Author: Kimsmithdesigns

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."

SAFE GUARDING THE BUTTERFLIES: FILM INTERVIEW WITH JOEL MORENO ROJAS AND ELLEN SHARP FOUNDERS OF THE BUTTERFLIES AND THEIR PEOPLE PROJECT

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In March I had the tremendous joy of interviewing Ellen Sharp and Joel Moreno Rojas, founders of the nonprofit organization “The Butterflies and Their People Project.” We filmed the interview from the rooftop of their hotel, JM Butterfly B&B, which is located at the base of Cerro Pelon Monarch Butterfly Reserve in Macheros, Mexico. Cerro Pelon is the old volcanic mountain where the Monarchs wintering home was first located by Mexican citizen scientist Catalina Aguado Trail, on January 2, 1975.  Trail was at the time working under the direction of zoologist Doctor Fred Urquhart of the University of Toronto.

Joel and Ellen are simply an amazing dynamic duo. They have built a beautiful and welcoming bed and breakfast at Cerro Pelon, the most pristine and least trafficked of Monarch sanctuaries. Largely through the conservation efforts of The Butterflies and Their People Project they have helped provide economic opportunities that have in turn dramatically reduced illegal logging and deforestation of the core protected areas of the forest.

The mission of The Butterflies and Their People Project is to “preserve the butterfly sanctuary by creating jobs for local people in forest and monarch butterfly conservation. The Butterflies & Their People Project is an Asociación Civil (non-profit organization) registered and located in the village of Macheros in the State of Mexico.”

I hope you’ll watch and will be equally as enamored of Joel and Ellen as were we. You’ll learn more about how The Butterflies and Their People Project came to be, the importance of protecting the existing Monarch Butterfly forest sanctuaries, and how jobs and economic growth go hand and hand with protecting the vitally important temperate forests of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.  And a bit about how this extraordinary couple met and began their journey in Monarch conservation.

To learn more about The Butterflies and Their People Project visit their website.

To donate to The Butterflies and Their People Go Fund Me fundraiser click here.

To learn more about and make a reservation at  JM Butterfly B and B click here.

OWLS, HAWKS, AND LANDSCAPES – RECENT SCENES FROM THE GREAT MARSH

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Snapshots of the beauty that surrounds, both wildlife and wild scapes –

Short-eared owl in red sunset glow

A Northern Mockingbird’s Paradise

Please don’t get electrocuted Red-tailed!

 

WILDLY WINDY GLOUCESTER AFTER STORM

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We tried going for a beach walk at Good Harbor, Brace Cove, and Niles before giving up and finding a less windy stroll along Niles Pond.  The water was a gorgeous deep ultramarine and even the inner harbor was beautiful with whitecaps.

GROW NATIVE!

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I love this handy chart that features a number of common butterflies we see in New England, and thought you would, too.

Nectar plants are wonderful to attract butterflies to your garden, but if you want butterflies to colonize your garden, you need to plant their caterpillar host (food) plants. We all know Common Milkweed and Marsh Milkweed are the best host plants for Monarchs, and here are a few more suggestions. When you plant, they will come! And you will have the wonderful added benefit of watching their life cycle unfold.

 

Monarchs are dependent upon milkweeds during every stage of their life cycle. Milkweeds are not only their caterpillar food, it provides nectar to myriad species of pollinators.

THANK YOU THAD BERNARD AND MACDADDY COMPUTERS!

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One of the inevitable pitfalls of our computer-laptop-iPhone dependent work flow is equipment failure. No matter how many ways you try to protect from different dilemmas that may arise with back-ups, work arounds, and are ever so careful around your machine, life happens. You wake up one morning and your computer won’t start, or you spill water, or it’s inexplicably acting freaky, or there is a software glitch, or your backup crashes, or it slows to a crawl, or it’s simply time for a new one.

