ATHOL — Snowy owls, egrets, herons, beavers, mink, deer, moose, bears, insects and small mammals are all members of the North Quabbin ecosystem that Dale Monette has been photographing for his new book, “Voyage, Visitors, and Home.”
On Thursday at 7 p.m., Monette will sign copies of “Voyage, Visitors, and Home” and give a slide show presentation at the Athol Historical Society, 1307 Main St.
According to Marcia Gagliardi, publisher at Haley’s Antiques and Publishing, a section of the book focuses on the eagle reintroduction project at the Quabbin Reservoir.
Monette, who also released “Secrets Lives of the Quabbin Watershed” through Haley’s, spent 10 years as program coordinator with the Quabbin Reservoir Visitors Center and worked with the natural resources division of the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation before retiring in 2014.
Monette was 63 years old, two years from retirement, when a friend of his suggested he buy a camera to document the local wildlife that fascinated him. Using his experience having worked at the Quabbin Reservoir, Monette began going out every day to capture images of local animals, including the more than 50 nesting pairs of bald eagles in Massachusetts, which are derived from 41 chicks introduced to the area from Michigan and Canada in 1982.
Monette now focuses on photographing wildlife in the region, and has been working on a television show, “D and D’s North Quabbin Nature Journal,” with naturalist David Small, which will air on Athol-Orange Community Television. He also submits photographs to the magazine Uniquely Quabbin.
The slide show Thursday will consist of images in “Voyagers, Visitors, and Home,” printed by Highland Press in Athol. The book will be on sale at Haley’s in Athol; New Salem General Store; Petersham General Store; Quabbin Visitors Center in Belchertown; Red Apple Farm in Phillipston; Toadstool Book Stores in Peterborough, Milford and Keene, N.H.; Trail Head Outfitters and General Store in Orange; and Wendell Country Store.
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 268.