Greetings Fellow Ecologists, Environmental Educators, and Biodiversity Enthusiasts!
We would like to invite you to learn more about the citizen science project Caterpillars Count!<https://caterpillarscount.unc.edu/>, which aims to better understand: * insect declines (and hence bird declines) * shifts in seasonal insect activity * impacts of climate change and urbanization * importance of insect-host plant relationships. Participants conduct surveys on the branches of trees and shrubs to monitor seasonal variation and abundance of arthropods like caterpillars, beetles, and spiders, and to establish critical baseline data for evaluating long term trends. The project can be easily carried out ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD with woody vegetation, especially: * Nature and environmental education centers * Parks and botanical gardens * School campuses (used at 11 colleges and universities<https://caterpillarscount.unc.edu/pdfs/Educator_Guide.pdf>) * Private backyards For more details on the project and what hosting a survey site for Caterpillars Count! entails, watch the short video on our project website<https://caterpillarscount.unc.edu/>, and check out the Frequently Asked Questions<https://caterpillarscount.unc.edu/faq> page. Register for one of our free webinars offered in April and learn how to get involved! * Wednesday, April 9th, 1:00 - 2:30 pm ET<https://unc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_isIH_JtPSU2vbPJB-IVPdw> * Thursday, April 17th, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm ET<https://unc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7PIWnL2iR8asYns0ugKztw> * Wednesday, April 23rd, 12:00 - 1:30 pm ET<https://unc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lCHfW3H_RWS5Wd5UFRGMzw> In the meantime, do not hesitate to contact us if we can answer any questions. You can reach the team by emailing caterpillarsco...@gmail.com<mailto:caterpillarsco...@gmail.com>. And, please, forward this email along to any friends, colleagues or local groups you think may be interested in monitoring the biodiversity around them. Best wishes, Allen Hurlbert Professor Department of Biology University of North Carolina Director, Caterpillars Count! To unsubscribe from this list please go to https://community.esa.org/confirm/?u=RhPWqPxFwODKvbkiT32nkIqRrsiSgulp
