RINHS and BioBlitz sponsoring partner, Roger Williams Park Zoo (RWPZ), are seeking suggestions for future BioBlitz sites. In order to maximize the benefits of a BioBlitz to nearby schools and conservation groups, we would like to select sites now for the 2009 through 2013 seasons. To suggest one or more sites, email information on your ideas to info8at8rinhs.org, or download our BioBlitz Nomination form (Excel 20K), fill it out, and send it back by mail or email.

Miniumum BioBlitz Site Criteria:
The parcel must be in Rhode Island.
It must have some level of conservation status (public or non-profit ownership with conservation intent or if privately owned, there must be a conservation easement or other expressed conservation restriction)

Other Considerations:
Ideal size is 300 to 500 acres
Diverse or unusual habitats with potential for interesting biodiversity
An enthusiastic local host (land trust, conservation commission, non-profit, etc.)
Other potential local connections (for funding, educational programs, etc.)
Potential value of a bioblitz (for local organizational development, land management planning, etc.)
Accessibility and facilities (parking, power, shelter, trails, etc.)
Different parts of the state than previous BioBlitzes

A committee of RINHS and RWPZ staff and volunteers will meet in November to begin review of potential sites so please get your ideas in by close of business Monday, November 10.

New multi-year partnership with RWPZ to build BioBlitz: The mission of Roger Williams Park Zoo is “to contribute significantly to the conservation of the earth’s dwindling natural resources and to serve the community as a valued resource for education, economic development and recreation” (Read more at RWPZ website). RWPZ  has recognized RINHS’s  annual RI BioBlitz as a locally developed program in close harmony with its own mission and has agreed to provide significant material support to the annual BioBlitz effort for at least the next five years. At RINHS, we’re very excited to have the benefit of the zoo’s tremendous scientific, educational, and organizational resources as we work to build BioBlitz into the premier biodiversity conservation event in the state and region.

Rhode Island BioBlitz Sponsoring Partner:

Past BioBlitz sites:
2000 Roger Williams Park, Providence
2001 Norman Bird Sanctuary-Sachuest Point NWR-Oakland Forest, Middletown
2002 Eppley Preserve, Exeter/Richmond
2003 Pardon Gray Preserve-Reuker Refuge-Sapowet Marsh, Tiverton
2004 URI W. Alton Jones Campus, W. Greenwich
2005 Haffenreffer M./Mt. Hope Farm, Bristol
2006 Cumberland Monastery, Cumberland
2007 Trustom Pond NWR, South Kingstown
2008 Grills Preserve, Westerly

For more information on BioBlitzes of the past see: BioBlitz

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The Rhode Island Natural History Survey, URI Cooperative Extension’s Watershed Watch Program, and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management are sponsoring an evening educational program entitled, “What’s in the pond? A look at freshwater invasive plants and their management.” The presentation will be held on Tuesday, October 7 from 6-8:30 pm, in the Weaver Auditorium located in the Coastal Institute Building on URI’s main campus in Kingston. The event is open to the public (including our neighbors in Connecticut and Massachusetts), however advance registration is required as seating is limited. The cost to attend is $5.00, payable at the door. Light refreshments will be provided. Please register by Monday October, 6^th through the URI Watershed Watch office at 401-874-2905 or 401-874-4552, or via email.

Although aquatic plants are a beneficial component of freshwater pond ecology, the proliferation of non-native species can have a negative impact on the health and function of a waterbody. Generally referred to as “exotic, invasive, or weeds”, non-native plants can crowd out native aquatic plants, reducing biodiversity, a healthy mix of plants and animals, as well as harm water quality. The evening presentation will focus on the ecology of aquatic plants, the invasive species presently known to be in Rhode Island waters, as well as some that are in our neighboring states. Management techniques will be presented as well as a discussion of Rhode Island’s new Aquatic Herbicide application process.

