Animals Live Here Too/ Starbright Farm

05/31/2026

🚨 Massachusetts drivers think they understand traffic delays? That’s cute… now try negotiating with a Canada goose outside Market Basket. 🪿☕💀

You don’t honk at them.

You don’t wave them along.

You simply accept that your entire day is now operating on goose time.

One second you're trying to grab coffee and a rotisserie chicken.

The next second you're sitting in the parking lot watching a goose slowly cross the road like it's conducting an official Commonwealth inspection. 😭

This isn't a traffic jam.

This is a government hearing chaired by wildlife.

The guy behind you in a pickup already tapped the horn twice.

A woman in a Subaru loaded with Market Basket groceries is staring in disbelief.

Somebody from Worcester is rolling down the window offering completely unsolicited advice.

The goose?

Unbothered.

One step.

Pause.

Long stare.

Another step.

Like it's personally reviewing your Massachusetts driving record before granting passage. 💀

And somehow they always appear in the most Massachusetts locations imaginable:

• outside Market Basket on a Saturday morning
• wandering through Cape Cod parking lots
• standing beside a Dunkin' drive-thru entrance
• blocking traffic near a town common
• casually supervising Little League games like unpaid state employees 😭

Every Massachusetts resident understands the rules:

You NEVER challenge a Canada goose.

Because the goose already believes it owns the parking lot.

The road.

The town.

And possibly the entire Commonwealth. 🪿☕💀

05/31/2026

To break my heart is an understatement.
​Today was a devastating day at the rescue, and to be honest, it feels like a heavy shadow has been cast over the start of this season. We lost two beautiful, resilient souls this afternoon, and my heart is completely fractured.

​The first was our little 2-year-old snapping turtle Fred who came to us after being bitten by a dog 5 days ago. Despite my best efforts to treat the deep puncture wounds and fight off infection, his little body just couldn't hold on.

​The second loss came just hours after she arrived this morning. She was a massive, ancient adult female snapping turtle. She had just pulled herself up from the mud, made the perilous journey to lay her eggs, and was simply trying to cross back to the safety of her watery home when she was struck by a vehicle. The impact left her with catastrophic shell fractures. I tried everything to stabilize her, but the trauma was just too severe.

​It is only the very beginning of the nesting and active season, and the heartbreak is already overwhelming.

​The Fragile Reality of Survival
I need everyone to understand something vital about turtles: their entire survival strategy as a species depends on adults living incredibly long lives.

​The Odds Are Against Them: In the wild, it is estimated that less than 1% of turtle eggs and hatchlings survive to adulthood. They face intense natural predation from raccoons, skunks, and birds and humans.

​The Math of Extinction: Because it takes a snapping turtle 20 years just to reach sexual maturity, an adult female has to lay thousands of eggs over her lifetime just to replace herself and her mate in the population.

​The Human Variable: When an adult turtle is killed on the road, decades of survival history vanish in an instant.

​Turtles have survived on this planet for over 200 million years. They outlived the dinosaurs. But they evolved for a world without automobiles, concrete, habitat fragmentation, and domestic pets. In the long run, they simply do not stand a chance against the gauntlet of man-made hazards we have built around them. If we don't change, we will drive these ancient creatures to extinction.

​How You Can Help
​Please, I beg of you, scan the roads.
​Drive with extra caution, especially near wetlands, lakes, and rivers.
​If it is safe to do so, help them cross in the direction they are already heading.

​Keep your dogs leashed when near areas where wildlife might be nesting or moving.
​To the two beautiful snappers we lost today: I am so, so sorry the world wasn't safer for you. I tried.

​Thank you all for your continued support during these incredibly tough days. Please watch the roads. They need us now more than ever.

05/04/2026

FYI the first picture is what bears should eat and the other two pictures are what bears shouldn't eat. The second is specifically a bear that got into the dumpster.And is eating ice cream, and the third picture is a bear.Who got into someone's house and is eating...everything. What do you think is healthier? When you do not secure your trash properly, (or your house 😬) it is not just about the mess that the bears make. It is not just about encouraging them to come around humans more. It is also about them. Their health. Their size. How many babies they will have.
Skunk cabbage is a staple in their spring diet and helps get their digestive system going.

04/29/2026

🐢 Meet the Turtles at the Library! 🐢

​Looking for a fun, free, and educational Saturday afternoon? Join us at the Pittsfield Public Library on May 9th to meet some of our amazing turtle residents!

​This isn't just a "look but don't touch" event. You’ll get to learn and demonstrate how to properly hold turtles!

✅ Meet a variety of local turtles up close.
✅ Learn the safe (and proper!) way to help a Snapping Turtle cross the road.
✅ Discover the work we do at Berkshire County Turtle Rescue.
✅ FREE WORKSHOP: Create your own "Turtle Crossing" yard sign to take home and help keep our local wildlife safe!

​📍 Where: Pittsfield Public Library
📅 When: Saturday, May 9th | 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
💰 Cost: FREE!

​Come say hi, ask questions, and learn how you can be a hero for Massachusetts wildlife. We can’t wait to see you there!

04/29/2026

I don’t know what you believe in, be it God, fate, the universe - but it was one of those situations that felt undeniable…

We had planned a meeting with the Billerica Police Department as part of a larger effort to bring together Massachusetts police officers, animal control officers, and wildlife rehabilitators. The goal was simple: learn from each other, understand the challenges, and build something better together. Our educational beaver, Nibi came along for the ride.

The conversation went well. Productive. Thoughtful. Exactly what we had hoped for.

And then, something happened…

A beaver had become trapped just below a dam, huddled on a rock in rushing water. Calls started coming in. The rescue would be dangerous - no question. It would take coordination, trust, and skilled people willing to step in.

And it was happening in the very town we were sitting in.

What followed was everything we’ve been hoping for. Billerica Police | MA, Billerica Fire | MA, Billerica & Tewksbury Animal Control, and Massachusetts Environmental Police all came together—communicating, problem-solving, backing each other up. No ego. No hesitation. All aspect of rescue and law enforcement were ready to collaborate and help if needed.

In the end, the fire department climbed a ladder over the rushing rapids and brought that beaver to safety.

Standing there, watching it unfold, I couldn’t believe it.

We came to talk about collaboration and they showed us exactly what it looks like.

The beaver is in our care and being treated for her injuries. She would not be here if not for everyone’s efforts.

This is what’s possible when we all work together.

04/29/2026

Wherever you stand , be the soul of that place

04/20/2026

04/17/2026

🐢🐢🐢 Turtle Safety Tips for 2026! 🐢🐢🐢

Hey everyone! As we head into warmer months, our shelled friends are on the move! Here’s how we can help keep turtles safe:

Berkshire County Turtle Rescue Inc. is a local resource to help with turtles that are injured if you come across any.

1. 🚗 Watch Out for Turtles Crossing Roads: Slow down and check for turtles, especially near ponds and wetlands. If it's safe to do so, you can help a turtle cross the road in the direction it was heading.

2. 🚫 Don’t Remove Turtles from Their Habitat: Turtles have specific home ranges. Moving them can disrupt their lives and the local ecosystem.

3. 🐕 Keep Pets in Check: Supervise dogs when near turtle habitats to prevent accidental injuries.

4. 🗑️ Dispose of Trash Properly: Litter can harm turtles and other wildlife. Keep our natural spaces clean!

5. 🐢 Know Your Turtles: Different species have different needs. Learn about the turtles in your area to better protect them.

Fun Turtle Fact: Did you know that a turtle’s shell is part of its skeleton? 🤯

Let’s all do our part to protect these amazing creatures!