Auburn
Bird Banding
Research Station
Personnel
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Mark
Blazis Master Bander and Research
Station Director
Mark Blazis,
who holds a Master's degree from Clark University, is a former National
Science Teacher of the Year, and 1992 winner of the Nature Educator of the Year
Award, sponsored by the Roger Tory
Peterson Institute. Mr. Blazis, who has
taught at Clark University and Auburn High School, retired in June of 2005 from
his position as a science teacher at Auburn Middle School.
Master Bird Bander, Mark works with the United States Geological Surveys
tracking spring and fall migrations of songbirds and Mark has been a long time
director of a MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship)
Station in Grafton, Massachusetts. Mark
has studied eagles under Dr. Bruce Wright at the University of Alaska, Juneau,
and has studied birds on six continents.
Not only does he conduct research and banding at the Auburn Bird Banding
Program, but he also leads two trips with teams of eighth graders on an Amazon
Expedition annually to conduct research in the jungle. He also leads safaris to Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia,
Botswana, and Madagascar. Mr. Blazis is
instrumental, working as part of a joint Harvard University/Oxford
University program tracking the spread of certain parasites, including Lyme
disease, through bird migration. He sets up nets in the canopy, catches birds
and tests them for certain parasites.
Conducting medical research, Mr. Blazis has collaborated with Dr. Peter
Rand at the Maine Medical Center, Dr. Richard Pollack at the Harvard Medical
School of Public Health, and Dr. Stephen Rich at Tufts University of Veterinary
Medicine.
Mr. Blazis resides in Grafton with his
wife Helen and they have two children.
Helen
Blazis Assistant Research Station Director
Helen Blazis holds a Master's
degree in Foreign Languages from Assumption College, degrees from Anna Maria
College, and is a Spanish Teacher at Oxford High School. Her command of the Spanish language comes in
very handy on her expeditions to the Amazon.
To watch Helen for two minutes is to be in awe of this woman. Mrs. Blazis knows just about everything
there is to know about birds and then some.
Every Saturday and Sunday during migration, if Mrs. Blazis is not
standing at the table sharing her knowledge about the captive bird in her hand,
she is trudging through the swamp or in the wooded areas removing captive birds
from the nets, placing them in bags and bringing them back to the banding
station. Helen’s knowledge of wild
flowers, fauna, mushrooms, and wildlife, just fascinates the children (along
with the adult volunteers). Her
patience is unending, her sincerity genuine, and her willingness to share her
love of nature admirable.
Mrs. Blazis resides in Grafton with
her husband Mark and they have two children.
Dr.
Richard Weagle Research Station Manager
and Head Clerk
Dr.
Weagle, affectionately known as Doc by the entire town, was a prior Dentist in Auburn
with his own practice until 1999. He graduated from Massachusetts College of
Pharmacy in 1966, and graduated from the Georgetown University School of
Dentistry in 1970. Dr. Weagle is
Chairman of the Auburn Board of Water Commissioners, a position he has
maintained for the past thirteen years. Dr. Weagle accepted the Superintendents
post for the Auburn Water District in April 1999. Doc is the backbone of the Auburn Bird Banding Program. He was the creator of this operation and has
been keeping the records and processing birds for longer than he wants to
admit. Dr. Weagle enjoys hunting and
fishing and is a member of the Auburn Sportsman's Club.
Doc,
who resides in Auburn, is married to Susan Weagle and has two daughters,
Michelle and Valerie.
Keith MacAdams Director, Senior Assistant Bander and Sub-Permittee
Mr. MacAdams grew up in the town of
Auburn and was a lifelong resident until a few years ago.
Keith has a degree from Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Mr. MacAdams is responsible for the removing
of captive birds from the nets, identifying them, placing them in cloth bags
and delivering them to the banding station.
This requires that Keith be at the Auburn Sportsman’s Club at 5:00 a.m.
every Saturday and Sunday during migration seasons to open the nets. Keith also has the added responsibility of
maintaining the nets, maintaining the access lanes and areas around the nets,
and guiding other volunteers through the swampy and wooded areas, all the while
maintaining his sense of humor.
Keith resides in Grafton with
his wife Kim and son Garrett.
Kim MacAdams Assistant
Clerk
Responsible for the tracking and
organization of the birds is Kim MacAdams.
