Come join me on your own wildlife adventure!
It's free and it's fun for the whole family!
Winter Snowshoe and Animal Tracking
Saturday, February 5, 10am
46 Coburn Rd Tyngsborough Massachusetts
Join me on this beautiful winter wonderland nature
walk. If the snow is deeper then 8 inches we will snowshoe. If
less, we’ll hike through the field and forest enjoying the beauty
of winter’s blanket. We will identify different species of birds
that over-winter as well as identify different animal tracks in the
snow. Bring your snowshoes or hiking boots!
If you need snowshoes for the day EMS will be on site and have free Snowshoes!
My heartfelt thanks to the great folks at Eastern Mountain Sports!
October 1st, 2010
At 10:00 Am ET I am hosting a public Nature Walk at the Sherburne Nature Center located at Coburn Rd in Tyngsboro Massachusetts. Educational fun for the whole family and of course free of charge!
At 3:00 PM ET I am Speaking about Wildlife adventures at Eastern Mountain Sports in Nashua NH!
September 31th 2010
I'm looking forward to Speaking at Eastern Mountain Sports http://www.ems.com
Nashua, NH tomorrow (Friday) at 7 PM ET sharing stories about some of the many incredible adventures and goofy mishaps while filming wildlife and trying to excite folks about the beautiful wildlife we share the world with! The hard part will be not buying a kayak or other outdoor gear while hanging out in the store! :-)
July 20th 2010
Wow its been a while! There's been so many amazing updates exploring wildlife! I'm prepping for another diving trip to start collecting footage for the future film! I'll be diving with the team on a 200 year old Shipwreck! All for"Exploring the Depths of Lake Champlain"This will be the largest project to day and require months of collecting film of the amazing world beneath the waves of Lake Champlain!
Here is a secret: I just finished a new species spotlight film, and it about a really,really, big species of bear!
May 3rd, 2010
Great news! I now have a nature walks blog! Yep you asked for it, and now you got it! check it out at the following link for new and exciting updates all the time!
http://www.naturewalkswithmark.org/blog
Public Speaking for Earth day!
I will be at the "Maristhill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Waltham, Massachusetts" April 22nd at 3 PM
Here is a link: http://www.maristhill.org/index.htm
You can Find me Sunday April 25th at the
the Sherburne Nature Center in Tyngsboro Mass from 1- 4 PM!
Earth day is coming up fast! On April 22nd at 3PM I will be speaking about local conservation at the Maristhill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Waltham, Ma!
Stay tuned on March 18th 2010 for the airing of "Secrets of The Northern Forests!"
Thanks so much to the wonderful folks at the Plattsburgh Press Republican for the great story about my family and ongoing search to keep a promise made to my father long ago. One day, we will find Florence!
Here's the Story!
http://www.pressrepublican.com/saturday/local_story_072062107.html
January 27th 2010 at the Dracut Massachusetts Public Library from 6:30 PM until about 8:30 PM See you there! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A553i6elqVw
Dec 08 2009 Front page article in the Lowell Sun about hopefully banning plastic throw away bags!
Here's the scoop!
Sen. Jamie Eldridge, Tyngsboro TV host push ban on plastic shopping bags
By John Collins, jcollins@lowellsun.com
Updated: 12/12/2009 06:35:53 AM EST
TYNGSBORO -- Credit cards aren't the form of plastic Americans should fear most, according to naturalist Mark Fraser.
Plastic shopping bags that supermarkets give out by the billions present a greater threat, Fraser claims, because they're increasingly ending up in a giant, swirling garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean -- and in our food.
Fraser, host of the public TV series Nature Walks with Mark, is hoping to rally the public to support Sen. Jamie Eldridge's bill calling for a ban on single-use plastic grocery bags in the state's largest supermarket chain stores.
"If Massachusetts bans these single-use plastic grocery bags, I believe it'll start a chain reaction on a national level," says Fraser, who met with Eldridge recently to discuss a strategy for more public awareness.
Said Eldridge, an Acton Democrat: "These plastic bags are something that really shouldn't be in the consumer market. Because after they're used to bring groceries to your car, (the plastic) is very hard to break down. It impacts wildlife and wastes oil,"
Eldridge's bill, which is currently in the Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, would "prohibit the use of plastic carry-out bags" in the state's largest grocery stores, requiring them to offer their customers reusable cloth, nylon or paper bags instead. The bill exempts smaller stores, defined as those with less than $500,000 in annual sales.
