An update of the Meriden Natural Resources Inventory is underway, and the team could use your help with its citizen science efforts.

We will hold a series of mini bioblitzes throughout the year with a focus on a particular taxa, although all observations are welcome not just on bioblitz days but throughout the year. We'll kick off the series with a bird focus on April 17. (It's also a good time for amphibians, hint, HINT!) We'll have spotting scopes set up at Hubbard Park, and all birders are encouraged to explore Meriden's many habitats to see how many different species we can identify in one day. We also welcome and encourage backyard observations. You can find the April 17 bioblitz at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/meriden-nri-bioblitz-birds.

Observations submitted to iNaturalist, will be automatically added to the project.

If you'd like to join the project directly to receive updates and see project stats, please visit https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/meriden-nri. You can also find us on the Web and on Facebook.

If you have expertise in a particular taxa and would like to contribute to the project, please let us know. We need volunteers to help with a variety of tasks.

Kelly

It's the end of National Moth Week, and I participated by setting up my moth lights in my backyard. I started setting up lights in June for the first time, and it is so much fun to see what variety of creatures come to the lights. It's not just moths!

My setup is not fancy. I already had a white sheet, which I draped over my sons' unused pitchback/rebounder. I used clothespins to attach it. I pulled out a couple of long-unused single-bulb grow lights from the basement, and that's how I started. I got a few moths and other insects, but I wanted to see more. I bought a brooder clamp lamp and a 100-watt fluorescent black light twist bulb from Amazon. Together, they were $22.90.

Wow!! What a difference in visitors to my sheet. I admit, I do not enjoy getting bombarded by the beetles, but I've been getting used to it. I have been careful about how much and how often I turn on the lights. During late June and early July, I mostly kept the lights off to not interfere with the fireflies, as I have many fireflies in my yard.

One of the reasons that I set up the moth lights is that I was curious as to what moths were in my area. I have a couple of oak trees in my yard, and I now only plant natives (other than my vegetable garden and some annuals). It has been amazing to see all of the different moths that have visited my yard. Some species have been one-time visitors, while others, such as the Elegant Grass Veneer and Lesser Maple Spanworm Moths, are quite common.

As of today on iNat, there have been 1,457 species of butterflies and moths observed here in Connecticut. I have only observed (and identified to species as best I can) 181 species. I have no shortage of new visitors to observe! Moths come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some of them are very tiny!

Setting up a moth light is simple. You don't need to collect moths, you don't even need to photograph them, but of course I'd love to see them become part of the Meriden record. I mostly use the camera on my phone, so I don't always get the best photos, but it's a start. I hold a small flashlight and aim it at the moths to help focus and then use voice commands to take the photos. Some moths are sensitive to the light, so I try to view it in my camera lens before using the flashlight.

As a side note, please do not use bug zappers! They just attract insects to your yard, including ones that probably wouldn't have ever bothered you. Mosquitoes do not seem to be attracted to the lights. I rarely see mosquitoes or get a mosquito bite while at my moth lights. On the other hand, if you eliminate the zapper, you can use the light to bring in moths for observation.

If you decide to set up lights, I hope that you have fun!

Kelly

I love an excuse to get outside and observe nature. Sure, I like to go for walks, but ever since I joined iNaturalist a few years ago, I have become much more in tune to the diversity of life around me. I like taking walks with a purpose, and my purpose is to see what I can find that is new to me. I usually can be found with my phone, camera, and binoculars.

If you're new to iNaturalist or to this project, welcome! Meriden has many places to observe nature, including Hubbard Park, Giuffrida Park, Hanover Pond, and the Red Bridge and Hanover Pond Trails. We have other smaller ponds, such as Baldwins Pond, Beaver Pond, and Bishops Pond on Research Parkway. We also have the Meriden Green, which I personally need to spend more time visiting with an eye on birds and insects especially. We have many other little parks throughout the city. We have Mountain Mist. We have cemeteries. We have our own backyards.

One of my long-term goals is to establish a pollinator pathway here in Meriden. As part of that, I hope to get people interested in planting more native plants and shrubs. Once you start observing life in your backyard, you might find you are more willing to plant natives.

Contact me with questions. I hope you have fun using iNaturalist! Maybe I'll see you on the trail sometime.

Kelly

I just happened to notice that this project has reached 1,200 observations AND 510 different species. As you're out and about at different locations in Meriden, please take a few moments and document what you see, from lichens to mammals and everything in between. Perhaps at some point, someone will find value in the observations and data from this project.

I'm also interested in establishing a pollinator pathway through the city, and I'd love it if we could pay special attention to what's pollinating the wildflowers.

I hope also that more people will become interested in documenting the many different life forms that we have here in our little city. If you haven't already, please join me!

Kelly

We have now surpassed 1,000 observations in Meriden! As of this writing, we have observed 428 different species. I'm sure that most people have no idea as to the diversity of life found in our little city. I am still amazed at what I observe just in my own backyard (literally) as well as when I'm out on a trail or visiting a pond.

I hope that more people will join the search for lifeforms in Meriden. I believe that it's important to recognize the diversity of plants, animals, insects, and other lifeforms found in the city. It helps reinforce how important it is to preserve and value open space as well as our own backyards, which definitely can contribute to habitats.

Happy searching!

I've been trying to visit Hanover Pond regularly to see what birds are passing through. I recently saw hooded mergansers and common mergansers. Today I saw some grebes, as well as a female common merganser. They were pretty far out, so I didn't get the best photos of them. I'm hoping to spot a common loon at some point. Please share what you observe anywhere in town!