NENC New England

NENC New England News from New England's top public media newsrooms.

From coastal and rural areas to cities and suburbs, we produce multimedia stories from New England for broadcast, digital and social media platforms. As a network of ambitious, talented public media stations in our region, we believe we are stronger together than we are alone.

Massachusetts is dealing with an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu. It’s been here since 2022. This week, it was confirmed in wi...
01/22/2025

Massachusetts is dealing with an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu. It’s been here since 2022. This week, it was confirmed in wild birds on the UMass Amherst campus. The avian influenza virus can cause serious illness and death in domestic poultry.

While it not only kills birds that become infected with the virus, but it has also been found in mammals, like cows, and has infected people. Illness in humans with bird flu can range from mild to severe. The Centers for Disease Control announced this month that one person in Louisiana died after hospitalization with severe avian influenza A (H5N1) illness also referred to as the H5N1 bird flu.

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources advises commercial and backyard poultry owners take proactive and strong biosecurity measures to prevent domestic poultry from having contact with wild birds, their feathers, and droppings.

“We’re asking them to make sure that they’re not co-mingling their flock with wild animals, wild birds, waterfowl,” said MDAR spokesperson Mai Phu.

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus continues to circulate in the wild bird population. Officials have prioritized the elimination of shared standing water and preventing domestic birds from having access to ponds, streams, and wetland areas that attract wild waterfowl, as being a critically important measure to avoiding flock depopulation.

MDAR says flock keepers will see lethargy among their birds who contract the virus. If that happens, they will need to contact the state.

For the full story, click on the link in our bio or visit nepm.org.
✍️ / 📷 Story and Image by Carrie Healy

01/20/2025

Winter is planting season for kelp, a growing industry in New England.

01/10/2025

That record partially reflects a day in June when IFAW responded to the largest mass stranding of dolphins in recorded U.S. history.

About 600 marine mammals stranded on Cape Cod in 2024, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).Tha...
01/10/2025

About 600 marine mammals stranded on Cape Cod in 2024, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

That’s more than twice the annual average and includes dolphins, porpoises, seals, and more.

Of those cases, 376 were stranded dolphins — which is more than six times the annual average of 57.

That record partially reflects a day in June when IFAW responded to the largest mass stranding of dolphins in recorded U.S. history. It took place in Wellfleet.

“I have been in this field doing marine mammal rescue for 26 years. I’ve worked from Florida to Massachusetts, and have had the opportunity to go to different parts of the world and assist with rescues. I have never seen anything like this,” Brian Sharp, IFAW director of marine mammal rescue, told CAI at the time.

The vast majority — nearly 300 — of the dolphins found on beaches this year were released back into the ocean.

IFAW also found nearly a dozen large whales stranded on the Cape — nine were found dead.

Officials have said warming waters, a consequence of climate change, contributed to such a busy year.

✍️ Story by Eve Zuckoff
📷 Image courtesy of IFAW

Days before Christmas, an outdoor firepit crackles next to the gift shop at South Farm in Bethlehem. A speaker plays car...
12/24/2024

Days before Christmas, an outdoor firepit crackles next to the gift shop at South Farm in Bethlehem. A speaker plays carols as cars roll into the small parking lot.

Nigel Manley, bundled up in wool pants and a red and green hat with a festive pom pom, runs the show. He’s a big deal in the Christmas tree world: he’s on the board of the national Christmas tree association, and a leader in several industry groups in New England.

Manley plants about 900 trees a year. And he likes to experiment with new species, branching out from the Frasers and Balsams that have dominated the Christmas market for years.

Several years ago, he happened upon the Korean fir. They have a silvery-blue sheen, because their needles twist as they grow, showing their undersides. And they smell citrusy, like oranges.

Manley says they’re also tough to prune; they don’t always grow straight up. So in 2021, he started planting a hybrid version pollinated with Balsam pollen.

Now, those hybrids are a third of the trees he’s planting each season. They grow fast. People like how they look and smell. And they’ve also had an unexpected benefit. They’re more resilient to the kinds of changes he’s seeing on his land, as warmer temperatures and wet summers cause trouble.

