Diario del proyecto City Nature Challenge 2024: Western Mass

In a little more than five hours from this writing, the 2024 Western Mass City Nature Challenge begins! We hope you're as excited to get outside and explore as we are. And, so far, the weather looks to be quite nice - hurrah!

A couple of reminders:

All observations must be made between midnight tonight and midnight Monday, so you have four full days to take photos, record sounds, or make Casual observations (ones with no photos or recordings).

After those four days, you have six days to upload all your observations to iNaturalist. If the observation was within the western four counties of the state, it will automatically be added to this project; you don't have to assign it to the project yourself.

When you upload your observations , please give them an initial identification, to the best of your ability. Even very general IDs like Plants or Fungi will get your observations in front of the eyes of identifiers more quickly.

The City Nature Challenge concentrates on WILD organisms, so while the magnolias in your neighbor's yard are indeed beautiful and your faithful canine companion on your hike is indeed deserving of recognition, please don't make observations of them (the dog would prefer a treat, anyway).

If you'd like company or guidance, take a look at the field trips and workshops listed in the previous journal post. You are very welcome to join any of them. If you have any questions, we'll be keeping an eye on any comments left on these journal posts.

Most importantly, enjoy yourselves! Beautiful spring days in New England are rare and precious; use the City Nature Challenge as a great excuse to look closely at and appreciate every living organism you can find. Have fun!

-- Lynn Harper and Melanie Radik, co-organizers

The Western Mass City Nature Challenge starts one week from today! We hope you're as excited as we are about getting out and exploring the wonderful biodiversity spring in Western Massachusetts has to offer.

In case you like company in the field or want to learn how iNaturalist and the City Nature Challenge works, we've organized a series of field trips and workshops for you during the four days of the event. Heavy rain will cancel outdoor events, but if there's just a sprinkle, bring a raincoat. If you have any questions, please leave us a comment on this post.

Friday, April 26, 2024

Bioblitz at Julian's Bower, Shutesbury
9 - 11 AM; meet at the parking lot near 711 Wendell Road, Shutesbury

Join Mike Jones and Lynn Harper for a walk around Julian's Bower, 140 acres of bog, pond, and woodland protected by the Kestrel Land Trust. Mike is the State Herpetologist with the MA Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. Lynn is a conservation planner, retired from the MA Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. There is no limit to the number of participants for this trip, but please email Lynn at harperlynn@msn.com if you’re planning to come.

iNaturalist: When You Want to Know "What's that Flower/Bird/Bug (and More!)"
11:15 AM – 12:30PM; Du Bois Library, UMass, Amherst

This workshop begins in the Calipari classroom on the lower level in the Du Bois Library. We’ll get to know the iNaturalist app, how it works, and what the web interface looks like. Then we’ll step outside and put it into practice with our individual devices. Please bring a smartphone or tablet with the iNaturalist app already installed. To sign up, follow the link to the event page and register with your name and email.

iNaturalist: When You Want to Know "What's that Flower/Bird/Bug (and More!)" - VIRTUAL
2:30PM – 3:30PM; On-line
4 PM; Hitchcock Center, 845 West St., Amherst

In this on-line workshop, we’ll get to know the iNaturalist app, how it works, and what the web interface looks like. Please have a smartphone or tablet with the iNaturalist app already installed. To sign up, follow the link to the event page and register with your name and email. If you would like to join us in person for a nature walk to practice using iNaturalist and enjoy the wildlife of Spring, please meet us at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment (845 West Street, Amherst, MA) on Friday, April 26 at 4pm.

Saturday, April 27, 2024
Bioblitz at Palmer WMA
9AM – 11AM; Wildlife Management Area parking lot on Old Warren Road a short distance west of St. John St., Palmer

Join Lynn Harper to explore the Palmer Wildlife Management Area. Lynn is a conservation planner, retired from the MA Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. There is no limit to the number of participants for this trip, but please email Lynn at harperlynn@msn.com if you’re planning to come.

Bioblitz at Devil's Washbowl, Arthur Iverson Conservation Area
9AM – 11AM; Gale Road, Warwick (enter Gale Road from the north, off Athol Road)
Rain Date: Sunday, April 28, 1 - 3 PM

Join Karro Frost and Jack Cadwell to explore the Arthur Iverson Conservation Area, protected by Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust. Karro is the Conservation Botanist with the MA Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. Jack is a finish carpenter making historic reproduction windows and doors; he knows local trees inside and out. Space is limited to 20 participants. To register, please e-mail May Grzybowski at grzybowski@mountgrace.org

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Bioblitz at Montague Plains WMA
9AM – 11AM; Plains Road at powerline (approach from Turners Falls Road only), Montague

Join Tom Murray and Lynn Harper to explore the globally uncommon pine barrens and wooded hills of the Montague Plains Wildlife Management Area. Tom is an experienced naturalist and exceptional photographer, interested in everything from bugs to birds. He is the author of Insects of New England and New York. Lynn is a conservation planner, retired from the MA Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. There is no limit to the number of participants for this trip, but please email Lynn at harperlynn@msn.com if you’re planning to come.

Bioblitz at Notchview, Windsor
2 - 4 PM; Main entrance off Rt. 9 in Windsor

Join Lynn Harper for a hike through the fields and forests of the 3,000-acre Notchview property of the Trustees of Reservations. Lynn is a conservation planner, retired from the MA Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. There is no limit to the number of participants for this trip, but please email Lynn at harperlynn@msn.com if you’re planning to come.

