JUNE OUTDOORSWOMAN WEEKEND PLANNED
Calling all women interested in outdoor recreation! The Massachusetts Becoming an Outdoorswoman Program (BOW) is offering the 11th Annual Becoming An Outdoorswoman Weekend at the Eastover Resort in Lenox from June 8-10. This weekend workshop is open to women 18 and older who want to try new outdoor skills in a supportive environment. Learn about new outdoor skills and recreation opportunities right here in Massachusetts including archery, kayaking, wild edible plants, nature photography, fly fishing, shooting and more. This experience makes a wonderful gift to a special woman in your life! Registration is open to 100 women. Registration materials are posted on the MassWildlife website and can also be faxed. Call Sue Fritze at 508/389-6311.
LOOK OUT FOR LOONS!
The haunting wail of the common loon (Gavia immer) evokes a sense of wild and remote areas which may be why some people are surprised to learn Massachusetts is home to a small, but growing number of nesting loons. MassWildlife Biologist Bridgett McAlice recently compiled common loon nesting activity for 2006 and will be working with other cooperators this spring to document loon nesting sites across the state. In 2006, 19 territorial pairs on 9 waterbodies were documented. A total of 8 chicks were produced and presumed fledged. In 2005, 19 loon chicks were produced by 27 territorial pairs loons on 12 waterbodies. "The Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs are home to the majority of Massachusetts' nesting loons," said McAlice. "Other nests have been documented in relatively quiet water supplies and private ponds in Worcester County, but it's entirely possible there are nests in other parts of the state which haven't been reported to us." McAlice noted that cooperators and volunteers play a vital role in gathering field data for MassWildlife. Unfortunately, due to personnel shortages in 2006, fewer waterbodies were checked thoroughly for loon activity and the 2006 report may not accurately summarize loon activity within Massachusetts. Loons in their striking black and white breeding plumage have returned to their territorial waters and are actively courting. Egg laying begins at the end of May. Boaters are reminded to keep a respectful distance from loons and nesting areas. McAlice encourages anyone to report sightings of loons, specifically pairs of birds. Be sure to include the name of the town, location and name of waterbody by email at Mass.wildlife@state.ma.us or call her at the Central District Wildlife Office in West Boylston at 508/835-3607.
REPORT AQUATIC INVASIVES!
Anglers, boaters, naturalists and other waterway users are encouraged not only to keep an eye out for aquatic invasive plants or animals but to report sightings of new species to a recently launched website designed just for this purpose. The Aquatic Invasives Program website, http://www.mass.gov/czm/invasives/index.htm , is an online resource for identifying and reporting new non-indigenous species introduction in Massachusetts. Hosted by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management as part of a collaborative inter-agency effort to facilitate early detection and reporting of invasives, the website is the best mechanism for citizens, field monitors, fishermen, or anyone else to identify and report invasive freshwater, marine, plant or animal species. “In many cases, once an aquatic invasive species becomes established, eradication is impossible or cost-prohibitive,” says Richard Hartley, MassWildlife Fisheries Biologist. “We want anyone who thinks they have identified a new aquatic invasive species to take a picture, try to identify and report it by using this website. Links to resources for identification, prevention and control of aquatic invasives are some of the website’s most useful features.” Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are known by many names—nuisance species, exotic species, non-indigenous species, or just pests. Aquatic invasive plants and animals, such as purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and the European green crab (Carcinus maenas) have forever changed the ecology and economy of Massachusetts. To address these threats, a variety of state and federal agencies and nonprofit organizations including MassWildlife have formed the Massachusetts AIS Working Group. This group works to prevent new introductions and manage the impact of aquatic invasives already established in the Commonwealth. To achieve this goal, the AIS Working Group is focusing on: prevention and education, early detection, species identification and montoring, rapid response and control.
FARMERS NEEDED TO MAKE HAY FOR WILDLIFE!
