Archive of Selected Past Programs and Events

Note that most of our more recent Monthly Meeting programs are recorded. Links to recordings hosted by SudburyTV are marked with .

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Monthly Meeting with talk by Bryan Windmiller Blanding’s Turtle Conservation: How Citizens and Schools can Help Save Rare Species

(Webcast) Learn about the effort to save the rare Blanding’s turtles considered “threatened” in Massachusetts and the critical role school children and citizens can play in conserving local populations of rare species. Together with US Fish and Wildlife Service biologists, Bryan Windmiller has been researching the ecology of these turtles in the Great Meadows NWR, Concord since 2003, protecting turtle nests and raising hatchlings through their critical first year. This conservation effort has been boosted by the participation of school children and their teachers from local schools.

Bryan Windmiller is a wildlife ecologist who specializes in rare species conservation, citizen outreach and education projects. He is the founder of the ecological consulting firm, Hyla Ecological Services, Inc. and he works as an independent consultant. His recent research includes the study of a fungal disease that has caused the extinction of amphibian species worldwide.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Monthly Meeting with talk by Amber Carr Combating Alien Invaders: Invasive Plant Removal Efforts in National Wildlife Refuges of Great Meadows, Assabet River and Oxbow

(Webcast) Learn what an "invasive plant" is and find out the negative impact of these plants on the economy, environment and human health. Do you know the two dozen invasive plant species being targeted for control locally? Learn about the strategies and methods for early detection, mapping, removal and rapid response employed in the Wildlife Refuges. Initiatives to involve schools and communities in these efforts and the new inter-agency collaborative agreement for invasives control (CISMA) will be explained. Fresh seasonal specimens and herbarium specimens will be available for inspection to help you identify invasives occurring locally and tips for keeping invasives under control in your garden and neighborhood will be provided.

Amber Carr is the Invasive Plant Technician of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Eastern MA NWR Complex. For the past two years she has designed and coordinated the invasives plant removal efforts for the three refuges of Great Meadows, Assabet River and Oxbow. She organized over 50 invasives removal parties during the 2009 field season between spring and early winter.

For background information see the following material from the New England Wildflower Society: Invaders ... We’re fighting back and Controlling Invasive Plants at Home.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Annual Meeting with talk American Dinosaurs: The Discovery of Fossils in the Connecticut River Valley

The talk describes early events in American paleontology when footprints were found in South Hadley in 1802 thought to be tracks left by the raven that disappeared from the Noah's ark. Later in 1835, tracks on a stone slab in Greenfield were thought to be turkey traces or a chance arrangement of geologic features. Those discoveries became the first dinosaur footprints ever studied by scientists, long before the word "dinosaur" was coined and the animals not even known to have existed! As the 19th century progressed, the Connecticut River Valley became one of the world's premier sites for what scientists eventually realized was evidence of a lost world of awe-inspiring reptiles.

Sarah Doyle is president of the Friends of the Great Falls Discovery Center in Turners Falls and the Sivio O. Conte National Wldlife Refuge that showcases the Connecticut River Valley Watershed. For more information see: www.greatfallsma.org.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Sharon Stichter talking on Flowers that Fly: Habitat Gardening for Butterflies and Hummingbirds in New England

(Webcast) Sharon Stichter describes how to create and maintain small habitats for some common and not-so-common butterflies in our area, and what to plant for hummingbirds. Handouts will be provided. This talk is jointly sponsored by the Massachusetts Butterfly Club.

Sharon Stichter is a longtime member of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club, editor of the club's journal, Massachusetts Butterflies, and of the MBC Guide to Good Butterfly Sites. In the summer she maintains a large butterfly and hummingbird garden in Newbury, Massachusetts. For information on the Massachuetts Butterfly Club see www.naba.org.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Retrospective of the First Decade of the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge

(Webcast) Join the Friends of Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge for a retrospective of the first 10 years of the refuge. Barbara Volkle, one of the founding members and President of Friends since its inception in 1999, Tim Prior, former Refuge Manager, and Libby Herland, current Complex Manager, will join in a Retrospective of the First Decade of the Assabet River NWR. This event will mark the beginning of our Tenth Anniversary celebrations of the Friends. Please join us for birthday cake, memories and proud accomplishments.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Cherrie Corey talking on Inspiring a Sense of Place: An Intimate Journey Through Great Meadows NWR in Concord

