Cliff Swallows and Barn Swallows, both once numerous on farmsteads in New England, are declining in Massachusetts. Using relatively simple techniques, Mara Silver has successfully attracted both species and encouraged their nesting success at several sites in the state. Come see Mara’s presentation about how she developed these techniques, and her more recent efforts to attract Cliff Swallows to a previously-unused site in Shelburne, Massachusetts and to enhance the Barn Swallow population there. You will also learn how you can help these species on your property—spring is around the corner, the swallows will be back before you know it!
Mara studied the same colony of Cliff Swallows at Graves Farm in Williamsburg, MA for 20 years. For her MS at UMass, she studied bank swallows along the Connecticut River.