MassWildlife needs farmers to help private landowners actively manage their lands for wildlife habitat. Growers looking for more hay or pasture for their operations may be able to help create and restore grassland wildlife habitat by working with landowners enrolled in MassWildlife’s Landowner Incentive Program (LIP). A number of LIP landowners who own old farm fields and meadows want to maintain the grasslands for nesting birds but don’t have the expertise or equipment for mowing hay. One of the challenges grassland owners face is finding farmers to graze, cut or harvest this hay from their fields while conforming to the specific needs of wildlife. Acoss the state, grasslands such as meadows and fields are in decline. If left uncut, grasslands revert back to forest in a relatively short period of time. The hope is that wildlife, private landowners and farmers will benefit from these activities. Farmers looking to hay more property and who want to assist LIP project landowners can contact LIP coordinator Ken MacKenzie at ken.mackenzie@state.ma.us or call him at 508/389-6313.
Housatonic River Visioning Session a Success 5/11&12
On May 11 a crowd gathered at Pitt Park to share ideas about what could happen along the West Branch of the Housatonic River from Wahconah Park to Clapp Park in Pittsfield. The visioning work continued all day Saturday at the Conte Elementary School. See our report and pictures of the session.
ATVs illegally riding through Vernal Pools in the State Forest
Although the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) put out a notice, "Wet trail conditions in the Berkshires will delay the opening of motorized trails there for about a week. Heavy April snow in the region has only recently melted so trails are still wet and vulnerable to damage in Beartown State Forest, October Mt. State Forest, Pittsfield State Forest and Tolland State Forest. These trails are now scheduled to open on Wednesday, May 9th." It didn't stop ATVs from riding on the trails before that date.
On May 4th, a volunteer guided BEAT to seven vernal pools, six of which were in Skyline Trail at Pittsfield State Forest. All of these pools had signs that ATVs had been riding through them. In fact, while we were photographing the pools, two ATVs rode through the ones we hadn't reached yet. We informed them that they were riding illegally. They were very apologetic. They thought the trails opened May 1st.
BEAT contacted the MA Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP), the MA Department of Environmental Protection, and DCR. We feel very strongly that DCR must check in spring all the trails that they are allowing, or considering allowing, ATVs to ride on for vernal pools. If they find evidence of vernal pools or rare species, they must send that to NHESP, and they must take action to prevent ATVs from riding through the pools. BEAT does not believe re-routing the trail will help. After all, if the amphibians are using the pools, they are using the surrounding area as well. Vernal pools in trails should be an indication to close that trail to ATV sue. Re-routing would only work if the trail could be moved out of suitable habitat for these amphibians.
This brings up a larger issue that DCR must start certifying vernal pools and rare species wherever and when ever they find them. DCR can not claim they are protecting these habitats and animals, if they are not acknowledging they have them on their lands. Waiting for volunteers to find them is not an acceptable answer. DCR has been inventorying their forests. When doing this they should be doing an inventory for more than just the trees. They need to look for and document rare species and vernal pools as well.
Dairy farmers will receive $3.6 million in emergency funding across the state to stay in business, if a proposal by Gov. Deval L. Patrick is put into effect.
The proposal would also put aside money to study the problem and initiate long-term solutions.
Twenty dairy farms have been lost since January 2007, leaving only 167 farms struggling to keep up with rising electricity and feed costs.
Some of the Berkshire's most beautiful vistas are kept open by dairy farms. This land is protected from development as long as the farmers are using it to feed their cows.
The money is part of an $88.9 million supplemental budget filed by Patrick that also puts $15 million toward anti-crime initiatives and $35 million in unanticipated costs such as snow and ice removal and rising county corrections costs.
1st Berkshire District Representative Dan Bosley, sent Patrick a letter last month requesting the emergency funding.
Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire District Senator Ben Downing said the dairy funding is money well spent. "I think it's a good step by the governor. It reflects what has been a long negotiation between the administration, the local dairy farms and legislators throughout Massachusetts, but especially members of the western delegation," Downing said.
The federal government sets milk prices, which have been kept low because of a glut of milk production in the Midwest. Dairy farmers received $1.14 per gallon for production in 2006 and $1.18 per gallon in 1981.
