News

November 2, 2011: Assabet River NWR Visitor Center Wins Wins Award for Sustainable Design

(Washington DC) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability shown brightly during the Federal Energy Management Program’s (FEMP) 2011 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards as David Guthrie, the energy coordinator for the Service, took home the prestigious Program Manager’s Award and three national wildlife refuges won team awards.

Guthrie, who also won an Exceptional Service honor, has helped make the Service a federal leader in energy management, and his work has helped the Service save millions of Btu of energy, millions of gallons of water and much taxpayer money.

Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge and San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex all built or renovated structures that showcased sustainability efforts.

The Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in Sudbury, Massachusetts, was honored for the sustainable design of its 5,879 square-foot visitor center. The building features passive solar architecture, a cool roof, daylighting, low-e glazed windows and much more. The 19 megawatt-hours of renewable power generated offsets 13.1 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. Low flow plumbing fixtures and waterless urinals conserve 3,000 gallons of water a year. Individual Service members honored were:

• Libby Herland – Project Leader/Refuge Manager, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Tom Eagle – Deputy Project Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Susan J. Russo – Visitor Services Manager, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Marsha Browning – Contracting Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Tony Leger – Regional Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (retired)

See USFWS New Room for more info.

July 5, 2011: Refuge Staff Reminds Visitors to Obey the Speed Limit on the Refuge

(Sudbury MA) Refuge staff has issued a reminder that all visitors should observe speed limit of 15mph when driving on Winterberry way. 15mph and no more!

Please remember you are on a National Wildlife Refuge and that wildlife take priority. The newly paved access road — Winterberry Way — which goes past the Visitor Center to the tear drop near Puffer Pond is conducive for fast driving. However, please observe the speed limit when driving and when biking. Recently, animals have been found killed by traffic on this road. The speed limit for motorized vehicles and bicycles on the trails which allow bicycling is 15 MPH or less.

Law Enforcement vehicles are on the look out for vehicles that do not respect the speed limit.

June 17, 2011: Friends board member honored with a River Steward Award

(Sudbury MA) Riverfest 2011 marked its tenth anniversary this year. The Friends are pleased that board member Neela de Zoysa was honored with a River Stewardship Award for all that she has done to promote Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge. The award represented the towns of Stow, Hudson, Maynard and Sudbury in which the Refuge is located.

RiverFest is a celebration of the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Rivers It brings together more than 40 organizations sponsoring events in eleven communities from Framingham to Lowell. Twenty-nine miles of the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Rivers have been federally designated as Wild and Scenic Rivers because of their “outstandingly remarkable resources including ecology, recreation, scenery, history and literature.”

Six years ago, the League of Woman Voters in partnership with the Wild and Scenic River Stewardship Council established the River Steward Awards. The Awards honors unspoken heroes within the river communities who are doing their part to promote, preserve and protect the Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Wild and Scenic Rivers today, and for future generations.

The Awards Ceremony held on June 10th, kicked off the Riverfest weekend. The ceremony was held at the Minute Man National Park and the awards presented by Lee Steppacher of the National Park Service, Betsy Sluder of the League of Women Voters of Concord and Susan Crane, Chair of the River Stewardship Council. This years honorees included Al Pierce of Acton, Andrew Colgan of Bedford, Dr. Peter Burn of Carlisle, Kris Scopinich of Lincoln, The Ponds and waterways Committee of Sudbury, Neela de Zoysa for Stow, Hudson, Maynard and Sudbury, the Trinitarian Congregational Church in Wayland and the Outstanding Award went to Sue Beede for her leadership in different capacities in the last 21 years.

Several members of the Friends of the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge have been recipients of River Steward Awards in the past. Last year's recipients were former board members Paul and Mary Ann Scheiner, and member Alan Bragg for his work at Great Meadows NWR. In previous years founding board members Karen and Ron Riggert, as well as Mike Meixell, Debbie Dineen and Grove Wadman were recognized for their extraordinary commitment. The US. Fish and Wildlife Service's staff have also received several awards - Libby Herland, the Complex Manager of the Eastern Massachusetts NWRs in 2009 and Peggy Hobbs and Susan Russo in 2010.

At the award ceremony this year, The Three River Chorus of Maynard gave a wonderful performance of choral works. The finale was an excerpt from President Obama's victory speech set to music which captured the spirit of the Riverfest.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves — if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.

This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can!.

