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Home BEEC Public Programs Secrets of the Night Sky Bring your sense of adventure, and your family too, as we uncover secrets of the night sky. Learn how to read star maps and use binoculars adn telescopes to discover the light in the darkness. Thomas Whitney, President of the Astronomy Association, will be guiding us through an exploration of our night sky. View galaxies, constellations, and colors of stars at the top of Heifer Hill. Then join us in the classroom to make a moon journal. Mr. Whitney operates the observatory at Amherst College, teaches astronomy class, and runs the public progams at the Planetarium at Amherst College. Vernal Pool Monitor Training Each spring vernal pools teem with life, and provide essential breeding habitat for a group of amphibians—spotted salamanders, Jefferson’s salamanders, and woodfrogs. A vernal pool monitoring project is underway in the town of Dummerston. Each spring, volunteers count the egg masses of these three species in the pool(s) they have selected. We will use the information gathered to answer two important questions over time: Is climate change affecting the length of time and period of the year the pools hold water?; Are populations of vernal pool amphibians growing, declining, or fluctuating? More volunteers are needed! Pool monitors will track when amphibian breeding begins, the numbers of frog and salamander egg masses in the pool throughout the breeding season, and when (or if ) the pool dries. Come to this training to learn the monitoring protocol, how to distinguish the egg masses of the three vernal pool amphibian species, and choose a pool or two to monitor. If you’d like to monitor a pool that’s not in Dummerston, you’re welcome to come, too. We hope to gather this information for pools throughout our region. Earth Day Wildflower Stroll On Deb's Trail You are invited to celebrate the Earth by enjoying BEEC’s display of woodland wildflowers. Deb’s Trail passes through the woods where the greatest variety of wildflowers grow. We should see blue cohosh, hepatica, Dutchman’s britches, squirrel corn and more. This walk is about a half mile and is hilly, but the pace will be leisurely. This walk will also offer Deb’s friends a chance to remember her during her favorite season in the woods she loved. Woodcock Watching Among the first harbingers of spring is the courtship flight of the woodcock. These peculiar birds, with their long beaks and their eyes on top of their heads, often arrive when there is still snow on the fields. Their wheeling courtship flights and nasal “peent” calls at dusk mark the beginning of the new season. They are so well camouflaged that this is the only time of year most of us have a chance to see them. Bring a blanket to sit on, and dress warmly. We’ll supply tea and cookies. Add woodcock watching to your list of spring rituals. Bobcats in Vermont The Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife has recently completed a study of bobcats in the Champlain Valley. Bobcats were radio-collared to study how they use their habitat. This research revealed the size of their home ranges, their movement patterns through different habitat types, and such potentially useful information as how and where they cross roads. Biologist Kim Royer will present the study findings on this ground-breaking research into one of our most elusive predators.
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