Hancock is considering limiting tower height - be it communications or wind turbines. AT the town meeting on May 11, Article 15 asks voters to amend a zoning bylaw to limit towers used for "commercial telecommunications or the commercial generation of electricity" to no more than 150 feet. The wind turbines planned for Jiminy Peak and Brodie Mountain are more than 300 feet tall, but they are grandfathered because they already have their permits.
If Article 15 passes, developers of towers would have to go before the Hancock Zoning Board of Appeals which then could seek a plan for the financing for taking the tower down after its useful life, before issuing a permit.
Mary Griffin named Commissioner of Fish & Game
- Press Release from Energy & Environmental Affairs
BOSTON - Wednesday, May 2, 2007 - Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles today named Mary Griffin to be Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game. An experienced administrator and environmental attorney at multiple state agencies, she will be the first woman to hold that post.
“Governor Patrick and I are thrilled to have Mary Griffin heading our key sporting, wildlife, fisheries, and habitat protection agency,” said Secretary Bowles. “She is an outdoor enthusiast, as well as a seasoned environmental lawyer. She will be a spokesperson for all the natural resources under the stewardship of the Department of Fish and Game, and a key player in all our efforts to preserve the environment for commerce, pleasure, and posterity.”
Griffin is currently Acting Deputy Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). Prior to this role, she served as Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau of Resource Protection at MassDEP, which is responsible for protecting critical inland and coastal water resources, including wetlands. She previously served as General Counsel to the Secretary of Environmental Affairs, and Boston Harbor Regional Coordinator at the Office of Coastal Zone Management.
She has also been Chief of Legal Services for the state parks system, for which she previously managed land acquisition programs. Griffin served as Assistant Attorney General in the Environmental Protection Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office under Scott Harshbarger.
She has also practiced environmental law in the private sector at the firm of WilmerHale in Boston.
The Department of Fish and Game exercises stewardship responsibility over the Commonwealth’s marine and freshwater fisheries, wildlife species, plants, and natural communities, as well as the habitats required to support these resources.
The department also works to conserve and restore the state’s rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, wild lands, and coastal waters, in addition to ensuring the responsible practice of hunting, trapping, and fishing both inland and marine.
“I’m excited about taking on the challenge of protecting our natural resources under the jurisdiction of the Department of Fish and Game,” said Griffin. “I want to connect the public to those resources through hunting, fishing, and other recreational activities. And I am committed to both conserving our natural resources and preserving the communities that depend on them.”
Griffin is a graduate of Cornell Law School and Davidson College. She lives in Hingham with her husband, David Brown, and their two sons. She enjoys hiking, recreational boating, fishing and swimming, and watching her sons play Little League baseball. She also holds a noncommercial license for 10 lobster pots from the Division of Marine Fisheries.
“This is only my second year with a lobster permit,” said Griffin. “Last year I painted the buoys and put out three traps. This year, I’m hoping to catch some big ones!”
Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture 2007-2008 Hearing Schedule. This schedule is subject to change. For questions please contact the Committee at (617) 722-2210
All hearings in State House Hearing Room A-1 unless otherwise noted
Recycling & Waste Management - May 14, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Electronic Waste - May 21, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Milk - June 4, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Safer Alternatives - June 11, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Air and Water Quality - June 25, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Agriculture and Milk - July 9, 2007 - 1:00 PM - Location TBA
Oceans - July 16, 2007 - 1:00 PM - Location TBA
Oceans and Waterways - July 23, 2007 - 1:00 PM - Location New Bedford
LAND CONSERVATION - July 30, 2007 - 1:00 PM - Location TBA
Pesticides & Hazardous Waste - September 10, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Fish and Game - September 17, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Policies - September 24, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Dept. of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) - October 1, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Sewers, Title V, Wetlands - October 15, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Miscellaneous - October 22, 2007 - 1:00 PM
JUNE OUTDOORSWOMAN WEEKEND PLANNED
Calling all women interested in outdoor recreation! The Massachusetts Becoming an Outdoorswoman Program (BOW) is offering the 11th Annual Becoming An Outdoorswoman Weekend at the Eastover Resort in Lenox from June 8-10. This weekend workshop is open to women 18 and older who want to try new outdoor skills in a supportive environment. Learn about new outdoor skills and recreation opportunities right here in Massachusetts including archery, kayaking, wild edible plants, nature photography, fly fishing, shooting and more. This experience makes a wonderful gift to a special woman in your life! Registration is open to 100 women. Registration materials are posted on the MassWildlife website and can also be faxed. Call Sue Fritze at 508/389-6311.
