Lloyd Center For The Environment Inc

Environmental research:history/background:since its founding, the cornerstone of the lloyd center research department has been field inventories in southeastern new england with a special focus on rare species listed under the massachusetts endangered species act and rare habitats. Specializations have included lepidoptera (moths, butterflies) surveys throughout new england and the federally-endangered piping plover, for which inventory, monitoring, protection and education efforts have been conducted uninterrupted since the mid-1980's. Other past funded work has included estuary/salt marsh surveys, vernal pool certifications, diamondback terrapin monitoring and protection, beached-bird mortality surveys (seabird ecological assessment network - seanet), and a summer estuarine fish survey, including surveys at barney's joy. Larger unfunded projects have included the "biodiversity initiative", an effort to document all taxa within the slocum and westport river watersheds at sampling locations monitored long-term to assess landscape responses to climate change, and "mass moths", a project aimed at identifying and mapping the past and current distribution 2,800+ species of moths in massachusetts. 2024 projectsin 2024, moths were collected and sent to former lloyd center research director, mark mello, by both the martha's vineyard land bank commission, and from camp edwards, while mello continued collection efforts at chosen locations within massachusetts (mass moths). Contracted piping plover work continued at west island town beach (fairhaven), baker's beach (westport), elephant rock beach (westport) salter's point (dartmouth) and nonquitt (dartmouth). The nonquitt site was new in 2024 under a contract with the dartmouth natural resources trust (dnrt). Sites worked within preexisting contracts included richmond pond of atlantic rock beach club (westport), and winsegansett heights (fairhaven).ongoing in-house (unfunded) efforts include the 14th year of bird feeder surveys for the cornell feederwatch program, the 38th season of the winter waterfowl surveys, osprey platform maintenance and nest monitoring, as well as the 33rd season of water quality monitoring for "baywatchers" (buzzards bay coalition). The waterfowl survey long-term project includes an ongoing summation of 35 years of surveys.

Environmental outreach:the center outreach staff interacted with nearly 900 people in the community. The center engaged the public as often as possible while on the property by highlighting bird activity on-site, natural history information about the landscape, as well as providing presence at schools, offering science fairs and other stem events. The center continues to feature a storywalk trail on the property.over five miles of rustic hiking trails, open to the public every day from dawn to dusk on the center's hardscrabble nature preserve, and a broad variety of live marine animal exhibits, complemented by programs and seminars, continues to draw a growing number of people of all ages to our visitor center. In addition, outreach collaboration with partnering organizations continues to prove exceptionally effective in promoting lifestyle changes aimed at a more sustainable use of natural resources. The center's unique website provides a vast amount of environmental research and education information for those who seek it electronically.