Faces of Greenbelt: Emerson Dahmen, Osprey Monitor, Devoted Volunteer, Longtime Donor

Between the months of April and August each year, Emerson Dahmen sets out once or twice a week in Greenbelt’s 14-foot skiff from Batchelder’s Landing in Rowley to check on Osprey nests tucked into the many nooks and crannies found along the Rowley River and its surrounding salt marshes.

One of Greenbelt’s many devoted Osprey monitors, Emerson estimates he’s made this trip more than a hundred times over the past decade-plus and has come to know the landscape intimately. On each outing, he navigates past an array of familiar shoreline landmarks that include weathered hunting blinds, crumbling old camp houses, and Osprey platforms both old and new, some of which he helped install. As long as he keeps moving, the greenheads usually aren’t too bad, even in midsummer.

Accompanied by his loyal Portuguese Water Dog, Molly, Emerson typically follows a route that can take more than two hours to complete as he pauses to observe Osprey behavior, track nesting activity, and keep a close eye out for the arrival of eggs and chicks. Several times each season, he hauls a ladder out to access the 10-12-foot-high nesting platforms for a closer inspection. At each stop along the way, he carefully records his observations in a pocket notebook, later entering the data into Greenbelt’s Osprey monitoring system.

“This year, I started the season monitoring 15 nests in Rowley and Ipswich, but four have failed so far, which is a bit unusual,” says Emerson. “I suspect predation. The nests were active with eggs or chicks before they failed, and from what I’ve heard, great horned owls are the likely culprits.” Most of his remaining nests now have chicks that will grow and fledge by late August.

A West Gloucester resident who retired four years ago from his career as a construction supervisor for Habitat for Humanity, Emerson first got involved with Greenbelt’s Osprey program through his wife, Janet Grover — a bird enthusiast and active volunteer herself — who still occasionally joins him on his nest monitoring trips. Emerson and Janet are also longtime supporters of Greenbelt, contributing not only their time but also their financial support as donors.

“Initially, we started in kayaks, and I quickly became fascinated by Ospreys — their unique life cycle and incredible adaptations for catching fish,” he says of the once endangered raptors. “Over time, I also grew more interested in the salt marsh ecosystem and the important role it has played in human history for farming and hunting. I still love getting out there and seeing what’s happening. Every trip feels a little different.”

As if being an Osprey monitor weren’t enough, Emerson also lends his time and energy to Greenbelt in many other ways. A skilled carpenter, he has helped build boardwalks and benches for various properties and installed Osprey platforms at several locations. He also assists with community walks and regularly maintains the trails at Tompson Street Reservation near his home, clearing downed trees and trimming overgrowth. In recognition of his tireless dedication, Emerson was honored as Greenbelt’s Volunteer of the Year in 2023.

Outside of Greenbelt, Emerson volunteers with the Schooner Adventure in Gloucester, where he serves as a deckhand, docent, and part of the off-season maintenance crew. He also competes with his dog in a variety of water trials, lure coursing, and agility events around the region.