Overview:
The Athol Bird and Nature Club has released its "Birds and Nature of the North Quabbin" 2026 calendar, featuring photos taken in the region by club members. Each month includes notes on bird migrations, wildflower blooms, meteor showers, and coyote howls, as well as nature trivia questions and interesting facts about the month's photo. The calendar is available for purchase at various local merchants and is supported by advertising from area businesses.
The Athol Bird and Nature Club (ABNC) calendar, full of nature notes, trivia questions and of course, photos of local birds, animals and plants is now available.
The “Birds and Nature of the North Quabbin” 2026 calendar focuses on the local beauty of this region. The cover photo is an image of a great spangled fritillary taken by Janet Finnimore and Donna Crook.
The calendar, coordinated by Ernie LeBlanc, showcases photos taken in the North Quabbin region, mostly by club members. In addition, each month features notes that provide information such as when certain birds migrate into or out of the area, when native wildflowers are blooming, when the peak of several meteor showers occur and even when to listen for coyotes howling. Many people frequently use the calendar as a learning tool with their children by going outside and trying to find what the calendar says to look for.
Each month features a nature trivia question. Where does a varied thrush normally live? Why do tabanid flies bite? Get the calendar to find out; the answers are on the inside back cover. Interesting facts about each month’s photo are also provided along with a credit to the member who took the photo.
In keeping with the local theme, the calendar was printed by Highland Press of Athol, and as in previous years, area businesses have continued their support and paid for advertising in the calendar to help cover the printing costs.
The calendars are now available for purchase through the following local merchants: Scrafty, Quabbin Harvest, and Mount Tully Kennels in Orange; Flowerland @ Tintagels Gate, Else Where, déjà vu, MacMannis Florist, the North Quabbin Chamber of Commerce in Athol; the New Salem General Store in New Salem; the Red Apple Farm in Phillipston; the Petersham Craft Center and The Country Store in Petersham; the Hardwick Farmers Co-op in Gilbertville; the Kitchen Garden in Templeton; the Wendell Country Store in Wendell; Connecticut River Liquors in Turners Falls, Deerfield River Liquors in Deerfield, and Ruggeri’s Beverage & Redemption Center in Greenfield.
The ABNC, founded in 1963 by Athol science teacher, the late Robert B. Coyle, is today considered one of the state’s leading natural history clubs, with more than 250 members from around New England and beyond. New members are always welcome.
To learn more about the Athol Bird & Nature Club or the Millers River Environmental Center, or to order a 2026 calendar, go to www.atholbirdclub.org. Contributions to the Center can be sent to MREC, 100 Main Street, Athol, MA 01331.