Wildlife Watch

What Good Is A Forest? What good is a forest? How do I count the ways? We know by experience, especially during the past year, how soothing and peaceful it feels to walk in a forest. We read that trees release chemicals into the air that help them to communicate with each other, but which … Read more

Many of us have taken down our birdfeeders this summer, due to the mystery bird disease that is affecting the east coast and mid-west. We are feeling a profound loss of the color and song in our yards. We miss “our” birds! What to do? Well, the birds are still around, but we need to … Read more

Chemical Free Lawns Our lawns should be kept chemical free, and mown less frequently. Rob Moir of the Ocean River Institute of Cambridge, MA has studied lawns and bees. He found in a study he conducted in Springfield MA this past May that “lawns mowed every three weeks instead of weekly resulted in as many … Read more

Birds need native trees. Laura Tangley and Desiree Narango worked for three years as interns for Professor Doug Tallamy, Professor of Entomology at the University of Delaware. They studied how nonnative trees in cities and suburbs affect birds. In Laura Tangley’s  National Wildlife Federation article titled “Why Birds Need Native Trees”, she noted that 80% … Read more

Bees are  keystone species in the web of life. The presence of bees in our yards and open spaces is essential to the pollination and flourishing of our plants, and thus to our own lives. Dick Callahan, legislative director for the Massachusetts Beekeepers Association states that around the world, 40-50% of insect species are declining. … Read more