No matter what the issue, Thad Bernard and his team at MacDaddy are there to help and creatively solve problems with the best technical support and consulting possible. Thad specializes in Mac, Frank Bernardini in PCs and Thad’s sons, Eli and Skyler, work on both Macs and PCs. On more than one occasion I have needed help and think we are so fortunate on Cape Ann to have this tremendous bunch of guys and the technical resource they provide. Thank you Thad, you are the Best!

As if that were not enough, Thad is an authorized Radio Shack dealer. You can find many of the same products that were formerly available at Radio Shack, such as cables and gadgets, right at MacDaddy Computers on Main Street. While there picking up my computer I purchased a new, much sturdier phone cable, and it was so reasonably priced, I think I’ll go back for a second 🙂

From MacDaddy Computers website:

“Wishing to fill a serious need for supporting Apple Macintosh computers on Cape Ann, Thad Bernard founded MacDaddy Computers a decade ago in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Having served the technical needs of computer users for over two decades, he was well aware of the importance of providing prompt and responsive support for a wide range of users. For the previous 19 years he worked as the in-house network administrator of a large corporation, responsible for the smooth running of its computers on the company’s corporate network of over 600 client workstations.

​A perfectionist who understands the rigors of detail in successfully carrying out IT management and administration, Thad possesses an intuitive understanding of serving one’s computing needs, and this flows naturally into MacDaddy’s growing business. Recognizing that the computing needs of a home-office user are not unlike those of a larger corporate environment, Thad has developed MacDaddy’s service orientation to be inclusive, from personal single-user support on through to serving large corporate accounts. Regardless of the customer, however, Thad’s friendly demeanor will flow into providing the highest level of support available for all-things-Macintosh!

Radio Shack is back in Gloucester!

In 2017 MacDaddy Computers, and our partner Abacus Computer Repair, teamed up with Radioshack to bring back their assortment of tech, gadgets, DIY gear, parts and more. Customers often voiced their frustration over both the fact that Radioshack had changed their business model and the fact that they subsequently closed down almost all of their stores, including the Gloucester, Ma location on Eastern Ave.

After some investigating, Thad found that they were still doing online business, and his curiosity eventually led to a new deal that is bringing their old products that they were best known for back to Gloucester in our Main Street store location.

We’re techies at heart, who loved taking electronics and gadgets apart as kids, and who simply never grew out of it, so we were just as frustrated when there was no one in the area to go to any longer, and we are just as exited that they are back in our town… (maybe even a little spoiled now that we have all of it at arms length every day).” 

MacDaddy Computers is located at

238 Main Street

Gloucester

978-515-7552

BOBCATS SPOTTED IN DOGTOWN AND IPSWICH

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Lynx rufus

Recently I read that Bobcats are expanding their range in Massachusetts, to include our Northeast region. I asked if anyone had seen a Bobcat locally and two readers responded. One was spotted in Dogtown and another in Ipswich. Coincidentally I came upon this video of Bobcats in Love, so even if you don’t see one, you may hear one calling for its Love 🙂 To view the video, click on the Vimeo link.

The gray one is the female and the rufous colored cat is the male.

Images courtesy USFWS

MAMA AND BABY OPOSSUM GET SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE!

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She was found lying in the woods, barely breathing with her helpless baby clinging to her. We believe she was hit by a car. She had severe head trauma, extreme hypothermia and was very thin and dehydrated. We brought her into our facility, warmed her up and started an IV. We honestly didn’t think she would make it, but we had to try – for her sake and for her baby.

We were so thankful that she slowly began to responded to our care. Every day she became more and more lively. After about three weeks of treatment she was able to be released. Knowing this mama Opossum and her baby had a second chance at life made all the effort worthwhile.

If you would like to support our efforts, we could really use the community’s help with some much needed supplies.  

Wildlife Amazon Wish List https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3SGHHZJ5OBGN0?ref_=wl_share

Thank you Cape Ann Wildlife for all you do to help our local wild creatures!

