and taught on butterflies and gardening for the Native Plant Trust, the Hitchcock Center, and a number of garden centers, garden clubs, and conservation groups.  He is a past president of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club, and currently serves as the editor of its publication, Massachusetts Butterflies.

    Martha Gach is current president of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club and Conservation Coordinator and Regional Education Manager with Mass Audubon, based at Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary and Conservation Center in Worcester. She also teaches at Worcester State University. An ecologist and evolutionary biologist, Martha designed the Broad Meadow Brook campus landscape to support butterflies and pollinators, but also birds and wildlife, and was featured on “Ask This Old House”  for a segment on butterfly gardens.. She coordinates the annual Butterfly Festival at Broad Meadow Brook and serves on her town’s Conservation Commission, advocating for native plantings.

    Dave Small is president of the 250-member Athol Bird and Nature Club and Director of the Millers River Environmental Center. Dave shares his passion for Birds, Butterflies, Dragonflies and most recently moths through workshops, lectures and field trips around New England.  Dave volunteers for several non-profits including Millers River Watershed Council, Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, Mass Watershed Coalition, and Mass Audubon’s Important Bird Area Technical Advisory Committee, National Moth Week Science Advisory Board, and the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program Advisory Committee. Working for the Commonwealth of Mass for 35 years, Dave served as Assistant Regional Director at the DCR Quabbin Reservoir in Central Massachusetts retiring in 2013.

    $150 Member Adult, $175 Adult(Registration includes admission to the Garden on field session days) To register, click HERE

  • Friday, June 19 – Sunday, June 21 – Massachusetts Invertebrate Interlude

    In normal years, the Athol Bird and Nature Club hosts a Moth Ball at president Dave Small’s house in June, concentrating on attracting moths to lights and baits at night. We can’t do that this year, but we thought instead the club could host a virtual Moth Ball and, in fact, widen the net to include all invertebrates (yes, we meant that pun!). Please join us for the first Massachusetts Invertebrate Interlude Days with Great Expectations, or MIIDGE for short, on June 19th through the 21st. This project is set up to automatically collect all observations of invertebrates in Massachusetts made on those three days, but if you join this project, you’ll get notifications of all of those observations as they’re posted, as well as any announcements we make leading up to the event and afterward. Pull your moth lights out of the closet, pile all the field guides next to the couch for easy reading, and get ready for a bit of fun in this crazy year.

    Sign-up for iNaturalist a very easy to use and helpful app for your phone on computer.

    Learn about Blacklighting for nocturnal insects with Ryan “the Bug Man”

  • Sunday, June 3, 10:00 am – Dragonflies at Royalston Eagle Preserve and Priest Brook Valley

    Join Dave Small and Lynn Harper of the Athol Bird & Nature Club on Sunday, June 3 for a search for early season Dragonflies and Damselflies. As good naturalists, we’ll also note interesting birds, butterflies and whatever else we find. Meet 10:00 am at the MDFW Birch Hill WMA parking area (opposite 69 Winchendon Rd Royalston) Bring dragonfly net, camera, shoes or boots to get wet, water, snacks, and a sense of adventure. For more information visit http://atholbirdblub.org or email Dave@atholbirdclub.org.

    Image result for dragonflies spring

  • Saturday, June 25, 9:00 pm – late night – 6th Annual Moth Ball

    Join Athol Bird and Nature Club president Dave Small and naturalist Lula Field at Dave and Shelley’s house, 1542 Pleasant St., Athol, to search for Lunas, underwings, silkmoths and other night flying insects, on Saturday, June 25 from 9 pm on. Participants are invited to bring their tents, snacks to share and favorite moth baits. (Don’t know what those are? You’ll find out!) Info: Dave Small, 978-413-1772 or Dave@dhsmall.net. Image of underwing from www.featuredcreature.com.