SAVE WATERTOWN WILDLIFE

Save Watertown Wildlife is a group of Watertown residents committed to helping wildlife. Our current focus is on reducing the use of rat poisons that harm pets, raptors and other wildlife, and even humans.

Welcome To

SAVE WATERTOWN WILDLIFE

OUR MISSION:

Protect wildlife, pets, humans, and the environment by reducing the use of anticoagulant rodenticides –
rat poisons that work by preventing blood from clotting

What to know

Anticoagulant rodenticides, or ARs, are chemicals that kill rodents by preventing their blood from clotting. ARs build up inside the rodents, which often take about a week and a half to die. When predators, like bald eagles, red tailed hawks, and foxes, eat the poisoned rodents, the ARs then build up in their bodies. Eventually these poisons make the eagles, hawks, and foxes also bleed to death, or they become very weak and die from other diseases.

Watertown, MA, does not use ARs on its municipal properties. It does use a vitamin D overdose in black bait boxes.

What you can do

Practice integrated pest management in your home or business

Tell your pest control company that you do not want to use SGARs

Work with local businesses and organizations to get SGARs off their properties

Report bait boxes to the EwA Rat Poison Brigade map

Donate to wildlife rescue centers, like Cape Ann Wildlife

Learn more

Events

Become a citizen scientist – join the EwA Rat Poison Brigade!

Ever wondered what’s in all those black boxes around the City? Want to help protect local wildlife? Join the EwA Rat Poison Brigade! Jim Joyce from Operation Woburn Wildlife, an initiative of the Friends of Horn Pond, will teach us how to identify and report anticoagulant rodenticides (rodent poisons that can sicken or kill wildlife and pets) and animals that have been harmed by these poisons. After we learn what to look for and how to enter our findings, we’ll step outside and use our newfound knowledge to make our first reports in Watertown. This presentation and hands-on workshop will start in the Lucia Mastrangelo Room at the Watertown Public Library on Saturday, 14 March, and will run from 1:30-3:30pm.

Register here!

Jim Joyce is President of the Friends of Horn Pond, a non-profit conservation-based organization in Woburn, Massachusetts, and Co-founder of the Earthwise Aware (EwA) Rat Poison Brigade. He is a lifelong self-taught naturalist and conservationist. His passion for the outdoors began with early experiences of hiking, fishing, and observing wildlife. With a background in engineering and data-driven problem-solving, Jim brings a unique perspective to participatory science and environmental initiatives. He is dedicated to improving local habitats and community well-being.

EcoFest 2026

Save Watertown Wildlife will have a table at Watertown’s second annual EcoFest this May. Join us and meet other local groups working on environmental issues, shop from ecologically minded vendors, play games, hear music, and eat good food! Save the date: Saturday, 09 May 2026, from 11am to 2pm. More details to be announced!