(Webcast) Cherrie Corey, naturalist/botanist and long-time Concord resident, will share favorite images and epiphanies from her years of communion at Great Meadows. What began as a personal practice of bringing deep attention to this special place repeatedly through the seasons, in 2008 became a series of monthly public walks emphasizing both the flora and a fuller and greater awareness of one’s immediate experience in the landscape. Over the two years, more than 100 individuals have participated in this inspired learning community.

Cherrie has been communing with the flora and fauna of Great Meadows for much of her life. She was the New England Wild Flower Society’s first education director, a board member for the Mass. Environmental Education Society, and former Executive Director of the Harvard Museums of Cultural and Natural History.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Doug Seale talking on The Meaning of Wilderness

(Webcast) Doug Seale, Board Member of Friends and a well-known conservationist will explore changing historical attitudes about wilderness and wild things in America, and how those attitudes inform present preservation efforts and the ongoing debate over the appropriate uses of the natural world. The talk will consider how the views of Thoreau, Emerson, John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Liberty Hyde Bailey, Theodore Roosevelt, Rachel Carson, and others have influenced our thinking about what wilderness means to us today.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Laura Hajduk talking on Bobcats

(Webcast) Laura Hajduk, MassWildlife Furbearer Biologist will present on basics of bobcat biology and ecology, including life history, habitat use, and prey. She will bring bobcat pelts to view and touch. Laura will also discuss the history of bobcats in Massachusetts.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Peter Alden talking on The Ups and Downs of our Birds

(Webcast) This will be a lively overview of how and why our local birds have responded to huge changes in our landscapes over the years. Topics discussed (with fine photographs) will include the flood of prairie birds east in the 1800's, the role of cowbirds, the pros and cons of bird feeding, the role of medium-sized carnivores on our game birds in an anti-trapping era, the role of birds in spreading invasive alien plants, invasive birds, and whether climate change or other factors is allowing all these "Dixie" birds to dominate New England.

Peter Alden of Concord, is a past president of both the Brookline Bird Club and the Nuttall Ornithological Club, and a founder and current co-compiler of the Concord area Christmas Bird Count, the nation's largest. He has pioneered and led bird and nature tours to 100 countries. Peter is the author of 15 books with sales of 1.5 million so far (many available at the talk). In 1998 he created the world's first Biodiversity Day with E.O.Wilson, where 100+ invited experts found 1,905 fungi, flora and fauna in one day. The Walden Woods Project is sponsoring him to run the Walden Biodiversity Day II on July 4, 2009 to celebrate Ed's 80th.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Ron McAdow talking on Beasts of Burden: New England's Wild Animals

(Webcast) Author and conservationist Ron McAdow will show photographs of New England's vertebrate fauna: birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. He will describe how motion-triggered cameras capture images of secretive mammals such as fox, fisher, bobcat, and river otter. Photos will be accompanied by brief readings from essays by Thoreau, Emerson, and others that help us understand how these animals enrich our culture, our imaginations, and our lives.

Ron moved to Massachusetts, from his native state of Illinois, in 1971. He is author of a guide to the nature and history of the Concord, Sudbury, and Assabet Rivers, and a similar work about the Charles River. Ron has worked as a volunteer and staff member of the regional land trust Sudbury Valley Trustees for the pass two decades, and has served as Executive Director since 2002.

Ron’s column, “Knowing Our Place” has appeared in 40 Massachusetts newspapers. Ron has documented his explorations of Massachusetts’ outdoors with his camera as well as his pen, and takes pleasure in sharing his pictures, and those of his friends, with audiences interested in the natural world.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

John F. O'Keefe talking on Massachusetts Wildlife: A Journey Through Time

(Webcast) For the seemingly limitless forest tracts of colonial time, to the largely cleared agricultural landscape of the nineteenth century, and back to the predominantly forested state of today, the Massachusetts landscape has gone through major historical transformations. In this presentation John O'Keefe, forest ecologist and Coordinator of the Fisher Museum at Harvard Forest, will discuss the legacy of these transformations, emphasizing how a sequence of human and natural disturbance has shaped the character of our modern landscape with special emphasis on wildlife responses.