May 26, 2011: Fifth year that Blanding's turtles have been released at Assabet River NWR

(Sudbury MA) This is the fifth year that Blanding's turtles have been released at Assabet River NWR in an effort to start a new population at this site. On May 26, 2011, conservation partners including Bristol County Agricultural High School, Oxbow Associates, Inc., the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, the Friends of Assabet River NWR, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service joined together to release 51 young Blanding's turtles in prime wetland habitat. This is the second year that the sophomore class at "Bristol Aggie" diligently cared for dozens of Blanding's turtle hatchlings for the entire school year. These "head-started" turtles are kept in a warm environment and fed a nutritious diet from the time they hatch in September, until the following spring. During this time, they grow to a much larger size than they would in the wild, giving them a survival advantage as their larger size makes them less susceptible to predation. The average hatchling weight is only 8 grams, but the average head-start this year was nearly 40 grams! For more information, see the full story at: USFWS Journal Entry.

Bristol Aggie students, led by teacher Brian Bastarache, raised dozens of Blanding's turtle hatchlings from September 2010 - May 2011. Photo Credit: Keith Shannon, USFWS

March 18, 2011: Local National Wildlife Refuge Biologist Receives National Science Leadership Award

(Sudbury MA) Stephanie L. Koch, lead wildlife biologist at the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex, this week was awarded the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s national Science Leadership Award.

Koch was recognized for her leadership in overseeing the scientific and biological program on eight national wildlife refuges in the greater Boston metropolitan area and on Cape Cod for the last decade. The award citation cites her “outstanding record of objectively evaluating scientific information and making recommendations that result in scientific-based solutions to fish and wildlife service issues.”

Koch’s area of expertise is the research and management of coastal waterbirds, however her work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has included waterfowl, Blanding’s turtles, New England cottontails and other animals and plants. The national wildlife refuges in eastern Massachusetts are inhabited by federally-listed threatened and endangered species and one of the largest colonies of common terns along the Atlantic seaboard.

According to Libby Herland, refuge manager, “We are thrilled that Stephanie's scientific achievements and leadership skills have been recognized at the national level. Her original research provides sound science for making complex refuge management decisions. We are so fortunate to have a scientist of Stephanie's caliber working for wildlife on behalf of the American people.”

More of this story ...

March 15, 2011: Appreciation of Hank Norwood

(Sudbury MA) The Friends announce with sadness the death of our board member Hank Norwood on March 1st after a brief illness. Hank was active in the movement to set aside the land for the Assabet River NWR in the late 90's and rejoined the board in 2009. He helped with strategic planning and shaping policy and outreach programs.

Hank's tenure on the board was marked by his remarkable clarity of vision and an uncanny ability to get to the essence of things. His enthusiasm was infectious and he was meticulous in gathering evidence and hard numbers to support any proposal he made. He gave his best and challenged others to give their best as well. Board members will remember his thoughtfulness and graciousness in all his dealings.

He greatly valued the role that the US Fish and Wildlife Service played in protecting large wilderness areas in the vicinity and he felt strongly about the Friends' role as well as other non-profits in the area whose duty was to serve our local communities and to bring these resources to the attention of the larger public. He saw "Citizen Science" as a way to support the institutions managing the land and keeping the public involved in a constructive manner. He himself paved the way with half a century of the Concord Christmas Bird Count and the Nighthawk Watch which he did so effectively. His commitment to nurturing young people was uppermost on his list of priorities and he had great hopes for the new visitor center and its role in offering excellent Environmental Education and getting the local public schools and communities involved.

We were fortunate to have the benefit of his vision in the short period and we will miss him very much. Our presentation on Refuge Plants for Refuge Wildlife by Frances Clark on Sunday, March 13 was dedicated to Hank and we took a moment to remember him with affection and respect.

A memorial service will be held at the Wayland First Parish Church, 11 AM Saturday, March 26th. In lieu of flowers, gifts in his memory may be made to Sudbury Valley Trustees, Parmenter Community Health or Williams College. For more information, please contact the John C. Bryant Funeral Home of Wayland.

February 25, 2011: Vision plan for the Refuge System made available for public comment

(Washington DC) U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a draft vision plan to guide the growth and management of the National Wildlife Refuge System over the next ten years.

Conserving the Future: Wildlife Refuges and the Next Generation sets forth nearly 100 draft recommendations to protect and improve the U.S. system of public lands and water set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants.

The public is strongly encouraged to comment on the document. To read it and comment on it, see: americaswildlife.org.

February 25, 2011: Reminder to use the Tax Check off for MassWildlife

(Sudbury MA) Please consider giving to MassWildlife's Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Fund or the Wildlands Fund through a check off on your Massachusetts state income tax forms. Your dollars are critically needed to support these programs.

The Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP) is responsible for the conservation and protection of Massachusetts' biodiversity. There are approximately 176 species of vertebrate and invertebrate animals and 259 species of native plants and their habitats that are officially listed as Endangered, Threatened or of Special Concern under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. For all but one year since 2004, the Natural Heritage Program has been absent from the state's operating budget. Since then, the Program has been funded by project-specific bond monies, fees, federal grants, and voluntary contributions.

