Conservation Science Annual Report

2017

Dear Friends of Conservation Science,

Our society’s relationship to rationality faced serious assaults in 2017 with a national

political conversation that elevated hunches and ideology above objective truth,

particularly in environmental policy. Mass Audubon will always remain dedicated to the

use of sound science in our conservation, education, and advocacy work. These pages

provide an overview of major projects in the past year.

In April, we stood with our colleagues and supporters in the March for Science. Throughout

the summer field season, we studied and actively supported wildlife and their habitats

across the Commonwealth. And in September, we released our third State of the Birds

report which focuses on the threats of climate change.

Importantly, we are sharing this expertise with partners beyond our own statewide

network of wildlife sanctuaries. Our Foresters for the Birds program is helping improve

habitat in private woodlands, the Bobolink Project is supporting grassland birds on

private farms throughout New England, and the Coastal Waterbird Program protects some

of our most vulnerable birds up and down the Massachusetts coast.

Please visit our website to learn about and support our work.

massaudubon.org/wildlife-conservation

Sincerely,

Gary Clayton Jeff Collins

President Director of Conservation Science

Mass Audubon’s Conservation Science Department is

dedicated to delivering the best science-based information

available to support and advance our mission. We are

fortunate to work with colleagues across the organization

who bring a wealth of conservation science expertise to our

everyday work.

Conservation Science Department

Ecological ManagementThe three Regional Scientists collaborate with sanctuary staff to plan and implement

habitat restoration, invasive species control, and monitoring projects across the state. They

also contribute expertise to partnerships and committees such as the Quabbin Watershed

Advisory Committee, the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group, and the Plum Island

Long-term Ecological Research program.

Bird ConservationBird Conservation staff focus on implementing the highest priority recommendations from

the Massachusetts State of the Birds reports. the Grassland Bird Program, The Bobolink

Project, Foresters for the Birds program, and the Important Bird Areas Program represent

major steps in improving conditions for declining species. Sanctuary and regional staff carry

out additional bird conservation work, such as the Coastal Waterbird Program.

Ecological Extension Service (EES)EES staff work on more than 20 projects each year in collaboration with a variety of

conservation partners including towns, land trusts, and state and federal agencies. Through

natural resource inventories, habitat restoration designs, and management plans, we

share the expertise developed through managing our own statewide network of wildlife

sanctuaries.

Salt Marsh ScienceSince 1996, students in grades 5 through 12 on the North Shore have been working with Mass

Audubon scientists to learn about salt marshes and common reed (Phragmites australis), an

invasive plant that grows in marshes. the information collected helps scientists advise local,

state, and federal agencies on how to protect and restore these habitats.

Wildlife Information LineVolunteer Marj Rines answers hundreds of phone calls and reponds to hundreds of emails

each year involving bird identification, injured animals, and any variety of suburban wildlife

encounters. Just ask!

wildlifeinfo@massaudubon.org (781) 259-2150

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The Team

Gene Albanese, Ph.D.

Southeast, Cape and Islands Regional Scientist

Jon Atwood, Ph.D.

Director of Bird Conservation

Ryan Brown

Ecological Extension Service Technician

Amber Carr

Director of Ecological Extension Service

Jeff Collins

Director of Conservation Science

Liz Duff

Education Coordinator, Salt Marsh Science

Tom Lautzenheiser

Central/West Regional Scientist

Wayne Petersen

Director of Important Bird Areas Program

Marj Rines

Wildlife Information Line Specialist

Jeff Ritterson

Field Ornithologist

Margo Servison

Conservation Program Coordinator

Joan Walsh

Gerard A. Bertrand Chair of Natural History and Field Ornithology

Robert Buchsbaum, Ph.D.

Greater Boston/North Shore

Regional Scientist

Table of ContentsState of the Birds 2017

Conserving Grassland Birds in Massachusetts and Beyond The Bobolink Project Eastern Meadowlark Surveys Massachusetts Endangered Species Petitions

Grassland Habitat Management on the Sanctuaries: 2017 Highlights

Forest Management for Birds and Other Wildlife

Foresters for the Birds

Forest Habitat Management on the Sanctuaries: 2017 Highlights

Coastal and Wetland Habitat Management and Wildlife Studies

Important Bird Areas Program

Ecological Extension Service: Ten Pound Island

Coastal Waterbird Program

Coastal Work on the Sanctuaries Salt Marsh Habitat Restoration and Conservation

Coastal Outreach and Education

Ecological Extension Service: SuAsCo CISMA

Wildlife Information Line

Monitoring Birds on our Wildlife Sanctuaries: 2017 Highlights

External Researchers at Our Wildlife Sanctuaries

Events of Note

Publications, Presentations, and Conferences

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State of the Birds 2017

Project Managers and Content Editors: Joan Walsh

and Margo Servison.

Co-authors: Jon Atwood, Wayne Petersen, Daniel Brown,

Keenan Yakola, Robert Buchsbaum, Jeff Ritterson, Chris

Leahy.

Supporting Staff: Jeff Collins, Tom Lautzenheiser,

Stefanie Covino, Michael O’Connor, Katharine Parsons,

Leti Taft-Pearman, Hillary Truslow, Banks Poor, Heidi

Ricci, Kris Scopinich, Matthew Smith.

Since 2005 the Bird Conservation team has been building an

evidence-based data library detailing the status and trends of

Massachusetts’ birds to help guide our conservation, education and

advocacy efforts. To build this library we had to accomplish three major

tasks: we needed to understand the history of the trends of species in

the state, we needed to have a clear picture of the current distribution

and trends of the species in the state, and we needed a best estimate

of the future projections of the birds in Massachusetts.

The third task led us to September 2017, when, after 18 months of work,

we proudly launched our new State of the Birds 2017: Massachusetts Birds

and Our Changing Climate. This is our third State of the Birds report, and

focusing on the challenges birds and some other wildlife will face as

our climate changes.

Our first step in understanding the projected future of our breeding

birds was to understand how a changing climate will affect the

"livability" of the state —which species are projected to expand in the

state? Which species may retract? To tackle this we used a modeling

technique that defined the climate each species currently uses, then

we looked at where similar climates will be found in 2050.

Our results showed that of the 143 species we modeled, 43% are

projected to be highly vulnerable to the future climate conditions, and

may have large-scale range retractions in Massachusetts. A nearly

equal proportion, 42%, are expected to have stable or increasing ranges

in the state.

43% 42%

15%

Least Vulnerable

Likely Vulnerable

Highly Vulnerable Black-capped Chickadee’s climate-suitable

northeastern breeding range is projected to move northward by 2050. The likelihood of encountering chickadees in many parts of eastern Massachusetts will likely be lower relative to the present. The center of the northeastern range is projected to move northeast about 340 miles.

CURRENT 2050

Climate Suitability

HighLow

Center of northeastern range

Some Birds May Shift Northward

massaudubon.org/sotb

These results are sobering, particularly for those species that are

projected to retract. We looked at the habitats that the species breed

in, and found some of the habitats that host the highest percentages

of highly vulnerable species include our forests and coasts.

The results speak to a chaotic near-future for some of our most iconic

species, like Black-capped Chickadee, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Many of our coastal nesting species, like

Piping Plover and Roseate Tern also show vulnerability to the changing

climate. Additionally sea level rise adds even more stress to our

coastal nesting species.

This work shines a bright light on where our efforts should be focused

in the future. Without these science-based models and reviews of the

stresses that climate change places on our Commonwealth we would

not be able to design and implement the most effective adaptation

and protection programs.

But these projects only work to help birds when we use them as an

opportunity to work with our federal, state, municipal, and public

partners to bring the message of including wildlife in our discussions

of coping with climate change. Our outreach for this work was highly

successful, with excellent press coverage well beyond Massachusetts,

and continuing public and professional presentations.

In response to our first two State of the Birds reports we redoubled

our efforts to protect grassland breeding birds, and built our first

program designed to increase habitat for young forest nesting birds.

We will be rolling out new programs designed to understand how our

cherished birds and other wildlife will find a home in the changing

climate in Massachusetts in the future. Your support will enable us to

work proactively to protect the birds of Massachusetts at home, and

throughout their year-round range.

Rose-breasted GrosbeakCURRENT

2050

© Nathan Dubrow

What You Can Do

Support Bird Conservation Help us protect vulnerable species by donating to Mass Audubon’s Bird Conservation Programs at

massaudubon.org/birds Keep cats indoors Keeping cats indoors is safer for them and for wildlife.

Eat more veggies, eat less beef Compared to other meats, getting beef to the table results in 5 to 10 times more greenhouse gas emissions.

Advocate for the environment Sign up now for our Advocacy mailing list to get alerts of how you can take action massaudubon.org/advocacy

Support the Paris Agreement goals Support the efforts of the Commonwealth to work with other states to stay on track with emissions reductions.

Make the Switch to renewable energy Sign up: massaudubon.org/maketheswitch

1 2

Grassland bird species are in trouble throughout North America.

For example, in the New England/mid-Atlantic coastal region,

Bobolink numbers have declined about 75% in the last 50 years. And

future changes in precipitation and temperature due to the climate

change could very well worsen the problem.

While habitat loss is a key factor in the decline of grassland

birds in Massachusetts, the management of the remaining large

grasslands also significantly affects the productivity of nesting

birds. Agricultural practices maintain the open land that grassland

birds depend upon for breeding. However, typical farming practices

involve mowing fields during the weeks that birds like Bobolinks

are actively nesting.

The issue is one of timing and economics: birds settle into fields for

nesting in May, and farmers typically harvest their first cut in June,

when the monetary value of the hay crop is highest. The cutting,

raking and bailing of hay typically results in a complete loss of eggs

and nestlings.