Researchers returning from the field with birds stop and hand Kim little
pieces of paper that Kim needs to decipher.
The researcher notes the bird bag number, the species, and net
number. Mrs. MacAdams sorts and records
this information and determines the order in which the birds will be processed. She also keeps totals of the birds processed
during the day. Kim also sews and
donates the bird bags used in this operation and makes wonderful pumpkin and
zucchini bread, much to the delight of all the volunteers.
Kim resides in Grafton with her husband Keith and son
Garrett.
Thomas Donaldson (Deceased) Senior Assistant Bander and Sub-Permittee
Tom received his Bachelors of Science in Biology from Cleveland State University (longer ago than he is willing to admit). Tom has banded birds with the Mark and Helen Blazis in Massachusetts, the Darien in Panama and Amazonian Ecuador. At the banding station, Tom was responsible for removing captive birds from the nets, identifying them, placing them in cloth bags and delivering them to the station. Tom was a molecular biologist for Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Tom's devotion to science and nature was obvious to all at the station. (especially considering the long trek before dawn that Tom and Stephanie make each weekend to Auburn, when they could be sleeping in) He loved to share the his knowledge of birds with the students of Auburn and it was wonderful to see all the students looking up to Tom.
Tom unfortunately passed away February 28, 2006. He will be missed tremendously by the team. Tom is survived by his wife Stephanie, their dogs, Tucker and Kestrel and their two horses, Flash and Disty, who live in Wallingford.
Stephanie Donaldson Senior Assistant Bander and Sub-Permittee
Stephanie received her Bachelors of Science in Zoology from the University of Maine at Orono. Stephanie has banded birds with the Mark and Helen Blazis in Massachusetts, the Darien in Panama and Amazonian Ecuador. At the banding station, Stephanie is responsible for removing captive birds from the nets, identifying them, placing them in cloth bags and delivering them to the station. Stephanie has made hundreds of bird bags. Stephanie is the chief of net repairs. Stephanie is a biologist in the department Laboratory Medicine at the Yale University Medical School. Stephanie has always been a nature buff, even as a little girl summering on a small island off the coast of Maine, Stephanie would spend all her free time playing and exploring in the woods. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and she is a real asset to the team.
Stephanie lives in Wallingford, CT with her dogs, Tucker and Kestrel, and her two horses, Flash and Disty.
John J. White (J.J.) Associate
Retired Massachusetts State Police
Captain, John J. White, is a very busy man.
After many years of dedicated service on the force, J.J. now serves as a
consultant for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, compiling
and analyzing crash investigation statistics.
He is also a licensed private investigator in the state of Massachusetts. J.J. is an active member of the Auburn
Sportsman’s Club and serves on its Board of Directors. Mr. White has been monitoring the Bluebird
Box Program, which was started by the Auburn Sportsman’s Club eight years
ago. This program has grown from five
boxes to well over forty-five. J.J. is
well versed in all issues threatening the survival and recovery of Bluebirds in
New England. The students are
fascinated by J.J.’s stories of brood parasites and horrified by stories of
House Sparrows trying to push Bluebirds, along with other native birds, out of
existence. Mr. White also monitors a
trail of thirty-one Bluebird Boxes in Berkshire County. This Bluebird Trail runs through the towns
of Windsor, Peru and Dalton. Very busy
man.
J.J. resides in Auburn with his wife Deanna, a retired schoolteacher from the Auburn School System.
Colleen
Morin (Myrt) Secretary and
Computer Geek
Myrt is a Human
Resource Rep with Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. and has worked there for over 30
years. Allegro MicroSystems donated the
first laptop to the Bird Banding Research Station, which has made record keeping a
lot easier. Myrt is responsible for
creating and updating this website.
Myrt resides in Worcester with her bird-banding daughter Mattie.
Lois Kolofsky Assistant Bander
Lois Kolofsky was born and raised on Grafton Hill in Worcester. She received a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in elementary education from Worcester State College, and a Master's degree in special education from Fitchburg State College. She has worked in the Worcester and Sutton school systems, and is currently a Wilson Language instructor. Always a lover of nature and the outdoors, she has learned a great deal working with the bird banding team both here and in the Amazon. She resides in Sutton with her husband, Bob. They have four grown children.