A major source of funding for the protection of rare and endangered species in Massachusetts comes from voluntary donations on state income tax forms. All contributions go to the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Fund, which currently is the source for a significant portion of the annual operating budget of the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. Over 20,000 tax filers support the program each year. If you have made a contribution in this manner, thank you for supporting the Program and its conservation efforts!

For more info see Wildlands Fund and the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Fund.

December 1, 2010: New Visitor's Center at the Assabet River NWR Opens

(Sudbury MA) On Sunday, October 17, about 1,200 people attended the day long activities and the formal ceremony marking the grand opening of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s new Visitor Center at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge. The beautiful fall weather certainly helped and by mid-day a long line of cars were parked all the way down to Hudson Road. The Refuge staff and the Friends were thrilled to have such a large turnout.

The Visitor Center located at 680 Hudson Road, Sudbury serves the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex - Great Meadows, Assabet River and Oxbow NWRs west and northwest of Boston, , Massasoit NWR in Plymouth, Monomoy NWR and Mashpee NWR on Cape Cod and Nantucket NWR and Nomans Land Island NWR in Nantucket Sound.

The building is completely energy efficient with many green features including geothermal energy for heating and cooling and solar panels for electricity. The exhibits are beautifully designed with many interactive features to keep children and adults engaged and well informed. The center also has a Nature Store with field guides and other nature related items.

Susan Russo, the Visitor Services Manager, for the US Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the formal ceremony which was attended by about 200 people. The line up of speakers was impressive and included the US Fish and Wildlife Service personnel from Washington D.C., the NE Regional office in Hadley, MA, Congressional and State representatives, town officials, Native American representatives, local and national non-profits and residents of the area.

Libby Herland, the Project Manager of the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex in her welcome remarks said “this Visitor Center is for now and the future, to be relevant to a changing America. We want this center to promote Environmental Education and help the public connect with nature and the outdoors and understand what we at the Fish and Wildlife Service do”.

More of this story ...

October 17, 2010: Saving Rare Species, One Baby Turtle at a Time: Curtis Middle School Students Receive Congressional Recognition

(Sudbury MA) Curtis Middle School Students in Sudbury and their Seventh grade Science teacher Michal Mueller received a Congressional Recognition from Niki Tsongas on River Day September 12 for their involvement with saving the rare Blanding’s Turtle.

[You can read the full version of this article (with video) at the Sudbury Town Crier].

The certificate read “in recognition of your strong commitment to the environment of the 5th Congressional District. Thank you for caring for Blanding’s Turtle hatchlings.”

The Annual River Day is an event hosted by Congresswoman Niki Tsongas to celebrate the waterways that connect the Fifth Congressional District. The awards were the highlight of the Congresswoman’s visit to the new US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Visitor Center at the Assabet River NWR which opened on October 17.

The Blanding’s Turtle is listed as a rare species in Massachusetts as well as in 14 other states and three Canadian provinces. The species does not reproduce until they are about 15 years old, and they lay eggs in upland habitat and therefore need to move between upland and wetland habitat. The lack of understanding of these factors and the fragmented habitat are real problem to overcome. The Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge located in Sudbury, Maynard, Stow and Hudson is a location where the turtles are being reintroduced by researchers.

Samm Katcher one of the students said in her presentation “the adult populations of the turtles can lay eggs until they are 70 years old and are doing well. The eggs they are laying are not. These eggs are often eaten even before they hatch and ones that do hatch often die on their way to water eaten by predators. Their shells are not quite hardened yet which makes them easy meal for birds, snakes and even chipmunks.”

The conservation efforts include protecting nests and “head-starting” turtles raised in captivity for their first year. The “head-started” hatchlings are less vulnerable to predation and more likely to survive their second year of life in the wild. Bryan Windmiller, a private researcher based in Concord, MA, who has taken the initiative with school participation, is a firm believer that projects such as raising the hatchlings empowers students to contribute to larger environmental challenges rather than feel helpless. Stephanie Koch, Refuge Biologist of the Fish and Wildlife Services who manages the Blanding’s conservation effort said releasing “head-starts” in to the wild and creating habitat conducive for nesting will need to be done for at least 10 to get a viable population going.  More of this story ...

September 12, 2010: Friends receive a Congressional Recognition from Congresswoman Niki Tsongas

(Sudbury MA) The Friends received a Certificate of Special Recognition from Congresswoman Niki Tsongas at the Fourth Annual River Day on Sunday, September 12th in celebration of the rivers that connect the Fifth Congressional District.

The Fifth District encompasses a large network of tributaries of Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Rivers that ultimately flow into the Merrimack River in Lowell. The rivers in this area have sustained it since early settlement and supported the industrial revolution and inexorably linked to its history, culture and economy.