To protect grassland birds, we have expanded habitat on our wildlife

sanctuaries, partnered with municipalities and land trusts, and

shared guidance on best management of grassland habitat (guide

available online). We are also leading the Bobolink Project, an

innovative solution for working hayfields.

massaudubon.org/grasslandbirds

Conserving Grassland Birds in Massachusetts and Beyond

The Bobolink Project

A promising strategy for conserving grassland birds is The

Bobolink Project, initially conceived by Dr. Stephen Swallow at the

University of Connecticut as a way to finance bird-friendly mowing

practices. There are many hay farmers in New England who are willing

to delay their harvest schedule for the sake of nesting grassland

birds, but to do so costs them money—late season hay is less valuable

than early season hay. The Bobolink Project "buys time" for grassland

birds to successfully nest on working farms by providing financial

support, collected from conservation donors, which is paid to farmers

who are willing to manage their fields for grassland birds. Beginning

in 2016, Mass Audubon took on the leadership for this regional effort,

which is shared by our collaborators Audubon Vermont, Audubon

Connecticut, and (new in 2017) New Hampshire Audubon.

In the months leading up to the 2017 field season, we raised just over

$38,000 to support the project’s objectives, and 99% of this donation

pool was given directly to participating farmers. The final bid that

was accepted was $60/acre. Within this financial framework we were

able to enroll 17 farms: 13 located in Vermont, two in Massachusetts,

one in New Hampshire, and one in New York—totaling about 630 acres

collectively.

We estimate that these farms supported about 294 pairs of Bobolinks

in 2017. Using an estimated productivity of 2.79 fledglings per

breeding pair, this suggests that 820 fledgling young were produced

as a result of the project’s 2017 efforts. This fledgling estimate nearly

doubled from 2016 to 2017, although the amount of protected acreage

increased by only about 20%. The 2017 breeding season was especially

wet in many parts of the northeast, possibly enhancing breeding

conditions and increasing the number of Bobolink pairs found on

participating farms.

There may be several changes to The Bobolink Project before the 2018

season. The best way to stay in touch with these changes is to sign

up to the e-newsletter mailing list on our website, and follow The

Bobolink Project on Facebook.

estimated fledgling Bobolinks produced in 2017

820

bobolinkproject.com

Key Staff: Jon Atwood and Margo Servison

© Allan Strong

3 4

In 2017 Mass Audubon initiated a pilot study of Eastern Meadowlark

distribution in Massachusetts. As with other grassland birds, this species

is exhibiting severe reductions in population as a result of loss of habitat and

intensifying agricultural pressures. In the New England/mid-Atlantic coastal

region, Eastern Meadowlark numbers have declined about 7.1% per year over the

last 50 years; in Massachusetts, meadowlarks are estimated to have declined by

about 9.7% per year from 2005 to 2015. According to the Massachusetts Breeding

Bird Atlas 2 (2007-2011), breeding Eastern Meadowlarks have disappeared

from 87% of the Breeding Bird Atlas blocks that they occupied during the first

Breeding BIrd Atlas (1974-1979).

The Project

In 2017 Mass Audubon’s Bird Conservation team, in collaboration

with MassWildlife, launched a multi-year Eastern Meadowlark citizen

science project through the Anecdata online platform (anecdata.org).

The project’s objective is to collect current presence-absence data

for meadowlarks at randomly selected grassland sites throughout

the state. The data collected through this project will provide

valuable up-to-date information on this species’ current distribution

in Massachusetts and will form the basis for a better assessment of

meadowlark habitat requirements and conservation needs.

We selected the survey sites by analyzing state GIS layers that

included roads and land parcels sorted by their primary land use

(e.g., pasture, crop land, open land). Survey points were randomly

generated in the land parcels deemed possible suitable grasslands

and then were checked manually against Google Earth imagery.

A few survey points where meadowlarks were encountered in the

MA Breeding Bird Atlas 2 data were added manually. Some sites

proved to be unsuitable (e.g., cemeteries) or inaccessible without

trespassing. Future efforts to choose survey sites will aim to reduce

these inaccuracies.

Population trends of Bobolink from 1966-2015. From Sauer, J. R., D. K. Niven, J. E. Hines, D. J. Ziolkowski, Jr, K. L. Pardieck, J. E. Fallon, and W. A. Link. 2017. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2015. Version 2.07.2017 USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD.

Breeding Bird Atlas 1

Presence of breeding Eastern Meadowlarks in the state at the time of Breeding Bird Atlas 1 (1974–1979) and Breeding Bird Atlas 2 (2007–2011). From Walsh, J. and W. Petersen (eds.). 2013. The Massachusetts Breeding Bird Atlas 2. Massachusetts Audubon Society, Inc.

Breeding Bird Atlas 2

Eastern Meadowlark SurveysA new citizen science effort to help a disappearing birdKey Staff: Jon Atwood

2017 Results

51 birders participated in the meadowlark survey in 2017 and

visited 161 pre-selected sites (about 30% of the total potential

sites), distributed among 88 towns. Eastern Meadowlarks

were present at 7% of the sites visited, Bobolinks were present

at 40% of the sites visited, and Grasshopper Sparrows were

present at 11% of the sites visited. See the map to the right for

details on where Eastern Meadowlarks were encountered.

Perhaps not surprisingly, meadowlarks were the most

seldom-found bird among these three grassland specialists,

being even more rarely encountered than Grasshopper

Sparrow, which is classified as a Threatened Species in

Massachusetts. Eastern Meadowlark is a species that very

clearly seems to be in trouble in Massachusetts, and the

basic distribution data collected during this survey will

hopefully help build a more compelling basis for conservation

action.

We expect to further study meadowlark distribution in 2018,

and hope for even greater participation from the birding

public.

massaudubon.org/meadowlarksurvey

Project Partner

Project SupportFrom

Massachusetts Endangered Species List PetitionsIn Massachusetts we are fortunate to have a strong state

Endangered Species Act (MESA). Under this law (MGL c.

131A and its implementing regulations (321 CMR 10.00),

MESA-listed species are protected from "take" in the

Commonwealth. MESA is a very important tool for protecting

rare species and their habitats. Species are identified as

Endangered, Threatened, or Special Concern.

The MESA list is used by government agencies, private

conservation organizations, and individuals. The staff of the

Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP) in

the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife uses the list in making

regulatory decisions, prioritizing land

acquisition and habitat management

projects, and in other conservation

activities, in order to offset the effects

of documented threats.

Because the status of rare and

vulnerable species in Massachusetts

is dynamic and may change due

to many factors, the MESA list undergoes periodic review.

Changes to the list are periodically recommended to

the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Advisory

Committee (of which Mass Audubon’s Wayne Petersen is an

active member) and the Massachusetts Fisheries & Wildlife

Board for approval. Listing species under MESA is based on

three primary criteria: species rarity, population trends, and

threats to the species in Massachusetts.

Mass Division of Fisheries and Wildlife is currently

considering changes to the species listed under MESA.

Currently there are 427 native species listed under MESA.

Mass Audubon has submitted petitions

recommending that two bird species—

American Kestrel and Eastern

Meadowlark—be added to the list as

Threatened species, and that Saltmarsh

Sparrow be added as Endangered. We may

suggest additional species before the end

of 2017, and the state will consider these

submissions during early 2018.5 6

Breeding Bird Survey

© John Sill

© John Sill

© John Sill

Grassland Habitat Management on the Sanctuaries2017 Highlights

Mass Audubon’s Conservation Science Department is working with our

Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary colleagues to demonstrate bird-friendly

grassland management at Drumlin Farm. They are also mid-way through a

grant-funded restoration of 22 acres of grassland habitat, which includes

aerating, fertilizing, and reseeding of all of Drumlin Farms hayfields. In addition,

Drumlin staff have made changes to how human activity intersects with

wildlife needs, including rerouting paths around the fields, redirecting the joyful

play of our summer campers away from nesting areas, and converting less

fertile cropland into grassland where possible.

This multi-disciplinary approach to habitat restoration has resulted in

successful nesting bobolinks for the past two summers, something that hadn’t

seen for several years preceding 2016. This past summer Drumlin had seven

successful nests and, after fledging, observed 32 Bobolinks feeding in the fields.

Eastern Meadowlarks were heard singing in both the spring and the summer, and staff observed large numbers

of migrating sparrows feeding in the fields in the fall. Tia Pinney, Drumlin

Farm’s senior naturalist, also noted that she saw more Monarch Butterflies,

although these are not being monitored as part of the project.

By testing mowing practices intended both to support productive hayfields

and provide sustainable habitat for grassland birds, and by measuring and

communicating our results, Drumlin and the Conservation Science team are

providing helpful data to other Mass Audubon sanctuaries and agricultural

landowners across the region so that they, too, can modify their practices to

better support critical bird habitat.

For the Birds

Drumlin FarmLincoln, MA

Key Staff: Renata Pomponi, Jon Atwood.

Bobolink spotted on Drumlin’s grasslands.

Project funded by:

The Hollis Declan Leverett

Memorial Fund

Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary not only manages their fields for grassland

birds and Monarch Butterflies, but also engages people through its Monarch

Tagging citizen science project. In 2017, with the help of volunteers, 300 Monarchs

were tagged at Allens Pond. In addition to tagging the butterflies, the participants

were trained on how to measure them as well. This long-term Monarch tagging

project helps scientists get a better understanding of Monarch migration, which is

not well-known.

Allens Pond Wildlife SanctuaryWestport, MA

Key Staff: Gina Purtell and Lauren Miller-Donnelly

Insects are incredibly diverse and provide a host of services vital to the function

of global-scale ecosystems. In particular, insects like bees and butterflies

are essential to pollination which is required by flowering plants in natural and

agricultural systems for successful reproduction. However, insect pollinator

populations worldwide have dramatically declined since the 1990's. No single

underlying cause for these declines has been identified. However, several factors

acting together including introduced pathogens and parasites, exposure to novel

pesticides and herbicides, habitat loss and degradation, low population levels, and

the subsequent breakdown of metapopulation dynamics are likely causes. Mass

Audubon is working to provide critical habitat for pollinators while we and others

continue to work on identifying the underlying drivers of pollinator declines.

