Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge

09/04/2026

🌊 Volunteer with Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge!

Looking for a way to get involved with the Refuge in Chatham, MA? We’re looking for volunteers interested in a few different opportunities:

🦅 Visitor Center
Help welcome visitors, share information about Monomoy NWR, and connect people with local wildlife and coastal habitats. The Visitor Center at 791 Main Street is currently open Mondays and Fridays from 1–4 PM, with additional hours possible based on volunteer availability.

🌿 Educational Programs
Interested in birds, native plants, or nature interpretation? We’re looking for volunteers who may be interested in helping create or lead educational presentations and activities.

🌼 Pollinator Garden
Help care for our recently installed pollinator garden! Whether you already have a green thumb or want to learn, volunteers can assist with ongoing garden care and maintenance.

📧 Interested?
Email Gemma at [email protected] to learn more and get involved.

Photo: Two volunteers shoveling soil for the new Pollinator Garden by USFWS

09/03/2026

Visit us this Friday! 🌿

In observance of the federal holiday on Monday, September 7, our offices and Visitor Center will be closed.

The good news? Our trails will remain open! Stop by Friday to plan your weekend adventures at Monomoy NWR. 🥾🌊

See you on the trails!



Photo: White sign displaying open hours on Friday. Credit: USFWS

09/03/2026

🌿 Invasives in Your Neighborhood: Autumn Olive

Autumn olive spreads quickly into fields, forest edges, and open habitats, where it shades out native shrubs and wildflowers. It also changes soil conditions by adding nitrogen, making it easier for other invasive plants to establish.

👀 How to Spot It
Silvery undersides on leaves
Fragrant pale yellow flowers in spring
Small red berries with silver speckles in fall
Shrub or small tree with arching branches

🧤 What You Can Do / Best Time to Remove
Small plants can be hand-pulled or dug out while the soil is moist. Late summer through fall is a great time to identify plants by their berries before removing them.

Photo Credit: Town of Sudbury, MA

09/02/2026

🐦 The Monomoy Bird Observatory: 15 Years of Monitoring Songbird Migrations 🗺️

Since 2011, James Junda and Valerie Bourdeau have been studying songbird populations on Monomoy NWR. They have spent time banding birds and evaluating the health and population size of the 80+ songbird species that depend on the Refuge.

Come hear what they’ve observed and learned over the past 15 years of monitoring songbird migrations at Monomoy NWR!

📅 Thursday, September 10 from 3:00PM-5:00PM
📍 Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center
🎟️ Free event

Registration is required — sign up here: https://www.friendsofmonomoy.org/event-details/the-monomoy-bird-observatory-15-years-of-monitoring-song-bird-migrations-with-james-junda-valerie-bourdeau

James Junda & Valerie Bourdeau have been studying songbird populations on Monomoy for since 2011 banding, evaluating the health and population size of the over 80 songbird species that depend on Monomoy. Come hear what they have observed and learned over the past 15 years. This is a free event.

09/02/2026

🐝🦋 Calling all bees, butterflies, and pollinators, there’s a new pollinator station in town! 🌻

Thanks to our awesome volunteers and Friends of Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge and some beautiful plants from Association to Preserve Cape Cod the Monomoy NWR visitor center is now home to a garden featuring 10+ pollinator-friendly plants! 🌿

Pollinator gardens such as this one provide an important source of food and habitat for bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators. By providing native plants and other resources, pollinator gardens help support healthy pollinator populations and the ecosystems that depend on them.

The pollinators aren’t the only ones invited! 🐝 We encourage you to stop by, check out the garden, and see who you can spot buzzing, fluttering, and flying around🐝🦋🌼



Photos: A bee landing on a plant and volunteers tending to young plants.
Credit: USFWS

08/27/2026

Hunting at Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge 🍂

As hunting seasons approach, we’re reminding hunters to plan ahead and know the regulations before heading out. Waterfowl hunting is permitted in designated offshore waters WEST of South Monomoy Island in accordance with state and federal regulations. Hunting is not permitted on refuge islands or inland waters.

Hunters must have a valid Massachusetts hunting license and all applicable tags and stamps. A refuge-specific hunting permit is not required. Hunting is NOT allowed ANYWHERE in the state of Massachusetts on Sundays.

Before your trip, review current hunting regulations, access information, maps, and refuge-specific rules:

🔗 Monomoy NWR Hunting Information: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/monomoy/visit-us/activities/hunting

Please respect closed areas, follow all refuge-specific regulations, and have a safe hunting season!

Photo: Waterfowl Hunting, Chuck Traxler/USFWS, Public Domain, https://www.fws.gov/media/waterfowl-hunting-3

08/20/2026

🌿 Invasives in Your Neighborhood: Beach Rose

Beach rose forms dense, spreading thickets that can crowd out native beach plants and reduce the diversity of coastal habitats. As it spreads, it can change the natural structure of dunes, making it more difficult for native vegetation and the wildlife that depend on these habitats to thrive.

👀 How to Spot It
Large, fragrant pink (occasionally white) flowers with five petals
Thick, wrinkled ("rugose") leaves with many leaflets
Dense shrubs covered in sharp prickles
Large, bright red rose hips that develop in late summer and fall

🧤 What You Can Do / Best Time to Remove
Small plants can be dug out by removing the entire root crown. Wear gloves and long sleeves to protect against the prickles. Late summer through fall is a good time to remove young plants before birds spread the rose hips.

Photo Credit: NPS

08/19/2026

Seasonal Staff Shoutouts ☀️🌾🐚

Meet Gemma — Volunteer Coordinator & Community Engagement Specialist

Gemma is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. a member of our Visitor Services team, as a Volunteer Coordinator and Community Engagement Specialist at Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge. Her duties include managing the visitor center, where she shares connects the public with the Refuge's wildlife, habitats, and conservation efforts as well as overseeing the volunteers working on trail maintenance, community outreach, and educational projects. When she's not at the visitor center, Gemma enjoys assisting the biology team with horseshoe crab tagging, joining bird walks with the Friends group, and watching the incredible wildlife found throughout the Refuge. Gemma also promotes education and public awareness for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument.

Gemma’s first experience with the Fish and Wildlife Service was at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Utah completing invasive species removal through the American Conservation Experience (ACE). Her favorite part of working with the Fish and Wildlife Service is the opportunity to take on a variety of projects while experiencing the incredible diversity of wildlife.

Photo: Gemma, posing in front of the Monomoy Light House by Caroline Pott / USFWS

08/19/2026

08/19/2026

Happy World Photo Day! 📸🌿

Did you know photography is one of the six priority public uses of the National Wildlife Refuge System? (High-key one of our favorites, too! 😉)

Whether you’re zooming in on a tiny seabird chick, snapping a seal hauled out in the sunshine, or capturing that dreamy golden-hour glow over the water, National Wildlife Refuges are great backdrops for all your nature photo needs!

So grab your camera—or your phone—and get snapping! 📷✨

Photo: Tern chicks hiding in beach vegetation by Savannah Gibbs/USFWS