As a part of the event, the Rhode Island Natural Survey will accept freshwater aquatic plants for identification. A maximum of 5 plants will be accepted per participant. Those bringing in plants for identification will be asked to fill out a form detailing where the plant was collected (Aquatic Plant ID Submission Tag PDF 91K). Plants submitted for identification should be presented as follows: Collect one specimen of the plant, ensuring that the specimen contains all representative leaf types. Many aquatic species have a combination of underwater (submerged) leaves and above water (emergent) leaves and/or flowering structures. It is also important to collect representative flower or seed structures if possible, as they are often crucial for correctly identifying a plant. Flowers may be inconspicuous as they are often very small and may be somewhat hidden by being located where a leaf attaches to the stem.

Gently rinse all debris and dirt from the plant and its root structure. Place the cleaned specimen in a sealed plastic bag with enough tap water to keep the plant moist. Keep the bagged plant refrigerated until you deliver it to the RINHS staff on the night of October 7^th.

This program is part of RINHS’s Skills Workshop series. The ongoing series of evening programs is designed to provide training for naturalists and would-be naturalists in practical skills such as specimen preparation and identification and use of specialized equipment and literature. In 2008-09, the series is sponsored by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

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1,111 species in 24 hours entirely with volunteers! What an event! What a team effort. Thank you to the 115 participants. No questions asked, it was a grand success on all fronts! For details, including a tally by taxon, a list of rare species found, a link to the complete species list, as well as a slide show of photos taken by Survey Board member Dave Clayton and Survey Data Manager, Erik Endrulat.see:

www.rinhs.org/what-we-do/bioblitz/bioblitz-2008/

For additional photos visit: http://www.russellwaldronphotography.com/Site/Galleries/Pages/BioBlitz_2008.html#grid (Russell Waldron Photography).

We are really happy with how the “taxonomic team” structure worked! Not only was it very effective for insuring that all portions of the property were inventoried—especially for plants and birds—but, it was super for introducing people and creating new friendships. We worked harder to organize the workers into teams this year and we’d like to do it again so we’re interested in your feedback on the organization of BioBlitz, including the team concept.

So what did you all find out there? Here is the scoop… 24 hours, 115 scientists & team members and a grand total of 1,111 species observed, including 12 rare species! A record count for total species and several records set for individual taxa.

A big thank you is due to our program partners Roger Williams Park Zoo and the Westerly Land Trust and our sponsors: US Fish and Wildlife Service, RI Refuge Complex, Largess Forestry, Frank Hall Boatyard, Watch Hill Yacht Services, Avondale Boat Yard, Liberty Rentals, and Westerly Sanitation. Please help “close the loop” by patronizing the sponsors, mentioning BioBlitz, and thanking them for their support.

Our sincerest gratitude and compliments to the chefs: John R. Maxson and Josh DeCelles for the mouthwatering grilled chicken, and gratitude to site hosts John and Vivian Maxson from the Westerly Land Trust for doing everything in their power to make us comfortable and provide the few things we forgot.

Many of you met and spoke with Karen Given, Producer of the NPR sports show “Only A Game”, who joined us on both Friday afternoon as the horn sounded and “full contact biology” began, and on Saturday afternoon for the final tally. Karen’s segment on BioBlitz will air Saturday (6/28) at 7:00am and again at 6:00 pm on WRNI 1290AM / 102.7FM, or in Westerly WXNI 1230AM. For those in the north of the state you may want to try WBUR 90.9 FM. If you can’t tune in on Saturday, log on to www.onlyagame.org where you can download the podcast!

Lastly, a few administrative details… We have several items in lost & found: a black & olive jacket with a gray hooded sweatshirt inside, and a Tamron camera lens cover. And, if you didn’t get a BioBlitz 2008 t-shirt and wish you had, you have a one time chance to order one, $10 each! Let me know what size(s) by 5:00pm pm Wednesday, July 2^nd.

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BioBlitz 2008 is here. Tomorrow at 3 P.M. as many as 24 teams of volunteer naturalists will hit the woods at the Westerly Land Trust’s Grills Preserve. If you are coming and still don’t know how to get there, here’s a map.