We have initiated a three-year management project at our North River Wildlife

Sanctuary to establish pollinator habitat on ten acreas of old field that has

been degraded by the invasion of exotic plants. The project is supported by the

USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Massachusetts Department

of Conservation and Recreation. The project’s goals include establishing pollinator

habitat with a diverse suite of native plants while reducing and controlling exotic,

invasive plants and using the project as a platform to raise public awareness of

the plight of pollinators.

We began the first phase of the project in 2017 by plowing three acres of the site

with the heaviest infestation of exotic plants to create a bare soil seedbed. We

also applied repeated, site-wide herbicide treatments to control persistent and

reemerging invasive brush. Our expectation is to continue invasive plant control

measures, double the size of the bare soil seedbed and to begin sowing the area

with a mix of native gasses and flowers in 2018.

North River Wildlife SanctuaryMarshfield, MA

Key Staff: Gene Albanese, David Ludlow, Matt O’Neill, Sue MacCallum.

Supporting Staff: Karen Louise Stein, Lauren Gordon, Doug Williams

For the Bees and Butterflies

Our special thanks and

gratitude to Massachusetts

Energy and Environment

Secretary Matthew Beaton for

his invitation to participate in

the expansion and improvement

of pollinator habitat in MA. His

support facilitated the generous

contribution of 200 lbs. of native

plant seed to Mass Audubon

through MassWildlife. This mix

of native grass and herb seeds

was selected to provide flower

pollen and nectar resources vital

to sustaining healthy and diverse

pollinator populations. The seed

will be used to enhance and

restore approximately 20 acres

of pollinator habitat on seven

sanctuaries across our state.

Project funded by

7 8

Forest is the natural vegetative cover type for virtually all upland areas and

many wetlands of Massachusetts. These forests provide habitat for a diverse

array of flora and fauna, as well as provide other ecosystem services such as

water filtration, recreational opportunities, and carbon sequestration.

The majority of our forests grew back after land was cleared for agriculture

and now are considered "middle-aged". There now exists very little young

forest, and even less old growth forest. Following many decades of

reforestation, our forests are once again threatened by conversion to non-

forest uses, but this time it’s commercial and residential development.

Protecting our forests is the first step in retaining their value. No forest, no

forest services.

Management for wildlife habitat and other forest ecosystem services is

possible. However, considering that Mass Audubon’s sanctuaries are

protected in perpetuity, and true old growth forests can only develop with

time, most sanctuaries are left to naturally grow. However, some hands-on

forest management does occur, for example to restore natural communities

such as flood plain forest at Arcadia and young forest at Old Baldy, or as

part of a larger conservation initiative, such as the Foresters for the Birds

demonstration site at Elm Hill.

Mass Audubon promotes active forest management on private lands.

Specifically, the Foresters for the Birds program works to create more young

forest habitat, and also mimic old growth conditions in middle-aged forests.

Achieving management on private lands is important to scaling up our

conservation actions because about 75% of our forests are privately owned.

Forest Managementfor Birds and Other Wildlife

Project partners and funding sources

Foresters for the Birds

Since the inception of the Massachusetts Foresters for the Birds

program, the number of forests management plans written with

a bird habitat component has increased each year, from 17 plans in

2015, to 35 in 2016, to 43 in 2017 with a cumlative total of 93 plans to

date. This totals almost 10,000 acres of forests with plans to manage

for bird habitat. Part of the increase in plans is attributable to the

FY16 statewide expansion of the program, yet we are still building

momentum in newer areas of the state.

In order to promote the program, Jeff held six public outreach events

and seminars, including one in collaboration with Mass Audubon’s

Shaping the Future of Your Community program (massaudubon.org/

shapingthefuture) in Hanson. This event was centered around the

Town of Hanson’s recent Foresters for the Birds plan, and featured

talks from UMass Amherst faculty and Mass Audubon staff about

increasing forest resilience, the importance of forests as natural

infrastructure in sustainable development and planning, and how

managing for bird habitat can help our forests and birds overcome

many future stressors, such as climate change. The event concluded

with a walk in the Town Forest, led by professional foresters. This was

Foresters for the Birds’ first foray into the southeast of the state, and

the event was well attended by many local environmental groups, who

will certainly promote the program.

Jeff also held one general forester training, did three one-on-one field

visits with foresters, and reviewed several written plans, all part of

training requirements in the program. Finally, Foresters for the Birds

continues to be featured as the focus of an NRCS RCPP project in the

northwest of the state. A second NRCS RCPP project, covering areas of

central Massachusetts, northeast Connecticut, and northwest Rhode

Island, will begin in early 2018 and also feature the program.

massaudubon.org/forestbirds

Key Staff: Jeff Ritterson

9 10

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker © Evan Lipton

In the fall of 2016, the Conservation Science Department received a grant

from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s New England Forests

and Rivers Fund to test and demonstrate a forest habitat improvement

project at Mass Audubon’s Elm Hill Wildlife Sanctuary. Throughout 2017,

we worked with a trained consulting forester to write a management plan,

which includes a long term 100-year perspective. We collected baseline

data on birds, bats, amphibians, and butterflies to help us measure any

effects of our management actions. We are also partnered with the USDA

Forest Service, who developed

a pilot decision support tool

to evaluate and prioritize the

placement of early successional

habitat in Massachusetts.

Following the successful

completion of our initial grant,

we were awarded a second round

of funding from the National

Fish and Wildlife Foundation

to implement some of the

recommendations in our forest

management plan. We will create

young forest habitat to benefit species such as the American Woodcock,

and management areas for species associated with moderate forest

disturbances, such as the Black-throated Blue Warbler. Funding was also

secured to continue developing the decision support tool, including the

addition of landscape-scale habitat considerations.

Beyond providing habitat for species of

conservation need, the site will provide

technical assistance to professional

foresters, agency staff, conservation

professionals, and the land trust

community. The decision support tool

will be widely available to landowners

and practitioners, and will be tested and

refined using the Elm Hill Demonstration

Site. Tom Lautzenheiser and Jeff Ritterson

will continue taking the lead on this

exciting project in 2018.

Elm Hill Wildlife Sanctuary Demonstration Site

Brookfield and North Brookfield, MA

Forest Habitat Management on the Sanctuaries2017 Highlights

Project funded by

Project Partner

Key Staff: Jeff Ritterson, Tom Lautzenheiser, Ron Wolanin

American Woodcock © Jonathan Eckerson

Black-throated Blue Warbler © Keenan Yakola

Elm Hill property

In early spring 2017, Mass Audubon fielded a logging crew to

maintain and expand early-successional shrubland habitat at

Old Baldy Wildlife Sanctuary in Otis. This project, made possible

by a grant from the state Division of Fisheries & Wildlife’s Habitat

Management Grant Program, cleared approximately 16 acres around

the summit and eastern flank of Old Baldy hill and created large

brush piles throughout the site. Scattered trees were retained

for seeding and wildlife habitat function. Although the transition

to shrubland was a dramatic change for much of the site, dense

regeneration triggered by the cut should result in a substantial

increase in habitat quality for many species of conservation concern,

including shrubland-breeding birds like Eastern Towhee and White-

Throated Sparrow, and New England Cottontail, our rare native rabbit.

While we are convinced of the benefits to wildlife from a selected

number of well-placed forest openings, we recognize that such a

transition can be jarring to neighbors and community members.

To communicate the project’s background and goals to the wider

Otis audience, Mass Audubon wrote stories about Old Baldy for the

town’s two periodicals, and will host walks on the site in the next

growing season. As we prepare for a similar project at Richardson

Brook in Tolland, we are reaching

out to neighbors and the broader

community to explain the benefits

of providing young forest habitat

for a wide variety of birds and other

wildlife. Through these efforts

we hope to share insights into

Mass Audubon’s deliberative land

management decision-making

process.

Old Baldy Habitat ManagementOtis, MA

Project funded by

Key Staff: Tom Lautzenheiser, Ron Wolanin, Rick Prew

New England Cottontail © USFWS

Habitat management on Old Baldy

Eastern Towhee © Ken Jordan

Chestnut-sided Warbler © Kevin O’Malley

11 12

In 2017 Mass Audubon continued the controlled archery hunting for

White-tailed Deer on the Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary in Sharon and also

introduced a similar program at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in

Topsfield. The forests at both sanctuaries have been severely degraded by

the voracious browsing of a population of White-tailed Deer that has become

over abundant for the region. This management program was instituted after

an exhaustive review of various options to reduce the deer population.

The browse of high density deer populations negatively impacts plant

biodiversity, primary productivity, and tree stand regeneration. Over

abundant deer also have cascading negative effects on other taxonomic

groups of vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. In particular, intensive

deer browse has been linked to local-scale declines of several native ground

and understory nesting birds and rare butterflies and moths. Without

anything controlling the deer population in eastern Massachusetts, these

effects of deer browse will worsen.

In 2017, the program participants removed 16 deer from the Moose Hill

Wildlife Sanctuary and The Trustees’ adjacent Moose Hill Farm. Another 12

deer were removed from Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. The hunters focus

their efforts on does to best achieve our deer population management goals.

Our primary goal in the first two years of the project has been to initiate a

safe, well-managed, well-communicated White-tailed Deer management

program. We will be working over the coming years to refine our estimates of

deer density at each property and to assess the program’s ability to achieve

a sustainable density. We will also continue to monitor the response of the

forest.

White-tailed Deer Management at Moose Hill and Ipswich River

Sharon and Topsfield, MA

Key Staff: Jeff Collins, Gene Albanese, Robert Buchsbaum, Karen Stein,

and Carol Decker.

© Amy Powers Smith

Hardly any plants grow beneath the deer browse line in this beech forest at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary.