BEAUTIFUL RED-TAILED HAWK TAKES FLIGHT

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Red-tailed perched on a chimney scanning the marsh with its keen vision.

The Red-tailed Hawk’s vision is eight times more powerful than a human’s, allowing it see a small rodent such as a mouse or vole from 100 feet away. It dove into the tall dry grass making a loud crackly rushing sound but, came up empty-mouthed. Again it flew to the top of the Pink House chimney from where, only a few moments later, it made a second dive.

 

When diving to catch prey, their speed may exceed 120 miles per hour, and no joke, this Hawk’s speed appeared to increase as it became almost torpedo-like in shape.

 

Successful hunting! I only captured a photo of the second half of its flight from a distance; nonetheless, you can see the mouse (or vole) in its mouth in the last photo.

 

GRAMMY WINNING PIANIST MICHAEL LEWIN PERFORMS WITH CAPE ANN SYMPHONY

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CAPE ANN SYMPHONY PRESENTS

MOZART, HAYDN, BRAHMS& LEWIN FOR MARCHCONCERT

Sunday, March 22, 2020: 2:00 PM InManchester-by-the-Sea, MA

Mozart, Haydn, Brahms & Lewin features legendary composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, and Johannes Brahms; and guest artist Grammy winning virtuoso pianist Michael Lewin. The internationally acclaimed pianist has played in over 30 countries and commands a repertoire of over 40 piano concertos. Mr. Lewin joins CAS to play Brahms’ powerful Piano Concerto No. 1. The concert also includes Mozart’s joyous Marriage of Figaro Overture and Haydn’s delightfulSymphony No. 101 “The Clock.” The Cape Ann Symphony March concert featuringMozart, Haydn, Brahms & Lewin is Sunday, March 22 at 2:00 pm at Manchester-Essex High School auditorium on 36 Lincoln Street in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. Concert ticket prices are: Adult/$43.00;Senior Citizens/$38.00; Students (of any age)/$15.00; and Youth (Age 12 and Under)/$5.00. For tickets and further information call 978-281-0543 or Visit www.capeannsymphony.org

DOES BIRD FEEDING HELP OR HURT BIRDS?

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A question often asked – do bird feeders help or hurt birds? A thoughtful analysis from Cornell:

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Cornell All About Birds

By Emma Greig

“…There are some clear benefits of feed­ing birds. We know that some regular feeder visitors, such as Northern Cardi­nals, are doing very well, because their populations are growing and ranges expanding. But supplementary feeding has also been associated with negative impacts such as disease transmission, deaths from window strikes (when birds fly away from a feeder and into a house), and increased predation pressures (such as Cooper’s Hawks feeding themselves by feasting on feeder birds). Can we rec­oncile these disparate consequences of bird feeding and determine if feeding is actually harmful on a broad scale?”

Read more here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/analysis-do-bird-feeders-help-or-hurt-birds/

Male Cardinal

BARN OWL FLIGHT

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Charlotte and I attended a wonderfully informative program about owls today at the Wenham Museum. The presentation was lead by Julie and Jim of Wingmasters, a raptor rehabilitation organization devoted not only to rehabilitating wildlife but also to educating the public.

In attendance were a beautiful Barred Owl, magnificent male and female Great Horned Owls, an Eastern Screech Owl (gray morph), a stunning Barn Owl, the tiniest owl you will probably never see, but is definitely about, a Saw-whet Owl, and a gorgeous Peregrine Falcon.

All the birds at the presentation were at one time injured. Most of the wildlife Jim and Julie rescue can be returned to their habitats but some will never. A wing may be too badly broken to fly, an eye permanently injured, or in the case of the diminutive Saw-whet, it is developing cataracts.

Charlotte loved the program and was all she could talk about on the return trip home. We are usually looking at owls and eagles far off in the distance or through my camera’s lens so this was thrilling for her to see them up close.

