Sudbury

Turkeys in Sudbury

June 3, 2016

Dawn Dentzer photographed these turkeys in Sudbury.

Red-shouldered Hawks in Sudbury

June 1, 2016

Red-shouldered Hawks at the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in Sudbury.

Chris Renna photographed these red-shouldered hawk chicks at a nest in the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in Sudbury.

Snapping Turtle at SVT's Memorial Forest

May 31, 2016

Andrew Linnell photographed this snapping turtle at SVT's General Federation of Women's Clubs of Massachusetts Memorial Forest in Sudbury.

Bird calls and sounds of nature at the Desert Natural Area

May 28, 2016

Norm Levey recorded these pieces of audio at the Desert Natural Area, including SVT's General Federation of Women's Clubs of Massachusetts Memorial Forest in Sudbury. Both recordings were from the prescribed burn area that is part of the Desert Natural Area Pitch Pine-Scrub Oak Barrens Habitat Restoration project.

In this first recording, you can mouse over the bottom of the sound graph to see Norm's notes that identify species calling.

The second recording features mainly the calls of eastern whip-poor-wills, a Species of Special Concern, and one that SVT's restoration efforts are aiming to help. Other calls are also noted under the sound graph.

Backyard Nature in Sudbury

May 26, 2016

House finches in Sudbury, photographed by Dawn Dentzer.

A song sparrow in Sudbury, photographed by Dawn Dentzer.

A common whitetail in Sudbury, photographed by Dawn Dentzer.

A ruby-throated hummingbird in Sudbury, photographed by Dawn Dentzer.

Dawn Dentzer photographed house finches, a song sparrow, a common whitetail dragonfly, and a ruby-throated hummingbird near her Sudbury home.

Nessus Sphinx Moth in Sudbury

May 26, 2016

Dawn Dentzer photographed this Nessus sphinx moth in Sudbury.

Stream Bank Restoration at Memorial Forest

May 31, 2016

SVT Stewardship Assistant James Farrell and SVT Land Steward Morgan Chambers preparing jute netting for a restoration area along Cranberry Brook at SVT's Memorial Forest.

Jerry, Paul, and Dottie, volunteers from Dutton Downs in Sudbury, worked to renovate the bridge over Cranberry Brook along the Pipeline Pass at SVT's Memorial Forest in Sudbury.

SVT volunteers Kevin Paquin, Karin Paquin and Tariq Abu-Jaber prepare a restoration area near Hop Brook at SVT's Memorial Forest in Sudbury.

SVT volunteer Tariq Abu-Jaber protects a newly seeded restoration site at SVT's Memorial Forest in Sudbury.

SVT Land Steward Morgan Chambers and SVT Stewardship Assistants Nicole DiGiorgio and Emily Anderson gather planting soil for a restoration site at Memorial Forest.

Paul Bisson stands with the newly finished horseback rider bridge over Cranberry Brook in SVT's Memorial Forest.

SVT and our volunteers have been busy this season working to restore several areas of stream bank at our General Federation of Women's Clubs of Massachusetts Memorial Forest in Sudbury. Impacts from a variety of user groups where trails cross streams had resulted in loss of vegetation and, in some cases, erosion. Throughout late winter and early spring, we made changes to the rules on these trails in order to help protect the sensitive resource areas along these cold-water streams. With the help of two local riding groups (Dutton Downs and the Old North Bridge Hounds), renovated bridges over an intermittent stream and Cranberry Brook now allow horseback riders to safely cross the streams without impacting them. We've also started to see plant growth on newly stabilized areas near Hop Brook and another section of Cranberry Brook. We'll continue to work to improve these areas, as well as a few others this season. We ask visitors to help this effort by staying on the trails, and especially by leashing their dogs ahead of stream crossings. This will allow these areas to return to a healthy condition and prevent new damage at other areas.

Wildlife at SVT's Lyons-Cutler Reservation

May 21, 2016

A double-crested cormorant at SVT's Lyons-Cutler Reservation in Sudbury, photographed by Barry Hausmann.

Great blue herons at SVT's Lyons-Cutler Reservation in Sudbury, photographed by Barry Hausmann.

A great horned owl at SVT's Lyons-Cutler Reservation in Sudbury, photographed by Barry Hausmann.

A green frog at SVT's Lyons-Cutler Reservation in Sudbury, photographed by Barry Hausmann.

A painted turtle at SVT's Lyons-Cutler Reservation in Sudbury, photographed by Barry Hausmann.

A song sparrow at SVT's Lyons-Cutler Reservation in Sudbury, photographed by Barry Hausmann.

Barry Hausmann photographed a double-crested cormorant, great blue herons, a great horned owl, a green frog, a painted turtle, and a song sparrow at SVT's Lyons-Cutler Reservation in Sudbury.

Great Blue Herons at Lyons-Cutler

May 17, 2016

Norm Levey recorded this video of nesting great blue herons at SVT's Lyons-Cutler Reservation in Sudbury. Choose your resolution by clicking on the HD icon, and click on the arrow controls next to the Vimeo logo in the video window to view in full screen, or visit Norm's Vimeo page.