Nahant Thicket

Key Staff: Amber Carr, Robert Buchsbaum, Carol Decker

Staff are working closely with residents of Nahant to plan an

ambitious restoration of Nahant Thicket, our smallest wildlife

sanctuary at 4 acres. Though modest in size, the Thicket is much-

loved as a local green space and well known as a favored stopover

site for migrating birds. The multi-year restoration project will

include restoration of site hydrology to improve habitat and

minimize flooding, and also replacing invasive plants with native

fruiting shrubs. The project will also involve relocation of trails,

the addition of a boardwalk, and improvements to the small

parking lot.

Two public meetings were held to solicit feedback from the

local community and we plan to work closely with the Nahant

Preservation Trust to collaborate on restoration of their nearby

properties.

Boundary Marking

Key Staff: Ryan Brown and Amber Carr

The expertise of Mass Audubon’s Ecological Extension Service

has once again been called upon to mark the boundaries

of Wildlife Management Areas belonging to the Massachusetts

Department of Fish and Game. In collaboration with Mass

Audubon’s Land Protection and IT staff, a customized data

management system consisting of an iPad Mini 4, a Bluetooth

GPS unit, ESRI’s Collector app, and ArcGIS Online was created

to aid field navigation, optimize data collection, and provide

real-time access. We are currently in the process of signing and

marking boundaries of Copicut Wildlife Management Area and will

continue into 2018. These efforts will help deter encroachment and

other illicit use of public conservation land.

Ecological Extension ServiceThe Ecological Extension Service is Mass Audubon’s technical assistance program for conservation partners such as

towns and land trusts. We help our partners address land management issues on a fee-for-service basis. For more

information, contact Amber Carr at acarr@massaudubon.org.

Mass Audubon’s Nahant Thicket Wildlife Sanctuary.

13 14

Coastal birds are among our most vulnerable birds as the climate

continues to change. Increased sea level will cause habitat loss for

coastal nesting birds and a warming ocean will seriously disrupt

the food web that they rely on. With much of Massachusetts’ border

being coastline, it is critical that we work to protect the coastal

species that call the state home.

Mass Audubon has an extensive history of protecting coastal

waterbirds, through the Coastal Waterbird Program, the Important

Bird Areas Program, and other sanctuary-based programs. We

are one of the most effective entities protecting waterbirds in

Massachusetts and could not do so without the support of our

many donors, fantastic volunteers, and staff.

Coastal and Wetland Habitat Management and Wildlife Studies

© David Larson

Halfway Rock © Chris Leahy

Straitsmouth Island © Chris Leahy

House Island © Chris Leahy Project funded by

Important Bird Areas (IBA) ProgramEssex County Coastal Bird Islands IBA

Key Staff: Wayne Petersen, Chris Leahy, Margo Servison,

and Amber Carr

A monitoring project initiated in 2017 involved a preliminary

ornithological assessment of the Essex County Coastal Bird

Islands IBA. This IBA includes roughly 25 rocky and variously vegetated

islands, and another 15 or so islets within a mile of the coastline

stretching from Nahant to Rockport off the North Shore. Some of

these islands have historic importance as coastal breeding bird

habitat, while others support significant breeding populations today.

Currently no comprehensive understanding of the breeding activity or

the management challenges on these islands exists.

Mass Audubon staff and volunteers completed a preliminary

survey to assess and roughly catalogue the current breeding

bird status on these islands, and, where feasible, consider future

management possibilities. Ultimately this effort will require a

complete reconnaissance and survey of breeding birds currently on

the islands, as well as compiling a summary of the historical status

of species at least since the 1970s. At the conclusion of the project

we will summarize the past and current status of each island’s

bird population and offer

recommendations for possible

future habitat enhancement

wherever feasible. The results

of this focused monitoring

project will better inform our

conservation efforts in the

future.

&Davis

Conservation Foundation

Snowy Egrets are among the species that nest on the Essex County Rocky Islands

© Judith Keneman

15 16

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary IBA

Key Staff: Wayne Petersen

We continued to support dedicated seabird monitoring at

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary IBA for the

sixth year in a row. Volunteers in the Stellwagen Sanctuary Seabird

Stewards (S4) Program, trained by Wayne Petersen, monitored

seabird distribution and abundance in the sanctuary approximately

every six weeks. In addition to offering an opportunity for interested

"citizen scientists" to assist in gathering valuable seabird data, the

S4 Program continues to help focus on the linkage between seabird

abundance and an important prey species— the sand lance.

At the conclusion of the 2017 season more than 50,000 sightings of

wildlife, vessels, and marine debris were gathered and the total since

the program was started six years ago is now approaching 300,000

sightings. A highlight this year was the addition of a Pacific Loon

as a first-ever sighting in the Sanctuary. Additionally a total of 120

volunteers have been trained to gather seabird data, enter data, and

do some preliminary data analysis along with a number of students

in Boston University’s Marine Program. Information gathered by this

program is increasingly being recognized as a very valuable data set

for establishing the status of seabirds in our region.

Peregrine Falcon Monitoring

Key Staff: Wayne Petersen and Amber Carr

Staff surveyed four active granite quarries to establish the

presence of nesting Peregrine Falcons and to determine whether

these sites offer suitable nesting habitat. The results of the inventory

proved both valuable and productive in that falcons were noted in all

four quarries surveyed by the project, with nesting confirmed in two of

the quarries and a third quarry almost certainly supporting a breeding

pair. We also trained quarry staff to observe Peregrine Falcon nests

and watch for signs of disturbance in future years.

Sooty Shearwater © Peter Flood

Peregrine Falcon © Peter Flood

Ten Pound Island

Key Staff: Amber Carr, Jeff Collins, Chris Leahy

Ten Pound Island falls within the Eastern Point-Gloucester

Harbor and Essex County Coastal Bird Islands Important

Bird Areas (IBA). The Eastern Point-Gloucester Harbor IBA is

400-500 acres and it encompasses adjacent tidal flats and

open water of Gloucester Harbor to the west and Brace’s

Cove and nearshore waters of the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

It is well known as an important site for migrating bird

species where over 250 different species have been recorded

along this 2 mile long peninsula. The Essex County Coastal

Bird Islands IBA is 250-300 acres and contains all islands

from Nahant to Cape Ann which contain populations of

seabirds or wading birds. These coastal bird islands range

in individual importance to birds —from several islands that

support a few nesting pairs of birds to Mass Audubon’s

Kettle Island in Manchester-by-the-Sea, which is identified

as the single most important breeding site for wading birds

in Massachusetts. However, in the long term, each of these

islands contributes to the health of our bird populations

as conditions change and the nesting colonies periodically

take up on a new island. Ten Pound Island, in particular, has

significant wildlife value especially for nesting and year-

round roosting areas for Common Eiders and as a possible

breeding site for egrets or herons.

The city of Gloucester hired the Ecological Extension Service

(EES) in 2017 to survey Ten Pound Island to describe the

current ecological conditions of the island and create a

management plan that would improve the island for birds

and other wildlife. EES staff conducted six site visits from

April–October to document observations on Ten Pound

Island over several months throughout the year. Thirty nine

Common Eider nests and 16 Great Black Backed Gull nests

were documented on the island as well as three nests that

appeared to be Snowy Egrets. The confirmed presence of

Norway Rats and evidence of their predation on nests is a

great concern on this island. Our management plan for the

island includes a designated trail to reduce impact from

public use, restricting island access beyond the beach

during the nesting season, and addressing the Norway Rats

currently present on the island.

Ecological Extension Service

A wildlife camera on Ten Pound Island shows a Common Eider sitting on a nest (left) and a rat nearby (right).

A night heron or egret nest found on Ten Pound Island this summer.

17 18

Coastal Waterbird Program

massaudubon.org/cwp

Key Staff: Katharine Parsons, Brynna Bolger, Cris Luttazi, Mary

Griffin, and Wildlife Sanctuary staff.

Mass Audubon’s Coastal Waterbird Program (CWP) protected

threatened coastal birds through management and education

at 194 sites along 162 miles of the Massachusetts coastline in 2017.

Forty-six staff members including three full-time staff, nine sanctuary

staff, 24 seasonal staff, and 10 trainees, installed protective fencing and

signage, monitored nesting activity, provided educational opportunities

for beachgoers, and engaged land owners in coastal habitat protection.

In addition, 75+ volunteers, including two AmeriCorps teams, provided

essential support to the program working within local communities to

protect coastal waterbirds. Mass Audubon’s monitoring presence in the

Boston Harbor grew significantly, increasing from eight islands in 2016

to 14 islands in 2017.

Funders of the Coastal Waterbird Program can be found on the Coastal

Waterbird Program webpages.

Terns

Program staff surveyed a total of 132 sites for tern species and

protected 41 sites with breeding terns including 1,132 pairs of Least

Terns (38% of the MA breeding population in 2017) and 143 pairs of

Common Terns (0.8% of the MA breeding population in 2017). Known

reproductive success of Least Terns was none to fair in 2017 on Mass

Audubon-monitored sites. Approximately 2% of sites experienced

excellent fledging rates; 5% experienced good fledging; 14% experienced

fair fledging; 12% experienced poor fledging; 67% fledged no terns.

Staff also continued their work

with staging Roseate Terns,

focusing 2017 field work on a

prey abundance study. Staff and

interns observed prey delivery

and type, foraging attempts,

and flight direction to and from

feeding areas. In addition to

gathering data on foraging,

staff recorded flock counts and

resights of color-banded Roseate

Terns. CWP work continues to

show the importance of Cape

Cod staging sites in the annual

cycle of endangered Roseate

Terns.

