Commonwealth Conversations: The Great Outdoors

Rivers to fish in 2012

Tim Purinton

Director, Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration

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Each winter, I create a wish list of which Massachusetts rivers and streams I’m itching to fish once the spring flows recede and aquatic insect activity perks up. This kind of thinking, clearly a coping mechanism, helps me through the dark days of winter (especially with today's late season snowfall). 

Here are some of the rivers on my fish list, in no particular order. Note my preferences typically hinge on fishing small, wild trout streams sometimes tucked away in the corners of the state or in the midst of the suburbs and most often include rivers that we are helping to restore.

  Green River (Leyden and Colrain) – As it flows from the Vermont border, this river is picture perfect. I’m curious to see how Tropical Storm Irene has changed the pool riffle structure since my last trip in 2009. The Department of Ecological Restoration (DER) and the City of Greenfield have been closely examining dam removal options on the lower Green. The other notable Green River in Great Barrington is also a great trout stream worthy of a cast or two.

  North Hoosic River (Clarksburg) – Also located near the Vermont border, the river is gorgeous and full of deep pools that hold year-round trout. A plethora of partners, including DER, assisted with the removal of the Briggsville Dam and I’m interested in fishing the restored river reach to see if how it responds to a bead-head nymph.

 Schenob Brook (Sheffield) – The Nature Conservancy has focused on protecting land along this meandering river in the eastern shadow of Mt. Everett. The brook is relatively sluggish and low gradient and may not yield many brook trout, but I’m curious to get my waders wet in this stream and see what lurks below the surface.

  Amethyst Brook (Pelham) – Smack in the middle of the state, you are only one dam away from the ocean once you step over the banks of Amethyst Brook. As a result you may catch sight of a glass eel burrowing into the stream bottom. This year, the Bartlett Rod Company Dam is planned to be removed, but I’m interested in exploring fishing waters below the dam to see what the habitat looks like prior to river restoration.

  Mill River/Ox Pasture Brook (Rowley) – There has been a local effort to revive the sea-run brook trout population here. Reports are that salters, another term for the trout, are utilizing now accessible sections of Ox Pasture Brook since the lower dam was removed in 2010. This spot is close to home so it’s easy to hit after work.

Dozens more streams come to mind including the Weweantic River, Red Brook, Thousand Acre Brook. What rivers are you thinking about this time of year?

 

Weekly outdoor events - 2/27/12

Madeleine Barr
Multimedia intern, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)
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On Tuesday, please join the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife’s chief of Hatcheries, Ken Simmons, for a discussion about Trout Stream Insects.  This talk will be especially pertinent for those interested in fly fishing and/or marine habitats.  This event will take place at the South Foxborough Community Center. 

Also, don’t forget that pre-registration is still going on for the Maple Sugarin’ event in mid-March at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus.  This will be a unique opportunity to make your own maple syrup! 

We have a little less going on this week in terms of planned activities, but that does not mean you should feel confined to your houses.  Grab a pair of binoculars and visit one of the many state parks to scout for birds that stick around New England all winter. 

Or visit a local winter farmers market and try a new recipe with some local seasonal food.   Many local farmers can continue growing root vegetables, such as beets and potatoes, throughout the winter.  Food that is grown locally is better for the environment because it does not need to travel as far nor consume as many pesticides as food grown on large-scale farms far away. 

Weekly outdoor events - 2/20/12

Madeleine Barr
Multimedia intern, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)
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In honor of George Washington’s love for nature, we have a plethora of events, workshops and activities to get you outside this week!  The Department of Conservation and Recreation is hosting a variety of workshops to turn you into a skilled naturalist.  Animal tracking can be a lot of fun, especially in the winter when paw prints mark up the snow or freeze in the mud.  Join us in Hingham, North Easton, or Foxboro for a lesson on how to become an expert tracker.

A few activities better suited for the younger ones may be one of the animal workshops offered in Revere. From Wednesday through Friday there are a series of three one-hour lessons that will engage you and your child in the wonderful animal world.  Featured lessons are “Bats in your Backyard,” “Sea Turtle Surprises,” and “Sweet Honeybees.”

If you would prefer not to spend any time indoors this February break, then join us for ice fishing in Hopkinton or Beach Comber’s Bingo in Waquoit.  We can’t wait to see you there!        

Sweet potato valentines and keeping healthly in 2012

Commissioner Scott Soares

Commissioner, Department of Agriculture Resources (DAR)

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Last month, DCR Commissioner Lambert and I blogged about a new partnership to encourage people to maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout 2012.

To this end, I made a personal pledge to lose twenty pounds over ten months – in time for an autumn-planned 2K run at a DCR state park or farm location. I’m happy to report that so far – via increased physical activity and eating healthier portions of food – I’m four pounds closer towards my goal!

Fortunately, as it relates to eating, healthier choices are becoming ever easier thanks to the growing number of year-round farmers’ markets in Massachusetts.  For example, the Somerville or Cambridge Winter Farmers’ Markets offer apples, root vegetables, fresh bread, artisan cheeses, seafood, meats, poultry, eggs, local wines, and more. And if you don’t have to lose 20 pounds like I do, there is an appetizing array of baked goods and locally-made specialty foods like Coutts’ preserves, applesauce, and relishes.  Our MassGrown & Fresher website offers a complete listing of winter farmers’ markets throughout the state.

