From March to June of 2025, The 300 Committee Land Trust will be hosting a new volunteer program called Biodiversity Ambassadors. This program was created by one of this year’s TerraCorps members, Grace Vachon.
What Does a Biodiversity Ambassador Do?
Biodiversity Ambassadors will use iNaturalist, a software program for identifying wildlife, to complete a series of monthly challenges at properties owned and managed by The 300 Committee. These challenges will entail locating and identifying different species of plants, animals, and fungi. Each one will be held at a specific property, and the challenge can only be completed at that property.
Participants can either complete the challenge on their own time and/or during our monthly meet ups. Our main goal for hosting this program is engage the community and get people out on our trails. We are also hoping to learn more about biodiversity on our properties.
Monthly Meetups
Twice a month on Mondays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Grace will host program meet ups. These meet ups will provide an opportunity for program participants to get together with one another and 300 Committee staff to work on the monthly challenge. Staff will be available to answer any questions about iNaturalist or the program. If you are interested in attending any of the meet ups, please use the link below to sign up. Meet Ups will be canceled in the event of rain or if no one signs up.
iNaturalist Training
On April 1st from 1:00 3:00 p.m., Grace will host an in-person iNaturalist training for those who may be new to the software. Part of the training will involve hands-on practice with the app outside, so please bring your phone and have iNaturalist downloaded on it. The first portion of the training will be held at the 300 Committee headquarters, located at 13 Thomas B Landers Road. Weather permitting, the group will then travel to a nearby conservation land to practice using the app. Registration is encouraged, email Grace at [email protected].
Important Dates
March 1: First monthly challenge opens (fungi, lichen, and moss).
March 17 and 30: 1st and 2nd Monthly Meet Ups (3/17 at Shallow Ponds and 3/30 at Breivogel).
March 31: March monthly challenge closes.
April 1: iNautralist Training at 300 Committee Headquarters (1-3 PM, 13 Thomas B. Landers Road)
April 14 and 27: 3rd and 4th Monthly Meet Ups (4/17 at Lower Coonamessett and 4/27 at Matt Souza Conservation Area)
April 30: April monthly challenge closes (creepy crawlies)
May 12 and 25: 5th and 6th Monthly Meet Ups at Mares Pond Reservation (Meet at 13 Thomas B Landers Road)
May 31: May monthly challenge closes (birds)
June 8 and 16: 7th and 8th Monthly Meet Ups (6/8 at 56 Highfield Drive and 6/16 at Peterson Farm)
June 30: June monthly challenge closes (plants)
How Do I Get Involved With the Program?
- Download iNaturalist on your mobile device.
- Create an iNaturalist account if you don’t have one already. Please note that you will need a valid email address to create an iNaturalist account.
- Email Grace your iNaturalist username so we know who is who. In your email, please include your full name, your username on iNaturalist, your intent to participate, and if it is okay for us to post any images you take to the website. Please send to [email protected]. Please do this even if you already have an iNaturalist account.
- Read the user guide (linked below).
- Join the umbrella project page on iNaturalist. Please join this project before joining any of the individual challenges.
- Scroll down on the umbrella project page to access and join the monthly challenges.
- Use iNaturalist to complete each challenge at the specified property. Please complete the challenge between the first and last day of the month.
- Optional – attend the monthly meetups (see dates and locations below)
- Optional – attend the in-person iNaturalist training on April 1st
List of Monthly Challenges with Dates and Locations
March
Theme: The theme for March is fungi, lichens, and moss. Your challenge is to locate and identify at least 3 unique species of fungi, lichen, and/or moss at Shallow Pond Woodlands.
Property Access Information: This challenge will take place within Shallow Pond Woodlands and Breivogel Ponds. These parcels are adjacent, and Breivogel can be accessed via Shallow Pond and vice versa. Parking for Shallow Pond is available at 235 Thomas B Landers Road. Parking for Breivogel is located at 590 Blacksmith Shop Road. For the Monthly Meet Up on March 17th, please meet at the Shallow Pond Woodlands parking area. For March 30th, please meet at the Breivogel Ponds parking area.”
April
Theme: April’s theme is creepy crawlies. Your challenge is to locate and identify at least 3 unique species of creepy crawlies (i.e. arthropods) at Coonamessett Lower/Middle Bogs, Matt Souza, and Dupee. What is considered a creepy crawly? Here is a brief list: beetles, wasps, bees, spiders, butterflies, flies, dragonflies, pill bugs, earwigs, millipedes and centipedes, crickets, grasshoppers
Property Access Information: This challenge will take place at the Coonamessett Lower and Middle Bogs, the Matt Souza Conservation Area, and Dupee Bog.The Coonamessett Lower and Middle Bogs are part of the Coonamessett Greenway Heritage Trail. Parking for the Lower Coonamessett is located at 100 John Parker Road. Matt Souza and Dupee Bogs can be accessed via the parking area located at 154 Hatchville Road. For the Monthly Meet Up on April 14th, please meet at the Lower Coonamessett trailhead (100 John Parker Road). For the Monthly Meet Up on April 27th, please meet at the Matt Souza parking area (154 Hatchville Road).
May
Theme: May’s theme is birds. Your challenge is to locate and identify at least 5 unique bird species at Mares Pond Reservation
Property Access Information: This challenge will take place in Mares Pond. The property can be accessed via a small parking area off of Pinecrest Beach Drive. There is no signage except for a wooden red heart marking the parking area. Due to the lack of parking, we will meet at the 300 Committee headquarters (13 Thomas B Landers.
June
Theme: The theme for June is plants. Your challenge is to locate and identify the following:
- 1 Tree
- 1 Vine
- 1 Fern
- 1 Shrub
- 1 Grass
Try to have at least 1 of these be an invasive species
Property Access Information:This challenge will take place within Beebe Woods (property info page link), Peterson Farm (property info link), and Kelly Woodland (property info link). There are several points of access into Beebe Woods across town, including a parking area at the end of Ter Huen Drive and at 56 Highfield Drive. Beebe Woods can also be accessed via Peterson Farm and Kelly Woodlands, two abutting parcels. Use this Google Maps link to navigate to Peterson Farm. Use this Google Maps link to navigate to Kelly Woodland. For the Monthly Meet Up on June 8th, please meet at the parking area located at 56 Highfield Drive. For June 16th, please meet at Peterson Farm.
Resources
- Access to Umbrella Project Page
- iNaturalist PowerPoint Presentation: Introduction to iNaturalist Presentation.pdf
- Biodiversity Ambassadors Program Guide.pdf
- iNaturalist Support Page
Contact
- Please send any inquiries to Grace at [email protected].