Second Annual Bioblitz of Correllus State Forest
Held July 19-20, 2024, our second bioblitz of this important conservation property enlisted 15 observers and documented more than 300 species. While the absence or limited availability of a couple of prolific observers meant we couldn’t challenge the spectacular results achieved in 2023, this year’s event ranked among our most successful bioblitzes by any measure.
Fieldwork was buoyed by nearly idea conditions, warm and calm for blacklighting on the evening of the 19th and then mostly sunny with reasonable temperatures the following day. An introductory butterfly walk led on the morning of the 20th by William Hamson of BiodiversityWorks was well attended and took advantage of the seasonal peak of butterfly diversity and numbers.
Continued growth of the Vineyard’s naturalist community was signaled by the number of particpants and balanced contributions, with eight of the 14 contributors to the event’s iNaturalist project logging 20 or more observations. Skillful birding by Danielle Stebbins, visting from off-Island, led the way to total of 32 bird species seen or heard. The floral diversity of Correllus was well represented, with 104 species recorded. Among invertebrates, 16 species of Orthoptera (crickets, katydids, and grasshoppers) represented a notable tally. Two species (Carolina ground cricket and pine tree cricket) were documented by sound recordings, and the katydid Scuddereria septentrionalis was one of the highlights attracted to the blacklights on the evening of the 19th.
While having fun and celebrating biodiversity are important parts of any bioblitz, these intensive surveys have scientific value as well. Coverage of a site by multiple skilled naturalists often produces records or rare species, or new ones for the location. In this case, for example, at least three of the fly species recorded during the event appeared to be new species for Martha’s Vineyard.
BiodiversityWorks and the Martha’s Vineyard Atlas of Life are grateful to the Massachusetts Department and Recreation for their cooperation on this event. To spend a full day in the field in the outstanding habitats of Correllus State Forest is a pleasure and a privilege, and we look forward to doing it again in 2025.
Matt Pelikan is the director of the Martha’s Vineyard Atlas of Life project at BiodiversityWorks. A lifelong naturalist and a year-round resident of the Vineyard since 1997, he is mildly obsessed with studying the insect life of Martha’s Vineyard.