Eyes on Owls
Thanks to everyone who came out for Eyes on Owls at Mount Auburn Cemetery on 21 Feb. We were able to provide interested attendees with information on alternatives to second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs), which Marcia and Mark highlighted as a threat to owls in their presentation. In addition, several people signed up for Save Watertown Wildlife (welcome!), and others found (or were encouraged to start!) a group in their own town. Member Carol D’Aloisio captured some great shots of stars of the show (below).
Public schools not keeping up?
While the City of Watertown does not use SGARs on public properties, all of our schools list bromadiolone, an SGAR, in their publicly available state-mandated integrated pest management (IPM) plans. These plans are from 2021, so we hope they are due for an update! As one avenue to tackle this, we would like to encourage change from within – we have reached out to the high school environmental studies teacher to see if they and their students would be interested in researching SGARs and advocating for their removal from the school IPM plans.
Become a citizen scientist!
We are working with Jim Joyce, of Friends of Horn Pond and Operation Woburn Wildlife, to bring a presentation and hands-on workshop on citizen science to Watertown in March. We’ll learn how to identify and report sightings of bait boxes and harmed or killed wildlife using the anecdata system. Stay tuned for date and time!
And now, 3 pieces of good news
- Check out Naturally Curious With Mary Holland for a daily dose of wonder and inspiration! Her blog and books present “a photographic journey through the fields, woods, and marshes of New England.”
- As the US reneges on international climate agreements, some states are joining groups as subnational units, including California and Massachusetts. In October 2025, both states announced their intention to join the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). The states will undergo a thorough vetting process before being admitted to the IUCN.
- Calling all birders! Mass Audubon’s 2026 Birders Meeting is happening Saturday, 14 March 2026, from 9am to 3:45pm at the Hogan Campus Center, College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, MA. The theme this year is “Wired for Flight: Technology and Triumphs in Bird Conversation.”
Share your knowledge!
Have a piece of good news related to raptors, nature, or the environment? Want to write the story of why you got involved? Email savewatertownwildlife@gmail.com.