Piping Plover chick © Lia Vito

Roseate Terns © Michael Rossacci

Least Tern chick in nest © Arianna Ferrario

Common Tern and chick © Carol Duffy

American Oystercatcher abundance in Massachusetts decreased

slightly to approximately 186 breeding pairs (approximately 190 in

2016). Forty-five pairs were observed breeding on Mass Audubon

protected sites, approximately 24% of the state population, and 47%

of nesting attempts were

successful in hatching eggs.

Major causes of egg mortality

include predation (54% of

failed eggs) and overwash (31%

of failed eggs. Another 4% of

eggs simply failed to hatch,

and 11% were lost to unknown

causes. Fledging rate at Mass

Audubon managed sites was

good in 2017 at 0.72 chicks

fledged/pair (n=29 pairs with

productivity data).

Piping PloversMass Audubon protected

216 pairs of Piping Plovers,

representing about 33% of

the statewide population, and

roughly 12% of the Atlantic

Coast population. Statewide

abundance of Piping Plover

increased to 657 pairs

(preliminary data) in 2017

from 649 pairs in 2016. Despite

that good news, reproductive

success throughout the state

was poor, and lower than

in 2016 with a preliminary

estimate of productivity at

0.93 chicks fledged/pair. The estimate for sustainable reproduction in

Piping Plovers is 1.24 fledged chicks/pair per year.

Predation, both avian and mammalian, limited productivity on Mass

Audubon monitored beaches this season (51% of all known egg losses

were attributed to predation), making this the greatest known cause

of egg loss. Overwash was the second highest cause of known egg loss

at 38% (compared to 26% in 2016).

American Oystercatchers

American Oystercatcher © A Grigorenko

American Oystercatchers © Alan Roe

Coastal Waterbird Program staff install an exclosure to protect Plover eggs from predators.

Coastal Waterbird Program staff teaching 4th graders about coastal waterbird ecology and conservation.

© Arianna Ferrario

19 20

Wellfleet Bay

Wellfleet, MA

Key Staff: Mike Long and Mark Faherty

Wellfleet Bay has a long tradition of carrying out multiple concurrent

research and endangered species monitoring projects, and our work

this year included protecting and monitoring nesting coastal waterbirds

and diamondback terrapins, partnering with UMass Amherst on a telemetry

study of Wellfleet’s horseshoe crab population, rescuing and collecting data

on hundreds of federally endangered sea turtles on Cape Cod Beaches from

November through January, deploying unmanned "drifters" in conjunction

with NOAA biologists and local high schools to better understand how

currents affect sea turtle movements, banding migrating songbirds for

research and for school group demonstrations, and surveying dragonflies

and damselflies in the Cape Cod National Seashore. Science Coordinator Mark

Faherty and Sanctuary Director Bob Prescott had the help of ten seasonal

research assistants and hundreds of volunteer citizen scientists on these

various projects.

UMass Amherst graduate student, Mike Long, continued the nearly two

decade research program on Horseshoe Crab populations on the Outer

Cape, including spawning surveys, button tagging, as well as his Master’s

research on crab movements and demographics in Wellfleet Harbor. Each

crab is fitted with a uniquely coded sonic transmitter that pings off a network

of fixed receiver buoys as the crab moves around. Early indications are that

Wellfleet Harbor crabs often leave the harbor and enter Cape Cod Bay shortly

after spawning in spring, while others stay all summer and into late fall. These

results have implications for management of the horseshoe crab harvest

in Wellfleet Harbor and Cape Cod Bay and are of great interest to the Mass

Division of Marine Fisheries.

In 2017, staff saw continuing very low numbers of spawning females in

Wellfleet Bay, especially compared with Pleasant Bay and Nauset Bay (bait

harvest is not allowed at either so populations are consistently higher). Staff

saw only 30 female crabs in the course of surveying 2,865 5x5 meter quadrats

in Wellfleet. Based on these results, Mass Audubon continues to advocate for

better management of the horseshoe crab fishery in Wellfleet and Cape Cod

Bay, where stocks are quite low.

Coastal Work on the Sanctuaries2017 Highlights

Horseshoe Crab Surveys

Diamondback terrapin babies

Sea turtles waiting to be carpooled to the New England Aquarium in Quincy for rehabilitation

Wellfleet Bay has been tracking the number of cold-stunned sea

turtles on Cape Cod since 1979. This valuable dataset gives us

a glimpse into juvenile sea turtle population changes and behavior

over several decades. Although much is still unclear about sea turtle

behavior, what is clear is that cold-stun stranding numbers are

increasing. This increase is likely due to a combination of successful

conservation efforts on the nesting beaches in Mexico and Texas and

changes in ocean temperatures (particularly the fast-warming Gulf of

Maine), and possibly currents, driven by climate change.

Our 2016–2017 sea turtle season saw us rescuing 479 turtles,

overwhelmingly Kemp’s ridleys, which are the most endangered

sea turtle in the world. Our research staff and literally hundreds of

volunteers worked hard to get these cold stunned turtles off the beach

and to the New England Aquarium rehab facility in Quincy as quickly

as possible. Those that did not make it did not die in vain—dead

turtles were necropsied at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution by

Bob Prescott and a host of other researchers studying everything from

parasite loads to how to age the turtles by looking at growth rings in

the bones.

Key Staff: Bob Prescott, Rebecca Shoer, Olivia Bourque, and

Karen Dourdeville.

Rescuing Cold-stunned Sea Turtles

Sea Turtles Inspiring Nature HeroesTeenagers Abby Melanson and Alex Welch

(pictured below) from King Philip High School

in Wrentham, Massachusetts decided to

form a non-profit called TideTogether to raise

funds for turtle rescue. They created choker

necklaces with gold or silver turtle charms

that they sell for 8 dollars at their high school,

their local Mass Audubon sanctuary, Stony

Brook, in Norfolk and at Wellfleet Bay’s gift

shop. In 2016, Abby and Alex raised $1,500 to

benefit Wellfleet Bay’s sea turtle program.

Starting in 2016, Abby and Alex decided to

do more. They attended several lectures and

started patrolling the beaches for turtles,

along with about eight of their classmates,

and have helped with processing the

incoming turtles.

21 22

© Mike Long

Salt Marsh Habitat Restoration and ConservationKey Staff: Robert Buchsbaum

Salt marshes are high on the list of natural communities that are

expected to show an impact of climate change in the near future.

These intertidal habitats occur on the boundaries of our oceans and

are very sensitive to any changes in hydrology—the movement of water

over the marsh in response to tides and changes in precipitation. Sea

level has been slowly rising almost since the end of the last glaciation

10,000 years ago, but over the past 50 years, the rate of sea level rise

has increased dramatically. The future of our marshes faced with this

rapid sea level rise is an open question. In fact scientists studying

marshes in southern New England have already documented a change

to plants that are tolerant of increased flooding and an increase in

open water on marshes.

Mass Audubon scientists have been studying the potential impacts

of sea level rise on salt marshes of our sanctuaries in two major

ways. We have set up permanent vegetation transects at Rough

Meadows, Allens Pond, and Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuaries. Regular

monitoring of these will enable us to note any changes in the marsh

vegetation that would indicate that our marshes are getting wetter.

The plants that occur in salt marshes consist of only a few species and

each of these occur within a narrow range of the tide. So if the marsh

is getting wetter, we would expect to see Salt Marsh Cordgrass expand

its range, since marsh cordgrass is relatively tolerant of flooding.

It would do that at the expense of Salt Marsh Hay, which typically

occurs in the upper parts of marshes. Some of the transects at Rough

Meadows were set up in the mid-1990s so we have 20 years of data. An

interesting finding is that in the absence of disturbance marsh hay

has been holding its position. But where large deposits of wrack (dead

plant material) smothers the marsh hay or herbivorous crabs lay bare

an area of marsh, marsh hay is replaced by marsh cordgrass.

Former Mass Audubon Regional Scientist, Lou Wagner, monitoring a vegetation transect at Rough Meadows.

Salicornia depressa (a.k.a. Pickleweed or Glasswort) adds a splash of color to the marsh in the fall.

Salt marshes host a number of species that are endemic to marshes,

i.e., only occur on marshes. These are of conservation concern

because, as indicated above, the fate of marshes in this era of rapid

sea level rise is questionable. The Saltmarsh Sparrow (pictured left)

nests only on salt marshes where it lives a precarious existence with

the potential for having its nest flooded out by extreme high tides.

This bird is now being studied for possible listing as endangered

because of the threat of sea level rise on its habitat. In much of its

range, the sparrow has been declining at an alarming rate, estimated

to be approximately 9% per year.

Mass Audubon has been carrying out point counts for breeding birds

on salt marshes at Rough Meadows and Allens Pond. Observers

stand in the middle of a 100 meter radius circle three times during

the nesting season in June and count all the Saltmarsh Sparrows and

other birds they detect in 10 minutes. Our results, which show a lot of

annual variation in numbers of sparrows, are still preliminary. We plan

to continue this monitoring indefinitely into the future so that we will

be in a position to detect any long term trends.

Saltmarsh Sparrow © Shawn Carey

Salt Marsh Hay is the marsh habitat most threatened by sea level rise.

23 24

© David Larson

Coastal Outreach and Education

Pepperweed Control ProjectKey Staff: Liz Duff

The pepperweed control project is designed to increase the health

of salt marshes in the Great Marsh Region by reducing the

invasive plant, perennial pepperweed. This project began in 2006

when Liz teamed up with staff from the US. Fish and Wildlife Service

to contain pepperweed in Newburyport. Since then, the project has

expanded to include the Great Marsh Region and beyond. This year,

Duff coordinated 364 volunteers for a total of 1,016 hours working to

map and control the invasive plant, Perennial Pepperweed in the Great

Marsh Region. The group treated over 89% of pepperweed infestations,

totaling 2,690 sites in the Great Marsh Region, and prevented the

spread of pepperweed in neighboring clear areas.

River Valley Charter School students help measure Phragmites.

