The BBC Conservation and Education Committee is pleased to announce an extraordinary run of six Book Fund donations, totaling around $4000, to schools and educational programs from around and beyond Massachusetts. The Book Fund, supported entirely by member donations, was instituted to promote bird and nature study in K-12 schools and educational programs. In some years the Fund has received few or no applications, and by April 2023 it had accumulated significant reserves. This surge in donations resulted from more extensive outreach, especially to the Association of Massachusetts Bird Clubs, and a revision of guidelines to allow up to $750 for a single donation, include optics as educational materials; and expand to include pre-K programs.
Several recent donations are especially noteworthy. Historically, all donations had been within Massachusetts, but our guidelines do not specify any geographical restrictions, and with a longtime Massachusetts birder as our contact, we took advantage of a unique opportunity to provide binoculars for what is probably the only school in Kenya with a birding club, the Beverly School of Kenya Young Birders Club. We also supported a library program in Northampton that offered a live-bird presentation for families in conjunction with the purchase of “birding kits” that library patrons can borrow—a growing trend in libraries across the country to make birding more inclusive and accessible. And our first preschool donation, for field guides and children’s binoculars, went to the Boston Outdoor Preschool Network. Other recipients include the Pine Hill Elementary School in Sherborn, the Village School in Royalston, and Cambridge Community Education at Mass Audubon in Cambridge. Thanks go to our generous members and the hard work of the Book Fund Subcommittee: John Nelson, Leslie Kramer, and, especially, Dave Williams, who took over the role of subcommittee chair in early 2023.
To donate to the Book Fund, you can designate an amount on the “BBC School Book Fund” line on the back page of the club bulletin when you renew your membership or, especially for life members, at any time you wish to donate. To donate online, click on “Join” at the top of the BBC home page and designate an amount under “optional donation to BBC School Book Fund” when you fill out the membership form. For inquiries or applications to the Book Fund, contact Dave Williams at dave.williams6@gmail.com.
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Upcoming Field Trips
Great Meadows NWR, Concord
Concord - Great Meadows Concord Unit, Entrance Rd, Concord, MA, United StatesWe will walk easy trails looking for shorebirds, ducks, wading birds, rails, and nesting songbirds. This is also a great time to look for butterflies and other interesting insects. Note that entrance fee or pass is required. Loaner binoculars available; please email trip leader to reserve a pair!
Whale and Seabird watching trip out of Gloucester
Gloucester - 7 Seas Whale Watch 63 Rogers Street, 7 Seas Wharf, Gloucester, MA, United StatesThe BBC is partnering with the 7 Seas Whale Watching Tour Company to travel to Stellwagen Bank - primary feeding grounds for the Humpback Whale, the endangered Right Whale, and other marine wildlife, including seabirds. With the help of onboard naturalists, we will search for seabirds - storm petrals, shearwaters, gulls and terns, gannets, and [...]
An Oasis for Birds at Belle Isle Marsh
East Boston - Belle Isle Parking Lot 1399 Bennington Street, Boston, MA, United StatesJoin DCR park staff for a relaxed, one-mile bird walk through flat, easy terrain at this Massachusetts State Reservation and birding hot spot. In July, At Belle Isle and at additional nearby locations—we’ll search for osprey, flocks of egrets, piping plover, migrating shorebirds, meadow and grassland nesting birds. Participants are responsible for their own transportation [...]
Charles River Path in Waltham
Waltham - Charles River Shaws Supermarket 130 River Street, Waltham, MA, United StatesStroll along an easy to walk paved path. Possible sightings include Wood Ducks, Yellow Warbler, Warbling Vireo, and Great Blue Heron. Cosponsored with Waltham :Land Trust and Menotomy Bird Club.
Birding Sketch Crawl – Summer Series
Leader's ChoiceCome and bird/sketch favorite patches around Essex and Middlesex Counties.