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MassWildlife
News Release
All Media Inquiries: (617) 626-1119
MassWildlife News is published 1-2 times/month. If you are interested in receiving the MW News electronically, send an e-mail to the following address: Join-MassWildlife.news@listserv.state.ma.us
November 2007
November 16, 2007
- HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS
- EXOTIC PETS ILLEGAL IN MASSACHUSETTS
- AVOID INVASIVE PLANTS FOR HOLIDAY DECORATING
- WILDLIFE AGENCY ASSOCIATION HONORS COWLS LAND AND LUMBER
- SNAKE CONFERENCE AT UMASS, AMHERST
- KEEP MASSACHUSETTS DEER AND MOOSE CWD FREE!
- UPCOMING MEETINGS
- NEWS & NOTES: Brooding Over Turkeys, Laughing Gull, Skimmers and Terns, Oh My!, Junior Duck Stamp Art Exhibit, Christmas Bird Counts, 2007 Deer Harvest By Paraplegic Hunters
HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS
Looking for a wildlife-related gift for the outdoors or wildlife enthusiast on your holiday list? The following experiences and items are available for both youth and adults. A two year subscription to Massachusetts Wildlife magazine ($10) delivers eight full color issues of the Commonwealth's best wildlife publication. For the budding conservationist try a copy of the recently revised "Critters of Massachusetts" book ($5). "Critters" is a perfect gift for the curious youngster or the beginning adult naturalist with an interest in backyard wildlife and beyond. For the more advanced naturalist, "Field Guide to Dragonflies and Damselflies" ($20) or "A Field Guide to the Animals of Vernal Pools" ($12) might be just the ticket. In-depth descriptions and detailed photographs help the reader identify and learn more about these creatures. The Massachusetts Wildlife Viewing Guide ($8.95) listing 67 sites across the state where a variety of wildlife can be seen is a perfect gift for the outdoor explorer or a visitor to the state. Click the Publications button at www.mass.gov/masswildlife for more details.
2008 hunting/fishing licenses and stamps will be appreciated by the sportsman or woman in your life. Licenses will be available for sale by mid-December. License purchases support wildlife conservation, management, and restoration of wildlife and wildlife habitat in Massachusetts.
Outdoor skills experiences are another great gift! A wonderful outdoor experience for teens aged 13-17 is the Junior Conservation Camp, a two week overnight camp session packed with outdoor skills learning from shooting and fishing, to canoeing and camping, field trips with biologists and more. Camp is located in Chesterfield and will be held in August. For women 18 years and above, enroll them in one of the Becoming an Outdoorswoman workshops planned for 2008. (A schedule will be posted in January.) All programs such as tracking, shooting, fishing, and photography are designed for adult women at the beginner level. Click the Education button on the MassWildlife website for further details on the two programs.
For the person who has everything, make a donation via check in his
or her name supporting work on rare and endangered species to the Natural
Heritage and Endangered Species Fund. Wildlife habitat protection
can also be supported by donating to the Wildlands
Fund, a fund solely dedicated to acquiring important wildlife
habitat that is open to wildlife related recreation. Donations should
be sent to the MassWildlife Field Headquarters, 1 Rabbit Hill Road,
Westborough MA 01581. For more information on the above publications,
programs and fund donations, contact 508/389-6300 or check www.mass.gov/masswildlife.
EXOTIC PETS ILLEGAL IN MASSACHUSETTS
Speaking of gifts, if you think an exotic animal like a monkey, alligator, or piranha would make a great pet or holiday gift, think again. Massachusetts has very strict regulations governing the possession of both native and exotic wildlife by the average citizen. "Many people assume that any animal they can purchase in another state or over the Internet is legal to possess in Massachusetts," said MassWildlife Assistant Director Dr. Tom French, "This is simply not true. Our regulations are restrictive to the point that we publish only what you may possess, rather than what you may not. Only museums, nature centers or educational institutions are granted permits for many kinds of wildlife. The goal of these regulations is to protect both the interests of wildlife and the public." Before making any purchase, consult with a veterinarian to determine what pet is suitable for your abilities, lifestyle and commitment to pet care.
Dr. French recommends doing business with established and reputable pet shops rather than surfing the Internet or scanning the classifieds where sellers are not necessarily concerned with or aware of the laws that might affect potential buyers. "Store owners keep up with the laws," he notes. "The store owners were an effective lobby for making domestic ferrets a legal pet in Massachusetts and know their livelihood depends on doing business by the book. They'll be happy to sell you reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish and mammals that conform to state laws, and they'll tell you if something you ask about is illegal."
Anyone with knowledge of an illegal wild or exotic animal kept as a pet should contact the Environmental Police at 1-800-632-8075 on any day of the week, or MassWildlife at 508/389-6300 on weekdays during business hours. An abstract of the regulation, titled "Keeping Captive/Exotic Wildlife" is available in the Living With Wildlife area of the MassWildlife website.
