It's Time to Redefine 'Birding'

Anyone who enjoys birds—wherever, however—should be able to call themselves a birder.

By Freya McGregor, Contributor, Audubon Magazine , August 02, 2021

Redefining birding. photo by Lia Bocchiara, Audubon.

Language matters. As birders, the words we use signal what we value. To nurture a community as wonderfully diverse as the birds we love, we need to ensure our language is as welcoming and inclusive as possible. One easy way to do this is to redefine “birding” and who a “birder” is.

Read the entire article here.

Freya McGregor (she/her), OTR/L, CIG is the Birdability Coordinator and Occupational Therapist. You can follow her on Instagram @the.ot.birderand learn more about Birdability at birdability.org You can also hear her on Talkin’ Birds, where she works part time as the Outreach Coordinator and shares some of her birding adventures with listeners via audio postcards.

Ever wonder?

Deformity allowed encircling;
Encircling allowed deformity.
A kiss became locked lips,
a touch, shared skin:
a sylvan mystery.
The coupling doubles,
tugging bark but xylem
and phloem too.
With bypasses grafted
shared nutrients flow.
Without one root
or one trunk shaft
both trees survive.
No barrier separates
this symbiotic twist;
Asymmetries do persist.

~ Dr. James Dunstan 11/25/2018
(Dr. Dunstan is the brother of BTC 2021 trainees Betsy Maddux and Bob Dunstan)

photo by J. Dunstan

The American Bumble Bee Takes an Important Step Toward Federal Protection

American Bumblebee, Bombus pensylvanicus. photo courtesy of Judy Gallagher

PORTLAND, Ore.; Wednesday, September 29, 2021---Responding to a petition to list the American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus) as an endangered species, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued a positive 90-day finding, indicating that the bumble bee may warrant federal protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The 90-day finding initiates a formal review by the FWS, including a Species Status Assessment (SSA). The Center for Biological Diversity and the Bombus Pollinator Association of Law Students of Albany Law School submitted the petition earlier this year.

The American bumble bee, as its name implies, was once broadly distributed across much of the U.S. and has one of the widest ranges of all North American bumble bees, from southern California and the Desert West (including parts of Mexico) through the Great Plains and out to the east coast, from Florida to Canada. However, many studies suggest that the American bumble bee is declining, especially in the northern part of its range. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. 

The rest of the article can be found here:

https://xerces.org/press/american-bumble-bee-takes-important-step-toward-federal-protection

Check this out to read more on Bumblebee Conservation:
https://xerces.org/bumblebees

Bumble bees are beneficial and effective pollinators, helping to pollinate not only beautiful wildflowers, but also crops and gardens that provide us with nutritious fruits and vegetables. Sadly, these friendly insects are in decline due to a multitude of issues, including but not limited to, habitat loss, pesticide use, pollution, and mites. The easiest way to help bumble bees is to plant native habitat. — U.S. Forest Service

ABOUT THE XERCES SOCIETY FOR INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation protects the natural world by conserving invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is a trusted source for science-based information and advice and plays a leading role in protecting pollinators and many other invertebrates. Our team draws together experts from the fields of habitat restoration, entomology, plant ecology, education, community engagement, pesticides, farming and conservation biology with a single passion: Protecting the life that sustains us. To learn more, visit xerces.org or follow us @xercessociety on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Caterpillars Count! Citizen Science Project Comes to Belle Isle State Park

Caterpillars Count! is a citizen science project for measuring the seasonal variation, also known as phenology, and abundance of arthropods like caterpillars, beetles, and spiders found on the foliage of trees and shrubs.

Above: Red-banded leafhopper found on a young mulberry along Watch House Trail. Below: Assassin Bug. At right: Karen W. double checking one of the 30 unique branch identification tags posted around the Camp Store, along Creek Landing and at the beginning of Watch House Trail.

photos by Anne Clewell

Caterpillars Count! 2021 team: Anne Clewell, Audrey Vaughn, Camille Grabb, Karen Williams with guest master naturalists along to help with identification and photography.

Dedication of hickory hollow to the old growth forest network

St Mary’s College BioBlitz

Here is an article I shared from nearby St. Mary’s College just across the Potomac from NN and their BioBlitz that they did on campus.  This is real and fun learning…

https://smnewsnet.com/archives/445523/st-marys-college-students-record-750-species-of-local-flora-and-fauna-in-citizen-science-effort/?fbclid=IwAR2busFeIjAHIJ3kEO6LntFg8VJtsHxrYc7Xzq-UNsYmwopkZRfhWivmPoY