News Headlines
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Report Vernal Pools and Rare Species Online
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Avoid Decorating With Invasive Plants!
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Exotic Pets Illegal in Massachusetts
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Goodwill Opens New Store and Boutique in North Adams on Nov. 1
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Burbank Park (on Onota Lake) Cleanup – 11/18
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Westfield River Wild & Scenic Needs Your Help
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Jobs
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Employment Opportunities at The Sierra Club: Massachusetts Chapter Director
Report Vernal Pools and Rare Species Online
MASSWILDLIFE NEWS
November Issue
Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Wayne F. MacCallum, Director
Phone: (508) 389-6300, Fax: (508) 389-7890, Email: Mass.Wildlife@state.ma.us
Visit our Website! www.mass.gov/masswildlife
Media Inquiries: Call (617) 626-1052
Citizen scientists, sportsmen, birders, naturalists and other actively involved conservationists: Have you collected information this year to certify a vernal pool or report rare wildlife or plants and just haven’t gotten around to filing the paperwork? If so, there is good news—a new electronic reporting system, the Vernal Pool & Rare Species (VPRS) Information System, has been developed by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) with support from federal and state agencies. This reporting tool allows the interested public to electronically submit their observations of vernal pool and state-listed (rare) species through the web. No need to fill out paper forms, create copies of photographs and maps, or put them in the mail, though it still is an option. The new VPRS system will be launched on the DFW website November 5th, 2012 at www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/species_info/vprs_home.htm.
“The Vernal Pool & Rare Species Information System is a web-based mapping and data submittal application that provides an electronic method for the public to submit reports of observed rare species or vernal pool certification forms to our Program,” said Sarah Haggerty, Information Manager for DFW’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP). “Electronic reporting is a huge benefit for both the reporting observer and agency staff. The convenience of electronic submittal alone will save time for all involved in reporting and confirming the presence of rare species and vernal pools.”
Four forms are available through the new VPRS system: 1) the Vernal Pool Certification Form, 2) the NHESP Animal Observation Form, 3) the NHESP Plant Observation Form, and 4) the Survey Form. The first three forms are electronic versions of the NHESP’s existing paper forms, but the Survey Form is new and is intended for use by researchers and surveyors conducting organized searches for rare species or vernal pools. Using the VPRS system observers can map observations directly into the online form and upload photos, audio files, or other related documents. Anyone submitting reports can access all their reports and see the report status (in progress, submitted, accepted, etc.) within the VPRS system.
In addition to individual reports, users can create multiple reports using the bulk upload feature by entering data into a preformatted spreadsheet. Additional information (e.g. photos) can then be added to each report prior to submittal. As with the existing paper form system, once forms are submitted, they are reviewed by NHESP staff against its usual strict, standard data acceptance criteria. Based on this evaluation, as in the past, NHESP staff accepts or rejects the submitted reports. Staff can request additional information from reporting observers directly through VPRS using a built-in notification system which allows the observers to respond to the requests. An additional benefit to the system will be a “real time” update of accepted data reports which will be incorporated into the publically available NHESP Certified Vernal Pool datalayer and Town Rare species lists found at MassGIS and the NHESP website respectively.
Haggerty noted that a new Android mobile phone application which will allow users to capture basic information (species, location, photographs) while out in the field will also be available later this fall. The captured information can be used to create an observation report which can then be completed and submitted through the VPRS system.
What about observers who are computer-phobic? “People who are more comfortable with the paper forms can continue to submit their information on paper as in the past,” said Haggerty. “We wouldn’t want to preclude anyone from submitting data about rare species or vernal pools, so for that reason, we will continue to use the paper system. Obviously, we want as many people as possible to use the VPRS system, but if anyone has difficulties with an electronic submittal, the paper and postal service option is still available.”
The Vernal Pool and Rare Species Information System was primarily funded through an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Wetland Program Development Grant. Additional funds were provided by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) in support of the Linking LandscapesProgram. In addition, DFW-NHESP staff worked with the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Information Technology Department, the Department of Fish and Game, and MassGIS which provided staff and other resources to the development of VPRS.
Avoid Decorating With Invasive Plants!