John O'Keefe was born and grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and received a BA in sociology from Harvard College. After serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho and as a pilot with the Massachusetts National Guard, he returned to school and received his graduate degrees (MA AND PhD) in forest ecology from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst. Since 1988, John has been Coordinator of the Fisher Museum at the Harvard Forest Dioramas, where he interprets forest history and current research to visitors. With Forest Director David Foster, he is co-author of "New England Dioramas". John, his wife, Lynne, and daughters Sara and Erin live in North Orange, Massachusetts, close to the New Hampshire and Vermont borders in a 200 year old home built by the first sawmill owner in the area.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Debbie Dineen, Sudbury Conservation Coordinator, talking on Vernal Pools

(Webcast) Think you know everything about vernal pools by now? Do you know the difference between obligate and facultative? How about wet and dry certification? Come and listen to what is new in vernal pool certification. We will begin with the basics, and work our way through the proposed regulatory changes revisions to the certification process. We will discuss methods to protect vernal pools even if they are not certified by the State. If you plan on investigating vernal pools for certification this spring, please attend. A Q & A will immediately follow the presentation and a site visit to a vernal pool will be scheduled shortly thereafter, weather permitting

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Robert D. Childs talking on The Asian Long-Horned Beetle in Massachusetts

(Webcast) An established population of The Asian Long-Horned beetle (ALB), recently found in Massachusetts, resulted in the designation of a 33 square mile regulated area for the pest, (the northern section of Worcester and parts of four other towns). The pest arrives from China in wood packing material and pallets and then seeks out and destroys healthy hardwood trees, especially maples. The Worcester find is the closest that this beetle has ever been to invading a forested area in North America. This talk will highlight the realities and ramifications that this serious invader has brought to our doorstep and its potential affects on Green Industry businesses, neighborhoods, the forest, and town budgets.

Bob Childs, an Instructor since 1984, teaches entomology courses at UMass with the bulk of his students being enrolled in the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. He also has a 60% Extension appointment to the Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry program, providing accurate and timely diagnostics of insect pests, making recommendations, writing about current trends in pest identification and management, and acting as an overall resource for the Green Industry. He also performs numerous workshops that are related to Integrated Pest Management. He was one of the faculty involved with the development and funding of the Urban Forestry Diagnostic Lab at UMass, Amherst, and was responsible for the development of the New England Recommendation Guide for Insects, Diseases, and Weeds of Shade Trees and Woody Ornamentals. He has produced two reference books for the industry through funding from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Strickland Wheelock and Kathy Clayton-Seymour talking on Saw-whet Owl Banding in Massachusetts - What we Know and What we Don't"

Strickland Wheelock and Kathy Clayton-Seymour will give a brief history of saw-whet owl banding in Massachusetts, followed by an overview of saw-whet banding methodology, and an analysis of what they have learned collaborating with other Massachusetts saw-whet owl banding stations and Project Owlnet. The program will end with a discussion of the myriad of questions their research has raised.

Strickland Wheelock has been an active birder, field trip leader for the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and Master Bander since 1972. For the past 5 years, Kathy Clayton-Seymour and Strickland have been running duel Saw-whet banding sites at Drumlin Farm and Lookout Rock in Northbridge. When not birding, Strickland manufactures woolen textile products.

Kathy Clayton-Seymour is a member of the Sanctuary Committee at MassAudubon's Drumlin Farm. Kathy chairs the Birder's Advisory Committee and serves as Bird-a-thon Fundraising Coordinator. In that role, she has helped raise over one hundred twenty thousand dollars towards avian education and conservation efforts at the sanctuary. She leads adult and family birding programs for Drumlin Farm, and is very active with their youth birding clubs. An experienced bander, she helped set up the Lookout Rock owl banding station in Northbridge, and manages banding operations at Drumlin Farm. She was honored by MassAudubon as one of 7 people who made a difference in 2007.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Constance A. Bean MPH presenting on Beating Lyme. Understanding and Treating This Complex and Often Misdiagnosed Disease

