Recent News

Prescribed Fires to Help Cottontails in MA

April 04, 2018 — cfergus

Wicked Local Wareham

BOSTON – The Trustees has announced plans to conduct three prescribed fires on the south coast of Massachusetts this spring, thanks in part to funding from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

America's Wildlife in Trouble, Needs Help

April 04, 2018 — cfergus

By Cheyenne MacDonald for Dailymail.com

Conservationists have issued a grave warning about the state of America's wildlife.

A new report has found that one-third of wildlife species in the United States are at increased risk of extinction, with everything from butterflies and fish to large mammals facing threats.

RI Volunteers Needed for “Funny-Looking Bird” Study

March 18, 2018 — cfergus

By Todd McLeish for ecoRI News

One of the region’s most unusual birds is the subject of a research project by University of Rhode Island doctoral student Erin Harrington, and she’s seeking at least 80 volunteers to become citizen scientists to contribute to her work. All it takes is a commitment of 38 minutes at dusk on four dates between April 20 and May 10, plus attendance at a two-hour training session.

Smile! You’re On Canid Camera

February 03, 2018 — cfergus

Researcher asks citizen scientists to help identify animals in trail camera photos.

By Karen Moore, for State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF)

If you enjoy looking at pictures of animals online, Canid Camera, a project by an ESF researcher, provides the opportunity to do that while helping improve and create wildlife habitat.

Nomans Land May Become Bunny Island

February 02, 2018 — cfergus

By Tanner Stening, Cape Cod Times

Federal agency plans to establish population of at-risk cottontails on island refuge.

The New England cottontail population will be getting another boost on the Cape and Islands.

Sharing the Science to Conserve New England’s Native Cottontail

January 25, 2018 — cfergus

By Charles Fergus

Federal, state, and university conservation partners met in Dover, N.H., January 17-19, 2018, to review progress in restoring the New England cottontail rabbit across its six-state range.

Good Forest Management Yields Wildlife Oasis

January 23, 2018 — cfergus

By Justin Fritscher, for #Fridaysonthefarm, an online publication of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

Prescribed Burning in Mashpee, MA, To Improve New England Cottontail Habitat

January 06, 2018 — cfergus

By Sam Houghton, Mashpee Enterprise

Mashpee is the recipient of a $24,000 grant to fund a prescribed burn of the Holland Mills Pine Barren. The Baker-Polito Administration announced the grant on January 3.

Conservation Success Story: A CT Landowner’s Perspective

December 13, 2017 — cfergus

By Denise Coffey, Hartford Courant

When Tom McAvoy moved into a 1760 farmhouse on 115 acres in Scotland, Connecticut, his goal was to restore the land to what it looked like when it was a working dairy farm.

McAvoy had a soft spot in his heart for the land. His friend's grandparents owned it, and McAvoy and his friend used to hunt there when they were younger.

Cottontail’s Life No Hop in the Park

December 11, 2017 — cfergus

By Diane Valden for The Columbia Paper

COPAKE, NY — The life of a rabbit is no hop in the park.

That's especially true if the rabbit is a New England cottontail, a "species of special concern," numbering only 10,000 to 15,000 in existence across its range.

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