Did You Know?

Sharon, Massachusetts: Open Spaces, Special Places, a 32-page book celebrating open space, local history, and places frequented by Sharon residents in their daily lives, has been published by SFOC to promote public awareness of the importance of preserving land and water resources. All net funds raised from the sale of this keepsake volume will go to benefit land preservation in Sharon. Find out more…

2008 Biodiversity Day

Biodiversity Days were begun by Peter Alden and E.O. Wilson in 1998 when they decided to investigate the number and variety of species in Concord, Massachusetts. Biodiversity Days offers a unique collaborative and learning opportunity for individuals and organizations. Participants experience nature in a way they may never have before, learn something new, and discover how interconnected life is:

“We learned what a chestnut tree looks like!”

“I had never seen bobolinks, and did not know Ipswich had eels.”

“Poison Ivy grows right next to Jewel Weed (which can be used to cure Poison Ivy). Isn’t nature fun?”

The MACC website provides a wide variety information about Biodiversity Days.

Professor E.O. Wilson kicked off the first event in 1998, when he led participants in an attempt to be the first to identify 1,000 species of fungi, flora and fauna in one day; they ended up identifying 1,904 species. Dr. Wilson continues to help the state build species checklists, a central database for people to record their findings and an electronic field guide to help in species identification. People are asked to focus on visible life forms within the plant, animal and fungi kingdoms, that are one millimeter or larger in size. This includes everything from trees and shrubs, wildflowers and grasses to centipedes, fish, toads, woodpeckers, bats and bobcats. Massachusetts estimates that it has 15,000 visible species in all, so we’ve got a way to go before finding them all.