Vermont Birds and Words : Babcock Nature Preserve BioBlitz photos

Monday, July 24, 2017

Babcock Nature Preserve BioBlitz photos

On July 22, 2017, we participated in a BioBlitz at the Babcock Nature Preserve inEden, Vermont.

A BioBlitz is an attempt to document every species of living thing – plant and animal – at a given location within a specific period of time (usually twenty-four hours). Every living thing! That’s ferns and frogs, mosses and muskrats, birds and butterflies and bees and beetles. That’s trees, wild flowers, salamanders, fish, mammals, lichen, dragonflies and damselflies and deer flies.

Bullfrog Tadpole

The Eden Bioblitz was organized by Dr. Lisa Zinn,

who teaches a sustainability course at Johnson State College.

The Preserve was donated to the Vermont College System by then-Lieutenant Governor Robert Babcock and his wife Anne. Johnson College now maintains the thousand-acre Babcock Nature Preserve, a tract that includes forest, three large ponds and an environmentally significant boreal bog. It is used as an outdoor lab for classes in field biology, ornithology and environmental science.

Dr. Zinn applied for and won a "Small and Inspiring Grant" from the Vermont Community Foundation to fund new research opportunities at the Preserve. "I thought that a BioBlitz on the site would be an excellent way to both collect data and also introduce the college and community to this amazing natural resource." (Quote from JSC student newspaper.)

So, from 9AM Saturday July 22 through 9AM Sunday July 23, the Preserve was crawling with people in mud boots carrying field guides, toting butterfly nets, or wearing binoculars. Some of the participants concentrated on photographing and identifying mosses. Others scooped water samples from Ritterbush Pond. Others chased flying insects intent on capturing them and documenting their presence. On the schedule was a bat and owl walk after dark, when nets would be strung up to catch moths.

Members of the community also came, several with their children.

Dr. Zinn and Dr. Hannah Miller, also a teacher at Johnson, had done impressive preparation before the hoards arrived! They set up base camp about a mile from the parking lot, with field guides,

magnifying glasses,

microscopes, and collecting containers,

where people could bring specimens or photos to get help with identification.

They provided BioBlitz t-shirts for participants.

They put up clear signage at every step of the way, directing people to the base camp and to other amenities.

They also assembled enough food and drink for a small army.

At least fifty people participated in the 2017 Babcock BioBlitz. Here are the names of those who signed in: Sean Beckett, Hannah Bowen, Doug Burnham, Mary Burnham, Erin Carr, Zac Cota-Weaver, Jason Crockwell, Chip Darmstadt, Carolyn D’Luz, Barb Flathers, Sheila Halpin, Wally Jenkins, Peter Jenkins, Maeve Kim, Josh Lincoln, Sara Lourie, Julie Magoon, Aaron McGee, Melissa Manka, Stephen Marshall, Hannah Miller, Garrett Moore, Robin Moore, Hannah Miller, Bernie Paquette, Bryan Pfeiffer, Jude Prashaw, Michael Sabourin, Sue Shultz, Christy Snipps, Tom Snipps, Rick Weinstein, Lisa Zinn.

Other past BioBlitz events in Vermont include: 2004 in Quechee, 2008 in Montpelier, 2014-17 at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock , 2006 at the Helen W. Buckner Nature Preserve in West Haven, 2016 at Greenbank Hollow in Danville, and 2017 at Mercy Farm in Benson.

During the Quechee event, naturalist Bryan Pfeiffer said,

"Bioblitzes are part science, part education, part celebration, part discovery. We also have an obligation to share what we learn and what we know with the public. And I think that's an important part of what we're doing because I'm worried that more and more people are losing touch with the natural world around them." Quoted from VPR article "Scientist and Naturalist Gather in Quechee for 'BioBlitz'."

BioBlitz participants have already entered many of their findings at the iNaturalist Babcock Preserve project page. There will be articles very soon in The News and Citizen and the Times Argus.

Recording bat calls

Swamp candles (Lysimachia terrestris)

Ghost Pipe

Christmas Fern

Ganoderma ?

Yellow Patches (Amanita flavoconia)

Tent Caterpillar Moth

Stop, Look, Listen. By quietly stopping, being still and quiet on your nature hike, nature accepts you. You also become better acclimated to the natural world you have entered.

Observe the colors, behaviors, and uniqueness amongst individuals. View patterns, animal and plant configurations, and behaviors, and ask yourself why and how the plant or animal benefits from their evolved state.

Explore the Biodiversity of your corner of the world, be it in your backyard, local park, state or national forest... Develop a relationship between yourself and the many other living species around you. Connect with them as you visit them within our green and blue home. Get to know your neighbors - trees, plants, birds, critters, aquatic life... We all share the same planet; why not inquire as to their health and well-being by first getting to observe and know a bit about them?

You can use iNaturalist to record your sightings, post photos, ask for help with identification, and see what others have been enjoying in your area. If you're primarily into birds, eBird is a wonderful resource, with hundreds of millions of postings from all around the world.

Have FUN. Scavenger hunts are fun. Exploring is fun. Being outdoors is fun and soul refreshing. Think like a kid! Awaken your childlike curiosity and appreciation for the wonders of the outdoors.

Stop, Look, and Listen - nature will astound you!