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RINHS Announces a New Series of Natural History Skills Workshops

The Skills Workshops, to be held every month or so, will be chances for small groups of beginner and intermediate naturalists to work together with more advanced naturalists to develop their skills with particular groups of organisms. Workshops will focus on species identification, field survey tricks and techniques, the relevant literature, and other tools used to identify and curate specimens. The workshops are hands-on and will use collections, equipment, and reference literature.

The first workshop will be Introduction to the Hymenoptera (the Ants, Bees, and Wasps), with Howard Ginsberg, Research Ecologist with the USGS Pawtuxent Research Station. It will be from 7 P.M. to 9 P.M., on Monday, May 19, at URI’s Kingston campus, Woodward Hall, Room 9. For more info on Ginsberg, see his profile on the USGS web site.

With the help of museum specimens, Dr. Ginsberg will point out the diagnostic features used to distinguish among the Suborders and Superfamilies within the Order Hymenoptera. The Hymenoptera include many species of great economic value and conservation interest including the honey bee and other pollinators, wasps that damage timber and that control crop pests, and ants that clean the ground, plant seeds, and cycle nutrients and soil. Despite their importance, people know less about Hymenoptera than about other more aesthetically spectacular orders such as Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) or Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). This workshop will help people interested in learning more about the Hymenoptera get their bearings in the taxonomy, techniques, and literature.

Future workshops being planned include subjects such as moths, grasses, and worms. Tune in regularly to www.rinhs.org to hear about the workshops as they’re announced. Or better yet, join RINHS and get word directly over the Survey listserv as a benefit of membership.

The workshop is free for members of RINHS and $5 for non-members (membership starts at just $15 and you may join when you sign up for the workshop). Space is limited and reservations are required by Monday, May 19 at Noon. Call 401-874-5800 or email info@rinhs.org to reserve a spot.

Directions: Woodward Hall is at the end of East Alumni Avenue, off of Upper College Road. Upper College Road runs north from the traffic light on Rt. 138 in Kingston.

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Bearing Witness to the Past: What Original Town Surveys Tell Us About the Presettlement New England Landscape

by Charles V. Cogbill, Ph.D.
Hubbard Brook Long-Term Ecological Research Project

Thursday, April 24, 2008, 7:30 p.m.
Weaver Auditorium · Coastal Institute Building
Greenhouse Road, URI, Kingston Campus (map)

A common practice of colonial land surveyors was to record “witness trees” as part of the description of property bounds. These trees were useful as durable and relatively immovable references for corners or other major points of a property boundary. Since witness tree annotations noted the tree species, there are imbedded within the land records of towns across New England a significant data base for the biogeography of presettlement forests. Cogbill will describe his study of witness tree data from 153 towns, and the conclusions drawn with regard to the species composition and patterns of presettlement forests.

Charles Cogbill works on all aspects of the history, composition, dynamics, and management of the vegetation of north-eastern North America. He is the historical ecologist with the Hubbard Brook Long-Term Ecological Research Project, and is currently conducting field research at the Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research Station.

This event is free & open to the public. Doors open at 6:45 for refreshments & fellowship.

Related Links:

• Google Scholar results for Charles Cogbill
• Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research Station
• Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study

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RINHS invites the Rhode Island community to a special program honoring great naturalists of Rhode Island, Friday, March 28, 2008, 7:00 p.m.

Independence Hall Auditorium * Independence Hall
Upper College Road, URI, Kingston Campus

Featured speaker: Roland Clement, biologist, administrator, author, and artist, has been a giant in the ecological movement in New England and beyond for much of the last century. Clement will be describing great naturalists and landmarks of the environmental movement from his own first hand experience.

The lecture will be preceded by presentation of the 2008 Rhode Island Distinguished Naturalist Awards. These awards are given by the RINHS Board of Directors to individuals who excel in their studies of Rhode Island’s ecosystems and in their ability to communicate the knowledge and understanding to others.

The 2008 recipients are:
Rick Enser
Rick Enser led the RI Natural Heritage Program for nearly 30 years, during
which time he traversed the state’s every nook and amassed a huge practical
knowledge of its biota. Enser probably taught more natural history to more
people with fewer words than anybody in the history of RI but his low-key
manner does not preclude his having strong organizational instincts. Rick
was a leader of the RI Wild Plant Society and the RI Natural History Survey
and guided the Natural Heritage Program with strategic vision.

