Project Updates

Fall 2024: In Which We Hit the 5,000-Observation Mark

Over the past several months, Harris Center staff, interns, volunteers, and other SuperSanctuary trailblazers have been busy documenting life of all shapes and sizes on iNaturalist! This includes dedicated iNatting efforts by our summer interns, a mini BioBlitz on July 14, our SuperSanctuary Butterfly Count on July 20, and a weekend-long SuperSanctuary BioBlitz on September 7 and 8. As of this writing, we have now collectively documented 5,822 observations on SuperSanctuary lands – nearly double the number of observations since our last update in March!

In May and June, we were lucky to have four fantastic undergraduate interns from Keene State College. As part of their internship, they kept their eyes open for interesting organisms on Harris Center lands. On the Jaquith Rail Trail, they documented the property’s first iNat observation of flat-branched tree clubmoss (Dendrolycopodium obscurum) and the easy-to-miss single-leaf version of painted trillium (Trillium undulatum). In the meadow near our building, the team observed some Eastern poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). (Note that no interns got rashes while making iNat observations!) They also documented something growing on our taxidermied Great Blue Heron. We still can’t figure out what that is…

On July 14 we hosted a mini BioBlitz at our North Pond and Eastview Trails. During this outing, we made 141 observations of 91 species, adding 54 new species that had not been recorded via iNaturalist on these trails, like this striped wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata). We also got to enjoy very wee young American toads (Anaxyrus americanus).

During our SuperSanctuary BioBlitz in September 2024, 30 community science volunteers recorded an impressive 854 iNaturalist observations on SuperSanctuary lands — including this group, on the hunt for bugs and blooms in the Harris Center meadow.
(photo © Brett Amy Thelen)

Our SuperSanctuary Butterfly Count was held on July 20 and, although it was not specifically focused on recording iNaturalist observations, we still had some neat finds! In our meadow, the first iNaturalist observations in the SuperSanctuary project for banded hairstreak (Satyrium calanus) and question mark (Polygonia interrogationis) butterflies were recorded.

Our last big iNaturalist event of the year was our SuperSanctuary BioBlitz on September 7 and 8, which resulted in a whopping 857 observations of 479 unique species – 154 of which had not previously been documented on Harris Center lands via iNaturalist. During the BioBlitz, we also crossed the 5,000-observation mark with this Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota)! We had a blast looking for invertebrates like this mayfly (Order Ephemeroptera) in our small frog pond, and during our moth lighting event we found an elegant-tailed slug moth caterpillar (Packardia elegans), which fluoresced (glowed) under UV light.

We also continue to offer monthly Featured Observations, which highlight observations made by iNaturalist users on our lands, along with tidbits of information about each organism. Some of our recent entries include common earthball mushrooms (Scleroderma citrinum), crescent butterflies (Genus Phyciodes), and three-toothed cinquefoil (Sibbaldiopsis tridentata). What will we find next?

March 2024: What’s New?

Since our last update, we have made more than 3,000 new observations on SuperSanctuary lands. Our last update had a total of 312 species documented on Harris Center lands using iNaturalist, and since then we have reached this number on our West Side Trails and Hiroshi Lands individually and have just reached this milestone at the Harris Center Headquarters!

Eastern Newts are now our most-observed species in the SuperSanctuary. (photo © Dave Huth)

Our most-observed species has shifted from the flashy red trillium (Trillium erectum) to the equally flashy Eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens), a common sight throughout our region, particularly at their terrestrial “red eft” stage.

There also continue to be interesting finds on our lands such as this jewel beetle, Chrysobothris scabripennis, observed right in the parking lot for Kulish Ledges. This observation is one of only two in New England, with 33 observations globally on iNaturalist as of this writing. Observations like this reinforce that there are lots of interesting finds just waiting to be discovered on Harris Center lands!

Though finds like these are exciting, all observations are important, whether it be understanding the biodiversity and distributions of species on our lands, reporting non-natives to guide invasive species cleanups, alerting us to potential vernal pools, or documenting a population of a beautiful, regionally uncommon flower.

One last exciting tidbit of information: we have officially brought the project to the community science section of our website, where we’ll host monthly featured observations that we hope you will enjoy. Over the summer, we also plan to offer a Bioblitz or two to introduce more people to iNaturalist and increase its use on our lands. Stay tuned!

New Discoveries in the SuperSanctuary

To date, 312 species have been documented on Harris Center lands with iNaturalist. The eye-catching red trillium (Trillium erectum) is our most documented species in the SuperSanctuary, with 14 observations — most from the West Side Trails.

Our pollinator garden is attracting loads of species this time of year, including this Long-horned Yellowjacket Fly (Sphecomyia vittata). This harmless wasp-mimic has only been documented on iNaturalist in two other locations in New Hampshire!

And, a newly documented population of Limnoporus canaliculatus water striders has been found in a beaver pond associated with the East Side Trails region. This is just one of three documented locations for this species in northern New England.

You never know what you are going to find on your next adventure in the SuperSanctuary. Keep exploring!