Helping to Preserve Worcester Woodland: Moreland Woods
It looks like I'm going to be participating in an effort by the Greater Worcester Land Trust and City of Worcester Conservation Commission to conserve approximately 20 acres of open land in the northwestern part of town. The parcel, Moreland Woods, is said to be a mix of hardwood and red pine. I don't know much about it yet and haven't had the opportunity to visit the site. Not much is known about what flora and fauna is present in the area, so the GWLT is trying to assemble a group of biologists and naturalists to survey the area and catalog the biota. I don't know yet who is involved; this is still preliminary. There's at least one person from the Massachusetts Audubon Society signed on, and myself and labling &e.
A preliminary walk-through of the site with a state inspector hasn't revealed anything unusual about it, which would mean that the area wouldn't be conserved. That was only a cursory glance at the place, though. I guess it will be up to the scientists and naturalists who participate in the next phase of investigation to take a closer look and determine whether there's justification for the use of the grant money available for purchasing the land.
I'd be focusing on the fungi, along with &e, and also on the Coleoptera species present to some extent. I don't yet know when the project would begin, but I'd imagine it will be sometime after I get back from MSA and hopefully not while I'm in Florida.
