If you like the Rhode Island BioBlitz (and who doesn’t?), why not try out the a Massachusetts BioBlitz (which FYI they call ‘Biodiversity Day’). Naturalist Peter Alden is organizing the BioDiversity Day event in Walden Woods in Concord, Mass., on July 4 and he’s looking for a few good naturalists. The event is being held on the anniversary of the first Biodiversity Day, in 1998, and also on the 164th anniversary of Thoreau settling at Walden Pond. The event is also a celebration of naturalist E.O. Wilson’s 80th birthday and he’ll be participating (what out ants!). It’s a great chance to meet this great man. The event is hosted by the Walden Woods Project and has around 100 biologists and helpers signed up so far. If you would like to participate you must contact Peter Alden and talk to him about what you would do, when, and where. They are particularly interested in photographers.

There will be gatherings for meals and forming parties Fri eve (the 3rd), and breakfast, lunch and dinner on the 4th. They still have room for more experts in most fields esp. fungi, lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges and most invertebrates. There are folk coming in from Connecticut, NY, Maine and all over Massachusetts.

Please see waldenbiodiversity.com for details and call Peter Alden at 978 369-5768.
The event is sponsored by the Walden Woods Project along with the Minute Man National Historical Park.

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To participate in BioBlitz 2009 you must register in advance. Online registration is open and a PDF form for mail and fax registrations will be available soon. To see event information, register online, or download a PDF form, click HERE.

Everyone should participate on a taxonomic team or be assigned to another duty. If you do not have a taxonomic interest or cannot afford one, one will be provided for you.

Don’t forget to register for the cookout if you want to join with the Glocester Land Trust and other community members for dinner on Friday. Also don’t forget to reserve a BioBlitz 2009 t-shirt when you pre-register.

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RINHS and Roger Williams Park Zoo will hold an orientation for biological teams at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence on Wednesday, May 6, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The orientation is designed for participants to begin familiarizing themselves with this year’s site, the Sprague Farm property belonging to the Glocester Land Trust. Maps and other material will be provided. Refreshments will be provided. Also participants will have a chance to meet each other with the hope they will be able to coordinate equipment and other details. Attendance at the orientation is not required to participate in BioBlitz. To attend the orientation, please RSVP to RINHS by emailing bioblitz”at”rinhs.org or calling 401-874-5800.

For more info on the BioBlitz event, the Sprague Farm site, and general preparations click HERE.

Orientation is in the education building of Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence. You don’t go to the main public entrance, but instead go to Gate 3, which is very near the Elmwood Ave. entrance to the park and tell the guard you’re there for the BioBlitz program. Here’s a map:

View BioBlitz 2009 Orientation May 6 in a larger map

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Naturalist Skills Workshop—Ants, Wednesday, April 29, 7-9 p.m., Coastal Institute Kingston. Sign up now.

The next Naturalist Skills Workshop will be Wednesday, April 29, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will be on ants. Dr. David Lubertazzi will review ant taxonomy, ant fauna of southern New England, and literature useful for ant identification. He will describe collecting and preparation techniques. The Workshop will meet in the Coastal Institute Kingston, Room 101. If you’ve begun to learn the ants, bring your stumpers! Dr. Lubertazzi is an ant ecologist with a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. The Naturalist Skills Workshops are informal evenings designed to give naturalists an introduction into the taxonomy and methods of study for particular animal or plant groups. Space in Naturalist Skills Workshops is extremely limited and to attend, you must RSVP to RINHS. This workshop is free to RINHS members and $5.00 for non-members. To RSVP, for more information, and for directions, call 401-874-5800 or email info@rinhs.org. RINHS Naturalist Skills Workshops are sponsored by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Rhode Island Refuge Complex.

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RINHS will host its conference on marine ecosystems and off-shore development on Thursday, April 23, at the Quonset ‘O’ Club, North Kingstown, RI.

For full details of this day-long event, including the speakers, registration information, and directions, visit the Conference 2009 webpage.