Also exempt would be plastic bags found
in fruit-and- vegetable aisles, "and in applications where small, loose hardware is sold," the bill states.
"About 380 billion of these plastic bags are used every year by Americans, and only about 5 percent are recycled, That's why we need the ban," said Eldridge. "It would be better for the environment, and better for the supermarkets because they wouldn't have to spend money on the bags."
Eldridge's bill is opposed by the Massachusetts Food Association, representing 500 supermarkets statewide, large and small, according to the trade group's vice president, Brian Houghton.
The association has also worked to defeat previous legislation, filed by Sen. Brian Joyce, a Milton Democrat, in 2007 that sought to charge consumers 2 cents per plastic bag, gradually increasing to 15 cents over seven years.
"It's not the plastic bag that's the problem. It's what people do with it after the fact," said Houghton. "If you're doing the right things with them, I don't really see the need for a tax or an outright ban on them."
Houghton said the association recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the state's Department of Environmental Protection, pledging to carry out a 33 percent reduction in the use of plastic bags by 2013.
"We're the first state in the country that's done something like this," said Houghton.
Count Lowell resident Betty O'Brien as someone who's also opposed to the ban. O'Brien told The Sun she couldn't imagine life without the dozen or so plastic bags she takes home from Market Basket every week.
"We use them as small trash-barrel liners, as lunch bags -- we use them for everything," said O'Brien, who, before yesterday, had been unaware of the existence of the Pacific Ocean's giant plastic garbage patch, as described by the environmentalists.
"Plastic bags are so aerodynamic that even when properly disposed of, they can still blow away and become litter in the oceans and on land," said Phil Sego, spokesman for the Sierra Club of Massachusetts, citing a United Nations' estimate that "1 billion animals are killed every year by plastic bags."
According to Fraser, a billion more marine-animal deaths yearly are being attributed to plastic poisoning and ingestion, which affects the global food chain. The smallest fish and marine life ingest bits of plastic, and these petroleum-based chemicals work their way up the food chain eventually to be consumed by humans who favor seafood, including tuna, said Fraser.
"This is the gift from the plastic industry that keeps on killing," said Fraser.
Fraser said he believes changing consumer habits is the key, with passage of Eldridge's bill being a big step toward.
Eldridge is "optimistic" about getting a positive recommendation from the joint House-Senate committee early next year.
Grocery store employees at Stop & Shop, Market Basket, Hannaford, Shaw's, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods informed The Sun that they all offer cloth, nylon or canvass reusable grocery bags for sale at prices ranging from 99 cents to $3 each. Some of the stores offer cash incentives for using the reusable bags, including Stop & Shop, which gives the consumer 5 cents for each filled reusable bag of groceries. Hannaford just recently ended their reusable grocery bag cash-back promotion, a manager said.
December 22,2009- Great news friends! I will be speaking about that natural world, conservation and backyard wildlife at the Dracut Massachusetts Public Library! There is no admission and it will be a great chance to talk about the needs of habitat protection in each of our hometowns! bring the whole family!
July 24th 2009
This morning, there is a fantastic article about the conservation efforts and Nature Walks with Mark show on the Discovery Channels "Born Animal" website! It's written by the amazing columnist Jennifer Viegas!What a great honor and a major help spreading the word to help protect our natural world! Thanks so much Jennifer and the great folks at the Discovery Channel! The fact is the more we educate the public about the natural world the more we will all protect it!
http://blogs.discovery.com/news_animal/2009/07/maine-moose-and-other-animals-through-the-eyes-of-mark-fraser.html
July 20th 2009
Just came back from filming Moose in northern Maine! Captured amazing images and video for the show. This will become a part of the episode "Realm of the Moose" posting still to slideshow#2 tabe on this website please enjoy!
May 19th
Hi friends lots of interesting things coming up! This Thursday (May 21st at 1PM Hawaii time, 4PM PST and 7 PM ET) you can see a new Nature Walks with Mark mini video about the environmental impact of plastic bags, which will be seen on the Andy Bumatai begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting show based in Hawaii! It will be part of the "Just Bag it" segment and you can watch the video as the show streams live "around the world" at the following link http://www.nighttimehawaiitv/
You can also see the video at my Youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/nwwmark
Then on Saturday May 23 at 9 AM ET I am leading a Spring Bird Nature Walk! that will be hosted at the Sherburne Nature Center, in Tyngsboro at 49 Coburn Rd in Massachusetts! Very excited and hope to see you there!
