2018 Annual New England Bee Bioblitz - Cheshire, NH The Rehan Lab is organizing a Bee BioBlitz in Cheshire County, New Hampshire. This will be the fourth annual full scale Bee BioBlitz of New Hampshire and will take place from Friday, June 22 to Sunday, June 24, 2018
Pisgah State Park includes over 13,300 acres of rough forested terrain, encompassing a complete watershed north of the Ashuelot River. Within the Cheshire County towns of Winchester, Chesterfield and Hinsdale, the park protects seven ponds (popular for fishing), four highland ridges and numerous wetlands. The area's 21 square miles and six trailheads make it the largest property in the New Hampshire state park system. (NH State Parks) Very little is known about the pollinator biodiversity supported by this unique habitat The objectives of the Bee BioBlitz are: 1. Document the diversity of bee species with a particular focus on native pollinators 2. Connect bee researchers across New England 3. Demonstrate bee surveys and research techniques to interested public and students The preliminary schedule of events is as follows. A more detailed schedule will be sent closer to the event date: • Dates: June 22-24, 2018 • Travel dates: June 22nd and 24th • Collecting dates: Saturday, June 23rd and Sunday, June 24th (special arrangements can be made to collect before or after these dates). The general public will be invited to collect both days • Processing date: Sunday, June 24th at the Ashuelot River Campground o We will have a group to help with the identification of the bees o Following the processing, labeled specimen will be distributed to museums and interested parties o We also plan to have microscopes set-up for learning bee identification • Workshops, demonstrations and lectures will also be scheduled. Please contact us if you would like to lead an event Housing options: We plan to stay at the Ashuelot River Campground (https://ashuelotrivercampground.com). These are basic campsites and cabins are also available on site. Please contact the campground directly for any bookings. There are indoor showers and restrooms on site. We will be using the game room at Ashuelot River Campground as a meeting place and for processing and lectures. Meals: The campground does not provide any food. We will have access to fire pits, so everyone will be able to cook their own food. There are multiple markets and restaurants in the town of Swanzey, NH and there are additional options nearby. Permits are required for collecting on public lands. If you are interested in collecting in particular areas please let us know Please contact Sandra Rehan (sandra.re...@unh.edu) or Katherine Odanaka (kao1...@wildcats.unh.edu) if you are interested in participating or have any questions about the event. To check for updates, please visit our website: http://www.unhbeelab.com/bioblitz.html
