U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is now proposing a permanent rule change to the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Contest (known as the Duck Stamp) that would make the theme “Celebrating Our Waterfowl Hunting Heritage” and the mandatory inclusion of an appropriate hunting element permanent, beginning with the 2020 Contest.
The Brookline Bird Club has long asked birders to support the National Wildlife Refuge System through their purchase of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Contest (known as the Duck Stamp).
We urge each of you to comment. The Brookline Bird Club opposes this proposal.
The comment period ends March 16.
We believe that increasing sales of the Stamp and strengthening the Duck Stamp program should be the top objectives when considering any change. This proposed change discourages sales to new purchasers outside the hunting community. Fewer sales lead to less land preservation and protection of habitat. The Duck Stamp program needs to be strengthened and to focus on creating common ground for support for the future of American wildlife.
From Parker River to Monomoy to Silvio O. Conte, birders value the National Wildlife Refuges in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts alone, 15,290 acres have been acquired through MBCF funds, including 97.8 percent of Monomoy NWR and 97.7 percent of Parker River NWR (https://www.fws.gov/refuges/realty/pdf/MBCFAcres2015.pdf). Through club trips and individual visits, we explore these lands year after year. We volunteer and serve on the boards of local Friends groups. These lands are central to our birding experiences and are treasured by our community.
Sales of the Stamp have generated more than a billion dollars for conservation since 1934. For every dollar you spend on Stamps, ninety-eight cents goes directly to protecting vital wetland habitat as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Your Stamp will also provide admission to refuges charging entrance fees, such as Parker River. With our large membership, purchasing a $25 Stamp can make a significant contribution to the continued protection of these important habitats.
For more information, go to www.friendsofthestamp.org
For a more detailed Action Alert, click here.
In order to comment, go to https://tinyurl.com/duck-stamp-rules-change.
We urge you to comment on this proposed change.
BBC 2024 trips to Lake Umbagog, NH
Brookline Bird Club’s 2024 Trips to the Lake Umbagog, NH Region - In early June two groups of BBC members had the opportunity to explore the region near Lake Umbagog in northern New Hampshire. We
Celebrating Black Birders Week!
Celebrate Black Birders Week Sunday May 26 - Saturday June 1, 2024 Black Birders Week is a week-long series of virtual and in-person events to promote equitable access to nature, to highlight Black nature enthusiasts, and to increase
2024 BBC scholarship winners
Congratulations to our 2024 BBC Scholarship winners, Evelyn and John! The Brookline Bird Club Conservation and Education Committee is pleased to announce our two annual Bill Drummond Young Birder Scholarship recipients, Evelyn Jones of Lunenburg
Shorebirds and Horseshoe Crabs need your help!
Interested in taking action to protect horseshoe crabs in Massachusetts? Migrating shorebirds depend on their eggs for critical migration fuel and there are multiple ways you can get involved as a concerned citizen: Take
Nuttall Club special event with Peter Kaestner
Peter Kaestner in his Search for 10,000 Species of Birds in the World - A Special Event Sponsored by the Nuttall Ornithological Club Peter Kaestner after seeing his 10,000th world bird species in the Philippines.
Camp Edwards Grassland Bird Tours
The Massachusetts Army National Guard’s Natural Resource Program is hosting grassland bird tours in May on Camp Edwards. This is an unusual opportunity for avid birders, naturalists and photographers to walk through the Camp Edwards
BBC 2024 trips to Lake Umbagog, NH
Brookline Bird Club’s 2024 Trips to the Lake Umbagog, NH Region - In early June two groups of BBC members had the opportunity to explore the region near Lake Umbagog in northern New Hampshire. We
Celebrating Black Birders Week!
Celebrate Black Birders Week Sunday May 26 - Saturday June 1, 2024 Black Birders Week is a week-long series of virtual and in-person events to promote equitable access to nature, to highlight Black nature enthusiasts, and to increase
2024 BBC scholarship winners
Congratulations to our 2024 BBC Scholarship winners, Evelyn and John! The Brookline Bird Club Conservation and Education Committee is pleased to announce our two annual Bill Drummond Young Birder Scholarship recipients, Evelyn Jones of Lunenburg
Shorebirds and Horseshoe Crabs need your help!
Interested in taking action to protect horseshoe crabs in Massachusetts? Migrating shorebirds depend on their eggs for critical migration fuel and there are multiple ways you can get involved as a concerned citizen: Take
Nuttall Club special event with Peter Kaestner
Peter Kaestner in his Search for 10,000 Species of Birds in the World - A Special Event Sponsored by the Nuttall Ornithological Club Peter Kaestner after seeing his 10,000th world bird species in the Philippines.
Camp Edwards Grassland Bird Tours
The Massachusetts Army National Guard’s Natural Resource Program is hosting grassland bird tours in May on Camp Edwards. This is an unusual opportunity for avid birders, naturalists and photographers to walk through the Camp Edwards
BBC 2024 trips to Lake Umbagog, NH
Brookline Bird Club’s 2024 Trips to the Lake Umbagog, NH Region - In early June two groups of BBC members had the opportunity to explore the region near Lake Umbagog in northern New Hampshire. We
Celebrating Black Birders Week!
Celebrate Black Birders Week Sunday May 26 - Saturday June 1, 2024 Black Birders Week is a week-long series of virtual and in-person events to promote equitable access to nature, to highlight Black nature enthusiasts, and to increase
2024 BBC scholarship winners
Congratulations to our 2024 BBC Scholarship winners, Evelyn and John! The Brookline Bird Club Conservation and Education Committee is pleased to announce our two annual Bill Drummond Young Birder Scholarship recipients, Evelyn Jones of Lunenburg
Shorebirds and Horseshoe Crabs need your help!
Interested in taking action to protect horseshoe crabs in Massachusetts? Migrating shorebirds depend on their eggs for critical migration fuel and there are multiple ways you can get involved as a concerned citizen: Take
Nuttall Club special event with Peter Kaestner
Peter Kaestner in his Search for 10,000 Species of Birds in the World - A Special Event Sponsored by the Nuttall Ornithological Club Peter Kaestner after seeing his 10,000th world bird species in the Philippines.
Camp Edwards Grassland Bird Tours
The Massachusetts Army National Guard’s Natural Resource Program is hosting grassland bird tours in May on Camp Edwards. This is an unusual opportunity for avid birders, naturalists and photographers to walk through the Camp Edwards
News Categories
Upcoming Field Trips
Field Trips / Events
-
-
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery 536 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA, United States -
Arlington Reservoir
Lexington - Arlington Reservoir 210 Lowell Street, Arlington, MA, United StatesWe will search for spring migrants, waterfowl, shorebirds. Cosponsored with Menotomy Bird club.
-
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery 536 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA, United States -
Fruitlands Museum, Harvard
Harvard - Fruitlands Museum 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard, MA, United StatesCosponsored with Boxborough Birders. We will look for resident species including Indigo Bunting, Savannah Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, Veery, Blue-headed Vireo, Wild Turkey, American Kestrel, and a variety of warblers. Expect to walk about two miles on trails through meadows and woods, with some steep sections. Prepare for ticks. We will bird at the
-
Caratunk Wildlife Sanctuary
Seekonk - Caratunk Wildlife Sanctuary 301 Brown Avenue, Seekonk, MA, United StatesJust two miles from the Rhode Island border, Caratunk Wildlife Refuge in Seekonk, MA offers six miles of nature hiking trails through nearly 200 acres of fields, forests, streams and ponds. A Purple Martin colony can be observed nesting in the gourds in the main field. Trails are easy to moderate in difficulty. Expect 2.5