LOOK OUT FOR LOONS!
The haunting wail of the common loon (Gavia immer) evokes a sense of wild and remote areas which may be why some people are surprised to learn Massachusetts is home to a small, but growing number of nesting loons. MassWildlife Biologist Bridgett McAlice recently compiled common loon nesting activity for 2006 and will be working with other cooperators this spring to document loon nesting sites across the state. In 2006, 19 territorial pairs on 9 waterbodies were documented. A total of 8 chicks were produced and presumed fledged. In 2005, 19 loon chicks were produced by 27 territorial pairs loons on 12 waterbodies. "The Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs are home to the majority of Massachusetts' nesting loons," said McAlice. "Other nests have been documented in relatively quiet water supplies and private ponds in Worcester County, but it's entirely possible there are nests in other parts of the state which haven't been reported to us." McAlice noted that cooperators and volunteers play a vital role in gathering field data for MassWildlife. Unfortunately, due to personnel shortages in 2006, fewer waterbodies were checked thoroughly for loon activity and the 2006 report may not accurately summarize loon activity within Massachusetts. Loons in their striking black and white breeding plumage have returned to their territorial waters and are actively courting. Egg laying begins at the end of May. Boaters are reminded to keep a respectful distance from loons and nesting areas. McAlice encourages anyone to report sightings of loons, specifically pairs of birds. Be sure to include the name of the town, location and name of waterbody by email at Mass.wildlife@state.ma.us or call her at the Central District Wildlife Office in West Boylston at 508/835-3607.
REPORT AQUATIC INVASIVES!
Anglers, boaters, naturalists and other waterway users are encouraged not only to keep an eye out for aquatic invasive plants or animals but to report sightings of new species to a recently launched website designed just for this purpose. The Aquatic Invasives Program website, http://www.mass.gov/czm/invasives/index.htm , is an online resource for identifying and reporting new non-indigenous species introduction in Massachusetts. Hosted by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management as part of a collaborative inter-agency effort to facilitate early detection and reporting of invasives, the website is the best mechanism for citizens, field monitors, fishermen, or anyone else to identify and report invasive freshwater, marine, plant or animal species. “In many cases, once an aquatic invasive species becomes established, eradication is impossible or cost-prohibitive,” says Richard Hartley, MassWildlife Fisheries Biologist. “We want anyone who thinks they have identified a new aquatic invasive species to take a picture, try to identify and report it by using this website. Links to resources for identification, prevention and control of aquatic invasives are some of the website’s most useful features.” Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are known by many names—nuisance species, exotic species, non-indigenous species, or just pests. Aquatic invasive plants and animals, such as purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and the European green crab (Carcinus maenas) have forever changed the ecology and economy of Massachusetts. To address these threats, a variety of state and federal agencies and nonprofit organizations including MassWildlife have formed the Massachusetts AIS Working Group. This group works to prevent new introductions and manage the impact of aquatic invasives already established in the Commonwealth. To achieve this goal, the AIS Working Group is focusing on: prevention and education, early detection, species identification and montoring, rapid response and control.
FARMERS NEEDED TO MAKE HAY FOR WILDLIFE!
MassWildlife needs farmers to help private landowners actively manage their lands for wildlife habitat. Growers looking for more hay or pasture for their operations may be able to help create and restore grassland wildlife habitat by working with landowners enrolled in MassWildlife’s Landowner Incentive Program (LIP). A number of LIP landowners who own old farm fields and meadows want to maintain the grasslands for nesting birds but don’t have the expertise or equipment for mowing hay. One of the challenges grassland owners face is finding farmers to graze, cut or harvest this hay from their fields while conforming to the specific needs of wildlife. Acoss the state, grasslands such as meadows and fields are in decline. If left uncut, grasslands revert back to forest in a relatively short period of time. The hope is that wildlife, private landowners and farmers will benefit from these activities. Farmers looking to hay more property and who want to assist LIP project landowners can contact LIP coordinator Ken MacKenzie at ken.mackenzie@state.ma.us or call him at 508/389-6313.