Clark School students help native plants thrive by pulling the invasive Perennial Pepperweed.Salt Marsh Science Project

Key Staff: Liz Duff and Robert Buchsbaum

Work also continued on Mass Audubon’s Salt Marsh Science

Project, which has been running since 1996. Both Liz and

Robert work with students in grades 5 through 12 on the North Shore

to collect data on salt marshes and the invasive Common Reed

(Phragmites australis). In 2017, this project involved over 866 students

from 12 schools in the communities of Beverly, Ipswich, Danvers,

Newburyport, Rockport, Everett, and Salem Mass, as well as Rindge,

New Hampshire. Previous data collected by schools can be found at

www.massaudubon.org/saltmarsh. Liz organized and co-hosted

the 21st annual Coastal Science Conference that brought together

six teachers and 100 students from seven participating schools.

Students shared their findings with each other and with scientists

working on the marshes in the region.

massaudubon.org/saltmarsh

Project funded by

The National Science

Foundation

Exploring the Ways Local Effects on Global Change: a graduate level course for middle and high school teachers

Key Staff: Liz Duff

How do scientists and land managers work together to protect and

preserve the resilience of local ecosystems and communities?

Middle School and High School teachers had a chance to learn from

Mass Audubon Education Coordinator, Liz Duff, and a team of local

scientists from Boston University, Plum-Island Ecosystems Long Term

Ecological Research, Ipswich River Watershed Association, Salem

Sound Coastwatch, and more. A total of 27 teachers learned ways that

human activities are impacting our planet’s climate, water cycle, and

the balance and distribution of species and ecosystems. This course

was funded by the Museum Institute for Teaching Science. Yasmin

Amir, Field Producer for WBUR Morning Edition participated in one

day of the course and helped produce an interview of Liz Duff by Bob

Oakes, "The North Shore’s Salt Marshes Play a Key Environmental

Role" (www.wbur.org/news/2017/08/30/salt-marsh)

Seeking Relief from Sea Level Rise: student mapping and leadership initiative

Key Staff: Liz Duff

Liz Duff continued her work with high school students from four

towns, analyzing projected sea level rise maps for the next 50 -100

years. In 2017, 102 students took part, communicating with their local

decision makers and community members to develop strategies for

preparation and response. By June 2017, Students had shared their

work with 566 community leaders and local citizens. The work is being

used to inform planning at coastal resiliency meetings. Community

leaders ranging from selectmen, conservation commissioners, police

officers, teachers, and yacht club owners heard students speak about

the areas vulnerable to storm surges in coastal towns ranging from

Ipswich to Revere. Four teachers participated in this project.

Project funded by

The Bruce J. Anderson

Foundation

(The Boston Foundation)

25 26

SuAsCo CISMA

Key Staff: Ryan Brown and Amber Carr.

The Sudbury-Assabet-Concord Cooperative Invasive

Species Management Area, the SuAsCo CISMA for short, is

a collaboration of 47 federal, state, municipal, and non-profit

groups working together to manage and control invasive

species within the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord watershed.

Mass Audubon is a founding member of the SuAsCo CISMA,

and Ecological Extension Service staff have coordinated the

group since 2013.

The CISMA maintains a website featuring best practices

for managing invasives and hosts two annual meetings

for members to share project updates. This past year,

the SuAsCo CISMA also conducted their 5th annual small

grants program and provided $2,500 in funding to three

of its partners: the Sudbury Valley Trustees, the Town of

Bolton Conservation Commission, and the Sudbury Weed

Education and Eradication Team. The Sudbury Valley Trustees

received partial funding for their invasive plant management

project around the Gowings Swamp wetlands complex in

Concord. Full funding was provided to the Town of Bolton’s

Conservation Commission to initiate annual invasive

species education and eradication days focused on the

Fyfeshire Conservation Area. The Sudbury Weed Education

and Eradication Team received full funding to create habitat

for pollinators and to help control black swallow-wort near

two ecologically and historically significant sites along the

Sudbury River.

Ecological Extension Service

Purple Loosestrife © SuAsCo CISMA

Wildlife Information LineMost of the job involves helping the public with their questions or concerns about

nature: identifying plants and animals, connecting them with help if an animal is

orphaned or injured, reassuring them when it’s clear that an animal is not orphaned or

injured, explaining odd behavior, taking reports of bird and animal sightings, or often simply

listening to their excitement about witnessing something wonderful.

Calls and emails generally have common themes depending on the season of the year:

Winter

Summer

In winter, most calls are about feeders—where the birds are, eye disease in birds, problems with squirrels or turkeys or bears.

In August there are typically a lot of calls about hawks "in distress". Fledgling Red-tailed Hawks scream to get the attention of their parents. The screams are alarming to people, but the birds are fine.

Spring

Fall

In spring, baby birds are the stars of questions from the public. Check out Mass Audubon’s handy "Found a Baby Bird Chart" on our website,

massaudubon.org/babybirds

In the fall, a lot of calls and emails come in about woodpeckers damaging houses. Read more about woodpeckers on our website

massaudubon.org/woodpeckers

1,100 calls &1,200 emails

in 2017

© Anne Greene

© Elizabeth Ninemire

27 28

cisma-suasco.org

© John Harrison

In order to make smart and effective conservation choices, we

need a good understanding of how the birds of Massachusetts

are doing, and where they might need concentrated attention. Mass

Audubon maintains the most comprehensive public database

of bird distribution, abundance and trend information for the

Commonwealth, a resource that is used by conservation partners

and concerned citizens alike. This wealth of information is kept

current through our long-term monitoring and research programs.

Many of our wildlife sanctuaries have active bird monitoring

projects and some have bird banding programs.

Monitoring Birdson our Wildlfie Sanctuaries2017 Highlights

© Kristin Foresto

Joppa Flats Bird Banding Station

October 31, 2017, marked the end of the Joppa Flats Bird

Banding Station’s twentieth year of migration songbird

banding on the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. The station

is open in the spring in April and May and in the fall in September

and October. In these twenty years we have banded 46,680 birds of

128 species.

In 2017, we banded 2,189 individuals of 80 species. Three species

new to the station were banded during the year, a Northern Harrier

in the spring and a Marsh Wren and a Rusty Blackbird in the

fall. Our oldest recaptures this year were an American Redstart

originally banded in August 2010 and a Gray Catbird originally

banded in June 2011.

The station was also used as an education venue, with 327 visitors

from schools, bird clubs, programs, and families.

Volunteers are the "life blood" of our banding operation. Without

their help, we could not run the station or conduct our educational

programs as successfully as we do. During 2017, 53 volunteers

gave 2,254 hours of their time to work at the station. We very

much appreciate the significant contributions they made during

the year.

The Center operated the station under a Master Bird Bander’s

permit issued by the Bird Banding Laboratory (Laurel, Maryland),

a Massachusetts Bird Banding License, and a Special Use

Permit issued by the refuge. Under the permits, data collected

at the station are provided to the Bird Banding Laboratory, the

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the staff of the Parker River

National Wildlife Refuge, and to Mass Audubon.

Key Staff: Ben Flemer and many volunteers

Debbie Listernick (volunteer since 1998) processing a bird

Leah Gibbons (volunteer since 2005) with an Indigo Bunting

Newburyport, MA

Rusty Blackbird banded this year

Susan (volunteer since 2002) with the first ever Northern Harrier caught at Joppa Flats.

29 30

Broadmoor

Natick, MA

Super-volunteer Richard Kent (second from right in the back)

not only contributes hours of field time, he has also helped

us create the Broadmoor Research Fellowship. The program

allows us to engage a Ph.D. student in conducting research

at Broadmoor to answer critical conservation questions. If

you would like to help us extend the Research Fellow program

to other sanctuaries, please contact Margo Servison at

mservison@massaudubon.org.

Conservation organizations with robust citizen science programs

offer a rich, yet largely untapped resource of long-term monitoring

and data collection on ecological processes. Mass Audubon is one

organization for which much of this volunteer collected data has

remained unanalyzed. Visiting Boston University researcher, Lucy Zipf,

has utilized historic Audubon data on Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

nesting to assess phenological and reproductive response to climate

change at the Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in South Natick, MA.

Broadmoor is a 624-acre Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary in South

Natick, MA. The sanctuary has hosted numerous citizen science

programs over its tenure, including a 29-year Tree Swallow nest box

monitoring project implemented by sanctuary director. Today there are

55 nest boxes at Broadmoor.

In her analysis, Lucy found that Tree Swallows establish their nests

earlier in years with warmer Aprils, clutch sizes are smaller in

particularly rainy Mays, and clutch sizes have become significantly

smaller over time. More variable weather also appears to negatively

affect Tree Swallow reproductive success. She hypothesizes that

many of these trends are driven by the relationship between weather

and aerial insect abundance, as this is the sole food source for Tree

Swallows during the breeding season.

This study represents a successful application of citizen science data

to climate change research that has both scientific merit and specific

management implications for Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary.

Tree Swallow © Michael Rossacci

Team Tree Swallow

Canoe Meadows, Plesant Valley, Lime Kiln Farm

The Berkshires, MA

Mass Audubon’s Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries engaged a

seasonal wildlife technician along with five interns and two

volunteers in monitoring breeding birds at three of our sanctuaries.

The wildlife technician, Laura Evans, provided excellent leadership and

training for the crew of wildlife and plant conservation interns. The

interns learned to conduct breeding bird surveys and monitor nest

boxes.

Mass Audubon’s avian point count protocol was used to monitor

Bobolinks and other grassland nesting birds at Canoe Meadows from

late June through the end of July.

Interns monitored nest boxes at the Canoe Meadows, Pleasant Valley,

and Lime Kiln Farm Wildlife Sanctuaries. Out of 15 nest boxes we had

6 Tree Swallow nests, 3 Eastern Bluebird nests, and 2 House Wren

nests. Nest box monitoring at Lime Kiln was post breeding; additional

boxes will be added next spring, since this appears to potentially be of

the more ideal sites for Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows. We are

planning to run our avian monitoring programs again in the spring

and summer of 2018.

