New Hope Bottomlands Survey Meeting
New Hope Bottomlands Survey Meeting
NCBP members will meet at the New Hope Bottomlands Trail to discuss plans for monitoring leaf-mining insects.
Durham Butterfly Count
Durham Butterfly Count
Join NCBP member Jeff Pippen for the annual NABA Durham Butterfly Count.
Pack your binoculars and join us for the annual Durham Butterfly Count, which routinely sees between 50-60 species, vying for the highest species diversity of any count in the Carolinas. The Durham count circle harbors many excellent butterflying locations, so we can use all the eyes we can get! Beginners welcome (see below).
Durham Spring Bird Count
Durham Spring Bird Count
Join NCBP member Brian Bockhahn for the Durham spring bird count.
Description: Butterfly and bird counts focus on identification and counting of subject critters, but we of course enjoy observing everything. Bring binoculars, camera, water, lunch, hat, sunblock and be prepared to be outside hiking all day in various terrains. Bug spray or tick shield clothing is helpful as we may go off trail some.
For more information, contact Brian Bockhahn at birdranger248@gmail.com.
New Hope Monitoring Meeting
New Hope Monitoring Meeting
A meeting will be held to discuss continuing efforts to monitor biodiversity in the New Hope Bottomlands.
New Hope Biodiversity Survey
New Hope Biodiversity Survey
Read the report from the NCBP's 2021-2022 biodiversity survey of the New Hope Creek floodplain and associated areas.
A Survey of the Big Shellbark Hickory, White-nymph, and Other Species Associated with Rich Alluvial Forest Habitats in the New Hope Floodplain of Durham County
A Survey of the Big Shellbark Hickory, White-nymph, and Other Species Associated with Rich Alluvial Forest Habitats in the New Hope Floodplain of Durham County
The survey described in this report was a follow-up to a larger biodiversity inventory conducted by the NCBP in the Durham County portion of the New Hope Creek floodplain in 2021 and 2022. The current study focuses much more narrowly on mapping the distributions within the New Hope floodplain of two of its rarest species, Big Shellbark Hickory (Carya laciniosa), and the White-nymph (Trepocarpus aethusae), both of which appear to have their best (or only, in the case of the White-nymph) populations in the state along New Hope Creek.
New Hope Floodplain Report
This follow-up to the NCBP's New Hope Bottomlands survey was presented to the Durham Open Space Program, and focuses on some of the key species of conservation concern, including the Big Shellbark Hickory. Read the full report under the Resources > Publications tab.
Moth Watch at the Museum of Life and Science
Moth Watch at the Museum of Life and Science
Last Saturday, the Museum of Life and Science, in partnership with the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association, hosted a public moth night on the museum grounds. I helped to organize this event, and was joined by NCBP members Carol Tingley and Tom Howard. The event was in conjunction with the 2023 Durham BioBlitz, and attendees were encouraged to submit their sightings through iNaturalist.
Inventory of the wildlife habitats, movement corridors, and rare animal population of Durham County, North Carolina
Inventory of the wildlife habitats, movement corridors, and rare animal population of Durham County, North Carolina
This report identifies twenty-six sites in Durham County that provide habitat for a high diversity of animal species, support populations of rare animals, or serve as critical corridors for animal movements. Twenty-four of the sites - comprising over 25,000 acres - are publicly or institutionally owned and are managed as natural areas, forest lands, or wildlife habitat. These include one state park, three city parks, two dedicated State Nature Preserves, nine registered Natural Heritage Areas, and two extensive areas of state gamelands.
New Hope Survey Report
The NCBP announces the completion of the report for the 2021-2022 survey of the New Hope Creek floodplain in Durham County. This multi-taxa survey assessed the current status of biodiversity in the study area, and the report recommends measures to preserve the integrity of this rich ecosystem.