Signs of Spring - Natures Green is Gold

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Nature's Green Is Gold  by Robert Frost
Nature’s first green is gold,Her hardest hue to hold.Her early leaf’s a flower;But only so an hour.Then leaf subsides to leaf.So Eden sank to grief,So dawn goes down to day.Nothing gold can stay.
As you are out and about on the lookout for signs of spring to record in your journal, keep this classic poem in mind.  Spring time colors are stunning.  Greens evolve into golds and reds.  Spend some time looking for these special, subtle spring time colors.

Snowy owls!

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To be this close to this impressive bird is incredible!

Today I had the wonderful opportunity to see and hear Norm Smith speak about his almost 30 years of working with Snowy owls!  Norm is the director of the MA Audubon Society's Blue Hills Trailside Museum.  He has been studying Snowy owls since 1981.  He has been doing research into their migration patterns and their ecological requirements.  He has obtained the necessary permits and permissions to capture Snowy owls at Logan airport.  He has color marked and leg banded most of these birds.  In addition, he has attached satellite transmitters to some of the birds.  The data collected via satellite telemetry on these birds will provide critical information on the physical health and the elusive migration patterns of Snowy owls wintering in Massachusetts.  To learn more about the MA Audubon's Snowy Owl Project, click here.  These photos were used with the permission of Sean Riley http://10thstreetbirding.blogspot.com/  and Dave Larson http://www.larsonweb.org/2012/normandsnowy.html

A beautiful close-up of this magnificent bird!

I am holding the wing of a Snowy owl.  This bird met it's death at Logan airport and Norn uses these parts for education purposes.

Look at those eyes!

Here is Norm pointing out something of interest.

Norm and the Snowy.

The owl is set free!

Bird of the Week - XXVIII

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Grey phase Screech owl.

Red phase Screech owl in a hole in a tree.

This week's "Bird of the Week" is the Eastern Screech owl. This small owl, about 10", has ear tufts and can be found in either a brownish-gray color or a reddish-brown color. The male and female birds look alike, with the female slightly larger. Believe it or not, the Screech owl is common in Reading, however, because it is nocturnal, we don't often see or hear it. They found in most habitats with trees, including urban and suburban areas. If you are careful, patient, and lucky enough, you may spot a Screech owl sitting in a hole in a tree. You may hear one of it's two common calls at night; a descending whistled whinny, or a whistled trill on one pitch.

This photo was taken by a former student of mine in her backyard.

The Screech owl hunts and eats large insects, small rodents, crayfish, earthworms, and small songbirds. They nest in tree cavities (holes) and will readily nest in man-made nest boxes.

Photos from All About Birds and Roger Tory Peterson print from Bird Watchers Digest.

Grey phase Screech owl in a nesting box.

Painting done by Roger Tory Peterson,  From Bird Watchers Digest.

Bird of the Week - XXIX

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 This week's "Bird of the Week" is the Northern flicker. This large woodpecker is the fourth woodpecker to be on the Bird of the Week, along with the Downy, Hairy, and Red-bellied woodpeckers. Flickers are large, distinctive woodpeckers that are often seen on the ground in open areas, eating ants and beetles. In flight, these large brown, woodpeckers have a white rump that is very visible and a flash of yellow in the wing. The face is gray and there is a black patch just below the throat. The male has a red "moustache". There call is a long, loud, "laughing-like" sound. Look for flickers in open habitats near trees, including woodlands, edges, yards, and parks.

Photos from All About Birds.

LINX Wind Powered Vehicles

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First, we have to decide on a plan.



Carefully aligning their vehicle.

 To culminate our Energy, Force, and Motion unit, the students will be desihning, constructing, and testing a wooden, wind powered vehicle.  The students are working in teams of thre and their goal is to construct a vehicle with a base leass than 200 square centimeters that will travel 8 meters in less than 12 seconds and it must do this twice in a row.  This is our third day working on this project and the kids are off to a great start!


Here's a great looking sketch!



Cisco Systems; Boxborough, MA

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I began the internship with a project to familiarize myself with the team and the technology. This project had me consolidating virtual router topologies into a common space so that they would be accessible by all engineers.

My second responsibility was to fix TE team bugs-both applying past fixes to other release trains and fixing new bugs.

This was a great experience working with great people and I would recommend it to other students. I learned a lot, and got a feel about what it would be like to work there for real.

Dunn & Phillips, P.C; Springfield, MA

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Primary Job responsibilities: meeting with clients, background research, preparing documents for courts/ judges/clients etc., office work, filing, answering phones, emails, scheduling meetings, sitting in on court to get a feel of what is it like.

Working here I received hands on experience that most places wouldn't offer to interns. It was completely worth the experience to see if you want to pursue law school or not and i would highly recommend this site.