Please join Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS) this Friday, August 25th for a herpetofauna walk with FOPOS intern Esteban Mendez. Back by popular demand, this nature walk will explore the herps of New Jersey.
Additional upcoming events include an evening moth survey on Sept. 8th, a "stop & chop" weekend volunteer session on Sept. 9th focused on invasives removal, the return of our birding walk series with Winnie Hughes Spar, an evening eastern screech owl walk, outdoor yoga every other Sunday through September, and more.
Full event details are listed online here, and below. Please sign up soon, as space is limited for many events. We hope you can join us. Thank you for your support and engagement! See you soon.
HERP WALK
What's a "herp" you say? The term “herp” is how scientists casually refer to a reptile (lizards, snakes, turtles) or amphibian (frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts). Join FOPOS intern Esteban Mendez on Friday, August 25th from 2:00pm-4:00pm as we go on a nature walk and explore the diverse and amazing species of herps that crawl, climb, swim, and slither through the forests of New Jersey and right here in Princeton. Read more and signup online here.
EVENING MOTH SURVEY
Join FOPOS's stewardship team for an evening moth survey on Friday, Sept. 8th at 8:00pm at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve. Volunteering with FOPOS and lending his particular expertise will be Patrick Natale, Assistant Professor of Biology at Mercer County Community College.
Moths are fascinating creatures and contribute vital ecosystem services as pollinators and as prey, especially so for baby birds which primarily rely on caterpillars and other insects for food. During this session, participants will observe, identify, and learn more about these mysterious night creatures. The program will begin with an educational presentation about moths, followed by a hands-on moth survey.
During the survey, FOPOS will set up a "light trap" along a woodland border near the Mountain Lakes House. There, participants will be able to view moths, help ID them, and log moth species to create a database and help capture biodiversity data. Read more and signup online here.
STOP & CHOP VOLUNTEER SESSION
Join FOPOS for an early September volunteer session on Saturday, Sept. 9th. We'll focus on invasive species removal -- aka, stop & chop! We offer two sessions: 9:00am-11:00am, and 1:00pm-3:00pm. During each session, volunteers will work with FOPOS's stewardship team to perform riparian restoration as they enjoy a nature walk in the Preserve. We'll stop along our route, chopping out invasives and learning about the importance of such efforts. Sign up online.