While Manley didn’t set out to find a Christmas tree that could thrive better in changing conditions, the hybrid firs just might fit the bill.

“It seems like in wetter conditions they’ll put up with more water. And just based on how they’re growing and knowing it has got warmer, I say they do really well in it,” he said.

For the full story click on the link in our bio or visit nhpr.org.

✍️ / 📷 Story and Images by Mara Hoplamazian

12/23/2024

Nigel Manley decided to branch out and plant Korean fir trees several years ago. Now, a hybrid created with Balsam pollen accounts for a third of his new trees every season.

Farmers of color have faced a long history of discrimination and displacement in the U.S., along with structural barrier...
12/16/2024

Farmers of color have faced a long history of discrimination and displacement in the U.S., along with structural barriers that have made it difficult to access resources and buy or lease farmland. It’s led to fewer and fewer people of color in the industry.

In Connecticut, individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous and people of color, or BIPOC, account for less than 2% of local farmers.

A new state program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working to increase that number – by training farmers, and supporting their land access.

Last year, the USDA’s Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program awarded $300 million to 50 projects across the country, and the Connecticut Department of Agriculture was among them. Now, a $2.5 million-dollar program is rolling out in the state.

There’s three major components: a farm business navigator at UConn Extension to offer free technical assistance to farmers, grant funding to aid in the purchase of agricultural land, and help with farm business planning from local organizations.

Program applications will open by next spring.

For the full story click on the link in our bio or visit ctpublic.org.

✍️ Story by Michayla Savitt
📷 Image by Joe Amon

Scientists at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station have developed a groundbreaking method to stop the invasiv...
12/12/2024

Scientists at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station have developed a groundbreaking method to stop the invasive and destructive Spotted Lanternfly.

The colorful insect from China poses a significant threat to woodlands and forests as well as to agricultural crops and fruit trees by sucking out their sap.

Hany Dweck, a chemical ecologist at the station who made the breakthrough, said they’ve found the odor that attracts the lanternfly to its host plant — and not a moment too soon.

Dweck said that by isolating the odors that attract insects to plants, they can develop attractants or repellents to stop the insects from causing damage.

They’re expected to field test their discovery next year.

The Spotted Lanternfly has been found across Connecticut.

Officials have been telling the public to kill the bugs on sight.

For the full story visit wshu.org or click on the link in our bio.

✍️ Story by Brian Scott-Smith
📷 Image by Jacqlyn Rena

A new study led by the Maine Center for Disease Control sheds some light on how harmful PFAS chemicals move from the soi...
11/19/2024

A new study led by the Maine Center for Disease Control sheds some light on how harmful PFAS chemicals move from the soil into crops used as livestock feed. Researchers hope it will help farmers manage grazing to reduce the risk of contamination.

One of the key findings is that as farmers made multiple cuts of hay or grass during a single season, PFAS levels in those crops tended to be higher in the second or third cuts.

Tom Simones, assistant state toxicologist at the CDC and lead author of the study, said beef farmers could feed their cattle first cut hay to lower the risk of contamination.

He said the research will also help the state better advise farmers on crop rotation.

“For those fields with higher [PFAS] soil levels, they could switch to a different crop, such as corn, that takes up less PFAS than grass,” Simones said. “Then use that as their feed source from that field.”

For the full story click on the link in our bio or visit Mainepublic.org.

✍️ Story by Ari Snider
📷 Image by Peter McGuire

It’s a sky gazer’s delight tonight! 🌕November’s full moon, called the Beaver Moon, is the fourth and final supermoon of ...
11/15/2024

It’s a sky gazer’s delight tonight! 🌕

November’s full moon, called the Beaver Moon, is the fourth and final supermoon of the year.

If you can’t catch a glimpse tonight, the moon will appear full for nearly 3 days.

Let us know where you’re viewing it from and tag us in any photos!

📷 Image by Zydalis Bauer
📍 Springfield, Massachusetts Nov. 15, 2024 4:29pm

Thanks to a very dry fall, much of New England is now officially in a drought.Parts of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Co...
11/14/2024

Thanks to a very dry fall, much of New England is now officially in a drought.

