EwA’s Latest Posts

Dogs–The Scoop on Poop
It's just one dog! Is dog poop really that bad? How about not using a bag and leaving the dog poop to decompose? We hear these sorts of comments all the time. The answer? What ...

Conservation Needs Natural History Participatory Science ▹ EwA's participatory science model presented at ICCB 2023 (SCB's 31st International Congress for Conservation Biology) Authors: Claire O'Neill, Jennifer Clifford, Kathy McGlathery | Earthwise Aware Presentation | Handout An Essential Practice ...

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Keeping a Forest Whole ▹ EwA conservation study presented at NENHC 2023, C*Sci 2023. Follow-up presented at DCR Symposium 2025. Authors: Claire O'Neill and Mina Burton | Earthwise Aware Presentations » current / 2023 original (full/flash/poster) |  Handout The Power of ...

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The EwA Dog Poo Data Campaign Call for Field Volunteers You must have noticed poop in bags (and not in bags) in urban green spaces, parks, and reservations? This is not just a smelly issue or an esthetic problem. Dog ...

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Keeping the Fells Whole Earthwise Aware Report 2021
Documenting habitat fragmentation in a mixed-use urban forest Publication: January 29th, 2022 Note the scroll on the right-hand side below to get through the whole report. You can also read it in ...

Giving Science Back to the People - Advancing Biodiversity & Climate Research Only with the collaboration of naturalists and trained volunteers can we closely monitor indicators necessary to ascertain the state of biodiversity across the planet, such as indicators of ...

Observing Nature in the City
If asked to name a favorite place in nature, many people including myself might choose to describe forests, meadows, or scenic ocean views. Some might include state parks or even smaller, more urban settings like ...

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Don’t hike so close to me: How the presence of humans can disturb wildlife up to half a mile away Authors: Jeremy Dertien (Clemson University), Courtney Larson (University of Wyoming), and Sarah Reed (Colorado State University) Millions of Americans are ...

EwA at Horn Pond Helping Plants and Insects with Citizen Science Participate in EwA's Biodiversity & Climate Program - Make a difference Horn Pond Arthropod and Phenology Survey Insect populations over the world are declining very rapidly. We need ...

Ready for the 2021 City Nature Celebration? We Surely Are!
Between April 30th and May 3rd, hundreds of cities worldwide will be celebrating Nature and gather observations of species found in our area with the help of all who want ...

Fresh Pond Almanac February at the Meadow
By February, enduring another brutal winter month is not a welcome thought for many people in the Boston area, and the conditions are harsh on most of the area’s nonhuman residents as well ...

Fresh Pond Almanac December at the Meadow
By December, the feeling of winter has truly set in at Fresh Pond. All the deciduous trees around the pond have dropped their leaves, save the most stubborn oaks and beeches, some of ...

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Fresh Pond Almanac November at the Meadow
November brings heightened seasonal changes to Lusitania Meadow and Fresh Pond. The peak of fall foliage season has passed. Insect activity has slowed dramatically, save for the month's warmest days. As such, November's ...

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Fresh Pond Almanac October at the Meadow
The stunning wave of color that washes through the deciduous trees of New England every fall will arrive and peak in Lusitania Meadow in October. At the Meadow, most of the trees around ...

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Fresh Pond Almanac September at the Meadow
September marks the end of the summer in New England. At EwA, the beginning of that month also brings a little bit of sadness. Fieldwork in the Lusitania meadow feels different after our ...

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Fresh Pond Almanac August at the Meadow At this time of the year, the reservation feels a bit quieter and more peaceful than the past two months. With the often sweltering heat, the park attracts fewer joggers and walkers. Yet, ...

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Fresh Pond Almanac July at the Meadow
July is quite an exciting time at Fresh Pond. Many people enjoy the warm, sunny days by strolling or jogging around the reservation. The beginning of the summer also comes with sudden and ...

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Fresh Pond Almanac June at the Meadow
Many insects are pollinating and reproducing, plants are growing with some of the flowers in bloom, and birds and mammals are as active as ever, capitalizing on this dynamic time through means such ...

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Fresh Pond Almanac May at the Meadow By May, summer is just around the corner at Fresh Pond, and the month sees a boom of insect life at Lusitania Meadow. Along with this late-spring boom comes all kinds of activity, ...

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Fresh Pond Almanac April at the Meadow
While April in Massachusetts often still has a few cold, wintry days, spring has undeniably arrived when the fourth month of the year rolls around. No matter what fickle weather the month may ...

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Lichens, Pollution, and Us Learning how clean the air of a place is by documenting its lichens… Visit a forested area that’s not near a city, and you’ll see all sorts of lichens decorating trees and rocks. But if you ...

May the Lichens be with You If flowers are commonly placed on a loved one’s final resting place, why shouldn’t lichens be allowed to reside on that loved one’s gravestone? If flowers are commonly placed on a loved one’s ...

Joy of the Fells Citizen Science with EwA "The Fells is a fantastic habitat where we can bring different pieces of the (ecological conservation) puzzle together and lead people to be part of this story as well" Caitlin recently reached ...

Attracting & Retaining Citizen Scientists Some conservation citizen science organizations run projects that can be quickly carried out by citizen scientists without supervision. And for those organizations, a common practice is to motivate people with a few good training events ...

Even Scientists Take Selfies with Wild Animals. Here's Why They Shouldn't. One of the great things about being a biologist is getting to work in the field and connect with wildlife. Through my career, I have enjoyed many unforgettable close ...

 Why Men Trophy Hunt The killing of Cecil the lion (Panthera leo) ignited enduring and increasingly global discussion about trophy hunting [1]. Yet, policy debate about its benefits and costs (e.g. [2,3]) focuses only on the hunted species and biodiversity, ...

"The more you are willing to examine your own assumptions and beliefs—and holds the possibility that you may be wrong—the more you can truly understand" (from The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling) Being a naturalist basically means being ...

Ecological Ethics A&A—From Awareness To Action My friend and I engaged in a profound discussion about ethics. Our conversation delved into the inherent fascination of our species with a limitless growth model, evident in various facets such as our aspirations ...

Our enthusiasm and indulgence for animal captivity is changing yet very slowly. But we can accelerate our pace because it can only be a win-win for science, for the animals, and for us as moral individuals… 'Are zoo animals happy? There’s ...