Franklin Park Biodiversity Project
"As an organization committed to conservation, we want to educate and inspire people of all ages that we all play a role in healthy ecosystems. And this starts right in our own backyard."
-Dr. Eric Baitchman, Vice President of Animal Health and Conservation
Long considered the crown jewel in Frederick Law Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace, Franklin Park is a 527-acre oasis right in the center of Boston. With rocky outcroppings, woodlands, expansive pastoral vistas and small wetland areas, the park is home to a wide array of flora and fauna.
Under the leadership of Dr. Eric Baitchman, Vice President of Animal Health and Conservation, Zoo New England staff have conducted seasonal surveys to record observations of wildlife within the “Wilderness” section of the park, outside of Franklin Park Zoo’s gates. Each survey, or bio-blitz, is conducted over nine days during which time staff catalogues observations of mammals, amphibians, birds, reptiles, invertebrates, plants, and even fungi.
Through this project, Zoo New England plays an important role in monitoring native species and developing a better understanding of how they can coexist in an urban landscape. We also work with community partners and develop citizen science opportunities for people of all ages to get involved, learn how to observe and record wildlife, and ultimately preserve local habitats.
Recording Bat Calls to Fight Extinction
Zoo New England was awarded a Scientific Product Grant from Wildlife Acoustics Inc., which will provide EchoMeter Touch bat detectors, recorder and analyzer systems for staff and volunteers to collect and analyze bat vocalizations within the park using their smart phones. The Echo Meter Touch allows bat echolocation calls to be viewed on a spectrogram and tagged with bats’ exact locations using GPS. Zoo New England was one of five grant recipients from a pool of 80 applicants covering 25 countries and six continents.
With over 1,200 species, bats make up one fifth of the earth’s mammals. They are also among the most endangered of the world's creatures, primarily due to habitat loss and further threatened by a fungal disease devastating many bat colonies in North America. Often considered a “keystone species,” bats play a critical role in the ecosystem in terms of insect control, plant pollination, seed dissemination and fertilization. Their loss would have serious consequences for the ecosystems to which they belong and health ramifications for humans as well. A single little brown bat, the most common bat species in the U.S., can eat up to thousands of insects in one night, providing protection against mosquito-borne illnesses and potential crop pests.
THANK YOU!
Tools used in our bat studies were generously awarded by Wildlife Acoustics, Inc. as part of a Scientific Product Grant.
Discoveries
Through the use of camera traps, the team was able to capture photos of animals (pictured here) that would otherwise not be encountered during the day. In the future, cameras will be used to monitor habitat niches and to observe how natural resources like tree holes, rock formations and water sources are used by wildlife.
While a multitude of species have been recorded, the team also discovered that invasive plants, particularly knotweed, are causing detrimental effects to wetlands and areas that support vernal pools. Observations made through the Biodiversity Project will help inform plans to remove invasive species and restore or replace native plants.
Become a Citizen Scientist!
Visit the Biodiversity Project on iNaturalist.org to explore the team's findings and share your own wildlife observations.
Recent Observations
To date, our team has observed over 12,000 insects, plants, fungi, arachnids, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