Constance Bean co-authored Beating Lyme along with physician, Lesley Ann Fein, MD, MPH, who among other positions, is medical director for the Pennsylvania Lyme Disease Society. Constance is the former coordinator of health education at MIT, and was, herself, diagnosed with the disease. She is the author of six other books on health issues. Informed by her professional and personal expertise, "Beating Lyme" offers comforting and hard-won advice on recognizing symptoms, researching resources for treatment, protecting against Lyme and much more. Constance lives in Wayland. There will be opportunity for questions and discussion.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

John Root talking on Wildflowers of the Northeast

"Wildflowers of the Northeast" celebrates the intricacy and enchanting beauty of our native flora. This ninety-minute presentation features close-up images of plants in a range of magnifications as well as photographic portraits taken from a more customary perspective.

The audience will become familiar with the distinguishing characteristics of the most common plant families and learn how to apply this information to identify herbaceous plants in the field. The survival value of these plants' specializations in accomplishing such essential functions as pollination, seed dispersal, and photosynthesis is also explored.

Everyone is invited to share their knowledge about habitat preferences, life cycles, and cultivation of our native wildflowers. Illustrated pamphlets with descriptions of plant families, informative websites, and a bibliography for further study will be distributed at the conclusion of the program.

John Root is a naturalist and educator based in the Pioneer Valley. For additional information about John and his work, visit his website.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Cynthia Menard talking on Wolves in New England?

Are there wolves in New England and if not, will there ever be? Can wolves and people live together harmoniously? Have you ever heard the howl of a wolf in the wild? Cynthia Menard, an educator with the MetroWest YMCA will present a slide show and discussion about the history, ecology and future of this amazing animal. Come join us to hear wolves howling, touch real wolf fur, and find out first-hand how large a wolf's canine tooth really is! This talk is suitable for adults and families with children ages 10 and up.

Cynthia Menard has her Masters degree in Conservation Biology from Antioch New England Graduate School. She spent two years tracking and mapping predators in northern Massachusetts for her Master's Thesis, and co-led a trip of her graduate peers to Yellowstone National Park to study wolf ecology with park biologists. She currently teaches animal tracking throughout Massachusetts, and works as a Naturalist and Assistant Camp Director for the MetroWest YMCA in Hopkinton, MA.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

David Griffin talking on Assabet Osprey

In 2002, on the edge of a heron rookery, in a pond at the headwaters of the Assabet River, was something that was very unique to the area: a thriving Osprey nest. The nest had been there for a few years beforehand, but it was then Dave Griffin began a love affair with these magnificent birds. Osprey spend their summers with us, raising a family, and then migrating to South America for the winter. The program documents the past five years of how the Osprey have been making a home on the Assabet River - and what the future may hold for this unique raptor.

The program contains over 250 photos of Osprey, Great Blue Heron, and other species that make up the changing landscape where the Osprey struggles each year to raise a new generation.

Dave Griffin is a photographer and multimedia producer. His photographic work concentrates on conservation projects for both environmental and historical organizations utilizing digital imaging, video, and audio recording technologies. Dave’s presentations blend the storytelling power of photojournalism with the visual impact of fine art photography and tosses in a bit of dry wit. Dave has been photographing since age 9 and has been working in the digital photography world since 1995.

Dave has been a board member for the Organization for the Assabet River since 2001, and currently serves as its President. He is also President of the Board of Trustees for the Maynard Historical Society, a Corporator for Emerson Hospital, and a Consulting Software Engineer for Novell, Inc. An avid kayaker, you'll often find Dave and his wife Betsy on a nearby river or lake - with camera in hand. For more information about Dave and his work, see his website.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Scott LaFleur talking on Listening to the Landscape: Using Nature's Clues to Design a Garden That Works

Natural ecosystems can provide us with a lot of information on native plants and how they grow. Looking into the symbiotic relationship these ecosystems make use of will lead us in the choices we make when designing sustainable landscapes. Natural ecosystems will also provide us with the framework we need to attract Birds, Bee's, Butterfly's and other exciting critters. Choosing native plants that provide food and forage for wildlife is a great way to keep a diversity of life happy and abundant in your landscape. Invasive plants can disrupt this delicate balance of life and removing them is the great help you can provide. We at the New England Wild Flower Society have many great native alternatives you can make use of.

