After a long winter’s nap, gardens are calling out to be raked, pruned, dug, and planted. All that activity can take a toll on your body, especially your hands if you have arthritis. While you can’t reverse arthritis, there are things you can do to make living with it less painful. Learn more about the treatment options that can minimize discomfort and improve hand function.
Lousy Night's Sleep? Daytime Behaviors Could Be to Blame
If you’re one of the nearly 84 million Americans (1 in 3 adults) who do not get the recommended amount of uninterrupted sleep, your physical and mental health may be at serious risk. Learn how to improve your overall health by adjusting your daily routines with these healthy sleep habits.
Most people are familiar with the common symptoms of diabetes—increased thirst, hunger, and urination. But there are other, less-common symptoms that can also indicate issues with your blood sugar. Take a look at these five symptoms that should not be ignored. Read More.
Spring Into Sun Safety
As spring weather has you wearing heavy coats and sweaters less and less, there’s one thing you should be putting on more and more: sunscreen. Learn why a product's SPF level and broad-spectrum qualities matter. Read More.
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Protect Grassland Birds by Mowing Later
MONTPELIER, Vt. — Bobolinks, Savannah sparrows and eastern meadowlarks enrich our summers with their songs, but their populations continue to suffer long-term declines due to the loss in quantity and quality of their grassland habitat.
"These species continue to experience long-term population declines across the continent, and on Vermont's grasslands, especially in large fields and in open landscapes, there are opportunities to help," said Rosalind Renfrew, biologist for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.
Landowners can make a difference by altering the times of year they mow fields. Fish and Wildlife is encouraging landowners to help these beloved species by waiting to mow fields used by grassland birds, giving them a chance to rear their young.
"People maintain open, grassy fields in Vermont for a variety of reasons, from producing hay to providing pasture for grazing, to simply maintaining scenic beauty," said Renfrew, "For those who can afford it, the timing of mowing or brush hogging can be adjusted to allow grassland birds to successfully raise young."
Bobolinks, Savannah sparrows, eastern meadowlarks and wild turkeys build nests right on the ground, among the grasses and wildflowers. Deer fawns and other animals take refuge in grass fields, and other birds such as bluebirds, kestrels, whip-poor-wills, and northern harriers rely on grass fields for food.
According to Renfrew, landowners who do not need to mow for animal forage can accommodate nesting birds by cutting late in the summer, preferably after Aug. 1.
People concerned about invasive plants may choose to sometimes mow a portion of their field more frequently, to keep invasive plants in check.
"The birds don't like fields dominated by invasives such as parsnip, bedstraw, chervil, and others any more than we do," says Renfrew. "Mowing earlier and more frequently to control and prevent those species from going to seed can mean temporarily sacrificing the needs of the birds," said Renfrew, "but when it helps maintain habitat quality over the long term, it's worth it."
The game-winning rally started when Pittsfield junior Jack Abel led off by crushing a 1-1 pitch to left-center and racing all the way to third base, sliding in just ahead of the tag to give the Generals a sterling scoring opportunity. click for more
The Pittsfield baseball team Saturday rallied for five runs in the top of the sixth inning to break a 5-5 tie and went on to a 12-5 win over Clinton in the quarter-finals of the Division 4 State Tournament. click for more
Amanda Pou was named the most valuable player of the regional final after striking out four and walking none in a complete-game effort in the circle. She also ripped a two-run double in Pittsfield’s four-run fourth-inning rally to break open a scoreless game. click for more