Documentary filmmaker, photographer, landscape designer, author, and illustrator. "Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly" currently airing on PBS. Current film projects include Piping Plovers, Gloucester's Feast of St. Joseph, and Saint Peter's Fiesta. Visit my websites for more information about film and design projects at kimsmithdesigns.com, monarchbutterflyfilm.com, and pipingploverproject.org. Author/illustrator "Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities! Notes from a Gloucester Garden."
Running around like crazy today and in need of a post to fill my 6 o’clock time slot, I had a few moments of fun instagramming in my garden, but oh my, does it need a good weeding! And by the way, our garden truly smells like how you might imagine heaven would smell. My book on garden design, Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities!, is chock-a-block full of information on how to create a fragrant garden–a garden that will keep you wrapped in beautiful scents from early spring through autumn.
Rick Roth writes: “We had a nice day yesterday at O’Maley School Visiting Scientist Day. Â Sam Bevins and Ben Alger did a geat job as we presented some info about vernal pools, our turtle project, and some of our snakes.
Wednesday  May 20, 2015  8-11am
Saltonstall School (in Salem MA) Sustainability Fair
I’ll be there with native New England snakes.
There’s still time to donate and volunteer for:
Big Giant Benefit Yard Sale for the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team and Kestrel Educational Adventures
Saturday  May 23 (Rain date May 30)
Behind St. Peter’s Parking Lot, Commercial Street, Gloucester
This is how it works- Â You gety to clean up your house, basement, kid’s room, neighbors’ yard, etc… and bring the stuff to us on the morning of the sale between 7:00 and 9:00 am. Â Have something too big to bring us? Â Give a call and we may be able to pick it up. Â Please, no TVs, computers, mattresses or junk. Rick 978 281 3480.
We will need lots of volunteers to help set up, sell stuff, break down and clean up.”
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What mystery bird, new to my eyes, was I seeing as it cautiously appeared from the knot of tall reeds? Its neck extended like a heron’s, but was smaller in size than even the Black-crowned Night Heron. I caught a glimpse and then waited for movement, and then waited, and then waited some more when the furtive bird at last flew into a tangle of trees where its shape was unfortunately barely distinguishable. I took a few photos knowing they would be far too grainy to post, thinking nonetheless that a photo would be at least useful for a bird id. Suddenly the mystery bird took flight to the far end of the pond, landing at the water’s edge. I stealthily made my way over and for a few moments had a clear view through the emerging grass and cattails and was able to both film and photograph.
The neck of the male Green Heron is a striking chestnut color and the wing backs are a gorgeous velvety deep greenish-blue gray. As usual, the female’s plumage is more subduedly colored. Green Herons begin to arrive in Massachusetts in May, where they will stay through the summer, dispersing southward in September. The heron’s population is concentrated around inland wetlands and coastal marshes.
From reading several species accounts, the Green Heron’s claim to fame is that it is one of the few animals that utilizes tools to capture prey. It will float a stick or bread crust on the water’s surface to lure small fish, tadpoles, and crayfish. Wouldn’t that be amazing to film! Green Heron’s also eat small snakes, earthworms, and insects.
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Thursday nights art’s conversation was well-attended. After the introduction and welcome speeches by Mayor Romeo Theken, Jack Clark, and Judith Hoglander the audience broke into small groups to answer three questions: 1.) What values or vision informs your thinking about the selection and placement of public art. 2.) What suggestions do you have for reaching out and including the community in the process? 3.) What criteria should we use in the selection and placement of public art? After which the audience reconvened to share the small group’s answers.
There was a shared vision and commonality in many of the responses. A strong desire for transparency throughout the entire process was stated often as was the position that our public art choices tell the story of Gloucester.
In our small group, Gloucester sculptor David Calvo shared the story of Maritime Gloucester’s humble beginnings and how it grew organically, with the full support of the community behind its development. There are a number of reasons why there is such a community-wide viscerally negative reaction to the proposed David Black sculpture and one of the solutions suggested was to put a policy in place which would allow the community to say no to an unwanted gift. Another suggestion was to identify places where we would like to see public art so that the community is not in the position of scrambling to place very large-scale works of art in very small parks.
A suggestion that resonated with many was that we investigate and learn from neighboring communities about their policies toward selecting and placing public art. The meeting was productive and we’ll be hearing more from the Mayor and Committee for the Arts in the coming weeks about Gloucester’s developing public arts plan.
Mayor Romeo Theken and City Councilwoman Melissa Cox
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Doors open for a preview at 6:00 and the Auction begins promptly at 7:00. Don’t miss the chance to purchase the garden club’s prized perennials and beautiful one of a kind garden art. Donations from many local businesses will be auctioned off as well. Ryan & Wood Distilleries, Marshall’s Farm Stand, North Coast Too! Goose Cove Gardens, Sea Meadow Gifts are among the generous businesses that have donated their goods to the auction. A NOVA Star Cruise, including passage for 2 adults, a vehicle, dinner, breakfast and lunch will also be on the auction block!