APRIL25th !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Time to celebrate
http://www.lowellsun.com/ci_12189854?IADID=Search-www.lowellsun.com-www.lowellsun.com
Earth Day Celebration at the Sherburne Nature Center
Sunday, April 26, 2009 1-4pm
49 Coburn Rd Tyngsboro, Ma
Join the family fun at the fourth annual Earth Day
Celebration. Enjoy a wildlife puppet show, play nature games, view exhibits. Activities will be led by local scouts, naturalists, and volunteers.
http://www.lowellsun.com/ci_12189854?IADID=Search-www.lowellsun.com-www.lowellsun.com
Earth Day fun for Tyngsboro residents
The Lowell Sun
Updated: 04/21/2009 06:38:22 AM EDT
TYNGSBORO -- Learning about nature, along with a town cleanup, highlight the fourth annual, two-day Earth Day 2009 Celebration this weekend.
On Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Earth Day organizers invite volunteers to show their community spirit and town pride by doing some spring cleaning at the Sherburne Nature Center, 48 Coburn Road, or any of the town's four schools. Cleanup participants are urged to bring any of the following tools: rakes, flat shovels, brooms, gloves, wheel barrows clippers, trash bags, leaf bags or barrels, and drinking water.
On Sunday, Earth Day observances continue at the Sherburne Nature Center from 1 to 4 p.m.
Dozens of fun, family-oriented conservation activities are planned, from wildlife puppet shows to nature walks and educational exhibits. Inside the Nature Center, Mark Fraser, host of the popular Nature Walks with Mark TV series will present a 30-minute locally filmed wildlife documentary.
April 4th 2009 Thanks everyone for the fan mail- its great to see so many interested in spreading the word about Wildlife Conservation!
I hear the "Spring Peeper" frogs every morning and evening telling me that spring is here and summer is soon to be on the way.
Earth Day is coming and in Tyngsboro Mass, they are celebrating!
I will set up a film projector and show some of the NatureWalks episodes inside the NatureCenter on a big screen and talk about Wildlife Habitat Protection.
Earth Day Celebration at the Sherburne Nature Center
Sunday, April 26, 2009 1-4pm
49 Coburn Rd Tyngsboro, Ma
Join the family fun at the fourth annual Earth Day
Celebration. Enjoy a wildlife puppet show, play nature games, view exhibits. Activities will be led by local scouts, naturalists, and volunteers.
General Information
Sherburne Nature Center activities are open to all who are interested. Unless otherwise noted, all activities will take place at Sherburne Estate and will go rain or shine. In extreme weather conditions, activities will be canceled. No reservations or fees required. You simply show up.
Monday, March 23, 2009 7pm.
I will be doing a public showing of the film "Muskrat and Beaver" hope to see you there!
49 Coburn Rd Tyngsboro, Ma
Come learn all about water, wetland habitats, and water
conservation efforts in Tyngsboro. Do you know what a rain
garden is or how best to manage the storm water that falls on
your property so you can reduce damage and improve the
quality of our local waterways? Local photographers and film
makers will share images of local wetland wildlife.
March 20th 2009
Well looks like there will be a nice Article in the Saturday (March 21st) Paper and website of the Lowell Sun about the show. Spreading the good word about Wildlife habitat protection! We are making progress and the more the word spreads, the more folks we can reach, the more we can accomplish!
Welcome to the first day of spring! Thanks everyone for the wonderferul fan mail and support of the show and most importantly of the natural world!
It's going to be a *very* big year!
Mark
Here a link if you cant read the print on the image below
http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_11966250
March 16th, 2009
Video Article on NatureWalks with Mark Series. It can be seen at the folowing link http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid13105315001/bclid1612721902/bctid16413010001
Feb 26, 2009 There are 2 events coming up that I will be speaking at in Massachusetts. Both are hosted at the Sherburne Nature Center in Tyngsboro, Ma
Wetland habitats education at the Sherburne Nature Center
Earth Day Celebration at the Sherburne Nature Center
Sunday, April 26, 2009 1-4pm
49 Coburn Rd Tyngsboro, Ma
Join the family fun at the fourth annual Earth Day
Celebration. Enjoy a wildlife puppet show, play nature games, view exhibits. Activities will be led by local scouts, naturalists, and volunteers.
