Friends of Fannie Stebbins

06/24/2026

Article about our May annual meeting in the latest Longmeadow Neighbors written by Board VP Jim. Eagle and osprey pictures by Board member Matthew.

06/19/2026

After last year's nest collapse many friends were watching this year's chapter closely. Our eaglet appears to have successfully launched from the new nest! It has been seen flying over the last couple of weeks. We expect it will continue to stay in the general area learning important eagle life skills from mom and dad over the summer. This shot shown below of the eaglet was taken a couple of weeks ago from the road using an 800mm super zoom lens. Thank you for continuing to enjoy watching from the roads and not approaching the nest tree (or any birds on the ground) during this crucial learning time.

06/18/2026

Very thankful for this team that made it out yesterday onto the two largest ponds to pull invasive water chestnut plants. Huge thanks to the Connecticut River Conservancy for their leadership, help organizing, and their boats! We will be doing one more pull the morning of July 8th on one smaller (but more infested) pond. Keep an eye out for registration details. Gratitude list: Qin, Michele, Miya, Jennifer, Cynthia, Jim, Dhara, Lina, Miro, and Kelly.

06/13/2026

Last week our USFW partners from Silvio O. Conte cut back the trails with their machines making for an easier walk. And our newest Steward Jackson has been hard at work keeping the Pondside Trail culvert cleared which is helping with the water on that trail. Be prepared for some water on that trail still, and deer flies on all trails!

The second picture is a Harvester butterfly taken by another Steward, Jeff B. Harvesters are the only butterfly species in North America with carnivorous caterpillars. Found in damp woodlands near streams, its larvae feed exclusively on wooly aphids, while adults consume aphid honeydew rather than flower nectar.

06/10/2026

We recently launched a website! https://friendsoffanniestebbins.org/

Check it out for basic info about our Friends organization and the Fannie Stebbins Refuge. We appreciate all our friends and supporters!

06/06/2026

Many friends have expressed concerns about the speed of traffic on Pondside Rd (especially on days the recycling center is open). Sharing a post from Longmeadow Police related to road safety: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1KFnQfbdFe/
You can click into the link and drop a pin on Pondside Rd then share your concern in the comments. Just takes a couple of minutes.

We're helping out our friends at Valley Planning Commission to gather responses for a Safe Streets and Roads for All planning process. Have you noticed a dangerous intersection, speeding concerns, or a place that feels unsafe to walk or bike? The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is collecting community input to improve road safety. Drop a pin on the interactive map to share your experience: https://www.fhistudio-apps.com/arniev2/ #/tool/pioneer-valley-safe-streets

06/03/2026

It's June, which means we are headed deep into butterfly season! Shown below are some of the pictures we have already received of butterflies at the refuge (see captions for ID and credit). We are hoping to get lots more this year! please see the attached checklist and note what we have already received for pictures. New species should be sent to Friends Board member Roy at [email protected]. He will check the id and add to our collection which will be hitting our website this summer. Thank you to David and Michele for your contributions!

06/02/2026

We were thrilled that one of our most active Stebbins birders had the highest number of species reported for our 75 Bird Challenge last weekend. Big congratulations to Yin Qin who was able to get 52 species despite challenging weather and limited migratory activity. Shown below is his capture of a Black-bellied Plover from Saturday.