As part of the River Day activities the Congresswoman Tsongas stopped at the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s new Visitor Center for Easter Massachusetts located at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, in Sudbury, MA.

The Friends’ certificate was “in recognition of many years of environmental stewardship and volunteerism you have offered the fifth congressional district”. The Congresswoman said the Friends’ leadership role in supporting the refuge and the mission of the Fish and Wildlife Service was largely responsible in the decision to locate the Visitor Center at the Assabet River NWR.

Betsy Griffin, President of the Friends accepted the certificate on behalf of the Friends. She commented later that many volunteers and board members had worked hard to accomplish the work. In particular, the founding president Barbara Volkle’s leadership was exceptional.

American Recovery and Reinvestment funds of nearly one million dollars were used to complete the Visitor Center. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is thrilled that the center sets a national example of green technology and it is the only Visitor Center of its kind in the northeast. The Congresswoman played an important role in securing these funds for the purpose. The new building will be formally opened in a ceremony on Sunday, October, 17.

The Congresswoman was taken on a tour of the new building by Libby Herland, Complex Manager for the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Eastern Massachusetts NWR eight refuges that the center will serve. The Congresswoman also provided commendations for several other groups including a students of Curtis Middle School in Sudbury who are involved with conservation of rare species

August 25, 2010: Visitor Center Open House a Hit!

(Sudbury MA) The US Fish and Wildlife Service hosted the long awaited "Open House" of its brand new Visitor Center at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge on Sunday, August 22, 2010. The event drew about 150 people - this included many members of the Friends who were pleased to see the completed facility and many curious neighbors and residents of the surrounding towns. The construction of this new facility began in April 2008 and everyone was pleased to see the attractive new building with it's environmentally friendly features and the superb exhibits. There were many questions about the information presented in the exhibits about the eight refuges featured by the Visitor Center that form the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex - Great Meadows and Assabet River, Oxbow in Harvard, Monomoy and Mashpee on Cape Cod, Massasoit in Plymouth, and Nantucket and Nomans Land Island in Nantucket Sound. The Service will continue to maintain it's current Offices at Weir Hill, Sudbury at Great Meadows as their administrative office and most public programs will be moved to the new facility after the October 17, Grand Opening.

Susan Russo, the Fish and Wildlife Service's Visitor Services Manager has been working for over two years coordinating a myriad details to make this opening a reality. For the Friends of the Refuge this was a truly exciting day. Assabet River NWR, the newest of the eight refuges was a former US Army property acquired by the Fish and Wildlife Service in 2000 and opened to the public in 2005, with the help of volunteers from the Friends. To see the crowded parking lot and the large number of visitors was a great satisfaction to many early volunteers who saw potential in this land as a wildlife refuge. The Friends will have an office space in the building and were pleased to open doors to their new Nature Store. The Nature Store carried educational material such as field guides of plants and animals and other items pertinent to the local area. Joy Viola and Arlene Witty who were at the counter commented that the the sales were brisk and that there were many suggestions for new items that visitors would like to purchase. The Refuge Staff and Friends are looking for volunteers to man the store and the front desk and will be providing the necessary training.

Many visitors stopped by at the information booths of the two Friends groups from Assabet River and Oxbow Refuges. Karen Riggert of the Friends of the Assabet River Refuge who manned the Friends information booth said there were many first time visitors who had a variety of questions about the Refuge. Jan Wright conducted the tours to the World War II bunker nearby and was kept busy with many requests. The bunker is one of 50 that were constructed in 1943 for storage of ammunition.

George Stubbs of Sudbury was impressed with the high quality of the building and with the environmentally friendly features of the building. He and his wife Nancy and son Jared live in the neighborhood of the Hop Brook Marsh and was familiar with the South Side of the Refuge but had never visited the main part north of Hudson Rd. They toured the bunker and George said he was surprised by the World War II history right here in town. He hoped that the Public Schools would make good use of the facility and the history which is part of the Refuge.

Lisa Cornaccia had been in the Refuge a few times and seen the Visitor Center under construction. She attended the Open House with her two teenage sons who attend LS High School and her daughter who attends the Sudbury Middle School. She thought it was a amazing opportunity for young people and the public in the area to learn about the native wildlife and nature and was also impressed by the high quality of the exhibits. She and her children were interested in opportunities to volunteer at the Refuge. Susan Russo mentioned that children as young as 10 years will find it rewarding to help out at the Refuge and the Visitor Center.