Parts of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut and Rhode Island – and most of Massachusetts – are in severe drought status as of November 14, 2024, according to the U.S Drought Monitor.

The dry conditions have fueled wildfires across the region and officials warn that the fire risk remains high.

Officials are also asking residents to conserve water.

It’s not atypical for the Northeast to experience periodic and temporary droughts, but scientists say climate change is making them more acute and possibly more frequent.

For more on the drought in New England click on the links in our bio.

📷 Image by Jessa Costa /📍Cambridge Reservoir in Lincoln, MA. Left as seen on July 26, 2016, and right, on Nov. 8, 2024

Greenhouse gas pollution from electricity generation slid 4% in 2023, according to a new analysis from regional electric...
11/08/2024

Greenhouse gas pollution from electricity generation slid 4% in 2023, according to a new analysis from regional electric grid operator ISO-New England.

Last year’s drop in climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions is linked to mild winter and summer temperatures that limited periods of high electricity demand, according to the grid operator.

Oil and coal power plants have historically fired up to boost electricity generation when the grid experiences tight system conditions, ISO-New England said. That can happen during a heat wave, when electricity demand spikes to run air conditioners, or during a winter cold snap, when natural gas pipeline capacity is constrained, the organization added.

Thanks to a warmer winter and cooler summer last year, those resources weren’t used as much, resulting in lower emissions, according to the analysis.

Falling natural gas prices in 2023 also made that fuel more economical than coal or oil for electricity generation, the grid operator added.

But the growth of solar and wind power played a role in curbing greenhouse gas pollution too, according to ISO-New England’s analysis of emissions data from the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency and other sources.
Wind and solar generation has soared in the last decade and now account for 6% of the electricity made on the six-state grid. Coal and oil, which contributed about 4.6% of generation in 2014, have been almost entirely replaced by wind and solar, according to the analysis.

ISO-New England spokesperson Mary Cate Colapietro said that while there will be annual variations in emissions, greenhouse gas pollution is waning.

“Looking at the long-term trajectory here, this is a real decrease and is kind of symbolic of the ongoing clean energy transition in the region,” Colapietro said.

For the full story click on the link in our bio or visit mainepublic.org.

✍️ Story by Peter McGuire
📷 Image by Raquel C. Zaldívar

11/08/2024

Townshend held a square dance and potluck at Town Hall, one floor above where the town was holding its Election Day polling.

Following a historic presidential win by Donald Trump, a group of farmers in Greenfield, Massachusetts processed the new...
11/07/2024

Following a historic presidential win by Donald Trump, a group of farmers in Greenfield, Massachusetts processed the news by inviting members of the community to plant garlic bulbs with them.

Farm director Meryl LaTronica of said she put a call out through the farm’s Instagram as a way to get people to step outside the political discourse.

“Being able to do something that is grounded and is tangible. This is food and garlic we grew this year out of a lot of hard work and love,” LaTronica said. “And then we’re planting our own seed in our fields, and we’re going to harvest it next year. That cycle is always hopeful. But, today, it just feels a little next level.”

Trouble Mandeson, a volunteer with Just Roots, said she’s disheartened by Trump’s win.

“But hopefully, you know, there will always be the other side that fights, right? People rising up and saying, ‘We’re not taking this,’” Mandeson said. “And absolutely, coming out here and being with community and being with friends and digging your hands in the dirt. When we come [back] and harvest the garlic, we’ll say, ‘Oh, I planted that garlic.’ And that’s a really good feeling.”

LaTronica said Just Roots feeds about 150 low-income residents directly and have partnerships with other farms to yield a variety of produce for members spanning Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. She said the farm participates in the Greenfield farmers market, in addition to running a community garden with 65 plots and 55 gardeners.

LaTronica said Just Roots receives federal funding and hopes this new administration won’t jeopardize that.

A few miles down the road, James Cronk was changing a tire in his driveway with a “Trump, Vance” sign on his lawn. Cronk said he’s happy Trump won and wants him to end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

“No more war right now. Get us out of the debts that we’re in to everybody. I’d like to see the border a little bit more locked down,” Cronk said.