Scott Lafleur is Director of Horticulture at the New England Wild Flower Society. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire horticulture program, Scott specialized in perennials and perennial garden design. Upon graduating in 1996 Scott started a professional gardening Service in Rye,NH. The hallmark of Scott’s business was meticulous work using the best horticultural practices. Scott expanded his business into a landscape design and installation company. He sold the business in 2001 after 10 years of operation and undertook a three year project designing a 135 acre VT farm into rolling green hills, extensive gardens and a network of trails to access the property for horse back riding and hiking. During his designing and research for the project Scott became very interested in native plants and ecological landscaping. These pieces of the design were key to its success. Scott completed the project in 2006 and was hired by the New England Wild Flower Society as the Senior Horticulturist for their botanic garden, Garden in the Woods. Scott was promoted to Director of Horticulture in 2008, his current position.

Garden in the Woods is a 45 acre Botanic garden dedicate to the conservation, protection and artistic display of the flora of North America. The purpose of Garden in the Woods is to educate and inspire visitors to conserve our native New England flora in ecosystems of which they are a part, as well as provide a place of tranquility, beauty and sanctuary. As a living museum, the Garden is a classroom and resource for learning about conservation, horticulture, landscape design, botany, and natural history through both formal and informal instruction. The propagation, cultivation, and artistic display of plants in the Garden promote appreciation of our native plants as horticultural subjects and as our natural heritage. For more information, see their website at www.newfs.org..

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Marion Larson of MassWildlife talking on Connecting Children with Nature: Wildlife Education Opportunities from MassWildlife

If you like wildlife and have an interest in sharing your passion with young people, MassWildlife offers some educational opportunities for families, students and youth groups and for people who work with youth. Classroom teachers, homeschoolers, youth group leaders and other people who work with kids can find out how to incorporate wildlife and the environment into their programs through MassWildlife. Families who want to learn outdoor skills can also explore MassWildlife's opportunities as well. Marion Larson, Information and Education Biologist with MassWildlife will not only talk about education programs, but will also conduct an activity or two for you to experience!

Marion Larson has worked with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since 1985. She has a degree from the University of Vermont in Environmental Interpretation and began her career as an Environmental Police Officer (game warden) patrolling northern Middlesex and Worcester Counties. (Law enforcement is just another form of education!) She transferred to the Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife in 1991 as a Wildlife Education Specialist where she worked with teachers and other educators on wildlife programs and a watershed education program that included high schools in the SuAsCo watershed. Currently she serves as an Outreach Coordinator working with tourism groups, writing newsletter articles, providing agency web page content and answering questions on a variety of wildlife topics. She volunteers as a Hunter Education Instructor for MassWildlife, serves on her town’s Open Space Committee and enjoys hiking, birding and running.

You can find out more about MassWildlife at: www.mass.gov/masswildlife.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Chris Hepburn of Boston College (aided by Tracey Arvin) talking on Assembling the Jigsaw Puzzle of Eastern Massachusetts Geology

The rocks we find in eastern New England arrived here in the closing of an ancient, pre-modern Atlantic, ocean basin through plate tectonics. Eastern Massachusetts is made up of the last-to-arrive fragments from the other side of this ocean as well as volcanic island chains that formed within the closing ocean. These pieces crashed into the edge of North America over tens of millions of years, growing our continent. Major faults, no longer active, form the boundaries of these bits of geologic wreckage and also record the ways in which they were assembled. The rocks of the Assabet River National Wildlife refuge lie close to one of these major fault zones and formed as part of an ancient volcanic island arc that existed some 500 million years ago.

J. Christopher Hepburn is a Professor in the Dept. of Geology and Geophysics at Boston College where he has taught geology for over thirty years. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in geology from Harvard University. His research has largely been devoted to deciphering the geology of the northern Appalachians through its petrology, geochemistry, structural geology and tectonics.