Our board members and members have been hard at work dividing their tried and true perennial plants and creating garden art. Support the Seaside Garden Club and come home with great plants and garden art that will grace your garden with beauty for years to come! Light refreshments will be served.
This is the Seaside Garden Club’s only fund raiser and 100% of the proceeds go to fund our terrific programs throughout the year. The Seaside Garden Club meets the second Tuesday of every month, September through June at the Manchester Community Center. Membership is open to all. Visit our blog at: http://seasidegardenclub.wordpress.com/
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My husband and I were hiking in the Ravenswood Park area and saw this:
Yes, it appears to be part of a human skeleton, nailed to a tree. It was about 15 to 20 feet off the ground–too high for us to touch or get a closer look.
We discussed it, saying it was creepy, and hoped it was not real. We considered all the “rational” reasons part of a skeleton could be nailed to a tree: It was fake and just a prank from someone who wanted to cause a stir and obviously needs attention. Or, it was a leftover “decoration” that no one took down from a Halloween Haunted Woods event. Or, real or fake, it was a symbol, warning, or trail marker left by an unusual religious group. And last, we thought it might be part of a crime scene. Okay, maybe we have watched too many crime or zombie-apocalypse TV shows. But, we felt that there was a 1% chance it could be real.
With the 1% chance of it being real, I decided to tell the Gloucester Police. Even though I felt silly, I emailed Chief Campanello with a picture of the skeleton so he could decide if, or how, to proceed. The Chief was in Washington DC when I made the report, and he referred the situation to two of his officers. He said based on my picture it was worth looking at, but agreed it was probably just a prank.
Next thing I knew, I was meeting Lt. Joe Fitzgerald and Officer Troy Simoes at the entrance to Ravenswood Park. After looking at the map, we entered the woods from an entrance I was not familiar with, resulting in a navigation challenge while I tried to figure out where the bone was located from a new direction. We took two ATV’s that handled the wider parts of the trail well, but the trail soon became smaller and rockier. I may have screamed and cursed a few times when Lt. Fitzgerald apparently thought he was a NASCAR driver, plowing over rocks and plunging down hills at breakneck speeds. J Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I hardly cried at all.
After about 15 minutes of searching for the right spot on the trail, we had to get off the ATV’s and start walking. I told the officers that the skeleton would be nailed to a tree on our right. A few minutes later, Officer Simoes said “I see it!” and he pointed to the left. I looked up, confused, as I thought the skeleton would be on the right. It was a different skeleton, on a completely different tree! But, like the other one, it appeared to be the foot and lower leg of a human.
Upon closer inspection (this bone was lower than the one my husband and I found), both officers concluded it was a fake. They could see little seams, and said that a nail would not cause such a neat indentation in the bone. I was relieved there was no crime victim, as were the officers. We also agreed even though the skeletons were fake, they were unsightly and not a great thing for small children to see.
I apologized and thanked both officers for their time, but they said it’s always better to check something out than to ignore it. Plus, there are certainly worse ways to spend your time, riding on an ATV ride through the woods on a beautiful spring day!
After discussing my story with a few people, I heard through the grapevine that other hikers who have lived here longer than me knew about the bones. Â There may be many more nailed to trees, but no one had ever notified the police (at least not in recent history).
The experience left me with a few questions: Real or fake, why are the bones nailed to trees? Â How long have they been there? Who put them there? Have you ever noticed them? And, should they come down? Â Share your thoughts and stories!
Special thanks to Chief Campanello, Lt. Fitzgerald and Officer Simoes. And yes, Officer Simoes is related to GMG’s own Manny Simoes.
Â
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Male Common Yellowthroat fluffing and drying feathers after his many baths.
Splashing, and then dashing to a nearby tree, splashing and dashing again, and then returning for yet a third bath, this little male Common Yellowthroat seemed to relish in the fresh water at our birdbath. His more subduedly colored mate stayed well hidden and close to the ground and I was thrilled to see them both. This sweet pair of warblers have been in our garden for several days now and perhaps they’ll build their nest here!
Common Yellowthroats were at one time common however, their numbers have been steadily decreasing since the 1960s. Throughout the yellowthroat’s range they are suffering from habitat degradation and loss. Because they live in wetlands and eat primarily insects they, like countless wild creatures, are adversely affected by pesticides and poor water quality.
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Come down to Backyard Growers HQ (269 Main St.) on TUESDAY 5/19 OR THURSDAY 5/21 from 3-6 PM to pickup $1 seedlings.