This month, MassGrown & Fresher, in collaboration with ChopChop Magazine and Mass in Motion is featuring the sweet potato – a “sweet” and healthy treat for that someone special you know. One of the local farms that grow sweet potatoes is Red Fire Farm in Granby and whom we’ve spotlighted on our Faces of Massachusetts Agriculture page. Red Fire Farm is also a CSA (community Supported Agriculture).  If you haven’t already, find out more about the benefits of being a part of a CSA so you can enjoy weekly shares of fresh, local produce during the growing season.

And of course following your healthy Valentine’s Day meal, don’t forget some of the great suggestions made by DCR in our last blog such as the many Healthy Heart Trails located in over 70 state parks across the state! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Weekly outdoor events - 2/13/12

Madeleine Barr
Multimedia intern, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)
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The Department of Conservation and Recreation and MassWildlife are offering you a week of wintry wildlife exploration!

On February 18 and 19, the staff of MassWildlife will be holding a county show in Danvers where you can learn tips about how best to interact with the wildlife in your neighborhood.  Come with specific questions for our experts or just an open-minded interest and take a look around at what we have to offer. 

Hopefully, we will have some snow for a sledding party in Wellesley!  If there is not an adequate amount of snow for this snow-centered activity, we can still all join up for a winter campfire taking place in South Carver.  On Saturday bring your little ones to Nature’s Mysteries, a learning exploration at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus about the lives of adult animals.  This will be an hour-long session, best for children ages 5-11.  The class is offered both at 10am and 1pm.     

Weekly outdoor events - 2/6/12

Madeleine Barr
Multimedia intern, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)
View Madeleine's Bio

Come hike with us on February 7, under the illumination of a Full Snow Moon.  Also called the Full Hunger Moon or Little Famine Moon, the full moon during the month of February acquired these names from the Northeastern Native American tribes so as to characterize the climate in February and some of the agricultural challenges that accompany the harsh weather.  The DCR is hosting several similar hikes in different regions in the state.  We challenge you to find the one nearest you and brave the cold for an hour and a half and truly enjoy the outdoors for its fresh winter air and of course the spectacular glow of a full moon in the night sky.  Hikes are scheduled in Dartmouth, Milton, the South Metro Region and the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Malden. 

If you’d prefer to spend time outdoors when it is a little bit lighter out, you can join us for WILD workshops, winter tracking lessons, or a story about ice harvesting at Walden Pond in Concord. 

PROFILE: Tom French -- Doing good for wildlife

Reginald Zimmerman

Assistant Press Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)

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Tom French truly is a cool guy. He’s collared black bears in the woods, inspected peregrine falcon nests from high above the Boston city skyline and has shooed away wild turkeys. He’s been up close to a bald eagle next and is able to tell the difference between a snapping turtle and an alligator from a distance (people commonly confuse the two).

But it’s not just Tom’s stories or his enthusiasm that amazes me; it’s also his passion for his work. 

Tom serves as the Assistant Director for the Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Natural Heritage Program. The program was created in 1983 with the goal of protecting and conserving the hundreds of rare and threatened species found in Massachusetts. Tom conducts regulatory reviews of construction and transportation projects to make sure animal habitats aren’t disrupted. But Tom’s favorite part of the job extends beyond regulation and law. 

Every day he works with multiple species that inhabit the state and helps identify what species are rare and need to be protected. The programs biggest success so far is bald eagles. When the program started in 1983, the state didn’t have any bald eagle nests, but there are now 40 protected pairs across the Commonwealth. And there were a record number of 107 birds spotted last year!

But some of the issues Tom deals with are troubling. Recently, a mysterious non-native disease called white nose syndrome has started to cause brown bats to fly and hunt outside their usual hibernation patterns, usually in extremely cold weather. Most bats that leave the cave never make it back. Tom said one example of the disease’s devastation is at a mining site in Chester.

“There were 8 to10, 000 bats in the cave during winter in previous years. In February 2011, there were only 14 bats left,” he said.  “The whole scenario is pathetically remarkable. The brown bat was so popular 10-15 years ago and now the species is almost 98 percent gone and there’s not a thing we can do about it. We can catch them, feed them, and hydrate them, but they are just as susceptible again next year. This has been unprecedented for biologists of this generation.”

When he isn’t working, Tom serves as chair of the Northeast Right Whale Recovery Team and spends his weekends searching beaches for whale skeletons that can be preserved and put on display. These skeletons teach scientists about what is killing whales and provide them with a good platform for research. Currently, a skeleton Tom helped excavate is on display at the New Bedford Whaling Museum. 

“I’ve got the best job around from my perspective,” he says. The publication A Complete Guide to Environmental Careers in the 21^st Century agrees. Tom was featured in the book in 1989, and was one of three people carried over to the new edition in ­­1999. “I get to work with an incredible variety of neat species, do good things for them, and do good things for the environment in general.”