Biodiversity Days Report
June 8, 9, & 10, 2001


We wish to thank everyone who participated in the Second Annual Biodiversity Days Weekend at the Millers River Environmental Center. The weather cooperated with 3 beautiful sunshine filled days, reports coming from the dozens of trip leaders indicate we had over 600 species identified in our region of 19 towns.

Did you take pictures?  Find any unusual species or have an interesting story to tell about a habitat or wildlife encounter?  Please include that information in your report to the Athol Bird and Nature Club.

All volunteers who kept lists, should complete identifications and get their lists, contact information for participants, any photos from the field, and maps of where they went to their Town Organizers or to the Club by the end of the weekend- June 17th. If you mail in reports they should be sent to the Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main St, Athol, MA 01331; they can be turned in Wednesday night at the Athol Bird and Nature Club meeting; or sent by email to cloutier@tiac.net.

Photos and summary reports will be posted soon.

Reports on some Town  Events
We are awaiting reports on the Biodiversity day events
There are only a few pictures below at this time


collage of animals and plants native to Massachusetts


 

Sunday Celebration Supper-

Sharon McGregor, Assistant Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, joined us at our Biodiversity Days Celebration on Sunday afternoon at the Millers River Environmental Center. Sharon described how our regional efforts were valued by Secretary Bob Durand, that the data collected would help us understand the rich biodiversity of many sites and would be used to assist us as we prioritized sites needing protection. After a delicious supper at the Center, Sharon joined us on a field trip into Cass Meadow where our expert local naturalists were seen in action identifying birds, butterflies, mushrooms and wildflowers.

Please join us for a continuation of the Biodiversity theme Wednesday, June 13, 7 PM - 9 PM at the Millers River Environmental Center as Noah Segal presents a slide presentation "Introduction to Mushroom Identification"

See our Upcoming Events page



 

Biodiversity Days June 8, 9, and 10
Events June 9 & 10 at Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street, Athol.

Individual Town Events:

Ashburnham Athol Erving
Gardner Hubbardston Montague
New Salem Northfield Orange
Pelham Petersham Phillipston
Royalston Shutesbury Templeton
Warwick Wendell Westminster
Winchendon    

 

 

Ashburnham
Doug Quinn
978-827-5388

  • Bluebirds and Wildflowers of the John Adams Homestead

    • Sunday, June 10 at 8 AM Sue Cloutier.
     


Athol
Dave Small
dhsmall@gis.net

  • Night Sounds Inventory

    • Friday, June at 8 PM
    Dave Small
     
  • Birds of Cass Meadow

    • Saturday, June 9 at 6:30 AM
    Bob Mallett
     
  • Wildflowers and More

    • Saturday, June 9 at 1 PM
    Nola Shepardson at the Shepardson Gardens. 

Erving
Susan Cloutier
978-248-9491
cloutier@tiac.net

Gardner 
Tom Pirro
(w) 978-448-6111 Ext. 3221
tpirro@nebs.com

  School Organizer
  Sally Johnson
  sjohnson521@earthlink.net

Hubbardston
Matt Hopkinson
hop@net1plus.com

Montague
Lee Kanash
Great Falls Middle School
224 Turnpike Rd.

New Salem
Gary Culver
gazahh@hotmail.com

  • Early Birds and at Branch Bridge

    • Saturday, June 9 at 6 AM
    Sue and Ron Cloutier
     
  • What Lives in Our Wilder Spaces?

    • Saturday, June 9 at 8 AM
    Gary Culver and Ethan Forbes

Northfield
Susan Cloutier
978-248-9491
cloutier@tiac.net

Orange
Bruce Scherer
978-544-3282
scherer@kallisti-percussion.com

  • Wetlands of North Orange

    • Saturday, June 9 at 9 AM
    Alex MacLoud at Goddard Park.
     
  • Shrubs and Trees

    • Saturday, June 9 at 1:30 PM
    Fred Hayes
     
  • Biodiversity with a botanist

    • Sunday, June 10 at 11 AM
    professional botanist at the home of Bruce Scherer... mosses and lichens.
    Call Bruce Scherer for information.

Pelham
Charley Eiseman
bleesalag@netscape.net
May 1-June 2
cloutier@tiac.net

  • Plants and Wildlife of the Butter Hill Wildlife Sanctuary

    • Saturday, June 9, at 8:30 AM
    Charley Eiseman at 88 Arnold Rd
     
  • Buffam Falls Conservation Area 

    • Sunday, June 10 at 7 AM.
    Explore Buffam Falls Conservation Area with Harvey Allen looking for birds. 
    Hitchcock Center

Petersham
John Burk
burk@fas.harvard.edu

  • Birds of the Harvard Forest

    • Saturday, June 9, from 7 to 10 AM
    Ed Faison, Harvard Forest Researcher,
     
  • Harvard Forest Bog Walk

    • Sunday, June 10, at 2 PM
    Rebecca Anderson for this day of bog exploration

Phillipston
Bill Rose
978-249-2873

  • Vernal Pool Exploration

    • Sunday, June 10 at 1 PM
    Sharon Manty at Red Apple Farm to inventory the living things in a vernal pool.
     
  • Biodiversity at the Ellinwood and O'Brien Tree Farm

    • Sunday, June 10 at 3 PM
    Meet Joyce Dosett at the Phillipston Town Common. 