MASSWILDLIFE NEWS
November Issue
Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Wayne F. MacCallum, Director
Phone: (508) 389-6300, Fax: (508) 389-7890, Email: Mass.Wildlife@state.ma.us
Visit our Website! www.mass.gov/masswildlife
Media Inquiries: Call (617) 626-1052
During holiday seasons, many people use plant material they have gathered from their yard or neighborhood to decorate their houses or businesses. The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) and the Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) highly recommend that people avoid using exotic, invasive plants such as Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) in holiday decorations. Though these plants are attractive, it is best to not use them. Birds eat the fruits from wreaths and garlands and the digested but still-viable seeds sprout where deposited. Exotic, invasive plants create severe environmental damage, invading open fields, forests, wetlands, meadows, and backyards, and crowding out native plants. Bittersweet can grow over and even kill mature trees through strangling them. These invasive plants are extremely difficult to control: when cut off, the remaining plant segment in the ground will re-sprout. It is illegal to import or sell Oriental bittersweet and Multiflora rose in any form (e.g. plants, cuttings, or wreaths) in Massachusetts.
Home and business property gardeners, garden club members, nursery staff, landscapers and conservationists can learn more about invasive plants from DFW’s A Guide To Invasive Plants. In the Guide, each invasive plant description includes a photograph, the plant’s regulatory status, key identification characteristics, habitats where the plant is likely to be found, type of threat the plant poses to native species and their habitats, and its current distribution and place of origin. Similar plant species are also briefly described to aid in plant identification. The Guide includes definitions of three categories of invasiveness, brief explanations of how invasive plants are introduced and spread, explanations of why they are a problem, how to learn more about controlling invasive plants, and the state regulations regarding their importation, sale and propagation. Useful websites on invasive plants are also referenced.
To purchase a guide, stop in the Field Headquarters office in West Boylston (note new address) during business hours or send a request to “Invasive Plant Guide,” DFW Field HQ, NHESP, 100 Hartwell Street, Suite 230, West Boylston, MA, 01583, and include a check for $5 (per copy) payable to: Comm. of Mass.–NHESP. Sorry, but DFW does not accept credit cards. Learn more about invasive plants from DFW’s Natural Heritage webpage at: www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/conservation/invasives/invasive_species.htm.
Exotic Pets Illegal in Massachusetts
MASSWILDLIFE NEWS
November Issue
Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Wayne F. MacCallum, Director
Phone: (508) 389-6300, Fax: (508) 389-7890, Email: Mass.Wildlife@state.ma.us
Visit our Website! www.mass.gov/masswildlife
Media Inquiries: Call (617) 626-1052
As the holiday season approaches, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) has an important reminder to prospective exotic pet owners; Massachusetts has some of the strictest state regulations in the country governing the possession of both native and exotic wildlife by the average citizen. “Do not assume that any animal purchased in another state or through the internet is legal to possess in Massachusetts,” cautions Dr. Tom French, Assistant Director of DFW’s Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. “The goal of these regulations is to protect both wildlife and people. In Massachusetts, only research entities, museums, nature centers, or educational institutions are granted permits for most kinds of wildlife. ”
Before making any purchase, consult with a veterinarian to determine what kind of animal is suitable for your abilities, lifestyle, and commitment to pet care, as well as the legal status of owning such an animal in Massachusetts. Information regarding the possession of captive or exotic wildlife in Massachusettscan be found at: www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/living/keeping_wildlife.htm.
Dr. French recommends doing business with established and reputable Massachusetts pet shops rather than surfing the Internet, checking out Craigslist, or scanning the classifieds where sellers are not necessarily concerned with or aware of the laws that might affect potential buyers. “Store owners keep up with the laws,” he notes. “The store owners were an effective lobby for making domestic ferrets a legal pet in Massachusetts and know their livelihood depends on doing business by the book. They’ll be happy to sell you reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, and mammals that conform to state laws, and they’ll tell you if something you ask about is illegal.”
French also asks that anyone with knowledge of an illegally held wild or exotic animal to contact the Division at (508) 389-6300 on weekdays during business hours or the Environmental Police at (800) 632-8075 on any day of the week. “To avoid making a difficult situation more uncomfortable, we encourage owners with illegal wildlife to step forward and cooperate with us for the sake of the animals, ” said French. ” If animals have to be confiscated, our goal is to find the best home in the most appropriate setting for the animal’s health and well-being.”
Goodwill Opens New Store and Boutique in North Adams on Nov. 1
Pittsfield, Mass. — Goodwill of the Berkshires announces that it is opening a new store at 166 State St., North Adams, in the storefront formerly occupied by Aaron’s. Goodwill’s North County Store and Boutique will open on Nov. 1, less than three months after Goodwill launched its Dalton Ave. flagship store on Aug. 18.
