יולי 6, 2023

FREE Citizen Science Demos with EcoSpark

Mark your calendars, as there are two FREE in-person training events for Caterpillars Count upcoming next month!

  1. Saturday July 8th, from 11:15 am to 12:15 pm at Evergreen Brick Works, no registration required.
  2. Thursday July 13th, from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm at Bickford Park with Project Swallowtail, register today at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/ecospark-formerly-citizens-environment-watch/events/caterpillars-count-workshop-at-bickford-park/.

Caterpillars Count is a citizen science project helping scientists in studying the seasonal variation (phenology) and abundance of arthropods like caterpillars, beetles, and spiders found on the foliage of trees and shrubs.

Arthropods are underappreciated for their importance on Earth, from being an important food source for birds and other wildlife, to having economic and environmental impacts on forests and crops. Caterpillars, a type of arthropods, are one of the most important food sources for migratory birds: feeding their nestlings as they grow.

Climate change is affecting the timing of biological processes, like spring leaf out, insect activity, and bird migration and breeding. If the phenological shifts of these organisms do not line up, then it can have negative consequences for their populations.

Here’s where you can help! Participants collect data by conducting surveys on trees and shrubs, recording all arthropods they observed. You can find existing sites or propose a new site in your neighbourhood by visiting our website at https://www.ecospark.ca. Contact us at info@ecospark.ca if you have any questions or need help getting started!

הועלה ב-יולי 6, 2023 09:20 אחה"צ על ידי ecospark ecospark | 0 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

יולי 22, 2022

Free Nature Events with EcoSpark!

Check out our Upcoming Events this Summer!

Are you ready to catch butterflies, observe birds and count caterpillars? Get outside with EcoSpark and learn more about Citizen Science at our upcoming FREE community events. These events are geared towards ages 11+, however, all ages are welcome!

National Moth Week (July 23 - 31)

EcoSpark encourages everyone in the Greater Toronto Area to explore moths in their own parks and backyards for National Moth Week! Some EcoSpark staff plan to be outside around sunset to see what's near our office on July 27th, so if you're near Wychwood Barns Park, join EcoSpark and let's see what moths we can find! Register below:
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/ecospark-formerly-citizens-environment-watch/events/ecospark-moth-watching/
July 27th at Wychwood Barns Park

Biodiversity and Community Science Digital Mapping

Hands-on biodiversity activities will engage participants in environmental monitoring to identify species, celebrate, and protect biodiversity in a changing climate. Our GeoHub will introduce participants to digital mapping ideas and tools that can further enhance their work for pollinators. Co-hosted by Project Swallowtail. Register below:
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/ecospark-formerly-citizens-environment-watch/events/biodiversity-and-community-science-digital-mapping-at-brookbanks-park/
July 30th at Brookbanks Park

Pollinator Surveys and Caterpillars Count

Participants will learn simple approaches to surveys and document insects including pollinators and species that feed songbird nestlings. Bird and arthropod data from community science projects including Caterpillars Count by UNC, eBird, and iNaturalist are analyzed and submitted to online databases to learn about trends in migratory patterns, food webs, and the impacts of climate change. Learn how to contribute data from your own backyard or get involved in multi-year datasets that EcoSpark participants are contributing to across the GTA. Co-hosted by Project Swallowtail. Register below:
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/ecospark-formerly-citizens-environment-watch/events/pollinator-surveys-and-caterpillars-count-at-brookbanks-park/
August 13 at Brookbanks Park

הועלה ב-יולי 22, 2022 06:59 אחה"צ על ידי ecospark ecospark | 0 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

יולי 8, 2022

Ichneumonid wasp at Brookbanks Park

Here at EcoSpark, we’re in our third year of researching arthropods with citizen science at local Caterpillars Count survey sites that we are hosting across the GTA, as shown in the pictured map. Caterpillars Count originated at the University of North Carolina and aims to track arthropod phrenology (the number of bugs in a given area) over time. With this data, we can determine how climate change is affecting the spring leaf-out and the emergence of arthropods. The timings of these events alongside bird migrations are changing due to climate change. This could spell disaster for migratory birds, as they rely on insect larvae to feed their young. If the shifts in timings of avian migration, arthropod emergence, and the spring leaf-out do not line up, birds and arthropods could face a food shortage and a significant decline in population.
In his most recent survey, our intern Matthew found an Ichneumonid wasp. These wasps inject their eggs into larvae of other insects, affecting up to a fifth of the host population. This reproductive strategy makes them a promising route for pesticide-free pest control. Pesticide use is harmful to both humans and the natural world. Pesticides can harm non-targeted insect and animal populations, and continuous exposure poses significant risks to farmers including increased cancer risk, nervous system damage, and endocrine disruption.
To learn more about Caterpillars Count, check out their website here: https://caterpillarscount.unc.edu/. You can also take a look at EcoSpark’s storymap here (https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/25c5d688a25d45a2a8fca3a46a1aec09) to learn how local EcoSpark volunteers are making a difference with this citizen science project at Brookbanks Park and multiple locations across the GTA.

הועלה ב-יולי 8, 2022 06:33 אחה"צ על ידי ecospark ecospark | 0 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

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