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Talks and Posters Sought for 2009 RINHS Conference:

Rhode Island’s Off-Shore Marine Ecosystem and the Potential Impacts of Alternative Energy Development

To be held Thursday, April 23, 2009
Quonset “O” Club, North Kingstown

The conference, sponsored by RINHS, Ocean SAMP, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, will engage scientists, organizations, and citizens in an investigation of ocean development impacts on marine ecosystems and resources. Rhode Island researchers and resource managers will be joined by speakers from Europe and elsewhere with experience of off-shore wind energy development. In addition to the scientific sessions, there will be organizational displays and presentation of the 2009 Distinguished Naturalist Awards.

RINHS invites submission of abstracts for poster and oral presentations for the conference. Reports of scientific investigations into Rhode Island’s off-shore marine ecosystem and the potential impacts of alternative energy development are especially encouraged, as are submissions by students. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the RINHS Program Committee. If more oral presentations are requested than the schedule allows, the committee may ask presenters to consider poster presentations instead. All presenters must register for the conference.

RINHS invites submission of abstracts for poster and oral presentations for the conference. Reports of scientific investigations into Rhode Island’s off-shore marine ecosystem and/or the potential impacts of alternative energy development are especially encouraged, as are submissions by students. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the RINHS Program Committee. If more oral presentations are requested than the schedule allows, the committee may ask presenters to consider poster presentations instead. All presenters must register for the conference. The submission deadline is Monday, March 2, 2009.

Instructions:
Abstracts should be < 200 words, text only (no tables/graphs), left justified, in the following format:
Author(s), Affiliation(s), address, e-mail, phone number
(Skip a line)
Body of abstract

Submit abstracts electronically, attached as a Word file to: abstract@rinhs.org, with preference for an “oral presentation” or “poster presentation” indicated in the subject field

The submission deadline is end of the business day on Monday, March 2, 2009.

RINHS conferences are widely regarded for convening a broad spectrum of people sharing a curiosity about Rhode Island’s animals, plants, geology, and ecosystem. They are an excellent venue for students to gain experience and for researchers and organizations to showcase what they do in a collegial environment.

For more information contact the RINHS office: contacts

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RINHS will host a lecture on February 5 entitled, “Considerations for Marine Fisheries Habitat and Marine Construction,” by Vin Malkoski, an aquatic biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and a leader in Massachusetts’ environmental review of the proposed Cape Wind off-shore wind farm. Malkoski will describe considerations taken by marine biologists in evaluating the potential effects of marine construction, be it wind turbines, oil platforms, or other fixed facilities. The lecture is Thursday, February 5, at 7:30 p.m. in Swan Auditorium, Swan Hall, Upper College Road, on URI’s Kingston Campus. The lecture is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:45 PM for refreshments & fellowship.

Malkoski will describe a marine biologist’s approach to the review of off-shore development and share insights from his experience. Review of construction proposals requires evaluation of resource, habitat, and site characteristics in short and long time frames, of disputed impacts, and of the cumulative impact of present and future projects. Review should be data driven and can benefit from lessons learned in other countries.

Vin Malkoski is a Senior Marine Fisheries Biologist for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). Currently assigned to the Division’s Fisheries Habitat Project, he was the DMF lead for the environmental review of the Cape Wind Project from 2001 through 2007. As a member of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Habitat Committee and the New England Fisheries Management Council Habitat Plan Development Team, Malkoski works on regional and coast-wide marine habitat issues.

The program is part of RINHS’s 2008 – 2009 Mark D. Gould Memorial Lecture Series. This year the series theme is energy facility development and its biological effects. Series sponsors include U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service RI Refuge Complex and Rhode Island Ocean SAMP. Rhode Island Ocean SAMP is a project to study the possible sites for alternative energy development in Rhode Island’s off-shore waters and organize the inputs and concerns of diverse stakeholders. RI Ocean SAMP encourages a community-wide conversation about the energy initiatives being considered in Rhode Island. For more information visit RI Ocean SAMP.

For more information: 401.874.5800 programadmin@rinhs.org.

Download a printed flyer in PDF: Malkowski flyer

Swan Hall is located on Upper College Road on URI’s Kingston Campus. Coming north on Upper College Road from the light at Rt. 138, Swan Hall is on the right after the first stop sign. For parking, pass Swan 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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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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