Royalston
Jacob Morris-Siegel
978-249-4260
or
Ralene Williams
978-249-9437

  • Biodays Trip with the school

    • Friday afternoon.
    Walk along Lawrence brook from Pike Rd. to N.E. Fitzwillem Rd.
    Jacob Morris-Siegel
     
  • Birds, Butterflies, Trees and Shrubs of Royalston

    • Saturday, June 9 at 8 AM
    Jacob Morris-Siegel at the Town Hall.
     
  • Canoe Trip to Long Pond led by Tia Mousseau 

    • Saturday, June 9 at 10am -- Report submitted by Tia Mousseau

    A canoe trip was held on Saturday June 9, 2001, at the Army Corps of Engineers Tully Lake Project in honor of biodiversity days. The trip lasted over four hours with much excitement. The group left from the Tully River Canoe Launch and headed up the river toward Long Pond. A hike to Spirit Falls was included before continuing through Long Pond and up to the north end of the project.

    Highlights of the trip included a fight between three male red-winged blackbirds over a female, carnivorous pitcher plants, the Great blue heron, and many beaver lodges and dams. The group was able to identify many species of birds and insects; the main focus of the trip.

    Group guide, Tia 
    Spotted Purple butterfly
    Pitcher plant flower

    Spirit Falls 
    Participants    		  

     

  • Little Pond Bog Walk

    • Saturday, June 9 at 1:30 PM
    Registration required, limited to 12 adults.
    Call Noah Siegel 978-249-4260
     
  • Hike around Tully Lake with Tia Mousseau 

    • Sunday, June 10 at 10 AM

Shutesbury
Eric Hoffner
978-259-0053
ehoffner@yahoo.com

  • Floating Bog and Wooded Wetlands Exploration

    • Saturday, June 9 at 2PM
    Janice Stone and her husband Randy
     
  • Amphibian Survey

    • Sunday, June 10 at 1:30 PM
    Ken Lindsay walk in riparian habitats looking for amphibians.
     
  • Trees, Shrubs and Birds of our newest conservation property

    • Sunday, June 10 at 2 PM
    Bill Labich on Randall Road. 

Templeton
John Henshaw
jmhenshaw@juno.com

  • Explore Stone Bridge Pond

    • Saturday, June 9, at 8:00 AM
    Rick Paquette at Stone Bridge Road... birds, trees, and other forms of life around the pond.
     
  • Explore the Three Pipes Area

    • Saturday, June 9, at 5 PM
    John Henshaw at the Three Pipes area on Maple Street Extension.
     
  • Explore Snake Pond

    • Sunday,June 10, at1 PM.
    Carlo Obligato at 246 Snake Pond Road.... explore the pond looking for turtles and other forms of wildlife.

Warwick
Clare Green
978-544-7421
dclara_2000@yahoo.com

  • Habitats at the Warwick Community School

    • Friday, June 8, at 1 PM
    Clare Green at the Warwick Community School.
     
  • Pond on Richmond road

    • Saturday, June 9 at 9 AM
    Pam Kimball Smith on Richmond Rd alongside the Long Pond. 

Wendell
Josh Heinemann
987-544-2306
 (before 8:30 PM)

Westminster
Claudia Best
fullchord@rcn.com
978-874-5589

Winchendon
Jane Galat
978- 297-1813

  • Wildflowers and Ferns

    • Saturday, June 9 at 9 AM
    Jane and naturalist Alice Rojko at 44 Town Farm Road.
     
  • Birds of the Galat Properties

    • Saturday, June 9 at 9 AM
    Richard Galat, Jane’s son, at 44 Town Farm Road to inventory birds seen and heard on this site.

Web Resources for Biodiversity Days 2001

State Site -- Get general information from the State Biodiversity Days web site here...

Specialized Checklist -- Get a checklist of species you are likely to find on your Biodiversity Days field trip here...

Topographic Map Viewer -- Get a map to print out and record you travels on your Biodiversity Days field trip here....

Plant Identification -- For each species it gives pictures, range map, and links.

Field Information/Trip Etiquette -- Before you go on your trip be sure to read this

EOEA Biodiversity Objectives

To reconnect people to the natural world and build public support for protecting biodiversity in our backyards, neighborhoods, communities, and watersheds.

To protect and restore ecosystems in support of wildlife and people, through land protection and ecological restoration projects.

To promote the inclusion of biological conservation and ecosystem protection considerations in citizen, land use, and government decision making.

Biodiversity Days is a challenge to citizens to familiarize themselves with the wealth of animal and plant species with which we share our communities and to identify in each participating city/town at least 200 species in backyards, schoolyards, conservation land, and other open space by permission. Participants will find, record and learn about the component species of flora and fauna in their home cities/towns.

Biodiversity is the variety of life and its processes. It includes the variety of living organisms, the genetic differences among them,  the communities and ecosystems in which they occur, and the ecological and evolutionary processes that keep them functioning, yet ever changing and adapting."

There is a growing understanding of biodiversity, but mostly as an issue that pertains to rain forests. Did you know that conserving biodiversity is a critical need here in Massachusetts?

Look out your window at home. What do you see? If you are in the city, you may see a butterfly or a chickadee. In the the suburbs, you may see a red squirrel or bumble bees. In the rural areas, you might see a dragon fly or a ladyslipper. The diversity of life abounds, in your own backyard!

Other Biodiversity resources

EOEA Home Page | Biodiversity Main Page | Biodiversity Facts | Exploring Biodiversity Workbook
Biodiversity Days web site - view planned trips