Gary Hetel
Senior Assistant Bander and Sub-Permittee
Born and raised in Auburn, Gary Hetel is the self proclaimed "Best Looking Guy" on the bird banding team. Except for a short and very eventful stint in Colorado, Gary has lived in Auburn his whole life. He married his childhood sweetheart, settled down and raised a family. His daughter Jillian is responsible for Gary's getting sucked into bird banding. (Just as Garrett was responsible for Kim and Keith, and Mattie, responsible for Myrt getting sucked in!) Gary is a great addition to the team. He is responsible for removing birds from the net, identifying them, bagging them and returning them to the station. Gary also takes wonderful photos which can be seen through a link on the main page.
Gary lives in Auburn with his wife and two daughters.
Brian Sheridan
Senior Assistant Bander and Sub-Permittee
Brian Sheridan has been involved in the Bird Banding Research Program for 7 years. He has traveled to the Amazon twice and would like to go again. Brian has become very adept at processing birds and very quick to identify even the most difficult species. This fall Brian will be entering his sophomore year at Anna Maria College. He received his sub-permit in 2006. He also plays a mean trombone and has an extensive rubber duck collection. They are visible in his vehicle, but one can only guess whether or not those ducks ever get to float in the Sheridan's bath tub.
Brian lives in Auburn with his parents, Jim and Pauline Sheridan and brother David,
David Sheridan Assistant Bander
David has been part of the bird banding team for longer than he'd like to admit. He is a junior at Auburn High School. David is following in his brother Brian's footsteps but he is a lot faster. David traveled to the Amazon and enjoyed it immensely. David loves nature and animals and is a dedicated member of the team. He also can run circles around anyone on the team. Only Mary Sharkey might be able to keep up with him.
David lives in Auburn with his parents, Jim and Pauline Sheridan and brother Brian.
Mary Sharkey Senior Assistant Bander and Sub-Permittee
Mary grew up in Uxbridge and first banded birds there over 30 years ago. We have been very lucky to have Mary on our team as she is a very valuable contributing member. She has stepped up and volunteered to help with the tedious data entry work that everyone dreads. Along with Gary Hetel and sometimes Marcia Reich and Mark Blazis, Mary has been banding on weekdays during migration, which contributes greatly to the record numbers of birds banded in 2006 and 2007. Mary is a kind, soft-spoken, generous woman, and the rest of the team is thrilled that Mary has joined them in their research. She is also a very gifted net repairer. Along with her sister Joan, Mary has saved the team quite a few dollars repairing holes in old nets. She has, however, had problems with the birds in her backyard thinking she had set the net up for them. Mary has traveled to Ecuador once and will be going again in 2008. She is an Irish citizen and holds dual citizenship.
Mary resides in Thompson, Connecticut, with her husband, Bernie and their two golden retrievers. They have a son Sam, who lives in California. Mary and Bernie have their own woodworking business and they manufacture radius millwork, also know as curved mouldings. (Click Here for their website )
Joan Sharkey Assistant Bander in Training
Joan Sharkey grew up in Uxbridge, attended college in Springfield to train as a Surgical Technician. As a young adult she moved to the Bay Area in California but returned to Uxbridge in the mid-eighties and has since been living in her mother's childhood home. She is currently single and plans to stay that way. Both Joan and her sister Mary are dual citizens of the US and Ireland and Joan hopes to retire in the west of Ireland. Pack your bags, she hopes to have room for guests!
In addition to birds, Joan likes to sew, make crafts, bake (but not as well as Myrt!), and of course travel. (You will notice by her baking comment, she's also a wise guy!) Joan also has a great sense of humor and is always smiling. Her perpetual good mood is infectious and she makes everyone on the team feel a little better about being up so early in the morning. She and her sister Mary have also done a wonderful job on net repair, one of those jobs everyone would prefer didn't exist.
Joan currently lives one mile from her workplace where she is the Assistant to the Administrator of a small family health center. A wonderful thing about the location is it's on the Blackstone River Canal walkway so Joan can often walk to work, affording her good wildlife and bird watching opportunities. Joan also lives right on the banks of the Mumford River and this year spotted a Bald Eagle from her back porch.
She is a real novice in the banding game but is enthusiastic and hopes to improve her skills in the future. The team is very grateful that Joan has volunteered. She's a great addition to our team.
