Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge

05/01/2026

It's that time of year, finally! Spring is in the air, days are getting longer, temperatures are warming up- and thousands of migratory shorebirds including common terns (pictured here with a tasty snack), American oystercatchers, and piping plovers are returning to Monomoy NWR. These birds rely on Monomoy's beaches and coastal habitats as a safe place to feed, nest, and raise their chicks.

🚩Important reminders🚩
- From May 1 to September 15, dogs are NOT PERMITTED on the Morris Island (mainland unit) of Monomoy NWR. This is the area accessed from the parking lot at 30 Wikis Way.
- Dogs are NEVER PERMITTED on Monomoy NWR's offshore islands (North Monomoy, South Monomoy, and Minimoy).

Curious for more information on how to have a bird-friendly visit to the beach this summer? Looking for a helpful map of local dog-friendly alternative sites to bring your pup? Look no further! Check out Monomoy's Share Our Shores webpage: https://sos.atlanticflywayshorebirds.org/monomoy-national-wildlife-refuge/

Photo credit: Savannah Gibbs / USFWS

04/17/2026

The Chatham Conservation Foundation, Inc. and Friends of Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge have some awesome events coming up as part of Chatham Earth Week!

Visit the ccfinc.org/earthweek for the full schedule and to RSVP for events.

On Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, stop by Monomoy NWR's new Visitor Center at 791 Main Street in downtown Chatham for our open house from 1-4pm.

And if you are interested in learning more about why dark skies are important for both people and wildlife, join us for a Dark Sky Presentation at the Visitor Center from 4-5pm! RSVP for this event for free by using the CCF link above.

See you there!

03/30/2026

Do you ever wake up from a long winter nap... and just need to scream??

If so- we feel you. And you have a lot in common with a Spring Peeper!

The wetlands and vernal pools across Massachusetts (including the one seen/heard in this video at Assabet River NWR) are full of these tiny tree frogs, aptly called Spring Peepers since their loud chirping calls are one of the first signs of the season's arrival. These 1-inch long lil dudes spend the winter hibernating under piles of leaf litter, and are specially adapted to survive long, cold New England winters by producing a kind of natural anti-freeze in their cells. Once the temperatures warm up a bit, they begin to thaw out, wake up, and males begin calling to advertise to females- sometimes calling as many as 13,500 peeps per night!

Video Credit: Madelyn Kaplin / USFWS

03/25/2026

Prescribed Burn on South Monomoy Island - Postponed!

Unfortunately, rainy and wet weather at the beginning of the week disrupted our staff's plans for a scheduled prescribed burn on South Monomoy Island to improve tern nesting habitat.

It may still be chilly out, but spring is slowly ramping up and the shorebirds who rely on Monomoy's beaches are already beginning to arrive! So with the spring window for a prescribed burn closed, we will postpone until the fall.

Updates for a scheduled fall prescribed burn will be posted to this page as well as to our website: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/monomoy

Photo Credit: Sandra Grund

03/18/2026

🔺Important Update - Prescribed Burn Scheduled at Monomoy NWR 🔺

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff will be conducting a prescribed burn on South Monomoy Island during the week of March 23rd.

Monomoy NWR supports one of the world's largest common tern colonies, and is a rare northeastern nesting site for the federally listed roseate tern. The scheduled prescribed burn on South Monomoy Island will increase high-quality nesting habitat for both common and roseate terns by decreasing the cover of thick beach grass, thatch, woody vegetation and invasive plant species.

The exact dates for the burn during the week of March 23rd will depend on favorable weather conditions. During and after the burn, smoke may be visible from distance.

Please note- on the days the prescribed burn takes place, South Monomoy Island will be temporarily CLOSED to all public access.

The parking lot and trails at Morris Island will remain open!

03/11/2026

Some bird names are a bit of a misnomer. Purple sandpipers? They're a nice gray brown color. Common nighthawks? Not a hawk, and they're most active at dawn and dusk.