For seedlings we will have slicing tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, sauce tomatoes, pepper varieties, eggplant, basil, parsley and more! We also have some High Mowing seed packets for sale.
IF YOU ARE A FIRST OR SECOND YEAR PARTICIPANT THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO GET YOUR FREE SEEDS/SEEDLINGS and shop for anything additional you may want.
Backyard Grower’s Photo
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Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken invites interested residents of Gloucester to join with her and the Committee for the Arts to begin a Public Conversation on the Arts on Thursday, May 14th, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm in the Kyrouz Auditorium at City Hall. The purpose of this facilitated discussion is to solicit ideas on what a public arts policy should look like. The meeting is not about individual projects, works of art, or location but about what should guide the City as it makes decisions on this important subject. “I am committed to carefully and thoughtfully considering issues related to the selection and siting of public art in the City of Gloucester and the upcoming Public Conversation on the Arts will be an invaluable tool,” said Mayor Romeo Theken.
Fisherman Memorial Painting by Paul Frontiero
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The Mary Prentiss Inn was named Yankee Magazine’s Best Inn, Greater Boston Area, and deservedly so!
As many of our readers have come to know from photos I’ve posted here, the beautiful family-owned and operated Inn is one of my landscape design projects.
Jennifer Fandetti, the Inn’s proprietor, and daughter-in-law of Cambridge artist Charlotte Forsythe and architect Gerald Fandetti, maintains The Mary Prentiss to the highest standards. The welcoming hospitality, combined with the gracious decor of the meticulously restored Greek Revival manor, along with their famously delicious breakfasts and afternoon tea, will make your stay truly memorable. During warmer months guests are invited to dine and relax in the exquisite secret garden.
Centrally located in the heart of Cambridge, and appointed with every modern amenity, when planning a trip to the Greater Boston/Cambridge area I highly recommend a stay at The Mary Prentiss Inn!
In autumn I mix a special custom collection of spring flowering bulbs for my clients, based on their preferences and the architectural features unique to their business or residence. The colors of the tulips in this year’s collection for The Mary Prentiss Inn are simply scintillating and especially beautiful juxtaposed against the warm creamy yellow tones of the exterior paint, emerald green of the boxwoods, and forest green of the hollies. You have to be very cautious in managing the colors though because a symphony can easily become a cacophony!
The orange parrot tulip in the above photo is a very old cultivar. Unlike the vast majority of tulips today, which are mostly scentless, this has a dreamy fragrance of citrus and honeysuckle.
Giving food to ducks and geese (waterfowl) can create many problems for birds and the environment, and both Mass Audubon and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MDFW) discourage it. The notion that waterfowl cannot survive without human intervention is false. Ducks and geese have survived for thousands of years without handouts and will continue to do so if left alone.
In 1973, H.W. Heusmann, a waterfowl biologist with the MDFW, conducted a study at six parks in Massachusetts between mid-August and mid-September. The data gathered during the 28-day period showed that 38,500 people fed 7,800 pounds of food to ducks, which roughly translates to 6,550 loaves of bread. Besides bread, the birds consumed crackers, donuts, pastry, popcorn, potato chips, pretzels, cookies, cereal, peanuts, and lettuce—a diet most people wouldn’t allow their children or pets to eat on a daily basis!
Why Shouldn’t You Feed Them?
Feeding attracts large concentrations of waterfowl to areas that can’t naturally support such numbers. Left on their own, ducks and geese will occupy areas that provide sufficient natural food. As they deplete food in one location, they fly to new feeding areas, often miles away. Mallards in Boston and the surrounding suburbs will readily relocate as far as Cape Cod to find open water and food.
Artificial feeding encourages unnaturally large flocks to gather in one place where the competition for food can cause unnecessary stress. This may weaken the birds and make them more susceptible to disease. Also, birds crowded into these areas are defecating in the same location where they’re feeding.
Alternatively, artificial feeding may allow frail birds to survive, reproduce, and diminish the species as a whole. (Mortality is normally high in bird populations; it’s a natural mechanism, important in maintaining populations that the environment can support.)
Feeding may encourage species of waterfowl not normally found in the area to concentrate. This can lead to an increased incidence of hybridization, which can eventually weaken the gene pool in certain species. This is a rising problem in Mallard and black duck populations in Massachusetts.
Deposits of fecal matter can affect water quality and compromise human health. Children can also come into contact with droppings left on the surrounding landscape. Also, birds crowded into these areas are often defecating in the same location where they’re feeding.
Winter Survivors
Ducks and geese are well suited to survive New England winters. Their feathers provide air pockets that stabilize body temperature and control heat loss. When birds fluff their feathers, they are merely increasing the air space and insulation. Waterfowl sitting with puffed feathers on a frozen pond are perfectly fine and do not need our help.
