Hello everyone!
Thanks for reading the April 6th edition of the EwA highlights. Even with the winter storm we got, we have some more early spring arthropods sightings to show this week!
📸 First off, Joe documented this springtime fairy shrimp (Eubranchipus vernalis) this week! Eubranchipus vernalis is an obligate vernal pool species, meaning that their life cycle requires a vernal pool, and can be an indicator of good vernal pool health. Always an exciting find!
EwA iNaturalist Record (© Joe MacIndewar · Massachusetts · March 2024)
Last week, we saw the unequal cellophane bee (Colletes inaequalis), a solitary bee that’s active early in the season. This week, Bill spotted the frigid mining bee (Andrena frigida), another such bee. Mining bee species typically have a small portion of the year during which the adults are active, so we won’t likely be seeing this species for too much longer before we say goodbye until next year.
EwA iNaturalist Record (© Bill MacIndewar · Stoneham, MA · Apr. 2, 2024)
EwA’s most-observed species this week was again the winter firefly. Last year at this time, the most-observed species was the eastern skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus). I think it can be a fun exercise to compare trends like this, which could be the product of anything from different weather, observation habits, pure chance, or even legitimate ecological changes.
EwA iNaturalist Record (© aussies2 · Lincoln, MA · Mar. 31, 2024)
📊 Thanks to everyone for your great biodiversity records this past week, totaling 247 observations of 170 distinct species. If you’re curious about the records from this week that have been validated by the iNat community so far, you can find them » here.
🏆 Running tally: To date, we have recorded 176,320 observations of 10,662 distinct species! Check out our EwA umbrella project, see the details per site/observer, and more » here.
📅 EwA Upcoming Public Events
Ewa Field Events » Check the EwA Spring [ Event details and registration » ] Don’t miss some great opportunities to follow the rhythm of the season in our local habitats and in the local wildlife! Space is limited for all our field events. Wildlife ethics is important to us and we seek to avoid putting the pressure on natural habitats which large gatherings unavoidably do. We are asking our audience to register-and-commit (or cancel when you know you can’t come) to avoid no-shows.
EwA Fieldwork (and Resources)
It’s a great time to join our monitoring programs. Check EwA’s Volunteer Program Calendar 📅 to know when things happen. And if a session is of interest to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to get the rendezvous location.
📅 EwA Sites Map | 🌱 Site Protocols and Guides · Field Rosters · Field Notes » All here! | ℹ️ More about EwA’s Citizen Science Program » Here
❓ Do you have any questions? Don’t be shy. Just email me or reply to this thread.
That’s all for this week—hope you have a good one!
-Mike
