Electronics Recycling 2020
January 22 – 25th was the third year of our three-day effort titled “Clean Up, Clear Out & Repurpose” which culminated in Saturday’s public electronics recycling event.
We set aside a day for staff to organize their office – they set aside items of interest to the archives and organize paper documents for shredding and recycling. Everyone participated by joining us for a pizza lunch, including our grounds crew.
Company Electronics Recycling
On Friday employees and volunteers were invited to drop off their personal electronic items to be recycled along with items that Mount Auburn was recycling. Staff volunteered to host the drop off during the day, and the IT department brought our recycling up from storage along with batteries that the company had collected for recycling.
Eighth Annual Electronics Recycling Event Open to the Public
On Saturday January 25th, we invited the public to bring their electronics for recycling at the Operations Center parking area on Cottage Street from 10:00AM-1:00 PM. All materials were picked up by Northeast Material Handling. The rain held off and the weather was comfortable. Issac Ahanmisi, IT Associate , Jessica Bussmann, Director of Education and Visitor Services; Corinne Elicone, Events and Outreach Coordinator; and Greg Ghazil, Preservation Supervisor turned out to host the event with me and volunteer Caleb Stewart.
This eight year attracted even larger attendance. An estimated 70 vehicles delivered items on Saturday. The oddest items coming to our collection this year: an exhaust system, a bed frame and a check embosser. We filled 17 pallets which required two truck runs to clear, that’s up from 13 pallets in 2019 for an estimated 4,250 lbs of recycling.
This effort was sponsored by Mount Auburn’s Sustainability Working Groups under the leadership of Paul Kwiatkowski, Wildlife Conservation & Sustainability Manager and by the Information Technology Department at Mount Auburn.
RECYCLED:
17 bins of electronic equipment:
~4250 lbs, 707 items recycled
~500 lbs of scrap metal
70 lbs of alkaline batteries
#1 item recycled: 70 Laptop Computers
Bird Population Declines – And How We Can Help
Ornithologists have long recognized Mount Auburn as one of metropolitan Boston’s most important bird refuges. Its 175 acres of green space and rich vegetation are crucial resources amid recent urbanization trends. A 2019 study from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology reports that there are three billion fewer birds in the U.S. and Canada since 1970, meaning one in four birds has disappeared over the past fifty years, with steepest declines in the eastern U.S. And according to the annual State of the Birds Report, a comprehensive analysis on bird populations in America published by the Secretary of the Interior since 2009, nearly a third of the nation’s 800 bird species are endangered, threatened, or in significant decline due to habitat loss, invasive species, and other threats. We recognize that these studies signal a broader ecological crisis. Luckily, we’re also aware that it’s not too late to help species which rely on ecosystems like those offered at Mount Auburn. We have therefore been prioritizing initiatives that are making the Cemetery an even better destination for both year-round and migratory bird populations, both through habitat enhancement throughout our landscape and collecting data (with the help of our community) on how well these habitats are serving their populations.
In recent years, Mount Auburn has become a living laboratory for scientists studying wildlife populations like our many species of birds. We now also have a multi-generational team of over 100 well-trained volunteers making it possible for these scientists to acquire the data they need at a much higher volume than they (or our own staff) would ever be able to on their own. These volunteers are part of our Citizen Science Program, now in its fifth year, with studies on phenology in our landscape each spring and fall to help us track changes in the timing of leaf, flower, and insect emergence related to weather and climate disruption (which impacts food availability for migratory birds). The program also features a new survey (launched in 2019) of breeding bird abundance and distribution throughout the Cemetery.
We have partnered with Brooks Mathewson, an ecologist with a long history of birding at Mount Auburn, to lead the program ever since its first year. Looking ahead to 2020, he will once again offer a series of workshops, training walks, and educational materials to teach our team of volunteers how to collect data for three studies in the spring and fall: breeding birds, red-backed salamanders, and phenology. Brooks then organizes, enters, analyzes, and summarizes the data; and he follows up with reports on the findings. With every year of data and analysis, we are better able to take a proactive approach to determining what adjustments need to be made in our landscape to maintain this rare resource: a thriving, sustainable urban wildlife habitat.Our Citizen Science Program would not be possible without support from friends like you; please donate today! If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact Wildlife Conservation & Sustainability Manager Paul Kwiatkowski at pkwiatkowski@mountauburn.org
Top photo is of a Northern Parula, by Brooks Mathewson
Attention Citizen Scientists!
The 2019 Fall Phenology Study Training schedule is set.
Classroom Trainings
Sunday September 29 with Jim Gorman at Story Chapel from 10:00 – 11:30am
or
Tuesday October 1 with Brooks Mathewson at Bigelow Chapel from 10:00 – 11:30am
Field Trainings
Monday September 30 with Jim Gorman from 10:00 – 11:30am
Meet at the Citizen Science Gatehouse
or
Wednesday October 2 with Brooks Mathewson from 10:00 – 11:30am
Meet at the Citizen Science Gatehouse
Please plan on attending 1 classroom and 1 field training
Current citizen scientists are encouraged to attend and new volunteers are welcome to join our community of discovery and science!
RSVP to Paul Kwiatkowski – Wildlife Conservation & Sustainability Manager
Attention Citizen Scientists
Save the Dates!
Spring Phenology Study Training
Don’t stand on the sidelines. Get involved. You can do your part by observing and documenting nature under threat by climate disruption. Please attend one classroom and one field training to prepare for spring data collection.
Schedule
Phenophase ID Classroom Sessions:
Sunday March 3 from 10:00-11:30am at Story Chapel
or
Monday March 4 from 10:00-11:30am at Story Chapel
Field Training:
Sunday March 10 from 10:00-11:30am (meet at the Citizen Science Gatehouse)
or
Monday March 11 from 10:00-11:30am (meet at the Citizen Science Gatehouse)
Citizen Science Naturalist Program
Join our community of volunteers that have become well-trained research assistants and informal educators. Learn about the species we coexist with. From exceptional trainings, to fun field research opportunities, this program is for all nature lovers.
Schedule
Saturday March 2: Amphibians & Reptiles – from 2-4pm at Story Chapel
Saturday March 9: Insects – from 3-5pm at Story Chapel
Saturday March 16: Birds – from 3-5pm at Story Chapel
Saturday March 23: Intro to Plant ID – from 3-5pm at Story Chapel
Saturday March 30: Mammals – from 3-5pm at Story Chapel
Saturday April 6: Fungi – from 3-5pm at Story Chapel
Saturday April 13: Field Notes & Nature Photography – from 3-5pm at Bigelow Chapel
Saturday April 20: Informal Educators & iNaturalist app / Boston City Nature Challenge – from 3-5pm at Story Chapel
If you would like to participate, please contact:
Paul Kwiatkowski
Wildlife Conservation & Sustainability Manager
617-607-1956