Mass Audubon Blogs

Of the seven woodpeckers found in Massachusetts, the Downy Woodpecker has the distinction of being both the smallest and most common—they can be found almost anywhere there are trees. With insects making up the bulk of their diet, downies will pick and peck at tree bark in search of tasty insects and will often crawl […]

Attend an Eagle Festival, go on a nature walk, check out David Sibley’s new art exhibit, look for owls, watch a documentary, and more at a wildlife sanctuary this weekend. North Shore Deep winter is on its way—and with it, the bald eagles return to the Merrimack Valley. Head to the Eagle Festival at Joppa […]

The 100-year old federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) is one of our first environmental statutes, and makes it illegal to hunt, trap, kill, or possess nearly 1,000 avian species. Despite providing crucial protections, the law has been under attack since 2017. Now, the Trump administration has taken the next step in codifying damaging changes to […]

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation has funded Mass Audubon for three years of “Climate-Smart Forestry.” This program is a collaborative effort between Mass Audubon and the New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) to support landowners in making climate-friendly forestry management decisions. This is especially important in Massachusetts, where forests cover 60% of the total land area and […]

The Trifilo family has bought, sold and owned several properties in Barre over the past century.  One special property has been in the Trifilo family for over 50 years and the three children who inherited it decided to sell to Mass Audubon, adding nine acres and frontage on Galloway Brook to the Cook’s Canyon Wildlife […]

Sometimes it seems like there is nothing happening in winter. Birds may be scarce, plants are dormant, the weather can be overcast. But these photos of river otters from Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary in Hopkinton should brighten the day. Thanks to Cheryl Rose for sharing her observations. Even invasive plants like Oriental bittersweet twined around buckthorn […]

Our next-to-last Cape Ann trip of the season went very well this week, with new bird experiences for just about everyone! Dave Weaver and I toured the rocky coast with 35 birders, who behaved reasonably well, for the most part, and from whom we got some new ideas about managing groups there due to some […]

David Sibley is America’s pre-eminent field guide artist/author. His Sibley Guide to Birds, published in 2000, quickly became the new standard of excellence in bird identification guides, and the fastest-selling bird guide ever. His newest book, to be published in April 2020, is What It’s Like to Be a Bird, about the amazing science of […]

And just like that we are half-way through January! In our little area of the state, we’ve had some mild weather and it shows. Weekends have been filled with people getting outside, taking a hike and enjoying the mild winter weather. We love seeing you here at Moose Hill – don’t forget, stop in and […]

There’s at least one good thing about having had a slow cold-stun stranding period on the Cape—fewer dead sea turtles washed up on our beaches, which means–we hope– that fewer turtles died overall. That’s especially important since the turtles that strand here in the fall are federally listed as “critically endangered” or “threatened” species. The […]

Anyone who has spent any length of time at summer camp knows this fundamental truth: There is so much more to camp than sunscreen, roasting s’mores, and jumping in the lake. “The camp experience” is unique to each camper and staff member, but there are common themes that come up for everyone—those crucial life lessons […]