Lovely Day for Birding on Long Beach

What a day for birding on Long Beach! The temperature was close to 60 degrees and the sky overcast, providing excellent viewing conditions. We could clearly see the markings on these White-winged Scoters and other birds. (Photo above by Debbie Plume.) Our leader, Soheil Zendeh, pointed out colorful sea ducks, stately Great Blue Herons, a soaring Northern […]

Long Beach Birding Trip Report, Nov. 16

We enjoyed a warm day for our birding trip on November 16 and had many great sightings. A highlight for many was seeing an immature peregrine falcon stoop on a flock of Dunlin. It was unsuccessful in securing a meal. Long-tailed ducks entertained us with delicious views, as did Snow Buntings. Several other species of […]

Marine Debris Identified, Counted and Removed During COASTSWEEP

What’s in the waters of Cape Cod and Plymouth Bays? We found out on October 25. Less than a mile from Plymouth Rock, thirty-four volunteers joined me on Long Beach to participate in COASTSWEEP, a Massachusetts-wide effort to identify, count and remove marine debris, which can be harmful – even deadly – to humans and wildlife, reduce […]

The Best New England Clam Chowder Recipe!

Goldenrod Foundation led two Learn to Clam workshops this summer to teach Plymouth residents how to find, dig, shuck and cook the giant Surf Clam. One of our participants, Love Albrecht Howard, perfected a clam chowder recipe and was kind enough to share it with the world. Enjoy! Love’s New England Clam Chowder YIELD: Serves […]

Volunteers Invited to Join in COASTSWEEP on Long Beach on Oct. 25

Since 1987, volunteers throughout Massachusetts have turned out for the annual COASTSWEEP cleanup organized by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). Each September and October, thousands of volunteers collect tons of trash from beaches, marshes, riverbanks and the seafloor. And, since 2010, volunteers have been cleaning up their favorite parks, beaches, trails and […]

World Shorebirds Day Field Trip Results

On World Shorebirds Day –  September 6 – hundreds of ardent birders across the globe identified and counted their local shorebirds. In Plymouth, Massachusetts, Soheil Zendeh and Dorie Stolley led a trip for Goldenrod Foundation on Long Beach with 13 participants including Lisa Schibley of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN). (Photo above by […]

Shorebirds in Migration: A Field Trip with Brian Harrington

“What draws thousands of migrating shorebirds to Plymouth and Long Beach?” questions Brian Harrington, an ornithologist and our guide and teacher for the day. The students, recent graduates of Goldenrod’s Beach Ambassador program, suggest various answers: marine worms, food, beaches, habitat. “Yes,” says Brian, “it’s the incredible food resource the birds can find in Plymouth, Kingston, […]

Beach Ambassadors are Ready to Hit the Beaches!

A talented and enthusiastic new cohort of Beach Ambassadors graduated last night. They now join volunteers trained in previous years to lead nature discovery activities on Plymouth’s beaches. They will also run osprey viewing stations at Nelson Park and Long Beach, lead nature walks, rove the beaches answering questions about shells, birds and more and take beach-y […]

Roll up your Sleeves for Plymouth’s 11th Hometown Cleanup

Spring has finally arrived and that means Hometown Cleanup is fast approaching! The melting snow has revealed an ugly spectacle of garbage in our favorite parks and gardens, along trails and roadsides and at the beach. As flowers bloom and the osprey incubate their eggs, people all over Plymouth will pick up trash to beautify […]

Become a Beach Ambassador in 2015!

Do you love the beach – its wildlife, scenery, plants, shells and saltwater? Do you want to share your love and knowledge with others? If so, Beach Ambassadors may be the volunteer opportunity for you! We run three sorts of programs at Long Beach and Nelson Park in Plymouth: osprey viewing stations, kids’ nature discovery […]