Tracey Arvin is a graduate student in geology at Boston College in the process of completing her M.S. degree. Part of her thesis work includes the geologic mapping of the area containing the Assabet River NWR. Ms. Arvin currently teaches at Blue Hill Regional Technical School.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Bear Expert Jim Cardoza talking on Black Bears of Massachusetts

Perhaps you've seen and heard about occasional sightings of black bears and human confrontations with them. How common are black bears in our area? What draws them to our towns and how can we learn to live at a respectful distance with these large furry neighbors?

This slideshow presentation by Mr. Cardoza will cover the history, biology, and management of the black bear in Massachusetts. He will help us understand the bear's history, changes in status and distribution, biology and life history, habitat changes, research programs, human-bear interactions, and management issues.

Mr. Cardoza, a certified wildlife biologist, has been the leader for the Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife wild turkey (since 1969) and black bear (since 1970) project. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in wildlife biology from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. His years of study and field experience with black bears has made him the state's leading expert on the subject. He has received numerous awards for his work in conserving and managing our state's bear population.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Dr. Kurt Buhlmann talking on Establishing a Population of Blanding's Turtles at Assabet River NWR: Using Reintroduction as a Conservation Tool for Turtles

Come learn about the proposed reintroduction of Blanding's Turtles to Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge. Dr. Kurt Buhlmann will discuss turtle reintroductions, including his recent work on the proposed reintroduction of Blanding's Turtles to Assabet River NWR.

Dr. Kurt Buhlmann is a conservation ecologist focusing on amphibians and reptiles, including turtles. He has been fascinated with turtles since he was a boy. His research interests include habitat management needs of herps with emphasis on issues such as the amount of terrestrial habitat needed around seasonal wetlands, the effects of prescribed fire, and control of invasive species. He has worked with a number of organizations including The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Kurt spent several years working with Conservation International on conservation strategies for turtles globally, particularly in Asia. He is co-author of the Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservations (PARC) Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles of the Northeast (as well as a companion volume for the Southeast). He has recently become involved with turtle projects on several National Wildlife Refuges, including Great Swamp, Wallkill River, and Assabet River in the Northeast. He and his wife, Tracey Tuberville have implemented some reintroduction strategies for gopher tortoises at several sites in the Southeast, and more recently begun designing similar research with freshwater turtles. Kurt currently wears several hats, and is a research scientist at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory in South Carolina and also works independently as a consulting conservation biologist. Originally from New Jersey, he holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies from Stockton State College, a M.S. in Wildlife Sciences from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Georgia (UGA). He is senior author on an upcoming book, Turtles of the Southeast, soon to be published by the UGA Press.

For additional information on this proposed work see News. The Blanding's Turtle is listed as Threatened in Massachusetts. "Threatened" species are native species which are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future, or which are declining or rare as determined by biological research and inventory. For more information on the Blanding's Turtle in Massachusetts, see here.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Professor Amy Cannon talking on Green Chemistry: Necessary Steps to a Sustainable Future

Imagine a world where all segments of society demanded environmentally benign products! Imagine if all consumers, all retailers and all manufacturers insisted on buying and selling only non-toxic materials! The unfortunate reality is that, even if this situation were to occur, our knowledge of materials science and chemistry would allow us to provide only a small fraction of the products and materials that our economy is based upon. The way we learn and teach chemistry and materials science is for the most part void of any information regarding mechanisms of toxicity and environmental harm. Green Chemistry is a philosophy that seeks to reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous materials at the design stage of a materials process. It has been demonstrated that materials and products CAN be designed with negligible impact on human health and the environment while still being economically competitive and successful in the marketplace. This presentation will describe the history and background of Green Chemistry and discuss the opportunities for the next generation of materials designers to create a safer future.

