R.S. Quimby -- Personal Info

Birding

This has been a growing passion of mine for the past 10 years. I especially enjoy hawk watching in the fall, and the warbler migration in the spring. I've birded out west a couple of times now, and my "life list" is up to around 400 species. I regularly check out the birds at Institute Park (a nice park with a pond, across the street from the campus), and have recorded over 120 species there over the years. Here is an annotated checklist for the Birds of Institute Park, with bar charts of seasonal occurrences, locational info, and some photos. If you find a bird at the park that is not on this list, please let me know ASAP!

For more bird info, go to the web site which I maintain for information about birding in Central Massachusetts, the Central Mass Bird Update. There you will also find links to national bird web sites.

My experience in birding has made me appreciate the fragility and interdependence of our island-global ecosystem. I have been involved in conservation activities with the Massachusetts Audubon Society, which has a relatively new (~15 years) urban wildlife sanctuary. The Broadmeadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary is located within the city limits of Worcester, on the southeast side of town.

Hiking

I got hooked on hiking during my 2 year stay in California. The wooded mountains of New England lack the dramatic character of the west coast peaks, but have a subtle beauty of their own. Since moving to new England, I have been active in the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) both as a participant and as a trip leader.

Folk music

Yes, folk music is still alive and well, especially in New England! It's hard to define exactly what constitutes "folk music", although, as someone once said in another context...I know it when I hear it. I've been actively involved in the local folk music scene, doing sound system setups for the folk concerts at John Henry's Hammer Coffeehouse, and as a DJ for 5 years at WICN, a Worcester public radio station. These days, the Worcester radio station with the most folk music is WCUW (91.3 FM), a community radio station. There is a lot of folk music on the Boston public radio stations, including WUMB (91.9 FM), WERS (88.9 FM), and WGBH (89.7 FM). There are also live folk music performances on a regular basis at The Green Rooster Coffeehouse in Worcester and at Rotman's furnature store (free concerts!).

For lots of info about the current folk music scene, check out the Folk Music Home Page.