Monday, April 29, 2024

Bioblitz at Chesterfield Gorge, Chesterfield
10 AM - 1 PM; Meet at 10 am in the main parking lot, which is located off River Road in Chesterfield, MA. Directions via Google Maps can be accessed here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/TdUAv8h6DLs53jVv8.

Join Julie Richburg and Lynn Harper to explore The Trustees of Reservations' 166-acre property along the Westfield River, a National Wild and Scenic River. Julie is the Lead Ecologist for Inland Natural Resources for The Trustees. Lynn is a conservation planner, retired from the MA Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. Please come prepared for the day wearing long pants and sturdy, closed-toed shoes. Additionally, please remember your smartphone and bring along anything else you may need to be comfortable, such as water and a snack. After a brief introduction to the City Nature Challenge and a tutorial on how to use iNaturalist we will head out, walking off-trail and gathering our biodiversity observations. We will aim to return to the parking lot and wrap up the event around 1 pm.

Here, we're going to give one last reminder to those that might be interested in joining in the fun:

@adamkohl, @alexegreen, @amandammvt, @anaturalfocus, @anne_umass, @apgarm, @askorupa, @astroiguana, @augien, @berkshirenaturalist, @bonnawieler, @braydonpeterson, @brianhawthorne, @btk, @calloohcallay, @capradame, @cbuelow45, @ceiseman, @christopher246, @chwritervt, @coclair, @danjwilder, @danlharp, @davidhsmall, @dbdrummey, @dcr_dwsp_nr, @deparia1950, @eholm, @ellenlutz, @ericpo1, @er1kksen, @friedsonoma, @genv, @giannabird, @ginny-d, @hexagonaria, @isopoddemigod, @jackcadwell, @jacquelyn74, @janice22s, @jcarm, @jeremycoleman, @jformanorth, @jlisk, @jljones, @johnmitchell1, @josiah77, @julie_richburg1, @karenfran, @karolina, @karro_frost, @kbklingler, @kristinejellybean, @ladyoftheleps, @landfrog, @lbeltran, @leafton, @massaudubon, @masswildlife, @maygrz, @mcharpentier, @mikeakresh, @mjpapay, @mogwairadio, @mohale, @mountgrace, @mradik, @mtjones, @natemarchessault, @nicktsichlis, @noah_siegel, @packardr90, @pat_huckery_masswildlife, @patconlin, @patswain, @pshubin, @purplecort, @radbackedsalamander, @randompaleonerd,@rayray, @rmseifried, @ryanwilliams27, @sally_rademacher, @sarahjmanteiga, @sargetsi, @slamonde, @smiller824, @taikarami, @tarpinian, @teamontagna, @tfrench, @themez, @theresa_dooley, @thomashulsey, @threepogonias, @tiranna, @tmurray74, @trscavo, @trustees_ecology, @tsn, @vernal3, @waltonfamily, @wernerehl, @zshein

Lynn Harper and Melanie Radik, co-coordinators

It’s spring! And that means it’s only a month till the 2024 Western Mass City Nature Challenge! This year, Friday, April 26th, through Monday, April 29th, are the four days allotted for making observations; then come the six days for uploading your observations and making IDs on others’ observations, Tuesday, April 30th, through Sunday, May 5th. Mark your calendars now!

Everybody is invited to join the fun of getting out as much as you can during the four-day observation period and making observations of as many wild organisms as you can, everything from Common Ravens overhead to slime molds to Eastern Skunk Cabbages blooming to Smooth Rock Tripe on rock ledges – and every other kind of organism there is. We’ll be back closer to the event with information on the field trips we’re organizing and tips on how this event works, but for now, we just want to invite people we think might be interested in joining our project, which is here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2024-western-mass. Click the Join button towards the upper right to join us – and invite your friends!

@adamkohl, @alexegreen, @amandammvt, @anaturalfocus, @anne_umass, @apgarm, @askorupa, @astroiguana, @augien, @berkshirenaturalist, @bonnawieler, @braydonpeterson, @brianhawthorne, @btk, @calloohcallay, @capradame, @cbuelow45, @ceiseman, @christopher246, @chwritervt, @coclair, @danjwilder, @danlharp, @davidhsmall, @dbdrummey, @dcr_dwsp_nr, @deparia1950, @eholm, @ellenlutz, @ericpo1, @er1kksen, @friedsonoma, @genv, @giannabird, @ginny-d, @hexagonaria, @isopoddemigod, @jackcadwell, @jacquelyn74, @janice22s, @jcarm, @jeremycoleman, @jformanorth, @jlisk, @jljones, @johnmitchell1, @josiah77, @julie_richburg1, @karenfran, @karolina, @karro_frost, @kbklingler, @kristinejellybean, @ladyoftheleps, @landfrog, @lbeltran, @leafton, @massaudubon, @masswildlife, @maygrz, @mcharpentier, @mikeakresh, @mjpapay, @mogwairadio, @mohale, @mountgrace, @mradik, @mtjones, @natemarchessault, @nicktsichlis, @noah_siegel, @packardr90, @pat_huckery_masswildlife, @patconlin, @patswain, @pshubin, @purplecort, @radbackedsalamander, @randompaleonerd,@rayray, @rmseifried, @ryanwilliams27, @sally_rademacher, @sarahjmanteiga, @sargetsi, @slamonde, @smiller824, @taikarami, @tarpinian, @teamontagna, @tfrench, @themez, @theresa_dooley, @thomashulsey, @threepogonias, @tiranna, @tmurray74, @trscavo, @trustees_ecology, @tsn, @vernal3, @waltonfamily, @wernerehl, @zshein

Lynn Harper and Melanie Radik, co-coordinators