A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for Goodwill’s North County Store and Boutique will be held on Saturday, November 17 at 1 p.m. The public is invited to attend the event, which will feature remarks by North Adams Mayor Richard J. Alcombright and Frank Engels, CEO of Goodwill of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont. Opening celebration activities will include a drawing to win a new brand-name tablet computer and hourly drawings for store discount coupons and other prizes.
According to Engels, the North County Store and Boutique will replace the Goodwill store on Route 8 in Adams. He notes that the new store is a larger retail operation that offers customers a greatly improved shopping experience with wider aisles, better product displays and signage, and an enhanced selection of new and gently used merchandise that will be restocked hourly. The North County Store and Boutique will be open daily, Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call (413) 749-8999 and visit www.goodwill-berkshires.org and www.facebook.com/GoodwillBerkshires.
The store features a separate boutique area with upscale designer clothes, shoes and accessories for women and men. Boutique sales benefit Goodwill’s Suit YourSelf program, a referral-only service that provides free, personal assistance to individuals selecting donated business attire for job interviews. Additional outfits are provided when Suit YourSelf clients receive jobs.
“Goodwill of the Berkshires is a very community-minded social service agency,” says Engels. “Suit YourSelf is one of many vital workforce development programs we provide to our community in collaboration with other area resources, including Northern Berkshire United Way.”
Along with its new store, Goodwill is bringing customized skill development, job training, and employment placement services to individuals in North County who have disabilities, lack education or job experience or face other employment challenges, says Engels. He also plans to open a SuitYourself program in North Adams early next year, based on the success of this service at Goodwill’s Tyler Ave. headquarters.
Mayor Alcombright stated, “We are very pleased to see Goodwill of the Berkshires opening their new store here in North Adams. This new model, which combines a more spacious environment and the new boutique concept, should give so many of our residents a wonderful shopping experience. Additionally, in keeping with their mission, they will also provide employment to people with disabilities and training for unskilled workers. I thank Frank Engels and Goodwill for their investment and commitment to our community.”
Founded in 1956, Goodwill of the Berkshires is an innovative and sustainable social enterprise that helps all people in our communities enhance the dignity and the quality of life, gaining confidence, pride, independence and self-sufficiency through employment training and other support services, in collaboration with local resources. For more information, call Goodwill of the Berkshires, 158 Tyler St., Pittsfield, Mass., at 413.442.0061 or visit www.goodwill-berkshires.org and www.facebook.com/GoodwillBerkshires
Goodwill Industries International, Inc. is one of North America’s top five most valuable and recognized nonprofit brands as well as a leading social services enterprise. In 2011, more than 4 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill’s career services. Goodwill channels 82 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services. See www.goodwill.org for more information.
Burbank Park (on Onota Lake) Cleanup – 11/18
Burbank Park (on Onota Lake) Cleanup
Sunday, November 18th
Meet at 9 am at the playground by the north parking lot for sign-in. We’ll send out teams to clean different parts of the 200 acre park from there.
Berkshire BioBlitz was held at Burbank Park this year. Burbank Park is the 200 acre park along the east shore of Onota Lake. BioBlitz, or Biodiversity Day, is a 24 hour search to find as many species as possible in a location. The scientists found a rare plant species not previously known to occur at the Park, and a large stand of big, old Red Oak trees in the northeast corner of the Park. We also found a lot of trash.
Please join students from Berkshire Community College, Geocachers, and BEAT for a cleanup of this wonderful Park starting at 9 am on Sunday, November 18th.
