Milton July Bioblitz
Michael Sabourin
via Laurie
Preparations are going well for the Milton BioBlitz (July 25-26, 2026). At our Milton Conservation Commission (MCC) meeting on Tuesday evening, we allocated five $50 gift cards for our naturalist walk leaders and one for the person who travels the longest distance to participate in the event. I wrote a notice in the May issue of The Maine Entomologist so hope to see at least a few Mainers attending. There will also be additional gift cards and “green gifts” for participants with the “Most Unusual” and “Rarest” iNaturalist posts. We have sponsor’s donations of butterfly books; several containers of Maple syrup (from MCC liaison Kris Dulmer); “life-like” enamel insect pins from “The Roving House”; and many field guides, natural history magazines and tote bags. Laurie will donate samples of organic fertilizer; Nature note cards and Nature bookmarks. Our MCC members have agreed to staff the sign-ups at Bombardier Park (Sat. July 25) and the Sunday evening gathering at the Milton Grange to help people document their species on iNaturalist (1 to 3 p.m.) and hand out awards and prizes (3 to 5 p.m.) Milton Recreation has posted more information on their website.
On June 23, Dana Williams from the VT Center for Ecostudies will be offering a presentation on iNaturalist at the Milton Town Office (6:30 p.m.) I’m really hoping to have a good number of people in the audience as they waived their $250 speaker’s fee in exchange for a Naturalist’s (rustic) Bed & Breakfast at my home, NatureHaven, with a basic (English muffins, Eggos or Crepes?) breakfast. Dana also asked me to look for butterflies in NW Milton for her butterfly survey. I’ve made two trips to the Van Everest Fishing Access but have yet to see a butterfly. She would also like to know if anyone has seen a loon in Lake Arrowhead.
The BioBlitz “window” includes not only the week-end of July 25-26 (with three Naturalist-guided walks planned so far), but the week before and the week after (July 18 to Sunday Aug. 2) During this time, participants may visit any Milton sites on their own to photograph the species they find. Naturalist / birder Shirley Zundell will be documenting the birds and other species she finds at Sandbar State Park and the southern part of the Causeway, which are both part of Milton. A graduate student from Middlebury College associated with the VT Mycological Society will be helping with lichens and fungi IDs. I’ll be offering prep walks around Milton’s parks and other natural areas during the two-week period. Let me know if you are interested in an “easily-accessible”, slow-paced field trip and I will be glad to show you around.
I would really appreciate some help with insect identifications from VES members, either in the field or with iNaturalist identifications so we can quickly identify our findings….for prizes…and to add to our natural history database. Please let me know if you have any “like new or lightly used” field guides or equipment that we can offer as participant prizes.
Namaste and good day;
Laurie DiCesare 
P.S. NatureHaven will be included in the BioBlitz survey areas. If you’re driving a long way, talk with me about a possible “rustic Naturalist’s BnB” overnight. I have two spare rooms available.