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Massachusetts Biodiversity Days were started in 2000 as part of the State's mission to reconnect people to the natural world and build public support for protecting biodiversity in our own backyards, neighborhoods, communities and watersheds. These surveys have offered citizens an opportunity to identify and record the variety of plants and animals in their local communities both for their personal interest and as part of a statewide database. Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation conducted Biodiversity Days surveys of the flora and fauna of the Reservation in 2002 and 2003. The information gathered during Friends group programs and by interested individuals has become part of a database that offers a view of the health and the effect of improvements on the Reservation. When it was learned that State budget cuts for 2004 had eliminated funds for statewide Biodiversity Days publicity and data collection, members of the Friends group decided the group would continue the tradition on its own, offering programs for people interested in learning about the trees, birds, wildflowers, insects, and pond organisms found on the Reservation. Program planners and leaders were Susan Agger, Jen Audley, Susan Coolidge, Lance Drane, Vince Falcione, Nancy Guppy, Squizzle Plekavich, Jean Rogers, and Elizabeth Wylde. In an experiment to learn whether people working nearby would attend weekday programs, two were offered at noon. These programs were very lightly attended, but weekday evening programs attracted larger numbers. Although attendance varied, participants were enthusiastic and a wealth of data were collected. Nine programs were planned for and carried out during the extended week of June 5 to 13. The data from each program may be accessed by clicking on the underlined word DATA.
Also included are a list of birds seen on the Reservation in 2004 (DATA) and a survey of people and animals that visited the Pond during the week of Biodiversity Days (DATA). |