There are several events building up to the Grand Opening of the Center on Sunday, October 17. On Sunday, September 12, Congresswoman Niki Tsongas will make a visit to the Visitor Center part of her River Day activities; on Sunday September 26, there will be a tour of the Center as part of the Annual Bus Tour featuring of Refuge History. The Opening day will have a diverse activities and a mid day ceremony with dignitaries and a special focus on youth presenters. Libby Herland, the Head of the US Fish and Wildlife Office here at Weir Hill in Great Meadows NWR, Sudbury MA intends to make the Visitor Center a popular local desitination for families in the area and visitors from afar. She plans to house a top-notch Environmental Education Program and high quality interpretive activities for public and private school, home schoolers and for the general public.

For more on the opening, see the article in the Sudbury Town Crier.

July 7, 2010: Visitor Center at Assabet River NWR opens its doors this fall!

(Sudbury MA) Good news for those who have been waiting for the opening of the brand new Visitor Center at the Assabet River NWR. The US Fish and Wildlife Service will open the doors to this state of the art facility on Sunday, October 17. They will host an Open House on Sunday, August 22 and several tours of the facility over the summer.

The center will serve the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex, consisting of eight National Wildlife Refuges - Great Meadows, Assabet River and Oxbow outside of Boston to Monomoy and Mashpee on Cape Cod, Massasoit in Plymouth, and Nantucket and Nomans Land Island in Nantucket Sound.

In addition to the interpretive and interactive exhibits covering all eight refuges, the new center will include a large room for educational programs and community meetings, a Nature Store operated by the Friends and office space for refuge staff. The building has many "green" attributes - such as energy efficient geothermal energy for heating and cooling, equipped with solar panels for electricity and uses recycled materials within the building for insulation. The paving outside the building is porous allowing rain water absorption. The Fish and Wildlife Service hopes to promote the Visitor Center as a premiere environmental education resource in the area.

Friends are pleased that the Visitor Center will give much needed publicity to Assabet River NWR, the newest of the eight refuges. This was a former US Army property acquired by the Fish and Wildlife Service in 2000 and opened to the public in 2005, with the help of volunteers from the Friends. This area has been out-of-bounds for over 60 years and the Visitor Center and will mark a new phase in welcoming the public back to the area.

Sunday, August 22nd, 10am - 4pm - "Open House"

This open house will provide the public the opportunity to see the new Visitor Center along with its newly installed environmental education exhibits. The Friends of Assabet River and Oxbow will provide light refreshments and have the bookstore open. We will be offering public programs at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. These will likely include a bird walk, a historical tour including a visit to Bunker 303 and a children's activity.

Sunday, October 17th, 10 AM - 6 PM: GRAND OPENING!!

This day will include a number of interpretive programs from sunrise bird walks and bike ride to children's activities (such as scavenger hunts, wildlife contest, etc) and crafts. We plan to have a formal speaker procession at 1pm to include National dignitaries, Native Americans, Arthur Carbary (former resident) and a youth keynote speaker.

June 26, 2010: Friends cosponsor art exhibit and reception with the SVT for the second time

(Sudbury MA) The Sudbury Valley Trustees and the Friends of the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge cosponsored an art exhibit at SVT’s Wolbach Farm from June 26th – 30th. The watercolor paintings were on displayed at the farm's magnificent barn overlooking the Great Meadows NWR. This was the second collaborative art exhibition and was entitled "Season of Wonder and Renewal: Celebrating Spring through Nature Inspired Watercolors" and featured nearly 70 paintings by 25 artists from the Metrowest area. The previous exhibition held in late November was a big success.

This time too, the opening reception on Saturday, June 26 drew over a 100 artists and guests. Eighteen of the featured artists participated in the FARNWR sponsored art workshops at Weir Hill, Great Meadows NWR this spring under the instruction of Cecilia Sharma of Sudbury. The local artists range from beginners to professional artists or long time amateur watercolorists who enjoy the peace and quite and the wonderful setting at Weir Hill. The watercolors on display had spring scenes and wildlife observed by the artists and reproduced from photographs by well know local photographers and naturalists Dave Griffin, Marjike Holtrop and Jill Kern among others.

Nearly 50 participants have enjoyed the 6 week art programs in the past two years. They come from towns in the immediate vicinity such as Sudbury, Maynard, Hudson, Marlborough, Stow, Wayland and Concord to further a field to Framingham, Bedford, Littleton and Weston. Most of them have visited a National Wildlife Refuge for the first time and become familiar with the important work of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. At the opening reception, Betsy Griffin, President of Friends commented on the collaboration with Sudbury Valley Trustees as a great local partnership and informed the gathering along with Michael Sanders, Director of Membership for SVT about the important work done by Friends, FWS, SVT to protect open spaces to preserve the health of the environment in our towns. Cecilia Sharma congratulated all the artists for the wonderful work and the spirit of collaboration in which they have come together to paint, learn about nature and to build a community of friends.

