Newburyport Today

LIVE EEL TANK DEBUTS AT THE PARKER RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE VISITOR CENTER !

The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is now displaying a live eel tank as part of our exhibits!   This tank is located in our visitor center, at 6 Plum Island Turnpike in Newburyport and is viewable while the visitor center is open from 11am-4pm.  

 

The American Eel is slimy, fascinating fish that lives an interesting life cycle. These eels begin their life thousands of miles away in the Sargasso Sea, which is in the North Atlantic between the West Indies and the Azores . After hatching, the eel eggs float to the ocean surface and hatch into small, transparent larvae shaped like willow leaves. These larvae drift with the Gulf Stream and other currents, taking about a year to reach the Atlantic coast, and even all the way here to Parker River .

 

These carnivorous creatures feed on fish, fish eggs, crabs, worms, clams, as well as dead animals. They can absorb oxygen though their gills as well as their skin. This gives them the ability to travel short distances on land. The American Eel is a special species of fish because it is what they call Catadromous. This means that they mature in fresh water and then return to the ocean to spawn. When yet we commonly come across more anadromous fish which are fish that live their life in saltwater and migrate to freshwater to spawn like the Atlantic Salmon, and the American shad.

 

Joining our American eels will be a few our Mummichog friends from our Stage Island impoundment. Mummichogs can be found along the east coast abundantly. They can grow up to five inches long and can consume up to 2,000 mosquitoes in 1 day. They are an extremely hardy fish and act as a great food source for larger fish. They are also our biggest mosquito control factor on the refuge.

 

So stop on in and check out this exciting new exhibit!

 

 

 

The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, was established in 1942 to provide habitat for and protect migratory birds and other wildlife species. Today the refuge protects fragile coastal habitat for over 350 bird species, as well as several plants, mammals, fish, insects, reptiles and amphibians.

Those Are Some BIG Dogs

Award-winning metal sculptor Dale Rogers and Haverhill resident opened his Big Dog Show this week behind the Maritime Museum.   The traveling exhibition of 20 "larger-than-life 'American Dog'  sculputres" graced the lawn for public viewing all week.  While the weather turned ugly yesterday, we here at Newburyport Today  were thrilled to wake to sunshine.  It's the perfect day to head our there and see the show if you haven't already.

 

If you go, plan to encounter a gathering of 20 Big Dogs, which is no small task.  The dogs weigh about 500 pounds each, and a special system is needed to get them off the trailer and positioned for each exhibition. Roger's explains, it's about the repetition for me...it's so much cooler walking around and seeing them in a group rather than individually" 

When asked what kind of dog they are we were told, "it's the 'American Dog'..no matter what kind of dog you have, it's your dog"  Roger's says they are an amalgamate of different types of typically American Dogs, like the labrador, collie, and retriever.

There is also a hidden bee carved out of each dog.  We are told that kids have ball trying to find them on each sculpture.

 

Roger's sums up the experience by saying "Adding sculpture to public landscapes can inspire people of all ages. I want my art to invoke a thought, generate conversation and create a strong connection for people who view it"

***post content contributed to by Mariah Gale, who also provided the photography

Joppa Flats - Bird Up!

Bird Up!

A monthly column about what’s new and fun at Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center

Take a closer look with a microscope

APRIL VACATION ACTIVITIES AT JOPPA FLATS

Come to Joppa Flats during school break!  Our fun indoor and outdoor activities will keep minds active and hands busy with a different theme each day.  Art activities, experiments, group games, and more with everyone’s favorite nature teacher, Lisa Hutchings.  It’s free-flow learning for the whole family.  Come once or all three times – and you can just fly by or stay awhile.  The choice is yours!

Compare minnow species in the marsh 

For families with children age 2 and up.  Children must be accompanied by adults.  The fee is $3 per child for Mass Audubon members or $5 per child for nonmembers.  Preregistration is not required.

 Wednesday, April 22, 10 am – 2 pm: Ponds

Thursday, April 23, 10 am – 2 pm: Vernal Pools

Friday, April 24, 10 am – 2 pm: Salt Marshes

 

Ooh and ahh at the great egret

Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats Education Center at One Plum Island Turnpike in Newburyport.

For more information, call 978-462-9998 or go to

www.massaudubon.org/joppaflats

Find out what we catch in the fish traps

 

Newburyport Art Association - Budding Artist Show

Continuing with our Art theme... Newburyport Today took a trip down to the Newburyport Art Association to see the Budding Artist Show now on exhibit until April 19th.  The show is filled with works of all media, and age ranges / grade levels.  The subject matter is also diverse ranging from still life and portraiture, to the abstract.

We hope you go down to see the whole show, here are a few of our favorites.

Newburyport "In Focus"

Jane Moody - Sunrise

What happens when you send twenty photographers out into the frigid cold to photograph New Years Day?  If you send them out in Newburyport, the answer is magic... Jean Coughlin, owner of In Focus (located in the Tannery) was the brainchild behind the shoot and her motivations were clear.  "We decided to sponsor the photo shoot sometime in November when we were thinking of ways to create excitement about photography during the winter months. One of the gifts of winter in New England is the beautiful landscape fresh with snowfall and the dramatic light and contrast that it creates in our everyday world."  The show is a lovely tribute  to our  beautiful city and is a great snapshot (pardon the pun) of a day in the life here in town.  The show is on display in The Tannery until the end of March.

Jim Mcllvain - BW Fence

Karen Westphalen - Bartlett Mall

On display in The Tannery