Hancock BioBlitz 2022's Boletim

Thank you @downtownpab @lynnharper @arianwenjones @ebphoenix @kimberlysnyder @debden @tmomeyer @brettman32 @sellingwood @scott1482 @berta39 @adam_geber @markellingwood for your contributions to the 2022 Hancock Bioblitz! Whether you knew of this event or your not, your observations helped us surpass our goals of 500 species and 50 new species for the Town of Hancock during the three-day bioblitz. Currently, and with more IDs pending, our bioblitz documented 688 species and an astonishing 176 of which are first-records for Hancock!

Insects and plants were our top two categories, with 298 and 275 species, respectively. These were followed, at a distance, by birds (48 species), fungi (26), and arachnids (16). We covered a good range of ecosystems within town, from the lower-elevation riparian woodlands along the Contoocook River to mixed hardwood-conifer upland near the Harris Center. A few wetlands were visited by bioblitz participants as well, although it looks like nobody broke out their waders for a deeper dive into aquatic life. Maybe next year!

As of this writing, only 49% of all 1,537 observations are Research Grade. Please lend a hand with identifications where possible, and feel free to tag top identifiers for assistance.

Stay tuned for information about next year's Town-wide bioblitz! We may opt for a weekend that does not overlap with Old Home Days, when folks are less busy and when a different assortment of species are detectable. Regardless, information will be posted to this iNaturalist project, the Harris Center events calendar, and the Hancock Happenings.

Special thanks are in order to the Harris Center, the Town of Hancock Conservation Commission and Moosewood Ecological for sponsoring this event and helping to spread the word!

Happy exploring,

• Steven Lamonde

At the stroke of midnight last night, the first-annual Hancock Bioblitz came to a close. But the fun didn't stop there! Any remaining observations from the weekend should be submitted this week, and identifications will continue to roll in, potentially contributing to our species tally that stands just shy of 700. A final summary will be produced early next week. In the meantime, continue uploading observation, help out with IDs where you can, and explore what we found!

Four naturalists took to the fields, streams, and forests on Friday, discovering 303 species on our first bioblitz day. We are well on pace to reach 500 species by the end of the weekend! Is it too early to upgrade our goal to 720 species, or 10 species for every bioblitz hour?

Location diversity is modest so far, with most coming in from backyards, forests, and roadsides. There is still plenty of time to explore the larger waterbodies, emergent wetlands, meadows, and higher-elevation forests in town.

Species-wise, plants are leading the way (176 species), followed by insects (91), fungi (11), and birds (10). Lesser counts of arachnids, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals have also been documented. Let's see what Saturday has in store for us!

Before you head outside today, or head into the basement in search of spiders, check out these neat finds from yesterday:

• Promethea Silkmoth caterpillars by @lynnharper :https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/131561288
• Monarch caterpillar by @ebphoenix :https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/131537540
• Yellow Garden Spider by @downtownpab : https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/131467898

If other iNat users in the region have a free day this weekend, consider participating in Hancock's first-annual bioblitz this weekend! All observations submitted within town between Friday, August 19th and Sunday, August 21st are automatically collected by this project. Our collective goal is 500 species, with 50 new additions to the town list of 1,645 species.

Looking for a new place to explore in Hancock? Check out these Town-owned properties or go for a hike on Harris Center trails.

@nick2524 @karolina @billryerson @matthew883 @operculum23 @quietlymagical @camchoquette8 @nhaperkins @bgaudubon @lynnharper @lpagano @colleen99 @mcthomas @joshua40 @kimberlysnyder @markellingwood @rachelthiet @malloryroof @meeble85 @melpmccune @gcaughey @katfox55 @pbeblowski @tmomeyer @susienhvt @karenseaver @susiespikol @suttonconservation @susanmonnelly @kylembradford @mikeakresh @mecahill @mjsun @alexlamoreaux @lcsaki @jomart12

Comment below with questions, and tag others who may be interested in this event.

Happy exploring!

• Steven Lamonde

P.S. If you can't make it to this bioblitz, mark your calendars for Chesterfield's bioblitz on September 24th!