This morning I picked up a piece of my coffee maker from the dish strainer and there was a praying mantis on it.
Praying mantises are 4-inch ferocious insects that are remarkably elegant. I have no idea how it got inside.
Maybe it can control the large population of pantry moths in my kitchen this year. I added it to a newly started list of insects, animals and plants that share my home and yard.
I got the idea of making a list after attending a BioBlitz hosted by the Adirondack Nature Conservancy at Follensby Pond in June.
Follensby Pond and the surrounding 14,000 acres in Tupper Lake were owned by John and Byrd McCormick until 2008. At that time, the McCormicks transferred the property to the Nature Conservancy under an easement they hoped would eventually lead to the incorporation of Follensby Pond into the Forest Preserve and thereby open it to the public.
In an effort to understand and describe the property, the Nature Conservancy hosted the BioBlitz, inviting scientists associated with the Center for Adirondack Biodiversity to survey the woods and the water and make a list of all of the different insects, animals and plants they could find.
Why make such a list?
The website for the Center for Adirondack Biodiversity explains: "An All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI, or "list") is essential to the long-term conservation and management of the Adirondacks, and citizens are critical to that outcome. Through an ATBI an increased connectedness of people to the environment can occur through citizen science efforts, inspiration from understanding the beauty of nature, increased public support for protected areas, and the potential for economically beneficial discoveries."
To generate an ATBI, biologists divide into Taxa Working Groups based on their expertise. These groups of biologists go afield using specific protocols to count what they can find. In truth, a BioBlitz is the way scientists play. They use an assortment of technical gadgets for things like bat detection and fish stunning as well as the familiar dragonfly nets and hand-rigged turtle traps. It is as much a treasure hunt as a scientific endeavor.
The Follensby Pond property is spectacular, historic and, until now, mostly unknown to the outdoor community. The scientists who identified all the wildlife were an array of nationally recognized experts. They work in scientific, outdoor and educational organizations all over the North Country, not to mention being local hunters, anglers, hikers, paddlers and naturalists who really know their forest habitats.
When the BioBlitz was done, nearly 450 species had been identified. Should you find this sort of inventory interesting — whether from the standpoint of treasure hunts, fisheries management or rare species protection — you should absolutely go to the Wild Center in Tupper Lake on Friday, Aug. 20, when the public is invited to see the results of the BioBlitz.
Not only will you see the methods used to make a good list, meet the experts who inventoried Follensby Pond and find out exactly what is on the list (much of which may also be in your backyard … or your kitchen …), you can also learn about Follensby Pond's role in historic Adirondack moments.
Elizabeth Lee is a licensed guide who lives in Westport. She leads recreational and educational programs focused in the Champlain Valley throughout the year. Contact her at lakeside5047@gmail.com.
