Videos
Select one of our series or scroll for highlights!
Short takes on Long Ago
Get a taste of Historic Northampton’s collections.
A Short Take on a World War II US Navy WAVES Uniform
A Short Take on a Zouave Uniform
A Short Take on a Boy’s Dresses
A Short Take on a Mystery Bucket
A Short Take on a Kewpie Doll
Wildlife in Wilder Places
Laurie Sanders’ wildlife cams give an up close and personal look at the many inhabitants of Northampton’s conservation areas.
Spring Comes to the Mineral Hills
Many animals travelled along this 19th-century wood road during the spring. But going back in time to when the farm was here in the 19th century, the surrounding forest would have been cleared as pasture and almost all the animals you’re about to see were either rare…or not here. Spring peepers and wood frogs, however, would have provided the acoustical backdrop then, as now.
Wildlife Highlights at Barrett Street Marsh
The 25-acre Barrett Street Marsh Conservation Area is surrounded by development and among other functions, plays an important role in slowing and retaining stormwater–especially during this last week of very rainy weather. Ditched and drained during the early 19th century, this area was used for pasture by the City’s former Almshouse. By the late 1960s, the Almshouse had been closed for decades and the ditches were no longer being maintained. The pasture began to slowly re-wild, and in the mid-1970s, it had become a rejuvenated wetland–and one of Northampton’s first conservation areas. In this 2-minute video, the camera is located in part of the former pasture that is now a red maple swamp. The open marsh is visible in the background.
Wildlife and Mushrooms at Sawmill Hills
Serious natural history studies in America took off during the 19th century, including the scientific cataloging and naming of mushrooms. In 1885, Massachusetts’ Julius A. Palmer, Jr. (1840-1899) published Mushrooms of America, Edible and Poisonous, noting in its introduction: “No country is richer in mushroom food than America…To this feast, abundantly provided by Nature for the poorest as well as the most epicurean, we invite the American people.” Palmer also warned to stay away from the Amanitas, most of which contain “deadly and violent poison” and were “extremely common.” This 2.5 minute compilation begins with two Amanita mushrooms and reveals the emergence and decay of several mushroom species as well as the wildlife that passes by, and on occasion, interacts with them.
Wildlife Highlights at Fitzgerald Lake
The sights and sounds in this short video would have been impossible to experience during most of the last 300 years. Today, because of reintroduction efforts, changes in wildlife laws, shifts in fashion, and land protection efforts, observations like these can take place within a 15-minute drive of downtown Northampton, Massachusetts. The beaver dam and pond in this video are located within the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area (FLCA) which is contiguous to 100s of acres of undeveloped land. FLCA is the the largest city-owned conservation area (936 acres) in Northampton.
On the Loose in the Museum
What do the peg dolls do when they don’t have museum visitors to play with? Have their own adventures of course!