Any questions – contact Jane at BEAT 413-230-7321, jane@thebeatnews.org
Westfield River Wild & Scenic Needs Your Help
Come join us for some trail work at the Becket Quarry Nov. 10th 11:00am. – 1 pm.!! Bring clippers, loppers, rakes, major weed whacking & chain saw complete now we need your elegant touches. We will be putting up new trail maps at hiking trail intersections, clipping tree sprouts coming up from the trail foot paths, raking leaves off of trails and enjoying the beauty of the Quarry Trails. http://www.becketlandtrust.org/
Let us know you’re coming email landtrust@becketlandtrust.org Thank you Ann C Smith of the Becket Land Trust
Volunteers NEEDED Saturday Nov. 17th 9:30am. – 12:30pm. for the final push to complete the “ One Step at a Time Down Glendale Falls” on the TTOR property in Middlefield MA. Bring your enthusiasm to our surfacing party!! Enjoy the stunning work of the trail crew and the music of the falls. What does it mean to be Wild & Scenic? Visit Westfield River Wild & Scenic Advisory Committees web site http://www.westfieldriverwildscenic.org/index.html See photos of our trainings, projects and workdays on our Westfield River Wild & Scenic Facebook page
Call Meredyth Babcock Westfield River Wild & Scenic Volunteer & project Coordinator to sign up and for directions (413) 623-2070 or by email volunteer@westfieldriverwildscenic.org
Jobs
New England Conservation Finance Director, TPL – Boston, MA
from MassLand E-News
The New England Conservation Finance Director collaborates with both the Senior Conservation Finance Director and the National Research team to foster new sources of land conservation funding at the state and local government level in the New England states. The position is responsible for developing and conducting community outreach and technical assistance to foster new sources of government funding for parks and land conservation at the state and local government level through ballot measures and legislative action. The position will primarily work in the New England states. The New England Conservation Finance Director markets these services, develops proposals for services, designs public opinion research, negotiates contracts, makes presentations, and manages a team of internal and external experts in public finance research, public opinion surveys, and campaigns. The New England Conservation Finance Director is also responsible for the oversight, planning, and implementation of major donor fund raising to secure non-tax deductible political contributions to support The Conservation Campaign (TCC) – the Trust for Public Land’s (TPL) 501(c)(4) lobbying affiliate. The job requires coordination with field staff based in many different offices and collaboration with legal, finance, philanthropy, and marketing staff.
More information available here
Project Ecologist/Wetland Scientist
from MassLand E-News
We are searching for an Ecologist to develop adaptive management strategies for the ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems, write specifications for invasive species control and management, and write sustainable management plans for public open spaces and corporate landscapes. Tasks will include ecological field evaluations for biological resources, invasive species surveys, wetlands delineation, soils evaluation, preparation and implementation of mitigation and restoration plans, and permitting with preparation of regulatory reports. The candidate should have knowledge of MADEP Wetlands Protection Act Regulations and experience with preparation and presentation of Notice of Intent applications for projects to Conservation Commissions. Good interpersonal skills, verbal and written communication skills, and a track record of working successfully with a team of consultants are essential.
More information available here
Conservation Easement Coordinator, NEFF
from MassLand E-News
The Conservation Easement Coordinator is responsible for the annual inspections, monitoring and oversight of NEFF’s conservation easements on private land and the development of baseline reports for NEFF’s conservation easement projects. Responsibilities also include managing the conservation easement database, maintaining records and files, and maintaining relationships with easement donors. The position will coordinate possible easement enforcement activities with the Director of Forest Stewardship, the Executive Director, and NEFF legal counsel. The position is also responsible for monitoring activities related to NEFF forests, post-harvest inspections, property management issues, and administrative duties related to maintaining files and records on the forest properties.
More information available here.
Employment Opportunities at The Sierra Club: Massachusetts Chapter Director
The Massachusetts Sierra Club seeks an experienced professional as Director
The Sierra Club, America’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization, seeks a Director for our Massachusetts Chapter. This full-time position plays a leadership role in our conservation and legislative program, in fundraising, volunteer management, member service, media relations, and more.
The Massachusetts Chapter works closely with the national Sierra Club and with numerous other environmental groups within the state. The Chapter engages in cutting-edge work to promote clean energy while reducing the use of polluting fuels. We also strive to protect existing habitat of wild creatures, particularly of endangered species; and to eliminate environmentally damaging programs and substances. As one of a very few environmental organizations with the grassroots membership that allows effective engagement in the electoral process on behalf of specific candidates, our chapter maintains a very active political endorsement program.
This is an outstanding opportunity to join our team and further extend environmental progress in Massachusetts.
Candidate basic requirements:
- Degree in Environmental Studies, Political Science, or a related field is preferred.
- At least 3 years’ experience in lobbying, grassroots organizing, training and motivating volunteers, and coalition-building.
- Prior experience and knowledge of the legislative process.
- Fundraising experience with demonstrated ability to engage successfully a wide range of donors.
- Current driver’s license and a personal vehicle.
- Salary: Commensurate with candidate experience and skills. Health benefits are included.
For more information, please visit
http://www.sierraclubmass.org/chapter/eo.htm [2]
To apply, please send resume and cover letter to
chapter-chair@sierraclubmass.org [3] by 5:00 pm on DECEMBER 1, 2012.