Category: Stewardship

Citizen Science Naturalist Program 2024

Citizen Science Naturalist Program 2024
March 18, 2024

Classroom Trainings 2024

Nature Curious?

If you are interested in nature and would like to learn more about our local flora and fauna, please continue reading this message!

If you like to be outdoors and are interested in meeting people that care about the earth as much as you do, please continue reading this message!

If you are concerned about the potential impacts facing wildlife and wildlife habitat due to our warming climate, please read below!

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Blockbuster Electronics Recycling Event 2024

Blockbuster Electronics Recycling Event 2024
February 14, 2024

Today’s consumer electronics such as computers, cell phones, radios and TVs rely on electronic manufacturing technology that utilizes many metals and hazardous chemicals; therefore, it is important to recycle electronic items responsibly.  Mount Auburn has hosted an annual electronics recycling program open to staff and the community every January since 2012. 

Once the collected items are transported to the Northeast Material Handling facility the process includes sorting, dismantling, mechanical separation, and recovery of valuable materials.  Materials rescued in the recycling process such as gold, copper, glass and aluminum can be returned to the supply chain and used again, thus reducing the need to mine expensive raw materials through environmentally destructive methods, and therefore significantly reducing carbon emissions.  For every ton of e-waste collected and recycled; 1.44 tons of CO2 emissions are avoided.

This year we collected a whopping 17,853 lbs of discarded electronics.  Five hundred households dropped off their electronics over the three hours on a warm January morning.  One participant commented “Thanks for both putting on the event and helping me check off one of my resolutions right out of the gates this year!!”

Thanks to our Mount Auburn team who quickly and efficiently managed the large turn-out.  Save the date for January of next year for our 2025 event!

2024 Collected Items

Vacuums39
Televisions31
Monitors99
AC / Dehumidifiers94
Speakers174
Co-mingled Materials1,283 lbs
Alkaline Batteries249 lbs
Lithium Batteries32 lbs
Nicad Batteries32 lbs
Lead Acid Batteries29 lbs
Total17,853 lbs

Join the Citizen Science Naturalist Program!

Join the Citizen Science Naturalist Program!
February 24, 2023

Virtual Classroom Trainings

Citizen Science Naturalist Program

2023

If you are interested in nature and would like to learn more about our local flora and fauna, we have just the program for you!

If you are concerned about our warming climate and would like to participate in projects that are gathering vital information about its impacts, we have just the program for you!

If you like to be outdoors and are interested in meeting people that care about the earth as much as you do, we have just the program for you!

Join the Citizen Science Naturalist Program at Mount Auburn Cemetery!

Our program provides eleven virtual classroom trainings led by local experts that will introduce beginners to flora and fauna and provide a deeper dive for more experienced nature enthusiasts.  Volunteers will learn about field research protocols and conservation techniques through classroom and field trainings that will prepare them to become capable biodiversity research assistants for a number of projects on the grounds of Mount Auburn Cemetery.  Volunteers will also have an opportunity to contribute to national environmental projects.  Tutorial data collection walks and additional activities will be provided throughout the year.  No experience is required!  An in-person get together at the new event space at Hazel Dell will close out the classroom piece of our program.  Citizen scientists will have an opportunity to get to know one another and connect with field researchers and classroom trainers at this event.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Paul Kwiatkowski, Director of Urban Ecology & Sustainability at Mount Auburn Cemetery: pkwiatkowski@mountauburn.org

You will receive zoom links to the virtual classroom trainings after signing up for the program.  All trainings will be recorded.

2023 Virtual Classroom Schedule

  1. Amphibians & Reptiles: Saturday March 4, 11:00am – 1:00pm.
  2. Tree & Shrub Phenology: Tuesday March 7, 7:00pm – 9:00pm.
  3. Mammals: Saturday March 11, 1:00pm – 3:00pm.
  4. Nature Photography: Saturday March 18, 11:00am – 12:00pm
  5. Birds: Monday March 20, 7:00pm – 9:00pm.
  6. Fungi & Lichens: Monday April 3, 2:00pm – 3:00pm.
  7. Insects: Wednesday April 12, 12:15pm – 2:00pm.
  8. Intro to GIS and Mapping for Citizen Science: Friday April 14, 11:00am – 12:30pm.
  9. Informal Educators & Crowd-Sourced Science: Tuesday April 18, 6:00pm – 8:00pm.
  10. History of Mount Auburn Cemetery’s Connection to Landscape Stewardship: Thursday April 20, 10:00am – 11:00am.
  11. Botany & Gardening for Pollinators: Tuesday April 25, 6:00 – 8:00pm.
  12. In-Person Get Together: Sunday April 30, 3:00 – 5:00pm.

Tenth Annual Community Electronics Recycling Day!

Tenth Annual Community Electronics Recycling Day!
January 25, 2023

On Saturday, January 7, Mount Auburn hosted our 10th public electronics recycling collection event. Each year the event grows, attracting participants from neighboring towns looking to responsibly dispose of their unwanted, obsolete and non-working electronics.  This year we kept over four tons of electronics out of landfills!

We welcomed about 175 households arriving by car and foot over 3 hours and filled 17 pallets with electronics.  Thanks to staff members Al, Ari, Carlos Greg, Jessica, Santos, and Thomas, and volunteers Rich and Caleb for staffing the event to unload cars and keep everything running smoothly. 

Collected Items Included:
19                    Monitors

17                    Televisions

8                      Vacuums

29                    Speakers

239 lbs.            Co-mingled material

126 lbs.            Alkaline Batteries

25 lbs.              Lithium Batteries

26 lbs. Ni-Cad Batteries

123 lbs.            Lead Acid Batteries

250 lbs.           Metal/Air Conditioners

6, 989 lbs.       Electronics

Once the collected items are transported to the Northeast Material Handling facility the process includes sorting, dismantling, mechanical separation and recovery of valuable materials.  Materials rescued in the recycling process such as gold, copper, glass and aluminum can be returned to the supply chain and used again, thus reducing the need to mine expensive raw materials through environmentally destructive methods, and therefore significantly reducing carbon emissions.

For every ton of e-waste collected and recycled; 1.44 tons of CO2 emissions are avoided.  So four tons is an impressive accomplishment with a big impact!  Thanks to everyone in the community who participated and made this event a success!