We talk a lot about the importance of honeybees, and about conserving their food sources and wild ranges. Sometimes we forget about other native bees who - although they don't make honey - provide a very valuable service to farmers and to wild places. They are under threat by many of the same things that[…]
There are a lot of beautiful butterflies that live here in Massachusetts. We see them throughout each summer here on our farm. They play an important role in pollination, alongside native bees and honeybees. They can also be important indicator species, telling us about the health of our ecosystem. We’ll talk about each of the[…]
Massachusetts is home to NINE species of bats. Sadly, five of those species are endangered. Bats provide pollination, seed disbursal, and pest management. They do a lot of work to balance ecosystems all over the world. They also produce some of the very best plant fertiliser you can get. We’ll talk about each of the[…]
We have just two species of toad here in Massachusetts. They are increasingly threatened by climate change. They're very friendly creatures and provide pest control in our gardens and farms. They are also very important indicator species that tell us about the health of our ecosystem. We’ll talk about each of the toad species that[…]
There are 16 species of turtles here in Massachusetts. They are wonderful animals. In addition to helping with seed disbursal and pest control, they actually create and modify habitats for other animals, and improve soils through their burrowing and mineral cycling! We’ll talk about some of the turtle species that live in our area, and[…]
Bluebirds are making a comeback in Massachusetts. About forty years ago, it was rare to see one. In fact, some of your parents and grandparents probably never saw one until they were adults. In the 1980s there was an effort to conserve these beautiful little birds. We’ll talk about bluebirds, their wild habitat and diet,[…]
