General Monitoring:

Please send all area trip lists and other observations to dryoptera@yahoo.com.

The simple coordination and compilation of the group's observations is an invaluable tool in identifying and defining the area's most important ecological landscapes.  By keeping even basic field notes about what you're seeing and where, your individual observations become an important record of the landscape; especially when correlated with the regional notes of the entire group.  In most cases, you will be the only person looking at your landscape, and without your documentation, that knowledge will be invisible to conservation.

What bird species have you been seeing?  Do you think you might be seeing vernal pools?  Does is seem that there is an interesting plant community on the landscape?  Is that a type of turtle that you've never seen before?

These are the simple questions that lead to discoveries, and ultimately, to conservation.  A great example of this is the Muddy Brook Valley in Hardwick.  For years this area has been considered at least interesting, though no real ecological monitoring had ever been done. Then, in the mid-90's, birdwatchers began visiting the area and noting an impressive diversity of birdlife.  Over time this notation showed trends and piqued interest that eventually lead to closer examination of the valley, turning up populations of endangered species, unusual plant communities, and a complex network of vernal pools.  These discoveries then turned real conservation attention to the valley, and because there was a written record of observations, large conservation organizations, including the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Program, have become involved in the valley's protection.  And it all started with a birdwatcher's field notebook.