Herp Atlas Newsletter Autumn 1999
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HERP ATLAS NEWSLETTER
New York State
Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project
Department of Environmental Conservation
Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources
FALL 1999 NUMBER 9
Atlas Project to End
As many of you know, the Herp Atlas will end on 31 December 1999, bringing to a close ten years of surveying effort to document the distribution of the amphibians and reptiles in New York State. The atlas now contains nearly 50,000 species reports from more than 1,500 volunteers. If you have not mailed in your survey cards yet, please do it soon. And remember that we accept reports regardless of how old they are.
This may be the twelfth hour, but now is the last chance to fill in gaps in species distribution. Many blocks need only a few of the common species to reach the goal of 15 species per block. Please get in touch with us if you would like to know about locations near you that need just a little more work.
Volunteers to be Acknowledged in Final Publication
The results of the atlas will be published in a book. We'd like to acknowledge the hard work of all of the volunteers who helped make the Herp Atlas Project possible. When the book is published, the names of the volunteers who contributed at least one survey card will be listed. Your name will appear in the book as it appears on the mailing label of this newsletter. If you want to make a change of any sort, please get in touch with us soon.
Life After the Herp Atlas
The Herp Atlas Project is coming to an end after ten long years. What are you going to do with yourself next spring? Why not participate in the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program? Volunteers establish ten stops along a survey route near their home. The route is then driven during three specified periods in the spring. At each of the ten stops, volunteers listen for calling frogs and fill out a survey form indicating which species they hear and at what intensity. Training materials are provided and a tape of frog calls is available. Don't worry if you don't know frog calls; they are easy to learn! If you are interested, contact Dr. Russell Burke at Hofstra University at (516) 463-5521 or via e-mail at: Russell.L.Burke@Hofstra.edu for a route on Long Island.
You can also participate in the NYS Breeding Bird Atlas 2000. New York State's first Atlas of Breeding Birds was published in 1988 and it's time to begin the survey again. This five-year project will begin in January 2000. Volunteers will be assigned one (or more) block(s) to survey. For each block, volunteers will be asked to identify as many bird species as possible and determine whether breeding for each species is "possible," "probable" or "confirmed." For information on how to participate when the project begins, check the DEC's website later this year at.
The Herp Bookshelf
Another great book is now available for the herp enthusiast. This one is geared toward the beginner or younger naturalist and was written by one of our volunteers, John Behler. Look for National Audubon Society's "First Field Guide. Reptiles." This book presents fascinating facts about life history and behavior of reptiles and is a guide to the identification of more than 150 species.
Acknowledgments
| In addition to funding from New York State, support for the New York State Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project has been provided by the following: | |
|---|---|
| Biodiversity Research Institute | Return a Gift to Wildlife Tax Checkoff |
| Harvey and Bernice Weinstein | Sabin Conservation Fund |
| Hudson River Estuary Management Program | Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles |
| Institute for Ecosystem Studies | State University of New York at Cortland |
| Mohonk Preserve | The New York Chapter - The Wildlife Society |
| New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Cornell University | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Aid to Endangered Species (Section 6) |
| New York Natural Heritage Program | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partnerships for Wildlife |
| New York Turtle & Tortoise Society | Upstate Herpetological Association |
NYS Amphibian & Reptile Atlas Project
NYSDEC
Bureau of Wildlife
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-4754
