Fireflies

Josh Wood — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:36:46 EDT

To see fireflies fill the evening sky like blinking, earth-bound stars makes an indelible memory, especially for a kid brought up in California. Fireflies can’t live outside the humid regions of the East and Gulf Coasts. Fireflies are becoming harder to find even in the east. This is especially true in the urban core of Rhode Island.

The lower Pawtuxet River basin is still one of the great places for watching this beetle. It’s free of light pollution, is surrounded by wetlands, and offers decaying material for the larvae to live in. The Friends of the Pawtuxet and West Bay Land Trust are hosting a walk through this area to see the fireflies in action.

There are 20-30 species of fireflies living in New England, some of which can be identified by the color and frequency by their flashing lights. Firefly flashes are actually complex signals mostly intended to attract mates; sometimes intended to deceive and attract victims.

For reasons unknown, firefly populations have been declining around the world. Some of the possible causes include pesticides, lawn care chemicals and light pollution. Firefly.org offers these suggestions for making your yard firefly-friendly:

Turn off outside lights at night.
Let logs and leaves accumulate.
Create water features in your landscape.
Avoid the use of pesticides.
Use natural fertilizers.
Don’t over-mow your lawn.
Plant trees.
Introduce earthworms.

See this magical beetle on the Firefly Walk this Thursday, June 16 at 8:45 pm.

- Josh

photo by quit007

Help Us Hunt the Kudzu of the North

Josh Wood — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:58:35 EDT

As the landscape greens-up over the coming months, help us find this invasive vine. It's called mile-a-minute (Persicaria perfoliata), and it's been spotted in three locations in Rhode Island. One of those locations is in the Furnace Hill watershed in Cranston, where the plant was first noted in 2009. The coverage of the plant in Cranston was wide enough to prompt the Rhode Island Natural History Survey (RINHS), The URI Department of Plant Sciences and the US Department of Agriculture to release of 8,000 weevils (Rhinoncomimus latipes) in hopes of eradicating it.

Here's a University of Connecticut flyer with an ID guide.

The reason mile-a-minute vine has been a priority for these agencies is because it's just beginning to get a toe-hold in Rhode Island, and has yet to make it into northern New England. The Cranston infestation of the vine is especially tricky because of the waterways in the area. From Wikipedia:

Water is also an important mode of dispersal for mile-a-minute weed. Its fruits can remain buoyant for 7-9 days, an important advantage for dispersing seed long distances in stream and river environments. The long vines frequently hang over waterways, allowing fruits that detach to be carried away in the water current. During storm events the potential spread of this plant is greatly increased throughout watersheds.

The RINHS asks that you report the vine by filling out this form.

Photo by Todd Mervosh, CT Agricultural Experiment Station

Land Trust Website Keeps Tabs On City's Environment

Josh Wood — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 16:59:05 EST

Working closely with Board members Joyce and John Holscher of the Good Earth Organic Gardening Center, the West Bay Land Trust launched their new website on Saturday.

Josh Wood, who is replacing newly elected City Councilman Steven Stycos as president, was there to hit the first key.

The membership for the WBLT has seen a marked increase as they have expanded their scope. Founded in 1999, they have preserved more than 300 acres in Cranston from development.

Initially, the Land Trust was organized for the sole purpose of saving large tracts of land on the western side of the city for open space, and much of the initial acreage was farmland.

Read more in the Herald.

West Bay Land Trust to Launch Website

Josh Wood — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 16:34:57 EST

The West Bay Land Trust will formally launch its new website Dec. 4 with a reception at The Good Earth Organic Gardening Center, at 1800 Scituate Ave.

Those attending will meet the land trust’s new president. The reception will be from 1 to 5 p.m. and coincide with The Good Earth’s new Hamlet of Hope Fair Trade Festival Sale that runs from Nov. 27 through Dec. 24. Ninety percent of the proceeds will go to Ten Thousand Villages, a retailer that helps artisans in developing countries; the remaining 10 percent will go to the R.I. Food Bank.

Cranston City Council Approves Moreau Property Acquisition

Josh Wood — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 08:09:09 EDT

Last night the Cranston City Council unanimously approved a proposal to buy the development rights to 47 acres of land on Natick Road.

36 acres of the property will be opened up to allow passive recreation, including hiking, picnicking and horseback riding. The initial concept calls for a hiking trail to encircle the entire estate, part of which straddles Meshanticut Brook. Some details will be worked out as the plan progresses, such as how many parking spaces will be needed at the two access points, and the installation of signage.

The city will use $300,000 already generated by building impact fees, with matching funds from the Moreau family and a grant from the US Department of Agriculture.