Mass Audubon Blogs

In case you’ve been living under a rock, you may not have noticed it’s been a banner year for mushrooms (although, “under a rock” might not be the worst place to find evidence of fungi). The classic “stem-and-cap” mushroom is typically the first thing that comes to mind when most folks think of a fungus, but […]

Look for birds, go on a foliage or fungi hike, attend a farm festival, celebrate nature-inspired Halloween, harvest honey, band owls, and more at a wildlife sanctuary this weekend. South of Boston Head to Attleboro Springs in Attleboro for a Fall Foliage Exploration to explore the fall colors and learn about the science of dendrology (trees). […]

Last week the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced several major developments in American offshore wind energy, including one here in Massachusetts. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will hold the next Massachusetts offshore wind auction – to include nearly 390,000 acres – on December 13, 2018. Nineteen companies have qualified to participate in the […]

Our bird conservation staff spent the past week collecting data at Elm Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, our demonstration site for Foresters for the Birds. Since we’re using this site to show how responsible forest management can enrich bird habitat, we need before-and-after data to compare changes in vegetation and bird diversity. Birds See Forests For The […]

Fair Weather Birders joined me last week to explore field edges near the Nature Center and at Little Farm Pond.  Raptors were on display.  This red-tailed hawk glided in to perch overlooking Indian Brook field.  The brown feathers on the belly form a “band” that is unmistakable for identifying red-tails. Below the bird feeder, white-throated […]

Finally, we had our first frost of the season last Saturday night and are expecting harder freezes this coming Wednesday and Thursday. In light of this, we are hurrying to finish the sweet potato harvest (half the patch yet to go), and will need to cover tender greens by Wednesday afternoon. Today at the stand you’ll […]

This week’s report was prepared by Dave Weaver. Thanks Dave! Susan Yurkus, Dave Williams, and I led this week’s edition of Wednesday Morning Birding out of Joppa Flats Education Center on to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island. Skies were partly cloudy, temps in the 50s, and  winds WSW-W/10-15 mph. Apologies for the brevity of […]

Fall is here and there is so much to do – we are looking for some new volunteers to join us. Learn more about Moose Hill, our mission, and our programs and events! Visitor Services  For a rewarding opportunity to experience the many aspects of Moose Hill and interact with our visitors and staff, join […]

While it could be argued that turtles, birds, and horseshoe crabs seem to preoccupy most of the sanctuary’s staff and volunteers, a wild organism doesn’t always have to qualify as fascinating fauna to get some attention around here. Among the most enthusiastic advocates of the sanctuary’s flora are volunteer naturalists Jeannette Bragger and Nancy Braun, who are often found […]

Just like that, another summer at Wildwood has come to a close. We wanted to take a look back on the 2018 summer, “By the Numbers”-style: 440—The number of overnight campers ages 9–14. 57—The number of Leaders-in-Training (LIT’s; entering grade 10) and Leaders-in-Action (LIA’s; entering grade 11). 6 —The number of states we visited with “Teen […]