Springfield Naturalists’ Club
Minutes march 15, 2006
Monthly meeting
Recording Secretary: Nancy Condon

Attendance: #50

Sightings this past month as recollected from members include: LOTS of robins, Turkey vulture, immature bald eagle downy & pileated woodpeckers, 2 peregrine falcons nesting again in Springfield, grackles, 1 red-winged blackbird, woodcocks, fischer in Warren, bluebirds, ring-billed ducks, goldfinches.

Past trip reports:  
    Hiked, not showshoed in Stanley Park with Dave Gallup.  Dave Lovejoy had #18 on his Woody plant hike in Mittineague Park.

Nancy Condon, for the 5th year now, introduced the concept of phenology and invited participants to take a chart and document their spring sightings over the next few months.   These sightings have been tallied and the data is available in hard copy for interested parties this evening in the back.

Upcoming Trips: Dairy Farm by Art O’Leary, Fly a Kite by Sonya Vickers.  Tom Condon made an announcement concerning the upcoming Westfield River Symposium on April 1st.  East River Trail hike.

Guest Brian Clark made an announcement and appeal for folks to sign a petition against the building of a huge Lowes in East Longmeadow.  He is part of a grassroots group opposing the 147,000 sq. ft. building.

The treasury, as reported by Dave Lovejoy contains $3,352.02

Dave Lovejoy introduced the nights speaker: Melissa Cullina, a Botanist with the Natural Heritage & Endangered species program of the MA Division of Fish & Wildlife.  She is one of 2 botanists charged with protecting the biodiversity of the commonwealth.  She deals with endangered, threatened and species of special concern.  258 plants are “listed” or in one of these categories.  She pointed out that this leaves the daunting task of each botanist therefore being responsible for 129 plants.  
    They conduct their duties in several ways: surveys & research; data management; endangered species regulation; rare species recovery; restoring key habitats; land protection and education.  Some of the plants currently on her to do list include spring cress, tiny bull rush, and round leaf shadbush.  She gave us a detailed sample of her work using the example of Algae-like pondweed, a homely perennial of nutrient poor and shallow acidic waters.  She documented locations throughout the state and conducted field research and literature searches to follow the taxonomic trail as a detective would.  

The evening ended as usual with snacks and socializing.