ABNC Officers

& Directors

 

Photo by Nancy Lagimoniere

ABNC Officers

Dave Small

Dave Small

President - Acting Executive Director

For over twenty-eight years, Dave has been the charismatic leader of the Club. His skills as a naturalist, trip leader, and presenter are in demand throughout New England. Through Dave’s efforts, the Center is recognized as the place to hold meetings that relate to natural history and the environment.

Ernie LeBlanc

Ernie LeBlanc

Vice President

Ernie is a lifelong birder and naturalist; leader of club bird trips, and assist in maintaining and developing the Center’s inside and outside resources, including the native habitat gardens.

Jillian Whitney

Jillian Whitney

Treasurer

Jillian, club treasurer, works as a wildlife biologist for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and has a personal love for the outdoors and traveling near and far to explore.
Jeff Blanchard

Jeff Blanchard

Secretary

Jeff, club secretary, got started on birding in Bob Coyle’s 7th grade class and continues with his love for birds. Photographing wildlife is his hobby along with traveling to see as many bird species when he can.
Paul Goyetche

Paul Goyetche

Millers River Environmental Center Coordinator

Paul volunteers as the building coordinator for the Millers River Environmental Center. He is a garden enthusiast and an artist.

Max MacPhee

Max MacPhee

Geology Division Coordinator

Max has been a member of ABNC since 2000 and is a founding member of Geology Division. He leads cleaning and reorganization of ‘the Quarry’. He frequently attends ABNC dragonfly identification field trips.

Chris Coyle

Chris Coyle

Geology Division Clerk

Chris was exposed to geology at an early age and is especially interested in the mineral Beryl as well as fossils.

ABNC Directors

Bonnie Benjamin

Bonnie Benjamin

Bonnie is a retired teacher and coordinator of our E-learning group. She also organizes visits  to MREC with all of the Athol first graders annually.

Heidi Strickland

Heidi Strickland

Heidi is a passionate gardener and lover of nature who believes we can all make a difference. She spearheaded initiatives to reduce single-use plastics in our community and organized Green Clean Athol to clean up litter. She volunteers weekly at the Center.

Joanie MacPhee

Joanie MacPhee

Joanie MacPhee is an avid geologist and naturalist.

Bob Mallet

Bob Mallet

Bob is an avid birder and naturalist frequently recording the happenings in the Cass Meadow Conservation Area.

Ann Spring

Ann Spring

Ann is the Club’s librarian. She is an avid birder and naturalist, and volunteers for many of the club’s outreach activities.

Paul Goyetche

Paul Goyetche

Paul volunteers as the building coordinator for the Millers River Environmental Center. He is a garden enthusiast and an artist.

Max MacPhee

Max MacPhee

Max has been a member of ABNC since 2000 and is a founding member of Geology Division. He leads cleaning and reorganization of ‘the Quarry’. He frequently attends ABNC dragonfly identification field trips.

Jon Skinner

Jon Skinner

Jon, an avid birder, is a walk leader and webmaster for the club website.

Emeritus Directors

Susan Heinricher

Joan and Larry Duprey

Christine Becket Long

Emily Carr

Susan Cloutier

Cindy and Chuck Hartwell

Susan Bredesen

Clare Green

Kathy Richards

John O’Keefe

Geology Division

The Geology Division of the Athol Bird and Nature Club was formed in the summer of 2016.  Geo Division members are interested in all facets of geology, especially that of the North Quabbin area. Our group sponsors monthly activities – presentations, discussions of geology in the news and the ongoing organization of the ABNC rock and mineral collection in the basement of the Millers River Environmental Center nicknamed “The Quarry.”

Future projects include opening the ABNC geology learning center with interactive displays for the public.  A new updated edition of Minerals – Reality or Legend (Encompassing the Athol Region) by Paul Kenneth Kachinsky will be published after editing and addition of new material is completed.

Max MacPhee

Max MacPhee

Geology Division Leader

Max has been a member of ABNC since 2000 and is a founding member of Geology Division. He leads cleaning and reorganization of ‘the Quarry’. He frequently attends ABNC dragonfly identification field trips.

Chris Coyle

Chris Coyle

Geology Division Clerk

 Chris was exposed to geology at an early age and is especially interested in the mineral Beryl as well as fossils.

Birding Division

Dave Small

Dave Small

Birding Division

For over twenty-eight years, Dave has been the charismatic leader of the Club. His skills as a naturalist, trip leader, and presenter are in demand throughout New England. Through Dave’s efforts, the Center is recognized as the place to hold meetings that relate to natural history and the environment.

 

Ernie Leblanc

Ernie Leblanc

Birding Division

Ernie is a lifelong birder and naturalist; leader of club bird trips, and assist in maintaining and developing the Center’s inside and outside resources, including the native habitat gardens.

 

Jeff Johnstone

Jeff Johnstone

Trip Leader

Jeff is frequent leader of bird trips in the Quabbin area. He leads weekly walks during both spring and fall migration.

Mark Taylor

Mark Taylor

Trip Leader

eLearning Committee

Bonnie Benjamin

Bonnie Benjamin

Bonnie is a retired teacher and coordinator of our E-learning group. She also organizes visits  to MREC with all of the Athol first graders annually.

Clare Green

Clare Green

Clare is a retired educator, nature camp director, and local author from Warwick. She volunteers with the e-learning committee and is active at Alan E. Rich Environmental Park.

Heidi Strickland

Heidi Strickland

Heidi is a gardener and enthusiastic lover of nature. She volunteers weekly at the Center.

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