Boston Flora

Tag: Dick Walton

  • Tuesday, February 12, 7:30 pm – Two Centuries of Jumping Spider Studies in Massachusetts

    The next meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club  will be held on Tuesday February 12 at 07:30 PM in room 101 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Dick Walton will present a talk entitled “Two Centuries of Jumping Spider (Araneae: Salticidae) Studies in Massachusetts”.

    Worldwide the salticids comprise the largest spider family with approximately 300 species represented in North America north of Mexico. Superior eyesight, an active lifestyle, diversity of forms, colors and behaviors are all hallmarks of this group. Dick Walton will present a brief history of salticid studies in MA as well as an overview of jumping spiders present in MA today. In addition, he will show us several of his videos portraying these amazing creatures.

    The meeting is free and open to the public. Snacks will be provided and you are also welcome to join us at 6:00 PM for an informal pre-meeting dinner at West Side Lounge Restaurant.  Photo from www.thegardenerseden.com.

    http://www.thegardenerseden.com//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Jumping-Spider-%E2%93%92-Tim-Geiss.jpg

  • Saturday, July 14 (raindate Sunday, July 15), 8:30 am – 4:00 pm – 23rd Annual Concord, Massachusetts Xerces/NABA Butterfly Count

    The NABA Butterfly Counts, a program for the North American Butterfly Association, is a compilation of all butterflies observed at sites within a 15-mile diameter count circle in a one-day period. The annually published reports provide a tremendous amount of information about the geographical distribution and relative population sizes of the species counted. Comparisons of the results across years can be used to monitor changes in butterfly populations and study the effects of weather and habitat change on North American butterflies.

    The 427 U.S. counts in 2011 were held in 47 states plus the District of Columbia. Florida led in number of counts (62, down from 68 last year), followed by California (28, down 3 from last year) and Michigan (22, up 4 from last year). Thirteen other states submitted 10-25 counts, 25 states reported 2-9 counts, and six states plus D.C. reported a single count. No counts were submitted from Hawaii, Kentucky, or Nevada.

    This year’s Xerces/NABA butterfly count will be held on Saturday, 14 July with a rain date of 15 July. Dick Walton hopes you will join him to continue the tradition.  There is a $3 fee for each count participant. Cost of the annual summary for all Xerces/NABA Counts is $6.00 ($4.00 for NABA members). Dick will provide a Concord Count summary to all participants.  So, oil up your nets and get ready. Meet at 7 Concord Greene # 8 in Concord at 8:30 A.M. Bring your own lunch. We will have a picnic and count down around 4:00 P.M.

    Please email to confirm your participation to dwalton@comcast.net and feel free to invite a friend and/or butterfly enthusiasts.