Housatonic River Visioning Session a Success 5/11&12
On May 11 a crowd gathered at Pitt Park to share ideas about what could happen along the West Branch of the Housatonic River from Wahconah Park to Clapp Park in Pittsfield. The visioning work continued all day Saturday at the Conte Elementary School. See our report and pictures of the session.
ATVs illegally riding through Vernal Pools in the State Forest
Although the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) put out a notice, "Wet trail conditions in the Berkshires will delay the opening of motorized trails there for about a week. Heavy April snow in the region has only recently melted so trails are still wet and vulnerable to damage in Beartown State Forest, October Mt. State Forest, Pittsfield State Forest and Tolland State Forest. These trails are now scheduled to open on Wednesday, May 9th." It didn't stop ATVs from riding on the trails before that date.
On May 4th, a volunteer guided BEAT to seven vernal pools, six of which were in Skyline Trail at Pittsfield State Forest. All of these pools had signs that ATVs had been riding through them. In fact, while we were photographing the pools, two ATVs rode through the ones we hadn't reached yet. We informed them that they were riding illegally. They were very apologetic. They thought the trails opened May 1st.
BEAT contacted the MA Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP), the MA Department of Environmental Protection, and DCR. We feel very strongly that DCR must check in spring all the trails that they are allowing, or considering allowing, ATVs to ride on for vernal pools. If they find evidence of vernal pools or rare species, they must send that to NHESP, and they must take action to prevent ATVs from riding through the pools. BEAT does not believe re-routing the trail will help. After all, if the amphibians are using the pools, they are using the surrounding area as well. Vernal pools in trails should be an indication to close that trail to ATV sue. Re-routing would only work if the trail could be moved out of suitable habitat for these amphibians.
This brings up a larger issue that DCR must start certifying vernal pools and rare species wherever and when ever they find them. DCR can not claim they are protecting these habitats and animals, if they are not acknowledging they have them on their lands. Waiting for volunteers to find them is not an acceptable answer. DCR has been inventorying their forests. When doing this they should be doing an inventory for more than just the trees. They need to look for and document rare species and vernal pools as well.
Dairy farmers will receive $3.6 million in emergency funding across the state to stay in business, if a proposal by Gov. Deval L. Patrick is put into effect.
The proposal would also put aside money to study the problem and initiate long-term solutions.
Twenty dairy farms have been lost since January 2007, leaving only 167 farms struggling to keep up with rising electricity and feed costs.
Some of the Berkshire's most beautiful vistas are kept open by dairy farms. This land is protected from development as long as the farmers are using it to feed their cows.
The money is part of an $88.9 million supplemental budget filed by Patrick that also puts $15 million toward anti-crime initiatives and $35 million in unanticipated costs such as snow and ice removal and rising county corrections costs.
1st Berkshire District Representative Dan Bosley, sent Patrick a letter last month requesting the emergency funding.
Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire District Senator Ben Downing said the dairy funding is money well spent. "I think it's a good step by the governor. It reflects what has been a long negotiation between the administration, the local dairy farms and legislators throughout Massachusetts, but especially members of the western delegation," Downing said.
The federal government sets milk prices, which have been kept low because of a glut of milk production in the Midwest. Dairy farmers received $1.14 per gallon for production in 2006 and $1.18 per gallon in 1981.
Hancock is considering limiting tower height - be it communications or wind turbines. AT the town meeting on May 11, Article 15 asks voters to amend a zoning bylaw to limit towers used for "commercial telecommunications or the commercial generation of electricity" to no more than 150 feet. The wind turbines planned for Jiminy Peak and Brodie Mountain are more than 300 feet tall, but they are grandfathered because they already have their permits.
If Article 15 passes, developers of towers would have to go before the Hancock Zoning Board of Appeals which then could seek a plan for the financing for taking the tower down after its useful life, before issuing a permit.