Mattie VandenBoom Senior Assistant Bander and Sub-Permittee
A graduate from Auburn High, Mattie is currently attending UMASS Amherst. Mattie loves processing and photographing birds. Her pictures can be seen on the main page of this website. Mattie traveled to the Amazon in 2003 and plans on returning soon. Mattie loves to travel, and really enjoys going on cruises. Mattie received her sub-permit in 2006.
When not in school Mattie lives in Worcester with her mother, Myrt and more importantly her cat, Adam .
Dr. Laurence Reich
Assistant Bander
When Larry puts down his dental tools, he sometimes uses small tweezers to help remove the fine strands of the mist nets from birds’ feet. He is also adept at using a tick remover to remove the little parasites that like to attach near a bird’s eye. These ticks are being sent to Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine for research on Lyme Disease. Larry helps out with all phases of banding, but most importantly, waking his daughter Sarah before sunrise so they can get to open the nets.
Marcy Reich is a tireless fund raiser, not only for the Auburn Birdbanding Station but for other organizations lucky enough to have her as a benefactor such as The Pakachoag School of Music and The Master Singers. Marcy was responsible for obtaining the funding for the raptor program and mist nets through her grant writing abilities. She has also purchased many nets with funds raised by her can collecting. Marcy earned her Master's degree in Library Science and worked for many years as a librarian. Marcy lives in Auburn with her husband Dr. Larry, daughter Sarah, and two sons, Dan and Nate.
Sarah Reich
Senior Assistant Bander and Sub-Permittee
Audrey Vincent Assistant Bander in Training
Audrey is a sophomore at Auburn High School. She started assisting with bird banding in the Fall of 2004 and has learned many of the skills necessary to safely handle and process birds, including identification, measurement, and banding. Audrey went to the Amazon in 2006 and is planning to go again in 2007 to do more bird banding with Mr. Blazis. Audrey is also an accomplished horseback riding enthusiast, including competing in both English and Western riding styles. Audrey lives in Auburn with her family, and many pets too numerous to list.
Stephen
Vincent, Ph.D. Assistant Bander in
Training
Steve earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychobiology from Drew University in NJ, and a Masters and Doctorate of Philosophy degrees in Anatomy and Neuroscience from Hahnemann University Medical School in Philadelphia. He got involved with bird banding in preparation to going to the Amazon in 2003 with his older daughter Emily. You will see Steve helping out on banding mornings where needed during migration season and has more recently contributed to processing birds. More often you may see Steve using his camera to capture the various activities of bird banding and the beautiful birds that are captured. Steve has always been a nature enthusiast and expresses this interest as an accomplished photographer, including having published many of his eye-catching photos in nature magazines, in addition to his photos that can be seen through the link on the main page. Steve is a senior member of the Program Management team at RenaMed Biologics in Westborough, MA, which is a biotechnology company that is focused on the development of therapies for the treatment of diseases associated with compromised kidney function. Steve lives in Auburn with his wife Lynn, two daughters, and many pets too numerous to list.
Jillian Hetel Senior Assistant Bander and Sub-Permittee
Jill is a graduate of Auburn High School. Jillian received her sub-permit in March of 2005. She has been assisting Mr. Blazis for 6 years, including being the 1st student to do bird research with him on a week long trip to Ecuador. She was with him on a world first discovery of the Gray-cheeked Thrush and the hunting habits of the Zigzag Heron. Jill is adept in all phases of birdbanding, including finding and setting up her own net lane with Sarah Reich. Jill and Sarah also helped teach Mr. Blazis' seventh grade birdbanding field trips to the Auburn Sportsman’s’ Club during spring and fall migrations.
She has been to the Amazon three times and has spent the summers of 2005 & 2006 working in South America at an ecological resort.
p.s. “I will always be taller and older than Sarah Reich.”
Joe Bourget
Assistant Bander in Training
Joe (Carlos) graduated from Tantasqua High School in Sturbridge in 2008 and has lived in Worcester and Sturbridge. He lives with his mother, two dogs, two cats and many fish. He also has two more dogs at his father’s house. Joe has many interests including bird watching, fishing, archery, body- surfing, swimming, and playing soccer. In the future Joe would like to go to college and become an ornithologist. In the meantime, he works at a grocery store making oodles of cash with which he supports his bird watching habits :)