General Information
Sherburne Nature Center activities are open to all who are interested. Unless otherwise noted, all activities will take place at Sherburne Estate and will go rain or shine. In extreme weather conditions, activities will be cancelled. No reservations or fees required. You simply show up.
Feb 21, 2009 Just flew back in from the Arizona filming trip. It was one of the most amazing places I have ever seen. Traveling deep into the desert in some of the most untouched wilderness areas in the country was simply fascinating. While there Found a cave and upon entering discovered a ring tail cat! Stunning animal. The video footage deep in the back country is breathtaking and I can not wait to share with the world on the next NatureWalks episode!
Thanks to everyone for the fan mail!!! It's all your efforts to help protect wildlife habitat that will make the difference!
Sincere best wishes,
Mark
Feb 07, 2009 New Filming Trip! Taking place deep in the desert lands of Arizona!
A brand new "NatureWalks" Episode is being filmed to bring stunning desert wildlife into your living room!
** Archived Articles **
Letter of Appreciation from Senator Susan Tucker, thank you Senator!
Sun, The (Lowell, MA)
October 16, 2006
Section: Local
News
Loving the Earth, it's just in his nature
CHRIS CAMIRE, Sun Staff
TYNGSBORO -- "Let me show you something," Mark Fraser says, a speck of mischievousness lingering in his voice. He unlocks the trunk of his car, revealing a taxidermy fisher perched on a log. The animal was hit by a car.
"Most people don't know what a fisher is, but they're everywhere," he continues. "It's the only animal whose main food source is porcupine."
Fraser is standing on the rim of the Sherburne Estate in Tyngsboro, an 85-acre preserve through which he leads nature walks.
Fraser explains why people need to be aware of the harm they are inflicting upon the earth.
"I think as a society America has become so focused on money that a lot of us have forgotten to take the time and look at what's going on around us," said Fraser. "We have to put our differences aside. We have to put our politics aside and start focusing on the earth, because she needs our help."
It would be easy to mistake Fraser for a hipster activist out to champion whatever cause is in vogue. The truth is that he has dedicated his life to preaching the word of ecology.
"Kids love talks about nature. Just give it to them," said Fraser. "But if we teach them it's OK to throw a beer can into the river or a cigarette butt out the window, they will never learn to respect the earth, to respect their mother."
Fraser, an American Indian, has a fast and charismatic, yet meticulously measured speaking pattern. He makes no secret that he has rehearsed his message on countless audiences.
"I'll be out in a shopping mall somewhere, and I'll start blabbing about the environment. I can't stop," he says.
The knowledge he spews does not come from a classroom, he boasts. Fraser says it is the result of years spent in the forest, observing the natural world around him.
"The Earth has been destroyed many times. Comets have wiped out all of the life," said Fraser. "She'll heal, but we won't be here. We're sawing a branch off a tree that we're sitting on. We're going to break our branch."
Fraser, 36, is of Mohawk and Abenaki descent. He lives in Dracut with his wife and stepdaughter and has worked for a telecommunications firm in Bedford for the past 11 years. He grew up in Billerica and upstate New York, and was an Army paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division.
Fraser said he is saddened by the lack of attention environmental issues are getting today. He said he gets particularly upset when politicians exploit the environment as a political tool.
"When people talk about the environment and whether it's a Republican or a Democratic thing, I get beside myself," he said. "People talk about patriotism, and then they spit on the ground they walk on. Patriotism to me isn't about a flag. If you want to love the country you live in, get out and learn about the fauna and the biology."
Fraser's nature walks are much more than exercises in identifying plant and animal species. They are big-picture lessons demonstrating how even the smallest plant or critter plays a critical role in the ecosystem.
There is an American Indian tradition called Seven Generations. It says all people should work to leave the world better for the next seven generations. Fraser said he is trying to accomplish that through nature walks, public-speaking engagements and donating money to environmental causes. One day, he said he hopes to produce documentaries on New England and Adirondack fauna.
"Knowledge is like a seed," explains Fraser, looking out at the Sherburne Estate. "If you plant the seed and nurture it, it'll grow, and it could become a whole cornfield. Thought and what we do as a society is the same way. We could nurture it, and we could get more places like this to appreciate from that education."
(c) 2006 The Sun (Lowell, MA). All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Media NewsGroup, Inc. by NewsBank, Inc.