Cronk added he’s living paycheck-to-paycheck and hopes gas prices and inflation go down with Trump in the Oval Office.

✍️ / 📷 Story and Image by Nirvani Williams

A new study finds that lobsters are relocating to new habitats in the Gulf of Maine.The findings could have implications...
10/30/2024

A new study finds that lobsters are relocating to new habitats in the Gulf of Maine.

The findings could have implications for how the lobster stock is measured and how the fishery is eventually managed.

Lobsters have typically favored rocky boulders and used those habitats as shelter. But a research team with the University of Maine found that the use of those habitats dropped by 60% over the last 25 years or so.

Lobsters are instead spending more time in sandy, open spaces or residing under beds of algae.

Damian Brady, an oceanography professor at the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center, said the findings challenge common assumptions fisheries managers have had about the species and the methods used to survey and assess the lobster population.

“The implications are that I just count up as much good habitat as out there and say that’s the maximum amount of lobsters that should be in this area,” he said. “And now we really can’t hang our hat on that.”

The study finds that lobsters are more widely distributed and venturing out into deeper waters, as the temperature in the Gulf of Maine has risen by 3 degrees Celsius over the last two-to-three decades.

Researchers also said the average lobster is larger today than it was 25 years ago, but a majority are still under the minimum legal size to be caught and sold.

✍️ Story by Nicole Ogrysko
📷 Image by Katherine Burnham / University of Maine

It may have felt like summer the past few days but fall is in full swing across New England! 🍁 🍂Vibrant foliage has blan...
10/23/2024

It may have felt like summer the past few days but fall is in full swing across New England! 🍁 🍂

Vibrant foliage has blanketed the region with hues of yellow, orange and red. Swipe through to see different autumnal scenes from each New England state.

📷 Images by:
1. Sam Hockaday
2. James Fiderio
3. Lucy Santerre
4. Jacqlyn Rena
5. Zoey Knox
6/7. Allison Magnus
8. Sophie Stephens
9. Erin O’Neill
10. Liz Lerner

New England is known for its vivid displays of autumn color, but climate change is making it harder for scientists to pr...
10/22/2024

New England is known for its vivid displays of autumn color, but climate change is making it harder for scientists to predict when foliage season will start or how long it will last.

Fall days and nights are getting warmer which is changing when trees stop producing chlorophyll to get ready for the winter, said Aaron Bergdahl, a forest pathologist with the Maine Forest Service.

That process allows yellow, red and orange pigments to come through in leaves that eventually drop off.

“If those two things happen very closely together because of longer, warmer autumns, then that can potentially impact what we see in terms of fall foliage,” Bergdahl said.

Increasingly unpredictable weather can affect foliage too. Lots of rain or a drought during the growing season can impact tree health, according to Bergdahl. A wet spring and summer, for example, can increase the chance of fungal diseases and cause premature defoliation, he added.

Warmer fall weather might even disrupt the foliage process to the point that leaves may drop before fully developing colors, Bergdahl said.

“These are questions that we just don’t know the answer to, because the rules of the game have changed. What we thought we knew about fall foliage is really up in the air right now,” Bergdahl said. “The seasons are a little bit different and our growing seasons are less predictable and generally have a little bit more stress than what we recognized 10, 20, years ago.”

Research from Acadia National Park found peak foliage season now arrives more than a week later than it did in the 1950s. And by 2060, that period could shift to late October and early November.

The study, published last year in the journal Landscape Ecology, concluded that “minimum temperatures, maximum temperatures, precipitation, and the number of warm nights, hot nights, warm days, hot days, and downpour days have all significantly increased,” affecting the timing of foliage.

For the full story visit mainepublic.org.

✍️ Story by Peter McGuire
📷 Image by Esta Pratt-Kielley

Quick glimpse of the full hunter super moon above Amherst, Massachusetts. 🌕Stay tuned for some more moon pics tomorrow! ...
10/18/2024

Quick glimpse of the full hunter super moon above Amherst, Massachusetts. 🌕

Stay tuned for some more moon pics tomorrow! 👀

📷 Image by Zydalis Bauer

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