Crow management on Cape Cod Seashore

National Parks Traveler reports on the dilemma Cape Cod National Seashore officials have with managing crows that are killing endangered piping plovers.

The crows like eating the plovers' eggs which are plentiful around the March through May nesting season. One-third of all plover eggs are eaten by crows. A solution was to place wire cages around the nests (picture above), but the intelligent black birds realized that if they landed fast and loud on the top of the cages, the plovers would run out in fright thus leaving their eggs unattended.

Poisoning the crows was a plan that had been thought up but became controversial.

While seashore officials go over their shorebird management plan and continue to invite public comments on how best to deal with crows and plovers, shorebird management activities will continue as in previous years with the use of enclosures to protect nesting plovers from predators. In addition, the seashore will implement a flexible shorebird management approach this summer on several high visitation beaches.

Read the full story: Cape Cod National Seashore officials revisit plan to kill crows to help piping plovers

Photo from Sidney Maddock / NPS

Massachusetts tourism promotes green

Terra Curve reports the new green tourism promotion in Massachusetts.

MA Green is a new program from the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism created to encourage sustainable hospitality practices in the state.

Launched in early 2010, the site aims to help prospective visitors find information on green-certified hotels in Massachusetts; utilizing certification programs like the Green Key Eco-Rating Program.

MA GREEN is comes equipped with a dual mission: First, serve the industry by providing resources and guidance to help travel businesses adopt environmentally sound practices; second, provide information to consumers seeking to stay at green hotels in their travels to the Bay State.

Read the full story: Promoting green travel online: MA gets it right

Illustration from MA Green

Eco Inn in Berkshires

The New York Times reports on eco-hotel Topia Inn located in Massachusetts' Berkshires.

The guest policy is:

No Smoking.

No chemical fragrances/bug repellant.

Leave your shoes at the front door or cover them with the inn’s neoprene booties, so as not to track in pesticide residue and other pollutants.

Leave all grooming products at home, so as not to interfere with the chemical-free organic mattresses and bedding. Complimentary organic bath and body products provided.

Read the full story: An inn is an oasis to environmental fronts

Photo by Nathaniel Brooks for The New York Times

Cape Cod wind farm controversy

Reuters video reports on the controversy over a proposed wind farm off the heavily touristed coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Cape Wind corporation claims their installation will "produce 75 percent of the cape and islands electricity."

Opponents claim the 440 foot turbines will ruin the natural landscape that tourists come for and hurt the economy when those visitors vacation elsewhere.

Watch the report below:

Endangered bird making comeback

The New York Times reports on a somewhat successful comeback of the endangered Piping Plover. The closures of certain Massachussetts beach areas where the birds nest has led to some sightings of the disappearing bird. The beach closures also led to bans on other nest-disturbing activities such as fireworks and ATV bans:

“The closures are still fairly controversial,” said Mr. Prokop, whose team did an assessment last winter to find alternative trails should some be closed for the plovers. “We try to be reasonable in our closures to provide access, but the protection of a threatened bird species that’s protected under the Endangered Species Act is paramount.”

Read the full story: In aid of a bird, some inconveniences for people