Amy Cannon is the director of community outreach and education at the Center for Green Chemistry and an assistant professor in the department of Work Environment at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Amy graduated as the first PhD in Green Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts Boston where her research involved the environmentally benign synthesis of photoactive materials. Amy received her undergraduate degree in chemistry from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH and worked for the Gillette Company as an analytical chemist for 5 years before returning to graduate school. She was awarded the Kenneth G. Hancock Memorial Award in Green Chemistry in 2004 for her work on titanium dioxide semiconductors and their application in dye-sensitized solar cells. Amy has recently worked for Rohm & Haas Electronic Materials in Marlborough, MA developing silicon polymeric materials for optical electronic devices. Her current research interests in Green Chemistry are based in materials chemistry and range from electronic materials to cosmetic chemistry and biobased materials. For more information on the Green Chemistry program at University of Massachusetts Lowell, see http://www.greenchemistry.uml.edu/.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Stephen Brown talking on Arctic Wings: Birds of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Stephen Brown, Director of Shorebird Research & Conservation at Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, will discuss his book, Arctic Wings: Birds of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and his research expeditions to Alaska's North Slope. Arctic birds highlight the interconnectedness of the hemisphere as they complete epic migrations between the ends of the earth, and illustrate the importance of halting global climate change before their habitats are destroyed. Dr. Brown's presentation features stunning photographs of elusive arctic birds on their breeding grounds, and includes insights into new discoveries about their habitats and the conservation challenges facing them.

As Manomet's Director of Shorebird Research and Conservation, Stephen Brown works on a wide variety of science and policy issues related to protecting this imperiled group of birds that literally cover the globe during their annual migrations. Stephen was the lead author of the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan which brought together wildlife managers and policy makers from all 50 states and several federal agencies, university researchers, and many other conservation groups to develop a coordinated strategy for restoring the declining populations of shorebirds. Stephen has an active research program in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where his work helps to determine the impacts that oil development would have on nesting shorebirds, and he has recently completed a study of American Oystercatchers that included a census of the entire Atlantic and Gulf coasts (see www.shorebirdworld.org).

Stephen has been a conservation biologist with Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences since 1998. He earned his undergraduate degree from Hampshire College in Environmental Studies, and his Master of Science degree from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources studying an endangered shorebird. His Ph.D. research in Natural Resources at Cornell University focused on improving habitat for birds through wetland restoration. Stephen has published dozens of articles on wetlands and shorebirds in scientific journals, and the recent book Arctic Wings: Birds of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Madeline Champagne talking on Monarch Butterflies

Monarch butterflies are perhaps our most intriguing butterflies, arriving in New England early in the summer and then migrating thousands of miles away to spend the winter. However, only a few of Massachusetts’ 125 or so species are migrants, and most people don’t stop to think about how they get through our winters. Madeline Champagne, former President of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club, will discuss survival techniques (from getting through the winter and from evading predators) for Monarchs and other species of butterflies, as well as for moths.

Madeline has been fascinated by butterflies since in the early 1990’s when she raised some Monarch butterflies from eggs that she found in the wild. Her butterfly-related activities have included planning and maintaining butterfly gardens, giving talks, working in the classroom and in the field with teachers and students, and monitoring specific butterfly populations at various sites. She has worked with land trusts, garden clubs and other organizations. In the past few years, she has focused on educating people about butterflies.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Paul Baicich talking on Shade-grown Coffee Future: Birds, Agriculture, and People

Surely, you've heard about the links between birds and shade-grown coffee. In this talk, we will take a journey to visit vital points of intersection, a crossroads for birds, agriculture, and people. Join Paul Baicich as he leads us through an exploration of the shade-coffee/birds connection, focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean. You will leave the presentation with the ability to explain the issue to birding and non-birding friends alike!

Paul Baicich has been an active birder since his early teens. He went on to work for the American Birding Association, where he organized their conferences and conventions, edited publications, and then served as ABA's Director of Conservation and Public Policy until late 2003.

His concerns include an abiding interest in bird conservation (especially shade-grown coffee) and studies in the breeding biology of North American birds. Paul also has co-led a number of birding tours to Alaska. He is on the Management Board of the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture and on the Waterbird Conservation Council. Paul has worked as an independent consultant and writer for the National Wildlife Refuge Association for the past two years and has spent the past few years promoting support for our unique and valuable National Wildlife Refuge System. He has made two special visits to Nicaragua over the last few years, specifically to visit shade-coffee co-ops.

An article on birds and coffee by Paul recently appeared in Bird Watchers' Digest. It is provided at www.birdwatchersdigest.com thanks to the generosity of BWD.