Hooray for biodiversity . . . and carbon storage!
In order to keep carbon in the ground, we need to protect habitats. Here is an activity that helps people value these habitats. Please join us as we document and celebrate biodiversity in Acton and Boxborough. As you may know, there are over 2,000 acres of conservation areas in Acton and Boxborough with a variety of habitats, such as cattail marshes, ponds, open fields and dense forests. These habitats host snapping turtles, reptiles, frogs, insects, birds, mammals, and many plant species, and store carbon. Another 3,000 acres of private lands provide habitat for wildlife, including two steps outside your door! What kind of wildlife lives here? Let’s find out this June 1 through 15.
How to participate? Download the “iNaturalist” app on your smartphone, search for projects and click on our “Nature of Acton and Boxborough 2023” project. To participate, you must Join the project. Or visit https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/nature-of-acton-and-boxborough-june-2023.
Starting June 1st, snap away at any plant, animal or fungus you see and get it on our list. Can we break 200 species this year? Who can ID the most? Taking observations of wildlife helps advance science too! According to National Geographic, “High quality data uploaded to iNaturalist become part of the
Global Biodiversity Information Facility, an open source database used by scientists and policy makers around the world.”
Some of you may have participated in our local Bioblitz in 2021 led by Green Acton and other partners, as part of the City Nature Challenge Boston area in 2021. In that event, 43 people made 1226 observations of 472 different species in Acton and Boxborough.
This is a follow up from that activity. The 2023 BioBlitz is a collaboration of people from Acton Conservation Trust, the Boxborough Conservation Trust, Acton PIP Stem, Acton Men’s Outdoor Club, Energize Acton, and the Acton Discovery Museum.
This is a fun activity for your family, too.
If you have any questions about the activity or how to join the project in iNaturalist, feel free to contact Matt Liebman at
EnergizeActon.org@gmail.com.
Happy BioBlitzing!