I took many photos but unfortunately am still without my computer and won’t have it back until Monday, at the earliest. It’s extremely stressful not being able to work, along with the fact that I am in the midst of launching our Monarch film. I don’t know how you feel but I think it extraordinary how tied to our computers we have become and I have come to fully realize that this week. From design projects, to film and photo projects, to lecture programs, they are all wholly dependent on a perfectly functioning computer. For reasons I don’t want to get into here, I am going to have to learn several new challenging software programs. Argh! One thing that can be accomplished this week though is continuing to work on a film script, which I am writing longhand! And knitting many hats this week 🙂

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8zPWIlH6dN/

LAUGHING FOX!

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Good morning beautiful Red Fox of the marsh!

Driving along the Great Marsh at dawn, off in the distance a Red Fox caught my eye. I quickly reversed direction and was able to take a few snapshots. The Fox was vigorously digging in the snow and when he looked up, a small furry creature was clenched between its jaws.

He trotted closer to the edge of the scrubby shrubs with his breakfast held firmly. A brief pause and several chomps later, the unlucky one was devoured.

The Fox gave a toss of his head and while glancing around appeared to be laughing with delight, before then slipping into the wooded margins of the field.

As you can see from the map, the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. Additionally, Red Fox thrive in Australia too, where they are not native and considered an invasive species.

The Red Fox’s success is due largely to its ability to adapt to human habitats and to its extraordinary sense of hearing. A Red Fox can hear a mouse in snow from 42 feet away!

Because the Coyote has expanded its range so greatly, competing with Red Fox for food and habitat, the Fox are reportedly denning closer to homes. Most likely because human habitats are a safer choice for their kits than Coyote territory.

Oh how I wish a Foxy mama would call our yard home!

POWER OR COMPUTER PROBLEM?

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Struggling today to figure out whether my internet and computer shutting on and off all day are a computer or power problem. I met a ‘laughing’ fox at dawn this morning and hopefully can post those photos tomorrow. In the meantime, I grabbed this Instagram link of Charlotte jumping for joy over her new hat 🙂

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY AND THANK YOU SO MUCH MONARCH FRIENDS!

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Thank you so much dear butterfly friends for sharing Beauty on the Wing trailer. As I am writing this post, the new trailer just hit 600 views. That is quite wonderful as it has only been three days since we first shared the trailer and because unlike YouTube where if you watch only a few moments of a video it counts as a hit, with Vimeo, you have to watch it all the way through to be counted. By sharing the trailer and generating many views, you are truly helping when festival judges are viewing our submission.

So thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing!!! 

I couldn’t resist sharing the above photo from Alisa Marie, a member of the terrific group “The Beautiful Monarch,” administered by the very knowledgeable Holli Hearn.

Monarch Heart

SHORT-EARED OWL PERCHED AT SUNSET ON THE GREAT MARSH

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Shorty perching at sunset

MONARCH BUTTERFLY FILM UPDATE!

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Dear Friends,

You are receiving this note because you donated generously or because you have been a friend and supporter in one manner or another to my documentary Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly.

I am beyond excited to share that we will be picking up the masters this week from the color and sound editing studio, Modulus, which I have been working with these many months. The film has come together beautifully. I think you will love the soundtrack by Jesse Cook and the new mix and voiceover recording. Because of several delays over the course of editing, I was able to include footage from the butterfly’s spectacular late winter exodus at Cerro Pelon, Mexico, and from the exquisite Monarch migration that took place along the shores of Cape Ann this past fall.

Currently I am submitting Beauty on the Wing to film festivals. Over the weekend I sent in no less than 18 submissions. Some festivals we’ll hear back from within a few weeks, others it may take several months. In the meantime, I am learning about film distribution and am working on scheduling a sneak peek preview screening for all my donors and will keep you posted about that.

Here is a link to the new short trailer. Beauty on the Wing Trailer

I hope you will have two minutes to view and also, if you could, please share. The old trailer has thousands of views and believe it or not, number of views is important to festival organizers and film distributors So please share. Also, I am creating a longer, more detailed trailer and will send that along later this week.

