Folks
Bad time to have herp search - same day as the North American May bird 
count.
George

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Norm Saunders" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 11:26 AM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] FW: See you Saturday at the 7th Annual Great Worcester 
Herp Search


> FYI
>
>  _____
>
> From: Maryland Coastal Bays - Dave Wilson
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 8:47 AM
> To: 
> Subject: See you Saturday at the 7th Annual Great Worcester Herp
> Search
>
>
> Reptile, amphibian search May 12
>
> The seventh annual Great Worcester Herp Search will take place
> Saturday, May 12 when volunteers scour county lands for reptiles and
> amphibians.
>
> Sponsored by the Coastal Bays Program, Delmarva Low Impact Tourism
> (DLITE), Salisbury Zoo, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and
> Salisbury University, the search kicks off at 9 a.m. at the Coastal
> Ecology Lab next to the Assateague Island Visitors Center on MD 611.
>
> A brief pre-hunt training session will feature live turtles, snakes,
> frogs, and salamanders and explain ways to identify them in the wild.
> It is free to the public and will be held to prep volunteers for
> searching four Worcester County sites in the morning and afternoon.
>
> Last year 138 reptiles and amphibians representing 22 species were the
> result of the search held in northern Worcester County. Unusual finds
> included two ground skinks, a kingsnake, and two ribbon snakes. Among
> the additional quarry caught and released by volunteers were box,
> snapping, mud, painted and spotted turtles, a stinkpot, hog-nosed,
> worm, ring-necked, garter, and northern watersnakes, black racers,
> fowlers toads, green, gray, southern leopard, and wood frogs,
> red-backed salamanders, and five-lined skinks.
>
> In Worcester, there are approximately 19 species of snakes, 15 species
> of frogs and toads, eight species of salamanders, 13 species of
> turtles and four species of lizards. Worcester County and the coastal
> bays watershed have more reptile species than any other county in
> Maryland. The search will provide data to help scientists better
> understand population trends in this declining group of vertebrates.
> No animals are harmed or removed from the wild during the search.
>
> For those coming from Salisbury, a university van will be available
> for carpooling at 8 a.m. on the north side of the Henson Science
> Building at Salisbury University. Another van will be available at the
> Salisbury Zoo at the front entrance by the golf course at 8 a.m.
>
> In the morning, sites include forestland at the corner of Holly Grove
> Road and US 50 and the Tyson plant ponds in Berlin. Developer Troy
> Purnell graciously granted access to the properties. County
> Commissioner Virgil Shockley was also generous in allowing the use of
> his farm Saturday morning along Whiton Road. The Summerfield property
> near Snow Hill will be the site of the afternoon trip.
>
> After the morning trips, volunteers will return to the Ecology Lab for
> lunch and a slide show of the a.m. findings. Participants should bring
> a sack lunch and drinks. Groups will return to the field around 1:30
> p.m. until approximately 5 p.m. The trips are not recommended for kids
> under 9 years and all children under 14 must be accompanied by an
> adult.
>
> To view the results of last year's search go to
> www.delmarvalite.org/events. For more information call Dave Wilson at
> the Coastal Bays office at 410-213-2297.
>
> -30-
>