Wildwood Camp

Rindge, NH

In 2017, a group of teens at Mass Audubon’s Wildwood Camp

conducted amateur bird surveys over a few days on the Wildwood

Camp property. The group heard and saw 16 species of birds over their

3 days of surveying. Wildwood staff hope to keep these surveys going

in future years to both educate the teens about bird monitoring and

also perhaps collect long-term bird survey data for the property with

help from the Mass Audubon Bird Conservation Department.

Eastern Bluebird © Ken Jordan

White-breasted Nuthatch © Jan S. Berger

Drumlin Farm

Lincoln, MA

In order to keep track of birds at Drumlin Farm, staff organize a

number of citizen science programs. Staff and 35 volunteers band

Saw-whet Owls, conduct Bobolink surveys, observe and collect data

for cavity-nesting birds, operate weekly bird surveys around the

wildlife sanctuary and at the Mass Audubon headquarters, and survey

sparrows in the fall. Having all of the data from these projects informs

the best management decisions for the wildlife sanctuary.

31 32

House Wren © Margo Servison

Arcadia• Ben Padilla (UMass Amherst). Assess ecological health of forest

communities in Pioneer Valley, including value of red-backed

salamander (Plethodon cinereus) as indicator species.

• David King and Jessica Ruebesam (UMass Amherst).

Studying Migratory Landbird Movement and Stopover Habitat

within the Conte NWR.

• William Brumback, M. Piantesdosi (New England Wildflower

Society). New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP) and

Seedbank.

Barnstable Great Marsh

• Adrienne Pappal (MA CZM). Salt Marsh Sentinel Site Monitoring

Program.

• Brian Olsen and Meaghan Conway (University of Maine-

Orono). Niche Ecology of Tidal Marsh Sparrows.

Berkshires

• William Brumback, M. Piantesdosi (New England Wildflower

Society). New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP) and

Seedbank.

Broad Meadow Brook

• Alden Griffith (Wellesley College). Advancing the ecological

niche through demography.

Drumlin Farm

• Julia Pilowsky (Tufts University). Constraints on solitary

founding in a primitively eusocial paper wasp.

• Avalon Owens (Tufts University). Quantifying changes in firefly

courtship signal morphology within artificially illuminated urban

landscapes.

• Kristina Stinson (Harvard Forest, Harvard University). Garlic

Mustard Eradication Experiment.

Felix Neck

• David Grunden (Town of Oaks Bluffs Shellfish Dept.).

Shoreline Resiliency through Salt Marsh Restoration:

Sengekontacket Pond.

• Jo Ann Taylor (Martha’s Vineyard Commission). Wetlands

Elevation Monitoring at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary.

• Tim Boland (Polly Hill Arboretum). Flora of Martha’s Vineyard,

Dukes County.

• Richard Karney (Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group).

Demonstration of Living Shoreline Technology and Development of

Ribbed Mussel Seed Production to Protect and Restore Salt Marsh

in Coastal Massachusetts.

Great Neck

• Brian Bjorklund (USDA). Cape Cod Rabies Program - Pre- Post

ORV (oral rabies vaccine) live-trapping.

Habitat

• Michael Levin (Tufts University). Mechanisms of organ

regeneration in diverse planarians.

• Avalon Owens (Tufts University). Quantifying changes in firefly

courtship signal morphology within artificially illuminated urban

landscapes.

External Researchers at Our Wildlife SanctuariesMass Audubon encourages studies conducted by external researchers on our properties that supports the ecological

management of species, communities, ecosystems, and landscapes or that improves our understanding of key conservation

issues relevant to Massachusetts. The following investigators and projects are currently hosted on our sanctuaries.

Ipswich River

• Leone Brown (volunteer). Infectious disease in migratory

animals: integrating models with disease dynamics of trans-

American migrants.

Joppa Flats

• William Brumback, M. Piantesdosi (New England Wildflower

Society). New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP) and

Seedbank.

Lake Wampanoag

• Chris Picone (Fitchburg State University). Phenological

Monitoring: documenting the changes in nature’s lifecycle events

by research assistants from Mount Grace Land Conservation

Trust’s AmeriCorps.

Moose Hill

• Thilina Surasinghe (Bridgewater State). Distribution and

habitat associations of Northern Water Snake and Common Garter

Snakes in SE MA.

Nantucket

• William Brumback, M. Piantesdosi (New England Wildflower

Society). New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP) and

Seedbank.

Oak Knoll

• Thilina Surasinghe (Bridgewater State). Distribution and

habitat associations of Northern Water Snake and Common Garter

Snakes in SE MA.

Pleasant Valley

• Anatasia Mozharova (UMass Boston). The role of Myriophyllum

spicatum in the decline of M. sibiricum in southern New England.

• Charley Eiseman (Berkshire Natural Resources Council).

Yokun Ridge trail assessment, biological survey.

• Laney Widener (NEWFS-NAOCC). North American Orchid

Conservation Center - Ongoing Native Orchid Research.

Rocky Hill

• Brian Colleran (volunteer). Botanical Inventory of Long Pond Fen.

Tern Island

• Leone Brown (volunteer). Infectious disease in migratory

animals: integrating models with disease dynamics of trans-

American migrants.

Tidmarsh

• Kate Ballantine (Mt. Holyoke College). Long-term development

and soil-based ecosystem functions of Tidmarsh and comparison

sites.

• Casey Kennedy (USDA). Factors affecting nitrogen and

phosphorus expore from a restored wetland.

• Joseph Paradiso (MIT Media Lab). Sensor Networks for

Experience and Ecology.

• Thilina Surasinghe (Bridgewater State). Baseline

herpetofaunal survey of Tidmarsh.

• Robert Vincent (MIT Sea Grant). River herring habitat and

resource use in natural and restored habitats.

• Irina Kadis (Arnold Arboretum/Harvard University). Plant

propagation and associated botanical work at Tidmarsh Farms.

• Kim Tower (Town of Plymouth). Watershed Assessment, Water

Quality Sampling, Restoration Monitoring.

Wellfleet Bay

• William Brumback, M. Piantesdosi (New England Wildflower

Society). New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP) and

Seedbank.

• Brian Olsen and Meaghan Conway (University of Maine-

Orono). Niche Ecology of Tidal Marsh Sparrows.

Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary © Kristin Foresto

33 34

Events of Note

The 2017 annual Birders Meeting held at UMass/Boston featured

Warblers: From Soundscapes to Landscapes. With a focus on this

always popular, colorful, and animated group of birds, approximately

250 attendees were treated to outstanding presentations by a number

of well-known warbler scientists, including Tom Stephenson, co-author

of the recent The Warbler Guide—a definitive field guide to the warblers

of North America. The presentations featured such diverse topics

as the ecology, taxonomy, song characteristics, and conservation of

warblers, as well as how warblers are reacting to climate change. The

event was enjoyed by all present.

The 2018 Birders Meeting theme is Highlands and Islands of New England:

A Bird’s-Eye-View and will include presentations on the importance

of coastal islands and high elevation habitats for breeding and

migrating birds.

Birders Meeting

March for Science

Boston, MA

July 2017 Wayne Petersen was part of the first-ever joint gala event

co-hosted by Mass Audubon and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Held in the Berkshires at historic Tanglewood in Lenox, this unique

experience included early morning bird walks at Pleasant Valley

Sanctuary, piano concerts by a noted French pianist, and a lecture

attended by over 200 people on Music & Bird Sounds – Similarities &

Differences.

Tanglewood in Flight

The Berkshires, MA

Boston, MA

Conservation Science staff joined their coworkers and thousands

of other scientists and science supporters at the March for

Science in Boston on April 22.

Publications, Presentations, and ConferencesConservation Science Staff

Gene AlbanesePublications

• Albanese, G., and D. A. Haukos. 2017. Toward a theory of connectivity among ephemeral wetlands systems of the Southern Great Plains: Resiliency to natural and anthropogenic disturbance within a wetland network. In Press in Disturbance ecology and biological diversity: scale, context, and nature (E. A. Beever, S. Prange, and D. DellaSala, Eds.). CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. In Press.

• Albanese, G., and D. A. Haukos. 2017. A network model framework for prioritizing wetland conservation in the Great Plains. Landscape Ecology 32: 115-130.

• McCullough, K., G. Albanese, and D. A. Haukos. 2017. Novel observations of the larval fire survival, feeding behavior, and host plant use in the regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia) (Drury) (Nymphalidae). Journal of the Lepidopterist Society 71: 146–152.

Presentations

• Albanese, G. 2017. A network model framework for prioritizing wetland conservation in the Great Plains: Toward a theory of connectivity among ephemeral depressional wetlands. Northeast Natural Heritage Conference. Cromwell, CT.

• McCullough, K.E, G. Albanese, and D. A. Haukos. 2017. Re-thinking Regal Fritillary Conservation and Management: The Impact of Disturbance Regime and Habitat Characteristics on an Imperiled Grassland Butterfly. 7th International Fire Ecology and Management Congress, Orlando, FL.

• Skidmore, C., G. Albanese, and D. A. Haukos 2017. The Ecology of the Monarch Butterfly Relative to Density, Host Plant Occurrence and Habitat Use in the Flint Hills. The Wildlife Society 24th Annual Conference, Albuquerque, NM.

