Wildlife expert speaks to newcomers group
By Angela Greiner Community Reporter

Wildlife speaker Ron McAdow addresses the audience at a Marlborough Area Newcomers and Neighbors meeting.

Marlborough - Twenty members of the Marlborough Area Newcomers and Neighbors (MANN) watched a slide show and participated in a discussion with local wildlife speaker Ron McAdow Feb. 4 at the Marlborough Public Library. McAdow, who is the executive director of the Sudbury Valley Trustees, is well-known in the area as the author of "A Guide to the Nature and History of the Concord, Sudbury and Assabet Rivers," and for his newspaper column, "Knowing Our Place."

In McAdow's hour-long slide show, he took the audience on a journey through the rural landscape of Marlborough and surrounding communities, which included photos of wildflowers and vegetative growth in both wooded and open terrain.

Although McAdow is committed to maintaining forested areas, he also feels strongly about the importance of open farming land.

"When people keep the land in agriculture, it keeps the land viewable," he said.

Other slides displayed the local waterways and riverbanks in mid-summer and late winter. McAdow described rivers and streams as "connective tissue" tying diff erent pieces of land together.

McAdow's slide show also featured wildlife, including night shots, taken with a mounted camera, of fishers and bobcats. Even McAdow himself was impressed by the size of those populations.

"I had no idea that there were so many fishers around here," he said.

Other animals that McAdow caught on film were coyote, mink, red fox, gray fox, blue heron, beaver, deer, flying squirrel, skunk, raccoon and the rare blanding turtle.

"Blanding turtles are rare in the Northeast, but it is believed that the Northeast is their natural habitat," McAdow said.

He has noticed over recent years that the presence of blanding turtles in the area leads to hope that the animal will increase in numbers.

MANN member Kathryn Denney said she enjoyed the photography presentation.

"It was fascinating to see the diff erent animal traffic making its way through the woods and open spaces," Denney said.

Denney, who has been an active member of MANN for several years, explained that the organization meets monthly at the library and features a guest speaker.

"Our goal is to provide a social outlet or support for the people of Marlborough," she said.

Although the group does reach out to new members of the community, that is not their primary objective, she explained.

"We have members that have been involved for 10 years. Our primary focus is to get a bunch of really fun people together with similar interests and have fun," she said.

For more information about MANN, visit the website at www.marlboroughnewcomers. com or call 508-481-5689.