Each year, in lieu of hunting them for sport, thousands of Americans pursue birds with binoculars to identify and count them in support of the Christmas Bird Count or CBC, overseen by the National Audubon Society and now in its 116th year. A CBC count circle is 15 miles in diameter; the Plymouth circle, which I participated in, stretches from the […]
Lovely Day for Birding on Long Beach
December 14, 2015 By
What a day for birding on Long Beach! The temperature was close to 60 degrees and the sky overcast, providing excellent viewing conditions. We could clearly see the markings on these White-winged Scoters and other birds. (Photo above by Debbie Plume.) Our leader, Soheil Zendeh, pointed out colorful sea ducks, stately Great Blue Herons, a soaring Northern […]
Long Beach Birding Trip Report, Nov. 16
November 20, 2015 By
We enjoyed a warm day for our birding trip on November 16 and had many great sightings. A highlight for many was seeing an immature peregrine falcon stoop on a flock of Dunlin. It was unsuccessful in securing a meal. Long-tailed ducks entertained us with delicious views, as did Snow Buntings. Several other species of […]
List of Nature, Environment and Conservation Books (Updated 1/18/16)
November 12, 2015 By
Thanks to all of you who recommended books for the Nature, Environment and Conservation Book Club. I have compiled them here (unvetted) and we will choose from these books and others for the Nature, Environment, and Conservation Book Club which started in January. Meetings are held on the second Monday of every month from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 […]
Marine Debris Identified, Counted and Removed During COASTSWEEP
October 27, 2015 By
What’s in the waters of Cape Cod and Plymouth Bays? We found out on October 25. Less than a mile from Plymouth Rock, thirty-four volunteers joined me on Long Beach to participate in COASTSWEEP, a Massachusetts-wide effort to identify, count and remove marine debris, which can be harmful – even deadly – to humans and wildlife, reduce […]
Beach Ambassadors Celebrate a Successful Summer
October 21, 2015 By
Our dedicated team of volunteers – the Beach Ambassadors – recently celebrated the end of the summer season. And, there was much to celebrate! Sixteen volunteers contributed 875 hours this summer, reaching over 2,000 people with coastal education, nature discovery and outdoor fun. We ran an osprey viewing station at Nelson Park on 19 days, introducing people to the […]
The Best New England Clam Chowder Recipe!
September 23, 2015 By
Goldenrod Foundation led two Learn to Clam workshops this summer to teach Plymouth residents how to find, dig, shuck and cook the giant Surf Clam. One of our participants, Love Albrecht Howard, perfected a clam chowder recipe and was kind enough to share it with the world. Enjoy! Love’s New England Clam Chowder YIELD: Serves […]
Volunteers Invited to Join in COASTSWEEP on Long Beach on Oct. 25
September 16, 2015 By
Since 1987, volunteers throughout Massachusetts have turned out for the annual COASTSWEEP cleanup organized by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). Each September and October, thousands of volunteers collect tons of trash from beaches, marshes, riverbanks and the seafloor. And, since 2010, volunteers have been cleaning up their favorite parks, beaches, trails and […]
World Shorebirds Day Field Trip Results
September 7, 2015 By
On World Shorebirds Day – September 6 – hundreds of ardent birders across the globe identified and counted their local shorebirds. In Plymouth, Massachusetts, Soheil Zendeh and Dorie Stolley led a trip for Goldenrod Foundation on Long Beach with 13 participants including Lisa Schibley of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN). (Photo above by […]
Check out the Long-legged Waders
August 10, 2015 By
By Dr. James G. Dickson Our guest blogger has had a long and illustrious career studying wildlife and ecology. He spent several decades with the U.S. Forest Service as a research wildlife biologist and fifteen years as a professor at Louisiana Tech University. His accomplishments, awards and publications are numerous. Dr. Dickson is especially well known […]
