Boston Flora

Tag: Westfield River

  • Thursday, August 2 – Sunday, August 5 – Northeast Chapter Dragonfly Society of the Americas Regional Meeting

    Massachusetts is generally well-studied for Odonata, but Hampden County has received less attention than most of the state. The Nature Conservancy has invited the Dragonfly Society of the Americas to survey the Stebbins Wildlife Refuge, which includes extensive swamp and floodplain as well as a section of the Connecticut River. The town of Wilbraham has granted us permission to explore its McDonald Farm Nature Preserve, home to the state’s westernmost and farthest-inland Atlantic White Cedar swamp and extensive Sphagnum bog habitat. The Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary has also laid out a welcome mat for us, and we have several other intriguing chunks of habitat to explore. At the top of our target species list are the three species of Stylurus, the Arrow (S. spiniceps), Zebra (S. scudderi), and (most tantalizingly, pictured below) Riverine Clubtail (S. amnicola); Ocellated Darner (Boyeria grafiana); and, of course, as many Somatochlora species as we can find.

    Our headquarters will be in Ludlow, Massachusetts, just off of the (in)famous Mass Pike, providing convenient access to points east or west, and not far from I-91 for easy north-south transit. We will be less than a half-mile from the Chicopee River. The I-91 Springfield-Holyoke corridor is heavily urbanized with lots of eating, sleeping, and other commercial options, but we’ll have no shortage of green spaces to explore both east and west of there.

    One day of our field trips will probably focus primarily on the Stebbins Refuge; another primarily on the Wilbraham White Cedar Swamp, Conant Brook Dam, and Norcross Sanctuary; and the third we’ll probably visit west of the Connecticut River to Fox Den Wildlife Management Area, the Westfield River, and other spots over that way. Which day is which will be figured out once we have a clearer idea of the weather forecast for the three days. Individual meeting participants are, of course, welcome to go to the sites on their own rather than following the crowd.

    Thursday evening, August 2

    Check into accommodations, informally gather at the Holiday Inn Express in Ludlow, and head out to eat somewhere

    Friday, August 3

    Quick morning organizational meeting, then head into the field, most likely Wilbraham-Norcross-Conant. If anyone wants to give a research talk, it will probably be after dinner on this day.

    Saturday, August 4

    8AM – Quick morning meeting and recap from Friday, then head out into the field, most likely Stebbins. In the evening, group photo and dinner (venue TBA).

    Sunday, August 5

    8AM – Final meeting, then head out into the field, most likely to sites west of the Connecticut River. Then we all head home.

    Meeting fee is $25 for the weekend, $15 for a single day. Register at https://bryanpfeiffer.com/nedsa2018/

    Image result for Stylurus amnicola

  • Didymo Threat

    The presence of the freshwater algae Didymosphenia geminata (a.k.a Didymo or “rock snot”) was recently observed by Dr. Caleb Slater, a fisheries biologist with the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) during routine fisheries sampling on August 31, 2015 in the West Branch of the Westfield River in the town of Chester in Hampden County. DFW collected samples and made the preliminary identification which was confirmed by independent experts on September 2.

    Didymo is a freshwater diatom that occurs in North America. The Division does not know how many streams in Massachusetts contain Didymo, as it is visually undetectable unless in bloom. Blooms may appear gray, brown, or white and has a texture of wet wool or cotton balls. Blooms, which happen only when certain conditions (including flow, nutrients, light intensity, and water chemistry) are present, can produce a dense covering on rocky substrate and eventually result in long stalks. Extensive Didymo blooms can temporarily cover river bottoms almost entirely. Didymo generally occurs in cold, clear, nutrient-poor waters with a neutral or slightly basic pH.

    There is no known method for eliminating or controlling Didymo blooms. “Basically, the bloom has to run its course,” says Todd Richards, Assistant Director of Fisheries for the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. “All recreational users should always thoroughly wash their equipment/clothing/waders/boats in hot, soapy water. Boats/equipment and other non-absorbent materials should be scrubbed. Soft, absorbent materials should soak in hot, soapy water for a minimum of 30 minutes. This is particularly important with felt-sole waders or other slow drying material such as sneakers, towels, and related items.”