Working Remotely: What Does That Mean for the Green Team?
We are now into our third week of our new normal, working from home, and Groundwork Lawrence staff have come together to ensure that our community is supported throughout this time. Whether it’s hosting virtual farmers markets or providing online nature related activities and resources for children and their families, GWL remains committed to the Lawrence community and a huge part of that community includes our youth and their families. Every circumstance is different, but we are working to ensure that our youth are an active part of changing places and changing lives.
Prior to the shift to online work, our Green Team began a pilot program around Winter Crow Roost research with Crow Patrol member Craig Gibson. Craig is a well known bird and conservation photographer who has expanded awareness about the Winter Crow Roost in the Merrimack Valley. He has spearheaded a range of activities and events related to the Merrimack Valley crows with local art organizations, education programs, and community groups in the city of Lawrence.
Update on Crow project:
In January 2020, the Green Team was invited to be a part of this journey in learning about the Winter Crow Roost in the Merrimack Valley. Amazed by this yearly crow phenomenon, we have learned crows’ staging and roosting behaviors while also understanding the communal and familial bonds the crows hold. The Green Team started our learning process by taking the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s course on “The Hidden Life of the American Crow,” learning how to distinguish a crow from a raven, better understand crow interactions with people, why they congregate in large numbers, and much more. Our observations included taking notes on what times crows come into roost, their flying patterns as they decide their next move, and their support of one another as they move in clusters to tops of trees. In the trees, we’ve witnessed them nuzzled, one on top of the other, communicating loudly.
Beyond these observations, we’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with the Essex Art Center and the Crow Patrol in hosting a gallery walk and community talk, where we shared an overview of our research efforts and joined over 70 attendees to witness crows converge into their overnight roost.
Since working from home, a huge part of our research journey has been initiating a virtual Speaker Series event, learning from expert ornithologists in both Massachusetts and New York. We recently kicked off our event with Mass Audubon’s Director of the Massachusetts Important Bird Areas Program, Wayne Peterson. He shared insight on what specific habits and patterns to look for when bird watching, calling these features “field marks.” Wayne encouraged us to listen for sounds unique to each bird, their behavior, how they fly, and what kind of habitat they are a part of. We are excited to continue our Speaker Series with Hamilton College Professor Andrea Townsend, who will explain migration patterns and the urban adaptations of crows in communities like Lawrence, MA. Her research includes how urbanization promotes transmission of West Nile virus and food-borne pathogens in crows. Other speakers joining us in this series include Cornell University professor Kevin McGown, creator of Cornell Lab’s ornithology courses and Binghamton University Professor Anne B. Clark and her research assistant, Ph.D candidate Connor Loomis.
The Speaker Series allows us to further Green Team’s understanding of crows and why they are the way they are. It is an opportunity for us to learn how to engage the community in a wide array of learning that goes beyond mere observation and allows them to challenge who they are, who we are, and how we co-exist.
To conclude our time working on this Crow pilot program, we are inviting the Groundwork Lawrence community to join us for a virtual crow celebration on Friday, April 24th from 4:30-6:00PM on google hangouts! Our staff, board, and advisory council will hear from us as we share what we have learned and how this experience impacted our lives.
So What’s Next?
Between our Speaker Series and preparing for our virtual crow celebration, we are looking forward to hosting a virtual Alumni Wellness conversation with former Green Team members. We also hope to take a variety of courses focused on the health effects of climate change, sustainable development, food security, and natural resources. We look forward to learning about different ways we can make an impact and are eager to participate in opportunities that can support our community as we face COVID-19. Be on the lookout for our posts and we hope you continue to stay connected!