Hello everyone!
Thanks for reading the March 23rd edition of the EwA highlights. This week, we are honoring the legacy of Daniel Onea, a beloved EwA member who passed away last weekend. Daniel brought his sharp wit and an unwavering moral compass everywhere he went, and will be dearly missed. Many of our readers may know Dan from the beautiful wildlife photos he posted to iNaturalist - let’s take a look back at some of the moments he captured over the years.
Great blue heron (Ardea herodias)
EwA iNaturalist Record (© Daniel Onea · Ipswich, MA · Apr. 30, 2022)
The first pictures of Daniel’s that come to my mind are his many stunning bird photos. I could probably spend a year sending highlights full of beautiful bird photos from Daniel and not run out of material. You can sense his patience and expertise in every one.
Black-and-white warbler (Mniotilta varia)
EwA iNaturalist Record (© Daniel Onea · Brimfield, MA · May 15, 2019)
I tend to highlight more local observations in our highlights, but Daniel took many, many great pictures outside of New England as well.
Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
EwA iNaturalist Record (© Daniel Onea · Aruba · February, 2023)
Green iguana (Iguana iguana)
EwA iNaturalist Record (© Daniel Onea · Guanacaste Province, CR · Feb. 7, 2020)
Dan had a great eye for the small dramas playing out at our fingertips as well. These little moments he captured are some of my favorites.
White-cheeked jumping spiders (genus Pelegrina)
EwA iNaturalist Record (© Daniel Onea · Medford, MA · July 15, 2023)
That’s all I have for this week. You can browse a collection of more of Daniel’s best photos on iNat. As I mentioned, I'm barely even scratching the surface here. You could spend hours poring through his gorgeous photos.
Daniel's passion, discerning eye, and moral clarity are an inspiration for me and I think they can be an inspiration for all of us. You can read more about Daniel, and share memories, here.
📊 Thanks to everyone for your great biodiversity records this past week, totaling 409 observations of 206 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 175,942 observations of 10,655 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
