Announcements and Special Events
Patti Kelly is an Ipswich artist who began drawing as a child. She was greatly influenced by her father, who also drew. As an adult, she has worked as a preschool teacher, raised a family with her husband, Jack, and studied art with two professionals. She credits Deborah Padden of Monson and Pat Lutz of the Artist’s Playground in Newburyport for helping her to develop her skills.
Patti draws great inspiration from nature. With her husband, she began visiting wildlife sanctuaries and became interested in birds. A hobby developed in which Jack photographs the birds the couple encounters and Patti later makes painting. In her exhibit, Patti shares many of these paintings.
Introduction to Bird Watching - Zoom Class!
Since 1986, Bill Gette, Founding Director of Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport, has been introducing people to the exciting world of birds through his Introduction to Birdwatching workshops.
During his PowerPoint presentation, Bill will describe why birding is so popular; review basic information every new birder should know to get started; outline a method for working through the identification process most effectively; explain why a sense of place and time is so important; and outline the many aids to bird identification, both physical and behavioral.
This richly illustrated presentation is appropriate for both beginning and intermediate birders and anyone interested in experiencing the beauty and diversity of wildlife in our area. There will be time for questions during and after the presentation.
A Zoom link will be shared prior to the event.
RSVP and Learn More on our Facebook Page!
Introduction to Birding - Field Trip!
SAT, APR 29 AT 9 AM
During this two-hour field trip at the Hellcat Wildlife Observation Area, Bill Gette and Doug Chickering (Board members of the Friends of Parker River NWR) will provide an introductory birdwatching field trip. During this program, we will review the many aids to field identification that beginning and intermediate birders will find very helpful. We will review important physical and behavioral characteristics key to identification.
If you have a pair of binoculars, please bring them. The refuge will have a few pairs of binoculars that you can share. Bill and Doug will have telescopes and field guides.
In case you missed it! Check out the wonderful write up about the work that was done on the refuge this week! Link to The Daily News article here
Artist of the Month - May 2023
Patti Kelly is an Ipswich artist who began drawing as a child. She was greatly influenced by her father, who also drew. As an adult, she has worked as a preschool teacher, raised a family with her husband, Jack, and studied art with two professionals. She credits Deborah Padden of Monson and Pat Lutz of the Artist’s Playground in Newburyport for helping her to develop her skills.
Patti draws great inspiration from nature. With her husband, she began visiting wildlife sanctuaries and became interested in birds. A hobby developed in which Jack photographs the birds the couple encounters and Patti later makes painting. In her exhibit, Patti shares many of these paintings.
Artist of the Month Guidelines
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
In an effort to provide Refuge visitors with a broader array of interpretive exhibit offerings in the Refuge visitor center, the “Artist of the Month” program gives local artists an opportunity to display their wildlife and nature-related artwork, for one month at a time, in the visitor center auditorium.
Our nature-themed monthly exhibitions of paintings and photographs are held in the Parker River visitor center and bring great enjoyment to those visiting the center for programs or information. The Friends coordinates these exhibits and encourages those considering showing their work to read the guidelines provided below and if interested to submit a signed copy as directed.
You may also contact us at friends@parkerriver.org for further information.
Contribute to the Friends Internship Fund!
Friends of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to supporting the US Fish & Wildlife Service Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Our Friends organization is entirely dependent upon volunteer support and funding from membership dues, donations, grants and fund raising events.
The Refuge is located on Plum Island, a barrier island and nearby Great Salt Marsh area in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, along the major bird migration route known as the Atlantic Flyway. It is comprised of more than 4,700 acres of pristine coastal habitat for more than 300 species of resident and migratory birds, as well as a large variety of mammals, insects, fish, reptiles and amphibians. In addition to wildlife conservation, the Refuge provides unique opportunities to experience an undeveloped, coastal environment near major metropolitan areas. See http://www.fws.gov/refuge/parker_river/.
Our Friends Organization:
Supports the primary purposes for which the Refuge was established.
Promotes the preservation of the natural and historical resources of the Refuge.
Fosters the wildlife-dependent use of the Refuge and the enjoyment of it by the public, consistent with its protection and preservation.
Engages in such educational, scientific and civic activities to assist the Refuge to carry out its mandates.
The Friends of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to all our corporate sponsors and friends
Corporate Sponsors:
We appreciate all of your help and support. Please visit their websites for more information about each organization/business.
Tom’s Plum Island Birding Page
Essex County Ornithological Club
Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Education Center