Mary Griffin named Commissioner of Fish & Game
- Press Release from Energy & Environmental Affairs
BOSTON - Wednesday, May 2, 2007 - Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles today named Mary Griffin to be Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game. An experienced administrator and environmental attorney at multiple state agencies, she will be the first woman to hold that post.
“Governor Patrick and I are thrilled to have Mary Griffin heading our key sporting, wildlife, fisheries, and habitat protection agency,” said Secretary Bowles. “She is an outdoor enthusiast, as well as a seasoned environmental lawyer. She will be a spokesperson for all the natural resources under the stewardship of the Department of Fish and Game, and a key player in all our efforts to preserve the environment for commerce, pleasure, and posterity.”
Griffin is currently Acting Deputy Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). Prior to this role, she served as Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau of Resource Protection at MassDEP, which is responsible for protecting critical inland and coastal water resources, including wetlands. She previously served as General Counsel to the Secretary of Environmental Affairs, and Boston Harbor Regional Coordinator at the Office of Coastal Zone Management.
She has also been Chief of Legal Services for the state parks system, for which she previously managed land acquisition programs. Griffin served as Assistant Attorney General in the Environmental Protection Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office under Scott Harshbarger.
She has also practiced environmental law in the private sector at the firm of WilmerHale in Boston.
The Department of Fish and Game exercises stewardship responsibility over the Commonwealth’s marine and freshwater fisheries, wildlife species, plants, and natural communities, as well as the habitats required to support these resources.
The department also works to conserve and restore the state’s rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, wild lands, and coastal waters, in addition to ensuring the responsible practice of hunting, trapping, and fishing both inland and marine.
“I’m excited about taking on the challenge of protecting our natural resources under the jurisdiction of the Department of Fish and Game,” said Griffin. “I want to connect the public to those resources through hunting, fishing, and other recreational activities. And I am committed to both conserving our natural resources and preserving the communities that depend on them.”
Griffin is a graduate of Cornell Law School and Davidson College. She lives in Hingham with her husband, David Brown, and their two sons. She enjoys hiking, recreational boating, fishing and swimming, and watching her sons play Little League baseball. She also holds a noncommercial license for 10 lobster pots from the Division of Marine Fisheries.
“This is only my second year with a lobster permit,” said Griffin. “Last year I painted the buoys and put out three traps. This year, I’m hoping to catch some big ones!”
Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture 2007-2008 Hearing Schedule. This schedule is subject to change. For questions please contact the Committee at (617) 722-2210
All hearings in State House Hearing Room A-1 unless otherwise noted
Recycling & Waste Management - May 14, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Electronic Waste - May 21, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Milk - June 4, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Safer Alternatives - June 11, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Air and Water Quality - June 25, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Agriculture and Milk - July 9, 2007 - 1:00 PM - Location TBA
Oceans - July 16, 2007 - 1:00 PM - Location TBA
Oceans and Waterways - July 23, 2007 - 1:00 PM - Location New Bedford
LAND CONSERVATION - July 30, 2007 - 1:00 PM - Location TBA
Pesticides & Hazardous Waste - September 10, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Fish and Game - September 17, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Policies - September 24, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Dept. of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) - October 1, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Sewers, Title V, Wetlands - October 15, 2007 - 1:00 PM
Miscellaneous - October 22, 2007 - 1:00 PM
The Massachusetts Calling Amphibian Survey is seeking volunteers to
monitor pre-selected routes for calling amphibians as part of the North
American Amphibian Monitoring Project (NAAMP). A new web site
(http://www.massnaamp.org) provides information about NAAMP and the
Massachusetts Calling Amphibian Survey, routes available for adoption by
volunteers, monitoring protocols and data sheet, as well as links to the
national NAAMP web site for the frog quiz, data entry and other information.
We currently have 15 routes that are open and available for adoption by
willing volunteers (see the web site for a list and a map showing the
location of available routes). If you are interested in adopting one of
these routes contact Scott Jackson at the University of Massachusetts
(sjackson@umext.umass.edu). If you know of people who might be
interested in volunteering for NAAMP please send them a note and
encourage them to check out the web site.
