Another month – another EwA Fells walk! Each forest exploration walk brings its load of wonders and this April’s walk wasn’t any different. April is an exciting month: vernal pools have thawed and are welcoming frogs and salamanders to breed, and the forest floor exhibits the colors of its first bloomers. Anticipation builds up, and […]
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Tag: Middlesex Fells Reservation
EwA Dog Poo Data Campaign
The Fells’ Dog Poo Data Campaign Call for Field Volunteers You must have noticed poop in bags (and not in bags) in the Middlesex Fells, right? This is not just a smelly issue or an esthetic problem. Dog waste is an environmental pollutant that contaminates water supplies and is hazardous to both wildlife and humans. […]
Keeping the Fells Whole
Documenting habitat fragmentation in a mixed-use urban forest Publication: January 29th, 2022 Note the scroll on the right-hand side below to get through the whole report. You can also read it in its original StoryMap format > here. Sharing is Caring Spread the Word! ✒️ What you think is important to us. Feel free to […]
Forest Explorations — May in the Fells
The forest floor was dominated by swaths of Canada Mayflower during this month’s Forest Exploration – a sure sign of spring. This low-growing understory perennial has yet to flower at the Fells, but others including Bloodroot, Wood anemone, and (somewhat regrettably) the highly invasive Garlic mustard are now in bloom. As it is currently a […]
Forest Explorations — March in the Fells
For many New Englanders, the beginning of springtime comes as a welcome relief. This past winter has been especially challenging and, to me at least, the beginning of spring this year feels even more needed than usual. During this March’s Forest Exploration, we enjoyed spring’s early risers; green and purple Round-Lobed Hepatica (Hepatica americana) leaves […]
2021 City Nature Challenge
Ready for the 2021 City Nature Celebration? We Surely Are! Between April 30th and May 3rd, hundreds of cities worldwide will be celebrating Nature and gather observations of species found in our area with the help of all who want to participate in the worldwide 2021 City Nature Challenge (CNC). Such events are known as […]
Forest Explorations — February in the Fe
Heavy snowfall might at first seem like an inconvenience, or even threat, to wildlife. In actuality, snow accumulation is essential to the winter survival of many species. This February’s Forest Exploration shed light on the many benefits of the snowpack (layered snow buildup) from temperature regulation to protection from predators. In addition to exploring life […]
Forest Explorations — January in the Fel
In addition to the usual emphasis on ecology, this January’s Forest Exploration introduced an additional focus: geology. Alongside Claire O’Neill, EwA naturalist Tom Eid shared his knowledge of geology and natural history. As some of you may know, the word “fell” itself is a reference to the reservation’s geology; a fell is a high, rocky, […]
Forest Explorations — December in the Fe
Winter is for me a moment in time when I naturally delve into forest details that escaped my attention all the other seasons. This time, I had planned to spend more time looking for birds, but as often is the case, I got distracted by something else that popped along the path: arthropod signs, mammal […]
Forest Explorations — November in the Fe
After an unusually dry summer, it was a relief to see a wealth of fungi during this November’s Forest Exploration walk. Last month, conditions were too parched to support much fungi life, but this Saturday we spotted an abundance of them including Amber Jelly fungus, Brown-toothed Crust Fungus, as well as minuscule ones hidden in […]