BioBlitz 2020 Adapt and Overcome for the Win

by Tim Duclos, Conservation Manager

The 2nd annual BioBlitz, held the weekend of Sept 12th and 13th, proved a big success in spite of COVID-19. We adapted and overcame the challenges of the time, focusing efforts toward developing and sharing the instructional and interpretive materials necessary for visitors to engage in meaningful observation on property without the need to gather in person. Using the citizen science tool iNaturalist (iNat), this year’s event yielded new, and surprising, species for the region and equally new species for the Merck Forest Biodiversity Project, our ongoing iNat collection project for the property.

Highlights by the numbers from BioBlitz 2020: 469 observations made from 7 participants

· 266 species so far identified

· 125 other iNat users have helped identify what was found

· Nearly 100 new species added to Merck Forest Biodiversity Project

· Front page press coverage in Manchester Journal and Bennington Banner as well as video coverage on GNAT

This all brings the number of species found on property thus far to an even 800, with nearly 2700 observations made to date on iNaturalist from 53 users.

To find out how you can contribute to this research during your next visit to MFFC, or to explore what has been found on property to date, visit: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/merck-forest-biodiversity-project

July 25–26

Southern Vermont Bee Study Initiated at MFFC with Impressive Diversity Found

In collaboration with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, Merck Forest has been participating in targeted regional monitoring efforts focused on bees in 2020. Through continual observation via iNaturalist, data on our bee community is being archived by the Merck Forest Biodiversity Project and the Southern Vermont Bee Project. As a component of this work, this past May, a collaborative field study was initiated at Merck Forest with the purpose of assessing both baseline bee diversity as well as how the bee community is, possibly, affected by old field management within the forest interior. A striking number of specimens were collected, representing eight genera of beesan impressive level of diversity. Currently, specimens are being identified to species by researchers at UMass Amherst. This study complements the ongoing pollinator work being done at MFFC and will be continued in the 2021 field season.