Birds and the Law
All birds are protected by federal laws under the “Migratory Bird Act of 1918,” as well as by Massachusetts state laws. Learn more about birds and the law.
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For more information on Motif No.1 Day and the Red Shed Film Festival see Sarah Kelly’s post from earlier today: Motif NO.1 Day is Gonna Be Amazing
Films are listed in the order of showtimes:
Calling All Chefs, Nubar Alexanian, Walker Creek Media
Vincent in the Present, Henry Ferrini
A Flight of Monarchs, Kim Smith
Hugh Verrier: Portrait of an Artist, Ben Gadberry
Toby MacNutt: Body of Work, Ashley DeLucco & Elizabeth Rossano, Vermont Community Access Media
Candles in Paradise, Rob Azevedo
That Asian, Akiyo Nishiyima
Stillwater, Jon Halverson
Whiskey Boys, Justin Plasse, Sensorium Pictures
Monsura is Waiting, Kevin Newbury & Matthew Principe, Principe Dynamics
Here And Now, Julian Higgins, Innerlight Films and Cinelicious
The Waiting Room, Jaret Sears
Sailing & Art, Christine Schmitthenner
Greenheads, Gordon Baird
Bless It, Michael Kelly, Trust The Vibe
The Granite Stoke, Ryan Scura & Dylan Ladds
Life by Lobster, Iain McCray Martin
This Perfect Place, Paul Van Ness and Kristina Lindborg
The Red Shed Film Festival is part of the Motif No. 1 Day Rockport Arts Festival. Screenings will be held at the Peggy Brenner Room, Rockport Public Library, at 17 School Street.
The Brenner Room is on the second floor; take the main staircase and turn left at the top, take another left at the end of the hall and you’re there.
For the documentary shorts, there will be audience voting for the favorite first, second, and third places.
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Your 2015 Special Edition, 25th Anniversary Issue of the CAVPT Newsletter is speeding toward your domiciles as I type this. Â Thanks to Colleen Anderson, Nick Taormina, Tracy Bowen and the Fabulous Bevins Family. If you want to recieve a copy of your very own, make sure we have your snail mail address, which you can inform us of by responding to this email.
We’ve been doing some more swamping with Nick Taormina and MERHS Green Team Scholar Ben Alger. Â More vernal pool surveys. Starting next week we’ll be setting some turtle traps on Essex County Greenbelt property, hoping to find Massachusetts Threatened Blanding’s turtles. Â If we have a population on Cape Ann, we certainly want to know about it, so we can make sure the habitat remains Blanding’s-friendly.
Thursday  May 14, 2015  4-5pm
Meet a live kestrel at the Get Outside Center at Brown’s Mall on Main St. in Gloucester.
And, the same day, 5-7:30pm Spring Fling- Kestrel Educational Adventures Fundraiser
at Latitue 43 on Rogers Street in Gloucester. Â Complimentary appetizers, cash bar, raffle and live music.
Tickets available for $15 at https:kestreleducation.squarespace.com/fling/
On Friday, May 15, 2015
Visiting Scientist Day at O’Maley School
Sam Bevins and I will be among several scientists to visit the school.
Wednesday  May 20, 2015  8-11am
Saltonstall School (in Salem MA) Sustainability Fair
I’ll be there with native New England snakes. Â Anybody want to volunteer for this one?
And… don’t forget:
Big Giant Benefit Yard Sale for the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team and Kestrel Educational Adventures
Saturday  May 23 (Rain date May 30)
Behind St. Peter’s Parking Lot, Commercial Street, Gloucester
This is how it works- Â You gety to clean up your house, basement, kid’s room, neighbors’ yard, etc… and bring the stuff to us on the morning of the sale between 7:00 and 9:00 am. Â Have something too big to bring us? Â Give a call and we may be able to pick it up. Â Please, no TVs, computers, mattresses or junk. Â Rick 978 281 3480.
We will need lots of volunteers to help set up, sell stuff, break down and clean up.
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After I saw you, I ran to the station and got the DSLR to shoot the fog on the harbor. I had to chase it, as the fog was moving- it just wouldn’t wait for me!
Here is a time-lapse I shot from Niles Beach, looking over towards Magnolia. I sped 6 minutes of video up to 18 seconds, and the fog looked like it was dancing. Thus the name: “Dance of the Sea Smoke”.
National Geographic describes this phenomena as advection fog:
Advection fog forms when warm, moist air passes over a cool surface. This process is called advection, a scientific name describing the movement of fluid. In the atmosphere, the fluid is wind. When the moist, warm air makes contact with the cooler surface air, water vapor condenses to create fog. Advection fog shows up mostly in places where warm, tropical air meets cooler ocean water.
Good Morning Gloucester 