Boston Flora

Tag: Xerces

  • Tuesday, July 29, 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm Eastern – The Harms of Mosquito Spraying, Online

    Aaron Anderson of The Xerces Society will present a free online talk on The Harms of Mosquito Spraying on Tuesday, July 29 from 7 – 8:15 pm. To receive the link to this free presentation, email officemanager@grownativemassachusetts.org.

    Aaron Anderson works with the public and Xerces staff to reduce pesticide use in residential landscapes, including promoting alternative pest control measures and pollinator-friendly gardening practices. Prior to joining Xerces in 2022, he researched pollinator conservation in urban landscapes, restored habitat for several endangered butterfly species, and worked in insect biocontrol. In 2021 he was an AAAS Mass Media Fellow at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where he reported science and business stories. Aaron has a PhD from Oregon State University, and outside of work you can probably find him riding his bike, science writing, or fiddling with old cameras.

  • Thursday, December 8, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Saving Great Plains Grasslands: Rangeland Management for Pollinators and Plan Diversity, Online

    Grasslands in the Great Plains, and elsewhere, are rapidly disappearing. Grasslands provide critical habitat for a variety of wildlife, including pollinators and other invertebrates. Join Xerces Biologists, Sarah Hamilton Buxton, Ray Moranz, and Rae Powers to learn about the ecological and social value of rangelands, management practices to support pollinators, and critical actions to maintain native plant diversity on rangelands. The webinar takes place on December 8 at 1 pm Eastern.

    This webinar will be recorded and available on our YouTube channel. Closed Captioning will be available during this webinar. Free. Click here for more information and to register.

  • 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.