A most heartfelt thank you for your generosity and your kind support. I am so grateful.

Sincerely,

Kim

P.S. See below very rough draft of a poster because I needed one quickly for the festival applications- I am looking for a graphic designer who can help with some ideas I have for posters, postcards, and other promotional materials. Please let me know if you have someone you love to work with. Thank you!

Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Workshop Accepting Students for Winter Session

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WINTER YOUTH PROGRAMS SET FOR GLOUCESTER STAGE
Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Workshop
Accepting Students For Winter 2020 Session
NEW Classes in Advanced Acting for Teens Ages 14 and Older
plus Monologue & Song Audition Prep and Costume Design
Winter Session Begins February 28 !

Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Workshop is now accepting students ages 5-18 for the 2020 Winter Session of professional arts instruction: Advanced Teens Ages 14 and older: Fridays at 2:30 pm and Saturdays at 10 am. Children Ages 5-10 years old: Fridays at 4:30 pm and Saturdays at 8 am. Teens Ages 11-13 years old: Saturdays at 8 am. The Youth Acting Workshop Winter 2020 Session features expanded instruction time of four class hours per week, an Advanced Acting Class for Teens and scholarship opportunities. Students will receive instruction in acting, directing, play writing, vocal production, improvisation, creating characters and the world of the play and costume design during the six week session. Acting teacher, director and award winning actress Gloucester native Heidi Dallin will be joined by guest instructors: Danvers native and Tufts University grad Sarah Vandewalle to teach personal expression through writing a monologue; Costume Designer of YAW’s annual production of Holiday Delights, Gloucester native and New York University grad with an MFA in Costume Design , Jennifer Greeke, to teach Costume Design and Gordon College grad Marion Wolter to teach expressing yourself through song and auditioning for musical theater. Students will write and perform personal monologues as well as learn and perform contemporary musical theater songs and design costumes for each project. Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Workshops are designed to provide young people an outlet to nurture their creative potential through developing self-confidence, communication and teamwork skills to use in their daily life as well as introducing them to the skills necessary for professional theater. Registration is open for the Winter 2020 Session. Sibling discounts and Scholarships are available. Class size is limited and registration is on a first come basis. For further information and to register, call 978-283-6688 or visit http://www.gloucesterstage.com/youth-actors-workshops/

Youth Acting Workshop students perform at Gloucester Stage
Photo 1: Stage Combat from the Advanced Teen Class: Gloucester’s Brendan Heanue, 15; Anita Magee, 15; Gabrielle Cros, 14 and Anya Lichtenwald, 16
Photo 2: L to R: Gloucester’s Anita Magee, 15 & Gabriel Magee, 13,
Photo 3: L to R: Gloucester’s James Towne, 9; Gabrielle Cros, 14
Photo 4: Foreground: Gloucester’s Bezzie Strong, 14; Background: Anya Lichtenwald, 16
Photo 5:Foreground: Gloucester’s Bianca Numerosi, 7; Background: Calvin Lee, 8
Photo 6: Gloucester’s Brendan Heanue, 15
Photo 7: L to R: Gloucester’s Stella DiMercurio; Rockport’s Julia Drost
Photo 8: Gloucester’s Onni Gibson
Photo 9: Gloucester’s Elliana Parsons, 12

photo credit: Emily Harney

WHY CLAMS ARE SO EXPENSIVE

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Clam digging in frigid winter weather – not a mystery why clams are so expensive, but so well worth every delicious bite.

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

EIDER PHOTOS FROM LEN BURGESS

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Len Burgess writes,
I thought you’d like to see these fair shots of Eiders that I got this afternoon at the Blyman bridge.
There were a large number at the entrance with the tide coming out. Some were diving for fish.
Hope you are doing well.
Len
Thank you for sharing Len!