The Christmas Bird Count season is nearly upon us. Dec. 14 through Jan. 5, birding groups based in 35 towns around the state will canvass their areas looking for birds in what are called “circles” for the numbers of bird species and numbers of birds within each during the 106th Annual Christmas Bird Count. Nantucket’s Christmas Bird Count is on Dec. 31 from sunup to sundown.

Those interested in tromping around the Nantucket wilderness should muster at the UMass Field Station at 180 Polpis Road, also called the Grace Grossman Environmental Center, on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. to get island area assignments.

At the end of the counting day, bird counters will then regroup at the field station to tally their observations and share rare sightings.

For details on this counting and on counting birds at your feeders, call Ken Blackshaw at 228-0709 or Edie Ray at 228-1693. There is no rain date. For those who want more than one day of counting, the three-week count includes counts all over the state, a listing for which is at www.massbird. org.

41-81D NEWS

Seven months were added to the 41-81D master plan process on

Monday night when the Planning

Board approved a revised schedule. Planning Director Andrew Vorce originally charted an aggressive schedule of public input meetings followed by a draft plan public hearing on Dec. 12.

However, realizing much more public input was needed, Vorce got the board to extend the schedule to culminate with a special town meeting in Oct. 2006. The extra time will be spent generating public comments through ballot questions and a direct mail growth management survey.

WESTMOOR WANTS MORE

Five months old, and the Westmoor Club is already back at the Planning Board dealing with growing pains. Nantucket’s newest racquet and fitness club is hoping to add five more tennis courts, a lap pool, maintenance building and 18 more parking spaces. If it can successfully modify its major commercial development (MCD) special permit to flesh out its facilities, Westmoor would accept applications for 100 more memberships.

At its sketch plan review on Nov. 14 — an informal look-see for identifying key sticking points before a definitive plan is filed — although the Planning Board seemed to warm to the Westmoor’s proposal, it raised access issues that the club will likely have to deal with. When it got its original Planning Board approval, the Westmoor told the board that it would only use its secondary access on West Chester Street for employees and deliveries. But the addition of more playing facilities and 100 more members certainly translates into more congestion both on and off club grounds.

Planning Board chairman Don Visco reminded club president and developer J. Graham Goldsmith that the town, using money from the developer of the 13-lot Westmoor Farms subdivision next door, is going to be improving and paving West Chester Street. Visco said that this could make this entrance to the club safer, however, he did say vehicles using the main entrance onto Cliff Road caused moderate congestion this summer.

Goldsmith reminded the board that the lot where the extra tennis courts would go is zoned for four approval-not-required lots on which a total of eight residential units could be built. Goldsmith could not say when he planned to submit a definitive plan to the board.

FREE TREES FOR KATRINA VICTIMS

Not only did Hurricane Katrina knock down levees and the lives of Gulf Coast residents, it devastated tens of thousands of trees in its path.

Viewing itself as a vital restorer of trees for Katrina victims, the National Arbor Day Foundation is asking for your help in its reforestation efforts for neighborhoods hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. For every $10 donated to the Katrina Tree Recovery Campaign, the National Arbor Day Foundation will give ten trees to Katrina victims to plant on their own.

The donated trees include Eastern Red Cedar, Red Maple, Bald Cypress and Red Oak. Each donor of $10 or more gets a free membership with the National Arbor Day Foundation, which includes a subscription to the Foundation’s bimonthly publication, Arbor Day and “The Tree Book,” providing information on tree planting and care.

To donate, you can send your contribution to the Katrina Tree Recovery Campaign, National Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, Neb. 68410. You can also donate online at www.arborday.org/katrina.

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