The June Photo of the Month comes from one of our own MassMammals community volunteers, Douglas Dawson!

The image features a seemingly curious Black Bear approaching a trail camera. Take note of the temperature, a scorching 107 degrees Fahrenheit. Much like a dog, black bears will regulate heat by panting (as seen in the photo), shedding fur, or finding a nice shady spot. 

For any more mammal sightings, submit any photos to the form here!

Reminder to anyone with a Ring camera or similar security system installed; these systems help us collect important data on the presence and absence of mammals in your area. We welcome you to join our team of registered volunteers who submit photos once a month. Having regular reports from a fixed location allows us to learn even more about mammals in your area than individual sightings.  New volunteers can register here 

Recently, our group published a research article that highlights the different challenges an extreme natural event can have on data collection. This topic is especially important to our project because our data comes from the community around us! This means that a pandemic like COVID-19 may change the amount of submissions we receive as a group and where those submissions are from, but that may not be due to different numbers of mammals being around. 

Our group members did a fantastic job on this article, so check it out to find insights into how citizen science projects can be impacted by large-scale natural events! You can find the article here!

Our wonderful PI Dr. Thea Kristensen setting up a trail camera!

This summer we are launching a pilot study to explore how different types of trail use in the Holyoke Range affect local wildlife, inspired by community input on changing human traffic patterns. The Holyoke Range is a critical area for conservation and recreation in the Pioneer Valley. With support from the Kestrel Land Trust and other local groups, our study will use trail cameras to monitor both human and mammal activity, ensuring privacy by ensuring privacy by keeping photos in a password-protected folder only accessible by project members and deleting images after data collection.

Our project aims to refine methods before potentially expanding to a larger scale, with a focus on balancing wildlife conservation with human recreational use. Our study's findings will be shared with the community, contributing to understanding and preserving the region's ecological health. This project is currently ongoing, so if you would like to find out more, click this link! 

Photo of a bear sniffing around trash by volunteer Reid Bertone-Johnson!

It is the summertime, which means mammals are out and about! One of these mammals is the black bear. Black bears are typically found in forested areas and regions with abundant natural food sources like berries and nuts. These bears may also wander into suburban areas in search of food, especially if there are attractants such as bird feeders, unsecured garbage, or outdoor pet food. To keep black bears away from your home, it’s important to remove these attractants, secure trash in bear-proof containers, and avoid feeding birds during the summer months.

If you encounter a black bear, remain calm, avoid direct eye contact, and slowly back away while making yourself appear larger. Never run, as this might trigger the bear's instinct to chase. Making loud noises can also help to scare the bear away. Click here to learn tips for potential bear situations!