AVOID INVASIVE PLANTS FOR HOLIDAY DECORATING
As part of the upcoming holiday season, many people are using plant
material to decorate their houses or businesses. MassWildlife highly
recommends that people avoid using certain invasive exotic plants such
as Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and multiflora rose
(Rosa multiflora) in holiday decorations. Though these plants
are attractive, it is best to refrain from using them. Birds eat and
carry away the fruits off from wreaths and garlands and the digested
but still viable seeds re-sprout where deposited. These exotic, invasive
plants create severe environmental damage invading open fields, forests,
wetlands, meadows, and backyards, crowding out native plants. Bittersweet
can even kill mature trees. Both plants are extremely difficult to control--when
cut off the remaining plant segment in the ground will resprout. Many
people may be unaware that it is illegal to import or sell bittersweet
and multiflora rose in any form (plants or prunings) in the state of
Massachusetts. For the Massachusetts prohibited plant list, visit the
Department
of Agricultural Resources website. Other information on invasive
plants can be found on the MassWildlife
website.
KEEP MASSACHUSETTS DEER AND MOOSE CWD FREE!
Massachusetts hunters who hunt cervids (deer, elk, and moose) in New York, or other states and Canadian provinces where chronic wasting disease (CWD) is found, are reminded that they can bring back ONLY deboned meat, cleaned skull caps, hides without the head, or a fixed taxidermy mount. It is illegal for anyone to import, process, or possess whole carcasses or parts of cervids from wild or captive herds. This regulation has been in place since 2005.
If hunting deer, elk, moose in other states and provinces, particularly those in which CWD has been detected, hunters are advised to check with their state fish and wildlife agency to see if they have any specific advice to hunters or special regulations.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a contagious neurological disease
that is fatal to deer, elk, and moose. At this time, CWD has been detected
in wild or captive cervids in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska,
Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah,
Wyoming, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, and in the Canadian provinces
of Alberta and Saskatchewan. According to the World Health Organization,
people cattle and other livestock are resistant to transmission of CWD.
More information on Chronic
Wasting Disease and a list of selected
New York meat cutters near the Massachusetts border. Help keep Massachusetts
deer and moose CWD-free -- it's the law.
WILDLIFE AGENCY ASSOCIATION HONORS COWLS LAND AND LUMBER
The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) awarded its Landowner Stewardship Award to Cowls Land and Lumber Company of Amherst. Cinda Jones and her husband Chuck Walker were presented the award at the annual AFWA meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. This is the first time the award has been given to a winner in a northeastern state and to a sustainable forest-based enterprise. Until now, only farmers and ranchers have been award recipients.
"Cowls has been continuously managing land for sustainable agricultural and timber purposes since 1741-more than 30 years before the Revolutionary War," said Wayne MacCallum, Director of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife). "The condition of their lands today after more than two centuries of harvest proves that they have been able to employ sustainable forest management practices in a manner that benefits local communities and wildlife ecosystems." All of the Cowls property is open and accessible for outdoor public recreation including hikers, bicycle riders, snowmobiles, hunters, anglers, trappers and bird watchers. MaCallum pointed out that this is a remarkable situation in the third most densely populated state in the nation, with a pattern of increasing amounts of private land closing to public recreation.
Cowls has partnered with several conservation and environmental groups in efforts to protect, restore or sustain wildlife diversity. Cowls participated in one of the first salamander crossing projects with the Hitchcock Center for the Environment. They were the first private landowner in the state to partner with MassWildlife, the Wildlife Management Institute and the Ruffed Grouse Society to dedicate portions of their land to the Woodcock Initiative. "The Woodcock Initiative funding we have received so far is being directed towards a suitable parcel in Huntington, but the effects of this partnership go geographically farther than the actual dollars," said Cinda Jones, President of Cowls Land and Lumber. "Our chief forester now reviews his cutting plans with state biologists to figure out if there are ways we can tweak what we are doing to benefit bird habitat throughout western Massachusetts."
More information
about AFWA and the Stewardship award, or call the Washington DC
office at 202/624-7890.
SNAKE CONFERENCE AT UMASS, AMHERST
Snake enthusiasts have a terrific opportunity to learn more about snakes,
their regional status, research and conservation at the Snakes of the
Northeast Conference. The conference will be held on November 30 - December
1 at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Registration materials
and a complete agenda are posted on the Miller's
River Environmental Center website.
