Boston Flora

Tag: Waterfowl

  • Thursday, November 20, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Animals of the North: What Will Climate Change Mean For Them?

    Sue Morse, field naturalist and founder of Keeping Track, will speak at the US Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Center Drive in Hadley on Thursday, November 20, beginning at 7 pm, on Animals of the North: What Will Climate Change Mean for Them?  This program details ways in which northern wildlife species are already being affected by climate change, with more serious challenges ahead. Canada lynx, moose, American marten, caribou, polar bears, arctic fox and marine mammals and waterfowl are some of the species covered in this stunningly beautiful show. We promise not to overwhelm our audience with bad news. Instead, our program will devote equal time sharing remarkable images of animals and their northern habitats—all in the spirit of Jane Goodall’s “reason for hope.” Our intent is to inspire our attendees, young and old alike, to join us in the vital crusade to change our fossil fuel-burning ways, conserve natural resources, and share a healthy planet with all that lives. Donations appreciated. Photo courtesy of www.fws.gov.

  • Massachusetts Junior Duck Stamp Program

    The Massachusetts Junior Duck Stamp (JDS) Program is looking for young artists to submit a duck stamp art entry in a statewide competition. Art and science may seem to be an unlikely combination, but when blended in the context of the JDS Program, art makes science come alive. This dynamic program links the study of wetlands and waterfowl conservation with a national waterfowl art project. Students in grades K-12 learn about the habitat requirements of various kinds of ducks and geese (waterfowl) and then express their knowledge of the beauty, diversity, and interdependence of these species artistically, by creating a drawing or painting and submitting it to the Massachusetts Junior Duck art contest. The art is judged in four age group categories in a statewide competition, and the entry judged Best of Show moves on to represent Massachusetts in the national JDS competition. Registration information is now available for the 2013 JDS Program: Connecting Children With Nature Through Science and Art at www.fws.gov/juniorduck. Artwork submissions are due by March 15, 2013. NOTE: The address for submitting entries has changed this year: JDS Art Entry, DFW, 100 Hartwell Street Suite 230, West Boylston, MA 01583.

    In celebration of 20 years of success in ‘Connecting Children to Nature Through Science and Art’ the federal JDS Program recently redesigned its arts and science curriculum to spark youth interest in habitat conservation and careers in natural resources through science, art, math and technology. Targeted for students in grades 5-8, with suggested adaptations for younger and older audiences, the curriculum encourages students to engage with their natural world and develop a deeper appreciation of natural resources. “A great way to appreciate waterfowl is to spend time outdoors observing and photographing them at your local ‘duck pond’,” said Pam Landry, MassWildlife Education Coordinator. The guides meet a number of national educational standards for students in grades K-12. The curriculum may be downloaded at www.fws.gov/juniorduck/curriculum.html.

    The Federal Junior Duck Stamp is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Junior Duck Stamp is a pictorial stamp produced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to recognize the conservation efforts of students and support environmental and conservation education programs. The first place national winner of the art contest graces that year’s JDS and is sold by the U.S. Postal Service (www.usps.com) and Amplex Corporation (www.duckstamp.com) for $5. All proceeds are invested in the program to fund environmental education efforts; awards for the students, teachers and schools that participate in the program; and to market the JDS program.

    In Massachusetts, the JDS is coordinated by the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (MassWildlife) with support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Massachusetts Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, and the Massachusetts Wildlife Federation. For more information on the JDS go to www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/education/jds/jds_home.htm. For inquiries relating to hosting the Junior Duck Stamp Awards ceremony in April, 2013 or an artwork exhibit in 2013, contact Education Coordinator Pam Landry at (508) 389-6310 or Pam.Landry@state.ma.us.

  • Waterfowl Feeding Sites

    The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) is asking for help from sportsmen, birders, and other interested conservationists across the state to report sites where wild ducks and geese (waterfowl) are being fed or to report sightings of ducks and geese they see feeding at artificial waterfowl feeding sites from January 6 – January 26, 2013. Information needed for these reports include town, specific location (address, map, or GPS coordinates), date, number, and the kinds of wild ducks and/or geese observed. Currently, MassWildlife is trying to determine if there is a correlation between artificial feeding sites and waterfowl population size. Feeding site locations or waterfowl feeding reports should be reported to H Heusmann, MassWildlife Waterfowl Project Leader by e-mail at: h.heusmann@state.ma.us; phone (508) 389-6321; Fax (508) 389-7890; or postal mail at DFW Park Mallard Survey, 100 Hartwell Street, Suite 230, West Boylston, MA 01583.

    Every five years, since 1973, MassWildlife has conducted a winter waterfowl survey of sites where people feed wild ducks and geese. Designed primarily as a count of wintering mallards, the survey includes information on all waterfowl seen, including Canada geese. The statewide survey covers public and private property in city, suburban, and rural areas. Sites may be located on fresh water, salt water, and estuaries. Other feeding sites include parks, beaches, and backyard bird feeding stations. Because feeding locations change between each 5-year cycle, the most current information on artificial waterfowl feeding locations is valuable.

    While MassWildlife discourages feeding of wildlife, there is no state law or regulation prohibiting this activity and the feeding of ducks on some sites has been going on for decades. Some municipalities do restrict or prohibit feeding. Mallards are by far the most common duck seen at feeding sites, but MassWildlife is also interested in obtaining information about other ducks and geese seen feeding at these sites: black ducks are commonly observed along with wood ducks, pintails, gadwalls, wigeons, and hooded mergansers. Canada geese are well known visitors to feeding sites and their presence is often the impetus for towns and cities to pass feeding prohibition bylaws. Results from this year’s survey compared to past surveys will be available later in the winter.

  • Thursday, September 17, 1:00 – 2:00 pm – Butterflies Abound

    Butterflies abound in Felix Neck’s garden and fields.  Join the staff of the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown, Massachusetts on Thursday, September 17, from 1:00 – 2:00 pm for a guided walk to discover the butterflies of Martha’s Vineyard and the habitats that they need to survive.  Admission is free with Sanctuary admission. Felix Neck’s four miles of trails provide spectacular views of the surrounding woodlands, meadows, ponds, salt marsh, and barrier beach. In the summer and fall, enjoy watching a nesting pair of ospreys and a tree swallow colony. From the observation building, look for waterfowl in the pond during the fall and winter. Year-round, visit the Nature Center and Discovery Room to see barn owls nesting in the barn dormer through their owl cam.  For more information, email felixneck@massaudubon.org.