The art program will continue to be offered by Cecilia Sharma under the sponsorship of FWS and Friends at the new Visitor Center at the Assabet River NWR on Hudson Road. This state of the art facility will be formally opened on Sunday, October 17 and will be open for a preview at an Open House on Sunday, August 22. The center will serve the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex, consisting of eight National Wildlife Refuges - Great Meadows, Assabet River and Oxbow outside of Boston to Monomoy and Mashpee on Cape Cod, Massasoit in Plymouth, and Nantucket and Nomans Land Island in Nantucket Sound.

   

Images courtesy of David Griffin.

June 25, 2010: The new 2010 - 2011 Duck Stamp went on Sale Friday, June 25

(Washington DC) The new 2010 - 2011 Duck Stamp went on sale Friday, June 25.

Those who have purchased stamps over the decades have contributed over $700 million and protected more than 3.5 million acres of habitat for wildlife and future generations of Americans. Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, commonly known as “Duck Stamps”, are pictorial stamps produced by the U.S. Postal Service for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Since 1934, a huge proportion of the funds used to acquire critical habitats in the National Wildlife Refuge System were provided through sales of these stamps.

The Stamp today costs only $15 and is easy to purchase at any Post Office or Refuge office. Even better, it is extremely cost-effective: fully 98 cents out of every dollar goes directly to acquire land for the Refuge System.

There are over 540 individual units within the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System. Each refuge is managed as a protected haven for birds and other wildlife. Since 1934, a huge proportion of the funds used to acquire these critical habitats were provided through sales of what is today known as Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps – commonly called “Duck Stamps.” Americans who enjoy wildlife and natural landscapes can thank those who have purchased stamps over the decades for this legacy of habitat conservation for wildlife and future generations of Americans. As we move into a time where adaptation to climate change requires flexibility and planning, contributing to this fund increases the capacity of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to acquire and protect sensitive wetlands and grasslands.

Stamps have traditionally been purchased by waterfowl hunters and other recreational users of the refuge system. Additionally, funds derived from Stamp sales go far beyond serving the hunting community. For those who visit refuges, a stamp is a “free pass” for an entire year – for a vehicle full of people at all refuges that might charge for admission.

For more information on Duck Stamps, see Duck Stamps.

May 28, 2010: Students Give the Blanding's Turtle a Second Chance

(Sudbury MA) On the morning of May 21, 2010, 17 students, several teachers and parents from the Bristol County Agricultural High School celebrated the release of 47 State-threatened Blanding’s turtle hatchlings at Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge (refuge). The students have been raising (headstarting) these hatchlings over the winter as part of a larger project aimed towards establishing a population of Blanding’s turtles at this new site. Hatchlings collected from other nesting sites are raised in captivity over the winter and released the following spring at a much larger size than they would have attained if overwintering in the wild. In addition to their contribution to this project, the students have been true stewards of nature. The students’ efforts have increased the number of turtles that now have radio transmitters (which allow staff to track the turtle’s location post-release) and as Kurt Buhlmann of the Savannah River Ecology Lab – University of Georgia stated, ”(the students) are on the cutting edge of conservation research.“ As an added component to the release, a research associate from Assam, India was on-site to observe the release and hear about the student’s project. Through the efforts and support of the Bristol County Agricultural High School, Savannah River Ecology Lab of the University of Georgia, Oxbow Associates Inc., and Exo Terra, turtle conservation and awareness is growing each day. To learn more, please visit Bristol County Agricultural High School, Oxbow Associates, Kurt Buhlmann, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Exo-Terra and Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex.

The Friends provide funding and volunteer hours for the current Blanding's Turtle research effort by the Fish and Wildlife Service led by Stephanie Koch, Refuge Biologist. The Friends also provide public outreach by arranging speakers like Bryan Windmiller, our June presenter, who works on Blanding's conservation.

February 21, 2010: Member's Display at the Tower Hill Botanic Garden

(Boylston MA) Patricia Seline, a FARNWR member from Stow, submitted a display to the Tower Hill Botanic Garden's 8th annual “Flora in Winter” extravaganza in February at the Worcester Art Museum with the 2010 theme: "Earth’s Gifts". Pat's miniature nature-scape was one of many stunning floral interpretations of natural wonders of the earth created by more than 20 talented floral designers. The display was accompanied by the following explanation:

While recently viewing an excellent presentation entitled “The Meaning of Wilderness” given by local conservationist, Doug Seale, I was immediately inspired by a beautiful quote of Liberty Hyde Bailey’s that Doug shared with his audience. (Editor's note: Doug's talk at the Friends October meeting can be found here.)Thus, for my Flora in Winter exhibit, I chose to display Bailey’s inspiring words along with a replica of John Blaeu’;s Atlas Maior, c 1665 and I have created a small woodland vignette as a reminder of one of our natural “backgrounds”, one of Earth’s gifts!

