Great Autumn Outdoor Safety Tips from MassWildlife

We thought we'd pass this info on! Thank you MassWildlife!

AUTUMN OUTDOOR SAFETY TIPS 

                                       

Fall is a wonderful time to be outdoors with its dazzling colors, crisp air, and wildlife activity galore. Whether your passion is hiking, hunting, fishing, birding, or just taking in the scenery, a few common sense safety reminders will add to your enjoyment during a day in the field.

• Know your limits. Don't take off on a long hike, hunt, or bike ride if you're not physically ready.
• Always tell someone where you're going and when you expect to return.
• Watch the weather. New England weather is notorious changeable. Be ready with extra clothing.
• Expect the unexpected. Carrying a fanny pack with a few first aid items, matches, water, pocket knife, cell phone, map, compass, whistle, extra food, and flashlight can help prevent small problems from becoming big ones.
• Wear blaze orange for visibility. Whether you're a hunter, hiker, birder or dog walker in rural areas, it's a good idea to wear a cap or vest of highly visible blaze orange clothing while you're enjoying the great outdoors.
• Respect the water. Canoeists and kayakers are required to wear life jackets from September 15 to May 15, but all water enthusiasts, especially anglers who wade in larger rivers, would be wise to wear floatation devices now that water and air temperatures are cooling.
• Respect other outdoor users. Mountain biking, horseback riding, wildlife watching, hunting, and hiking need not be and are not mutually exclusive activities. Know the hunting seasons and who is likely to be sharing the woods and waters with you. Keep dogs under direct control and respect other outdoor users' rights to enjoy our open spaces.
• Finally, licensed hunters are reminded to take the basics of hunter safety to heart. Treat every firearm as it were loaded, keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction at all times. Positively identify your target and what lies beyond it.

For other wildlife and outdoor safety information and tips, visit the DFW Outdoor Safety web page at www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/safety/recreation_safety.htm. 

Nothing like fall in Southeastern Massachusetts!

It's amazing how much time our staff and volunteers spend at their computers, even though we're all working to protect the outdoors! Yesterday, while our computers we're undergoing a major update, we seized the opportunity to hit the trails with our Stewardship Director, Jim Dehner, for a day of stewardship training. The weather forecast had predicted rain, but we didn't feel a drop until we returned to the office at 4:30pm. It was a beautiful fall day in Southeastern Massachusetts and this is where it all started:

Shifting Lots Preserve, Plymouth, MA.

And, this is what we observed:

Seaside Goldenrod and American Beach Grass.

We would have been happy to spend the day at the beach, but our field trip had 3 more stops on the agenda!

This was our 2nd stop:

Hammond Preserve, Wareham, MA.

Check back soon for pictures from the last 2 stops on our stewardship training tour. All I can say for now is that it was a beautiful fall day in Southeastern Massachusetts, I learned a lot, and THANK YOU to Jim and the computer techs who got us up and away from our computers for a day! This trip reminded us all WHY we do WHAT we do!

-by Sarah Kugel, Wildlands Trust Community Outreach Coordinator, AmeriCorps MassLIFT Volunteer