Experts from New England states and New York will share current information on snakes, conservation and management issues of special interest to landowners and managers, educators, researchers and naturalists. MassWildlife's Assistant Director of Natural Heritage and Endangered Species, Dr. Tom French will give a presentation on Rare Snake Conservation in Massachusetts and Peter Mirick, Massachusett Wildlife Magazine editor will provide information about the Eastern Black Rat Snake. Conference registration includes a Saturday dinner, receptions for book signings as well as a chance to see artists and other vendors. Professional credits may be available for classroom teachers, wetlands scientists and foresters. For more information, contact the Miller's River Environmental Center at: abnc@millersriver.net.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Fisheries and Wildlife Board Meeting, Westborough -- The November Fisheries & Wildlife Board will be held on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 1:00 PM at MassWildlife's Richard Cronin Building, 1 Rabbit Hill Rd, off North Drive in Westborough. For directions, go to www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/facilities/westboro.htm or call 508/389-6300
The next meeting of the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Advisory Committee will be on Thursday, December 13, 2007 at 1:30 PM at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters in Westborough.
Both meetings are open to the public and are handicapped accessible.
NEWS & NOTES-Brooding Over Turkeys, Laughing Gull, Skimmers and Terns, Oh My! Junior Duck Stamp Art Exhibit, Christmas Bird Counts, 2007 Deer Harvest By Paraplegic Hunters
- Brooding Over Turkeys - Turkey brood survey forms have been recently tabulated by Jim Cardoza, MassWildlife's Turkey Project Leader. Brood surveys are one way biologists assess the number of young that are recruited (added) into the population. "Calculations show that this year's hatch was higher than last year," said Cardoza. "What is interesting about this season's information is that it appears that the higher hatch is the result of re-nesting." Few broods (hens and their young poults) were seen in June, compared with many more broods reported in July, a strong indication that early nests failed and the hens re-nested. Cardoza was also pleased with the number of forms sent in by interested members of the public. Approximately 350 brood survey forms were submitted, a record figure, with the vast majority from Bay State citizens. "This year, the response from the public was excellent," said Cardoza. "More participation from many people reporting brood sightings from June - August, results in better information for the agency." For more information on turkey brood surveys and how they are used by biologists, Cardoza recommends reading an article he wrote for the Massachusetts Wildlife magazine in 2006 (Vol. LVI, No. 1) "Brooding over brood counts". Check the turkey pages in the Wildlife area of www.mass.gov/masswildlife.
- Laughing Gulls, Skimmers and Terns, Oh My! -- MassWildlife met with cooperators from around the state at Cape Cod Community College to compile numbers of coastal waterbirds nesting in the state during the 2007 season. Preliminary figures for nesting laughing gulls, skimmers and terns with data numbers are as follows: Roseate Tern, 1,730 pairs; Common Tern, 14,988 pairs; Arctic Tern, 3 pairs; Least Tern, 3,139 pairs; Black Skimmer, 4 pairs; and Laughing Gull, 1,515 pairs. Numbers were similar to last year for all species with the exception of the Least Tern, which increased by 20%.
- Junior Duck Stamp Art Exhibit--From now until December 15 you can bring your family to see top youth entries in the 2007 Massachusetts Junior Duck Stamp (JDS) Contest at the US Fish & Wildlife Service Regional Office at 300 Westgate Center Drive off Rte. 9/Rte 116 in Hadley. The Duck Stamp contest is modeled after the adult versions of both the state and federal duck stamp competitions. This program is sponsored by MassWildlife, the Massachusetts Wildlife Federation, Massachusetts Waterfowler's Association, Ducks Unlimited-Mass. Chapter, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Aspiring young artists in grades K - 12 are wanted for the 2008 competition! Details about the 2008 JDS program are on the MassWildlife website. For information on the JDS exhibit, contact: Valerie Crane at the US Fish & Wildlife Service 413/253-8643.
- Christmas Bird Counts Start Mid-December -- Across the nation, bird enthusiasts will be counting birds from December 14 through January 5, 2008. Here in Massachusetts, 33 "circles" in the state are peopled with teams of birders (bird watchers) who count not only the variety of species, but also the number of birds they observe within their group's assigned circle. Join a local team of birders or find out if your feeders are within one of the circles-report the birds at your feeder! For more information, check out the MassBird website at www.massbird.org for information regarding local counts and birding clubs in your area.
- 2007 Deer Harvest By Paraplegic Hunters -- A total of seven deer were taken by paraplegic sportsmen participating in this special three day deer hunt conducted by MassWildlife and volunteers in Belchertown, Devens, Williamstown, and Mount Washington. Twenty six paraplegic hunters participated, harvesting 4 adult bucks, 2 does, and 1 button buck for an overall success rate of 27%. "I thoroughly enjoy being a part of this hunt," said Trina Moruzzi, MassWildlife Biologist and hunt coordinator. "The support of the many volunteers, Environmental Police Officers and Quabbin rangers make this special opportunity for paraplegic sportsmen and women happen. Almost everyone saw deer adding to the success of the hunt." Next year's hunt will be held October 30-November 1, 2008. Paraplegic sportsmen and women interested in participating in the hunt next year should contact Trina Moruzzi at 508/389-6318.
See a complete listing of wildlife related events at Calendar/Events