That's why we're feeling grateful for birds like this lovely leggy shorebird, aptly called a Lesser Yellowlegs. Why "lesser", you might ask? Their close relative, the Greater Yellowlegs, is slightly larger and has a distinctly longer bill.

March marks the very beginning of spring shorebird migration, when shorebirds like the Lesser Yellowlegs depart their wintering grounds in Central and South America and head north, flying thousands of miles (sometimes without stopping!) to reach their summer breeding grounds along the north Atlantic coast and into the upper reaches of the Arctic.

It's one of the most incredible animal migrations on the planet, and Monomoy NWR is a great place to catch a glimpse of these avian super-athletes along their route.

If you see shorebirds on the beach or along coastal mudflats, you can help them succeed by giving them plenty of space so they don't get scared and fly away (or 'flush') from the area. This allows them to feed and rest in peace, saving their energy for the long journey ahead!

Photo: Sandra Uecker/USFWS

03/06/2026

Interested in volunteering at some of the other refuges in the Eastern Mass NWR Complex? See below for more information about an upcoming Volunteer Training for Assabet River, Great Meadows, and Oxbow NWR volunteers on Saturday, March 28, at 10am. 🐢🌳🌱

Interested in volunteering at Monomoy NWR? Never fear, a Volunteer Training for Monomoy NWR volunteers is in the works and will be announced soon! Keep an eye on this page for updates. 🐚🌊🐠

📆 Save the date!! 📆

Interested in volunteering at Assabet River, Great Meadows, or Oxbow National Wildlife Refuges?? Join us on Saturday, March 28 at 10am for a Volunteer Training Event!!

This training is open to all- whether you've been volunteering with us for many years, you just got started, or you're simply interested in learning more. Attending does not obligate you to volunteer. But it's a great chance to learn more about the volunteer program, discuss current projects and updates, and to meet refuge staff and fellow volunteers in person! 😊

⏰When: Saturday, March 28, 10am

📍Where: Assabet River NWR Headquarters Building (Former Visitor Center along Winterberry Way). Address 680 Hudson Road, Sudbury MA 01776

Register here: https://forms.office.com/g/dyUasj6NrQ

03/04/2026

PEENT!

There are so many things to love about the very early days of spring- all this snow slowly melting off, the warmer weather, and longer days, just to name a few- but the thing we're most excited about?

American Woodcocks (aka Timberdoodles, aka Bogsuckers) are back! These very adorable, big-eyed birds spend their winters in the southeast, then head back up north starting in late February and early March.

Now is a great time to catch a glimpse of the woodcock's unique courtship displays, which typically happen before sunset. These involve the male bird strutting and "peenting" (calling a very nasally 'peent' note), followed by an elaborate aerial display or "sky dance".

Photo credit: Mike Budd / USFWS

02/25/2026

Join our team!!

We are currently hiring for 2 different seasonal positions based in Chatham, MA. Start dates flexible in April/May, and FWS housing is available at no cost.

Click the links for more detailed information about each position. Help support Monomoy NWR's important coastal conservation and outreach work!

◼️Biological Support Member - Shorebirds
https://usaconservation.applicantpool.com/jobs/1281538

◼️Visitor Services, Education, and Outreach Member- Eastern Mass NWRC and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument
https://usaconservation.applicantpool.com/jobs/1284148

🔗Share this with your networks, and anyone who may be interested🔗

02/15/2026

In honor of Presidents’ Day and the Freedom 250 celebration, all U.S. Department of the Interior-managed public lands will offer a fee-free day tomorrow, February 16th.

Most of the more than 570 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System are already free to visit every day, but for the handful that do charge an entry fee- like Great Meadows NWR in Concord- this day is for you.

Enjoy the day and all that our public lands have to offer!

02/13/2026

Your fave Valentines cards are back! Share far and wide to all the special people in your life this weekend 😍

Find more fun USFWS valentine cards here ➡ https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/valentines-day-cards-wild-heart

Images and graphic by USFWS