Conferences

• 2017 Northeast Natural Heritage Conference. Cromwell, CT

• 2017 Northeast Climate Science Center Regional Science Meeting, Amherst, MA

Jon AtwoodPublications

• Atwood, J. 2017 Climate Envelope Modeling. In Walsh, Joan M. and Margo S.V. Servison (eds.) State of the Birds 2017: Massachusetts Birds and Our Changing Climate. Massachusetts Audubon Society. Lincoln, Massachusetts

Presentations

• State of the Birds—Climate Change and Birds at the Frost Free Library, Marlborough, NH

• The Bobolink Project: Helping Farmers Protect Grassland Birds (poster) 21st Congress of the Mesoamerican Society of Biology and Conservation (SMBC) and 6th International Meeting of Partners in Flight (PIF), San Jose, Costa Rica

• Swallows in Massachusetts: Status & Conservation. Purple Martin Conference. Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Norfolk, MA

• Mass Audubon’s Grasslands—Management and Benefits. Mass Audubon annual meeting, Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton, MA.

Conferences

• "End-of-Season" meeting of coastal waterbird conservation cooperators in Massachusetts and adjacent states. Cape Cod Community College, West Barnstable, MA.

• Partners in Flight Science Committee. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY

• Mass Audubon Birders Meeting 2017. Boston, MA.

Amber CarrPresentations

• "Lessons Learned" panel participant at the First Annual Northeast Regional Invasive Species Climate Change (RISCC) Management Symposium July 27th-28th UMass Amherst.

Conferences

• Invasive Species Summit: Restoration and Long Term Management November 3rd. NY Botanical Garden, NY.

Margo ServisonPublications

• Walsh, Joan M. and Margo S.V. Servison (eds.) State of the Birds 2017: Massachusetts Birds and Our Changing Climate. Massachusetts Audubon Society. Lincoln, Massachusetts.

Conferences

• Mass Land Conservation Conference 2017. Worcester, MA.

• Mass Audubon Birders Meeting 2017. Boston, MA.

35 36

massaudubon.org/birdersmeeting

Robert BuchsbaumPublications

• Buchsbaum, R. 2017 The Coast. In Walsh, Joan M. and Margo S.V. Servison (eds.) State of the Birds 2017: Massachusetts Birds and Our Changing Climate. Massachusetts Audubon Society. Lincoln, Massachusetts.

• Distribution and Abundances of Odonata Species across Massachusetts: Results of a Long Term Monitoring Program. With coauthors Chris Leahy and Taber Allison. Northeastern Naturalist. 23: 501-524.

Presentations

• A poster (with Liz Duff) at the Plum Island Ecosystem All Scientist Meeting , "Changes in salt marsh vegetation and birds at PIE as measured by field observations over the past 15 years."

• Presented, "Vegetation and birds are holding out against Climate change at the Plum Island Estuary", at Mass Audubon’s staff natural history conference.

• Co organizer and presenter at salt marsh inundation workshop held at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

Conferences

• Biennial conference of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation (Providence)

• Spring meeting of the New England Estuarine Research Society (Groton, CT)

• Annual meeting on the status of eelgrass in New England

Jeff RittersonPublications

• Ritterson, J.D., D.I. King, and R.B. Chandler. In preparation. A novel resight methodology used to estimate the habitat-specific survival of golden-winged (Vermivora chrysoptera) warblers in the nonbreeding season.

• Ritterson, J.D. 2017 The Forest. In Walsh, J.M., and M.S.V. Servison (Eds.), 2017. State of the Birds 2017: Massachusetts Birds and Our Changing Climate. Massachusetts Audubon Society. Lincoln, Massachusetts.

• Ritterson, J.D., and M.S.V. Servison. 2017. Harvests for Habitats: How Forestry Can Build Better Bird Habitat. In Into the Woods: Spring 2017. New England Forestry Foundations. Littleton, Massachusetts

Presentations

• Mass Land Conservation Conference. Worcester, MA. Presented on panel titled "Conservation, Forestry, & the Wood Products Industry."

• Mass Land Conservation Conference. Worcester, MA. Presented on panel titled "Trees Are the Answer".

• Mass Audubon Birders Meeting. Boston, MA. Presented on Foresters for the Birds.

• Mass Audubon Staff Natural History Conference. Westborough, MA. Presentation titled "Foresters for the Birds".

• Forest Wildlife Habitat Seminar, organized by the Massachusetts Forest Alliance and the Ruffed Grouse Society. Plainfield, MA. Presentation titled "Foresters for the Birds: Realizing Habitat and Broader Conservation Goals"

Conferences

• Standing Together for Migratory Birds – Senate legislative briefing. Washington, DC.

• Department of Conservation and Recreation Town Forest Event. Sheffield, MA.

• Regional Conservation Partnerships Network Gathering. Nashua, NA.

Liz DuffPresentations

• Hosted Mass Audubon’s 21st annual Coastal Science Conference on 11/16/2017 at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

• "EDUCATION at the PIE-LTER SITE, Schoolyard Successes Through: Mass Audubon’s Salt Marsh Science Project and Beyond!" at the Plum Island Ecosystems All Scientists Meeting March 7, 2017.

• "Seeking Relief from Sea Level Rise: Student mapping and Leadership Initiative" at the North Shore High School Marine Science Conference at Salem State University.

• Co-Presented with Jane Heinze-Frye, and Brianna Wilkinson "Engaging Classroom Teachers through the New Science Technology/Engineering Framework" at the Massachusetts Environmental Education Society Conference.

• "Introduction to the Salt Marsh Science Project" at six middle and high schools.

• "Seeking Relief From Sea Level Rise: Student Mapping and Leadership Initiative" at 4 high schools.

• Community presentation, "Great Marsh Perennial Pepperweed Control Project: Welcome to the 2017 Weed Warrior Celebration"

Wayne PetersenPublications

• Petersen, W.P and K. Yakola. 2017 Seabirds in Walsh, Joan M. and Margo S.V. Servison (eds.) State of the Birds 2017: Massachusetts Birds and Our Changing Climate. Massachusetts Audubon Society. Lincoln, Massachusetts.

• Petersen, W.P. 2017. Field Guide to Birds of Massachusetts. American Birding Association.

• Contributed article to Massachusetts Wildlife magazine, Joseph A. Hagar: State Ornithologist (1934-1959) - Outstanding ornithologist, meticulous observer, exacting author, and valued friend.

• Edited and summarized New England Christmas Bird Counts 2016-2017 for National Audubon.

• Wrote and co-edited nationally publicized monthly Birding Community E-Bulletin.

• Compiled, wrote, and recorded "Voice of Audubon" sightings for the Mass Audubon website and the Boston Globe.

• Wrote six bird identification articles for Bird Observer magazine.

Presentations and Conferences

• With the Development Department coordinated Bird-a-thon (BAT) to raise $230,000 for conservation and education – the highest-ever total dollars raised during BAT.

• Taught three units of the Joppa Flats Birder’s Certificate Program.

• Presented lecture and led pelagic trip for students involved with Boston University’s Marine Program.

• Participated in training program for Mass Audubon camp counselors at Camp Wildwood.

• Taught a week-long birding workshop at National Audubon’s Hog Island camp in Maine.

• Presented lecture on bird song at Mass Audubon/Tanglewood event in Berkshires in July.

• Served on the advisory committee for the MA Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary; as well as, the Hollis Declan Leverett Fund for the Nuttall Ornithological Club, the Board of Directors of the Wildlands Trust.

Joan WalshPublications

• Walsh, Joan M. and Margo S.V. Servison (eds.) State of the Birds 2017: Massachusetts Birds and Our Changing Climate. Massachusetts Audubon Society. Lincoln, Massachusetts.

Presentations

• "State of the Birds 2017: Massachusetts Birds and Our Changing Climate" and related climate change presentations at 15 events and conferences:

• Mass Audubon HQ Science Committee

• Cordova Alaska, Copper River Shorebird Festival

• Joppa Flats, Birder’s Certificate Program Lecture

• Cape Cod Bird Club

• Boston Nature Center

• Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary

• Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

• Mass Endangered and Non-game Species Advisory Board

• Leadership Friends walk at Wellfleet Bay

• Mass Audubon Annual Meeting, Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary

• Concord Art Museum

• House party for the State of the Birds

• On the Amazon River in Peru as part of a Mass Audubon trip

• Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary

• Coastal Waterbird Program meeting

Conferences

• Copper River Shorebird Festival, Cordova Alaska

• Roseate Tern Recovery Team Meeting, Westborough, MA

Publication and release of a Field Guide to Birds of Massachusetts by Wayne R.

Petersen was a notable contribution to the literature of Massachusetts birds.

Containing nearly 250 species accounts along with stunning photographs by Brian Small,

the guide offers succinct answers to what, where, and when questions about birds in

Massachusetts. Modestly priced at $24.95, this book should be useful resource to both

new and experienced birders alike.

37 38

Tom LautzenheiserPresentations and Conferences

Manchester-Essex Conservation Trust

Mass Land Conservation Conference. Worcester, MA.

Arcadia ecology management update

Rutland Brook forest walk

Taught a summer session at Vermont Law School

•

Mass Audubon protects 36,500 acres of land throughout Massachusetts, saving birds and other wildlife, and making nature

accessible to all. As Massachusetts’ largest nature conservation nonprofit, we welcome more than a half million visitors

a year to our wildlife sanctuaries and 20 nature centers. From inspiring hilltop views to breathtaking coastal landscapes,

serene woods, and working farms, we believe in protecting our state’s natural treasures for wildlife and for all people–a

vision shared in 1896 by our founders, two extraordinary Boston women. Today, Mass Audubon is a nationally recognized

environmental education leader, offering thousands of camp, school, and adult programs that get over 225,000 kids and

adults outdoors every year. With more than 125,000 members and supporters, we advocate on Beacon Hill and beyond, and

conduct conservation research to preserve the natural heritage of our beautiful state for today’s and future generations. We

welcome you to explore a nearby sanctuary, find inspiration, and get involved. Learn how at massaudubon.org.

Resident Barred Owl at Mass Audubon’s headquarters in Lincoln, MA

Front cover: Roseate Tern © Keenan Yakola; Monarch © Liana Jackson; Bobolink © Marie Pelletier; Wood Thrush © Brendan Cramphorn