Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge's Journal

In April, staff and volunteers scoured the Refuge to document iNaturalist observations as part of the iNaturalist nationwide City Nature Challenge. We are proud to be part of the success of the Dallas-Fort Worth region in achieving the prestige of the number one rank for ‘City with highest percentage of verifiable observations’ with 96.3%! Read more about the Challenge in iNaturalist guru Sam Kieschnick's (Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Urban Biologist) blog entry on iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/sambiology.

December 2015 was a record setting month for the FWNC&R iNaturalist project. A total of 424 observations were logged in during the month crushing the previous record of 190 observations in October 2015. Much of the credit goes to Bob777 who has been adding archived observations from the Refuge since joining the project, Sambiology who took a day off work to search for observations on the Refuge, Brenledbetter, dedicated Natural Guard volunteer, and Nativefishnic, Griff, and Mustardlypig, Refuge staff members, who have diligently added to our floral and faunal data. Thanks to all of these folks for everything that they do to provide us with the vital information needed to adequately manage the natural resources of the FWNC&R.

So, we end 2015 with 1,366 observations, 1,150 of which were entered during the past year, and 589 species observed. Impressive totals but only a drop in the bucket compared to what can be found on the Refuge. Our Refuge plant species list is over 1,000 (Thanks Bob777) and Ebird shows over 200 species of birds on the property. Let's try to reach 3,000 observations and 1,000 species by the end of 2016.

One of the first things that I do each day after sitting down at my desk and computer is to see where the FWNC&R is on iNaturalist. This morning, after eagerly waiting for the site to come up (and even more eagerly swigging my morning coffee), I saw the number 501 pop up under the heading "Species". Just five days ago the FWNC&R project hit 1,000 observations and this morning we hit 500 species!

What this says to me is that the 49 naturalists that have entered observations are not "one trick ponies" who just know a few species and enter them over and over. Take a look at our most observed species. The eastern pondhawk, a dragonfly, leads the way with 15 observations. The top five observed species include an insect, two mammals, and two reptiles. Given that most folks who visit the Refuge are looking to see the bison herd or the prairie dog town or maybe just a whitetail deer, I find this amazing.

It really is a tribute to those who visit, support, and just generally value the FWNC&R that we have so many species documented. We have plant people, birders, mammal lovers, and those off-the-wall herpers. We have butterfly folks, spider aficionados, and even some fungus followers! More than anything, we have naturalists!

So, thanks to all of you who have added observations and species to our database to help guide our land management activities here on the Refuge. Now, onward and upward to 2,000 observations and 1,000 species!

Rob Denkhaus,
FWNC&R Natural Resource Manager

On Monday, 7 December 2015 the FWNC&R iNaturalist project reached a milestone with its 1,000th recorded observation. The majority of the observations are "Research Grade" meaning that the species identification has been confirmed by at least 2 observers. This makes the data even more valuable as a management tool guiding natural resource management on the Refuge. Also valuable is that the observations document 459 different species meaning that the data is not simply a list of a small handful of species.

Thanks to the 49 naturalists who have reported their observations to the project. Let's keep it up!!

How about a goal of 2,000 observations by the end of 2016?

October 2015 was the FWNC&R project's best month ever with 190 observations. If you are looking for an excuse to get outside during the holiday season, let's try to break that record in November and December. Winter birds are good targets for adding observations. Or, you can stay inside where it is warm and comfortable and add past observations that you've been neglecting. Thanks to all who have been diligently adding to our knowledge of the biota of the Refuge.

Observations of all kinds are invited here. Please include your plant, vertebrate and invertebrate observations to aide in the management of the Refuge.