The Libery H. Bailey quote which inspired her reads as follows:

The backgrounds are the great unoccupied spaces. They are the large environments in which we live but which we do not make. The backgrounds are

The sky with its limitless reaches;
the silence of the sea;
the Tundra in pallid arctic nights;
the desert with their prismatic colors;
the shores that gird the planet;
the vast mountains that are beyond reach;
the winds which are the universal voice of nature;
the sacredness of the night;
the elemental simplicity of the open fields
and the solitude of the forest

These are the facts and situations that stand at our backs to which we adjust our civilization and by which we measure ourselves.

Pat said “It was fun to do, a lot of work, but a joy none-the-less and it's always wonderful to ponder and enjoy the backgrounds of our planet!”

February 12, 2010: Citizen Science: Local Students raising Blanding’s turtle hatchlings for relocation to ARNWR

(Sudbury MA) Students from Bristol County Agricultural School who are engaged in conservation science, are raising Blanding’s turtle hatchlings for relocation to Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in Massachusetts. One student said, “This is worthwhile not just because of a grade. We’re actually helping this species.”

For the full story see the January/February 2010 issue of Refuge Update (story starts on page 10).

February 10, 2010: Barbara Volkle steps down as FARNWR's president, Friends
Have a New President

(Sudbury MA) After a decade of dedicated service, Barbara Volkle has stepped down from the presidency and the board of FARNWR.

Barbara is a charter member and was President since the inception of Friends in 2000. She was one of a group who attended the public hearings in advance of the Army turning the property over to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who decided to start the Friends in 1999. Over the last decade she has indefatigably built the Friends in to a locally well-known organization and one of the most successful Friends groups in the country. She has also made a major contribution to the advocacy efforts for the National Wildlife Refuge system because of her appreciation of the importance of conserving wilderness areas at the national level.

The Friends owe her a great debt for her service and will build on the solid foundation she leaves behind. We wish her well in her future endeavors.

The incoming president is Betsy Griffin. Betsy will continue to work with the Board and the Fish and Wildlife Service to seek opportunities for greater public involvement and collaboration among all groups interested in the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge.

February 10, 2010: Update: Friends Awarded Grant by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to Begin Nature Store at the New Visitor Center at Assabet River NWR

(Sudbury MA) In August 2009, the Friends were awarded a $ 5000 grant by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Washington D.C. to set up and operate a Nature Store at the new Visitor Center at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge. The Visitor Center is due to open in the spring of 2010 and will represent the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex refuges. Revenue from the store will help support the Friend's successful outreach programs as well as the Fish and Wildlife Service's projects at Assabet River and the other refuges.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is a non-profit organization that preserves and restores our nation's native wildlife species and habitats. Created by Congress in 1984, NFWF directs public conservation dollars to the most pressing environmental needs and matches those investments with private funds. The funds awarded will need to be matched by additional funds from the Friends. You can get involved with this opportunity in two ways: first, by becoming a member or donating to the Friends and second, by becoming a volunteer at the Nature Store or the Visitor Center. Please contact Betsy Griffin (davebets@mac.com) if you are interested in joining our volunteer team.

The Visitor Center and the Nature Store will be a big step forward in bringing the refuges of the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex to the public's attention. There are eight refuges that make up the Complex. They stretch from Great Meadows, Assabet River and Oxbow outside of Boston to Monomoy, Massasoit, Mashpee, Nantucket and Nomans Land Island on Cape Cod. In particular, it will give much needed publicity to Assabet River NWR, the newest of the eight refuges. This was a former US Army property acquired by the Fish and Wildlife Service in 2000 and opened to the public in 2005, with the help of volunteers from the Friends. This area has been out-of-bounds for over 60 years and the Visitor Center and the Nature Store will mark a new phase in welcoming the public back to the area.

The Nature Store will complement and support the mission of the Visitor Center; to serve as an environmental education resource, house permanent exhibits, and provide needed classroom and meeting space. The educational material available in the store, such as field guides of plants and animals and other items pertinent to the local area, will increase the visitor's appreciation of the refuge. Trained volunteers operating the Nature Store, in addition to refuge staff, will provide an important personal interaction for visitors. Materials available for purchase will complement and support the exhibits and educational programs at the Visitor Center.

The Nature Store will provide an opportunity for our members to become more aware of and informed about our refuges. The Store and the Visitor Center will provide opportunities to educate the public, especially young people, about the need for preserving habitat areas for wildlife. The Friends hope that this new endeavor will encourage more volunteers to become involved with the important work of the National Wildlife Refuge System and attract new members to our organization.