Ken Weber (posthumous award)
The late Ken Weber was a man who, to Rhode Islanders, needed no introduction;
virtually everyone had read his newspaper columns or used his outdoor
guides. In achieving a simple and approachable writing style, Weber showed
himself to be a true craftsman of the language, communicating the lovability
of our natural environs and their inhabitants with seeming effortlessness.
Weber died in August at age 63. Few other people have influenced so many to
learn about, to recreate in, to fight for, and most of all to love Rhode
Island’s natural world.
Read about previous recipients of the Distinguished Naturalist Award.

Golden Eye Award
A new award to be given annually to the person who submits the most significant
observation to RINHS for inclusion in our BORIIS biodiversity database. This year the award goes to Matt Ricker, the URI graduate student who reported the first observation of the invasive aquatic weed water chestnut in Rhode Island.

For more information: 401.874.5800 programadmin@rinhs.org
All lectures are free & open to the public. Doors open at 6:30p.m. Refreshments & fellowship following the program.

Independence Hall is located on Upper College Road on URI’s Kingston Campus. Coming north on Upper College Road from the light at Rt. 138, Independence Hall is on the right after the first stop sign. For parking, pass Independence Hall and turn right on to Fortin Road and right into the lot behind the URI Foundation building. Alternatively park in the lot behind the Fine Arts Center, on Bills Road, the first right after the URI Club. To get to Kingston, from the west follow Rt 138 to Kingston and turn left at the light onto Upper College Road; from the east and north follow Rt. 1 south to Rt. 138 and turn west then go to the second light and turn right onto Upper College Road.

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On Friday evening, March 28, 2008, RINHS will host Naturalist Roland Clement for Mark D. Gould Memorial Lecture Series on Rhode Island’s Fauna, Flora, Geology, and Ecosystems.

Clement has been a giant in the ecological movement in New England for much of the last century, and will be describing great naturalists and landmarks of the environmental movement from his own first hand experience.

Very appropriately, this special evening will also feature the presentation of the 2008 Rhode Island Distinguished Naturalist Award as well as the presentation of a new award, the “Golden Eye,” which will be given annually to the person who submits the most significant observation to RINHS for inclusion in our BORIIS biodiversity database.

The program begins at 7:00 P.M. in the new Independence Hall auditorium on Upper College Road, on URI’s Kingston Campus. The event includes a reception for Clement and the Distinguished Naturalist and Golden Eye award winners.

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I took the results of all the past RI BioBlitzes (including participation and taxa found) and generated the following interesting charts. Because of year-to-year recording inconsistencies, not all taxa were comparable from one year to the next. The taxa I included in the chart are the ones that were more or less consistent: vascular plants, birds, reptiles and amphibians, spiders and kin, beetles, butterflies and moths, and dragonflies and damselflies.

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The 1^st Annual Lisa Lofland Gould Native Plant Program on October 13 was a big success and a perfect beginning for what we hope will be a great permanent addition to environmental education in Rhode Island. Attendees, including Lisa Gould herself, agreed the day went wonderfully and was just the right combination of fun and information…and what’s better than fun information? To read more about the Barberry control demonstration plots featured in the presentation go to that page on the invasive species portal.

Invasive Control Demonstration Project

Thirty people attended, including science students from N. Kingstown High School. All together, the event raised another $160 for the LLGNPP fund, bringing the total to $10,742! This fund is now invested with the Rhode Island Foundation where it will grow and provide income for more programs. We also raised awareness of the Nettie Jones Preserve and the beautiful W. Alton Jones Campus.

Thanks to the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society, including Karen Asher and Cheryl Cadwell, to the URI CELS Outreach Center, including Marion Gold, and to URI’s W. Alton Jones Campus for help with the program. Thanks to program presenters Hope Leeson, Garry Plunkett, and Anne Wagner, and special guest Lisa Gould. A big thanks to Belmont Market, in Wakefield, for donating the refreshments.

Photos by Erik Endrulat:

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