Southboro Open Land Foundation

An Update on Other Species Observed at Beals Preserve Wildlife Survey Project

Published on August 19, 2014 by Eileen Samberg

The wildlife survey project currently ongoing at Beals Preserve is focusing primarily on reptiles and amphibians. But a number of other species have been observed by project volunteers. Here is a listing of these observations to July 30, 2014. Thank you volunteers for all the time and effort you have put into this project and the wide variety of observations you have made.

Update on Beals Preserve Wildlife Survey Project

Published on June 5, 2014 by Eileen Samberg

In March of this year, SOLF began a wildlife survey of reptiles and amphibians at Beals Preserve. The project was originated and is being directed by SOLF member Lawrence Spezzano of Southborough with the generous assistance of wonderful volunteers from Southborough and other communities!

 Lawrence reports that after two months of data collection, amphibian diversity has been impressive with 7 frog species and 4 salamander species found, which is nearly 50% of the 23 species recently documented in Massachusetts. Frog species found, collected in, or near, the transects include: American Toad, Spring Peeper, Green, Grey Tree, Pickerel, Leopard, and Bullfrog. Salamander species found include Red Back, Dusky, Four-toed , and Yellow-spotted.

 Reptiles have been more rare so far, in this generally cool spring, with 12% of 24 species observed including the more cosmopolitan Painted and Snapping turtles and Garter Snakes(no surprises, there!). Going forward, June and July should provide more wonderful examples of local reptiles as the WHIP plywood transects provide ideal cool and humid microhabitats. Lawrence expects the warmer weather to draw out more activity and the volunteers have already begun to see evidence of this when piloting turtle traps in the Ice Pond, finding discarded skins and and observing reptiles basking.

SOLF volunteers will continue to collect evidence, including bird, mammal, insect and plant diversity, over the course of the summer and fall. More volunteers are needed, so contact SOLF at info@solf.org, if interested. These invaluable data already suggest relationships among species, their gender, length and mass, which could drive future conservation efforts in Southborough and neighboring towns! Could the Beals Preserve be a major resource supporting salamander maturity, frog reproduction and reptile hibernation for populations throughout central Massachusetts? Stay tuned!

You can see some photos of the survey below.

Turtle with abscessed ear

Published on May 17, 2014 by Eileen Samberg

The SOLF Wildlife Survey project  encountered a female Eastern Painted turtle with an ear abscess near the pond at the Beals Preserve on May 11. The images show it being treated by Dr. Greg Mertz at the New England Wildlife Center in Weymouth.

Are you interested in salamanders?

Published on May 17, 2014 by Eileen Samberg

If you are interested in salamanders and more information about them, here is a link to the Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation.

Checking the Turtle Trap at Beals Preserve Ice Pond, May 11

Published on May 13, 2014 by Eileen Samberg

The images below show volunteers checking the turtle trap at the ice pond at Beals Preserve on May 11. Three painted turtles, a crayfish, several bull frog tadpoles, and some shiners were found. After being documented, they were returned to the ice pond.

More Information on Volunteering to Help for Our Wildlife Survey at Beals Preserve

Published on March 13, 2014 by Eileen Samberg

Beginning March 29,  we will place observation sites at regular intervals at a pond edge and meadow to provide a sample of amphibians and reptiles that live on Beals Preserve. Because amphibians and reptiles use their habitats in different ways and can be active both day and night, we are calling on volunteers to help us collect data 3 times daily (9-10 am, 2-3 pm and 7-9 pm (just after dusk). This exciting opportunity will both provide valuable insight into how our preserve is being used by reptiles and amphibians and provide a unique chance to explore nature and its remarkable diversity.

 All Volunteers will be provided training and support as needed.

Volunteers under the age of 18 will require parental permission and if under the age of 14 will need to be accompanied by an adult.  Attending a training session will be mandatory. Volunteers are responsible for transportation to and from the Beals Preserve.

Training overview:

• Review of safety precautions including methods to avoid exposure to ticks and poison ivy.

• Demonstration of the methods of data collection at the various observation sites

  • How to look for herps while walking along installed transects.

  • Observation and data collection of specimens collected in sunken buckets including measuring, weighing, and taking pictures before releasing.

• Overview of record keeping: data on total number of individuals, individual mass, length, and gender before release of the individual.

• Instructions on safety guidelines on how to handle amphibians and how to proceed if dead animals are found.

Additional notes

We are aware some volunteers may be fine handling frogs and salamanders but not like snakes. We can schedule around this preference as there are separate observation areas for snakes.

If you would like to volunteer, or would like more information, please contact Freddie Gillespie.

Ideally we are looking for volunteers to commit to one time slot a week but even less frequent participation will be welcomed.

The project is being planned and guided by Lawrence Spezzano Jr., M.Sc., M.Ed, a Science Teacher at Boston Latin School and assisted by Dr. Acacia Alcivar Warren, a One Health practitioner and conservation geneticist.