January 15, 2010: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding for Assabet River NWR

(Sudbury MA) In 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will open the doors to a new energy-efficient Visitor Center at Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in Sudbury, Massachusetts. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding will support the fabrication and installation of exhibits and the installation of solar panels to provide electricity to the new center. Visit the Recovery Act website for more information and a video tour of the new Visitor Center at Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge.

November 23, 2009: Friends cosponsor art exhibit and reception with the SVT

(Sudbury MA) The Sudbury Valley Trustees and the Friends of the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge cosponsored an art exhibit at SVT’s Wolbach Farm from November 8th – 13th. The exhibit was entitled Discovering Echoes of a Place: Studies in Landscape and Still Life Painting and featured nearly 60 paintings by 26 artists from the Metrowest area. The nature inspired watercolor paintings were on display at the barn at Wolbach Farm. About 18 of the artists participated in the FARNWR sponsored art workshops at Weir Hill, Great Meadows NWR under the instruction of Cecilia Sharma of Sudbury. Others had taken similar classes with Cecelia at SVT, Wayland Arts Center and in Wellesley.

The artists reception on Sunday November 8th, attracted over a 100 guests. With the beautiful fall weather, the picturesque Wolbach property and the barn and good food provided by the artists, the reception was a very enjoyable event.

   

Images courtesy of Michael Sanders, Sudbury Valley Trustees.

November 19, 2009: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar Urges Americans to Connect with Nature and Visit a National Wildlife Refuge

(Washington DC) Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has announced the launch of an extensive public service radio campaign urging Americans to connect with nature and visit a National Wildlife Refuge. “Americans can take pride in the tremendous beauty and diversity of refuge lands dedicated to the protection of wildlife habitat,” Salazar said. “By visiting these places and encouraging their children to forge a connection with nature, they can help ensure vital wildlife conservation efforts will continue for generations to come.”

The public service radio campaign consists of eight professionally recorded 60-second spots extolling the sights and sounds of refuges and their efforts to preserve some of these species. Over 3,500 radio stations will receive the first four of these educational messages in November; the second set of four will be distributed in April.

“This is another National Wildlife Refuge minute,” begins each segment, which encourages visitors to see a national wildlife refuge that undertakes much the same kind of resource management that are given as examples in the four recorded spots. The four spots to be distributed in the spring convey how four of the senses – sight, hearing, touch and smell – are ignited when visiting refuges “where nature still exists as it was meant to be experienced.”

Listen to the radio campaign here: RefugesOnTheRadio.

April 29, 2009: The Friends of Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge mark a new milestone with signing of a Partnership Agreement with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(Sudbury, MA) The Friends of Assabet River NWR signed a formal Partnership Agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) on April 29, 2009 at Weir Hill Road, Sudbury at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Headquarters. The event marked an important milestone by formalizing the nearly decade long relationship between the two groups. The agreement was signed by Libby Herland, Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Project Leader, and Barbara Volkle, President of the Friends of Assabet River NWR. The agreement will afford the Friends additional opportunities such as occupying office space and operating a book/gift shop. The Visitor Center (due to open in Spring 2010) will provide information on all eight refuges of the Eastern Massachusetts Refuge Complex (Great Meadows, Assabet River, Oxbow, Monomoy, Massasoit, Mashpee, Nantucket and Nomans Land Island). It will serve as an Environment Education Center which will house exhibits and classroom space. The signing of the Partnership Agreement along with the new Visitor Center ushers in a new phase of public use and outreach for both the Service and the Friends. Please consider joining our membership as we embark on this exciting course. Photos courtesy of Dave Griffin.

February 26, 2009: Friends Trail Naming Contest a Success — Refuge Trails now have names!

(Sudbury MA) The Friends of the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge congratulate the winners of our recent Trail Naming Contest. We thank all of the people who entered the contest and we are very grateful to all of the companies and individuals who donated prizes for our contest.

The Friends of the Assabet NWR sponsored the Trail Naming Contest for the Assabet River NWR between June 1st and November 1st. Many of the trails in the refuge, which have their origin in the recent Military ownership of the property, were simply named X, Y Z etc. The land was transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service in 2000, and the refuge was opened to the public a few years later. As an ongoing improvement of the refuge, the trails needed more “user friendly” names.  More of this story ...

September 23, 2008: 91 Acres Added to Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge

(Sudbury, MA) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has purchased more than 91 acres of land along the Assabet River in Stow, Massachusetts, according to Libby Herland, manager of the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The land, purchased from the Sudbury Valley Trustees, will be managed as part of the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge.

The lands acquired border the Assabet River and include 13 marsh and swamp parcels from White Pond Road to Gleasondale. Some of the parcels front Track Road (which is part of the Assabet River Rail Trail) in Stow; others are accessible only from the river, according to Herland.

For the full press release including information on the involvement of the Sudbury Valley Trustees and the use of Federal Duck Stamp Dollars.