Charley Eiseman will present “Native Plants as Insect Habitat” at the 15th Berkshire Biodiversity Day, or Bioblitz.

Each native plant species has a suite of host-specific insects that depend on it for food. Even allowing a single “weed” to grow in your garden can significantly increase its habitat value, and choosing to plant native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers will cause your yard to teem with life. Using a number of common New England plants as examples, Charley will introduce us to some of these insects, their natural history, and signs of their presence to look for on their host plants. His close-up photos will provide an unusual perspective on the tiny animals that are going about their lives right under our noses.

DATE: Friday, September 13

TIME: 4:30 PM to 5:15 PM

LOCATION: K-111 Auditorium in the Koussevitzky Arts Center, Berkshire Community College, 1350 West St, Pittsfield, MA 01201

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Charley Eiseman is a freelance naturalist based in western Massachusetts. He has been conducting plant and wildlife surveys and natural resource inventories throughout New England for 25 years, as well as teaching courses and workshops on interpreting animal tracks and sign (both vertebrate and invertebrate). He holds an MS in Botany (Field Naturalist) from the University of Vermont and a BS in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation and Management from the University of Massachusetts. Charley is the author of Tracks & Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates (Stackpole Books, 2010), Leafminers of North America (self-published e-book, 2019; second edition, 2022), and an insect-themed blog called “BugTracks.” He has also published ~70 scientific papers on insect natural history, including the description of 78 new species.   http://charleyeiseman.com/

This presentation is one of many taking place during this year’s Berkshire Biodiversity Day that’s taking place on September 13–14, from noon to noon, on the Berkshire Community College campus. In addition to the presentations, there will be guided walks and demonstrations led by experts, all of which are free and open to the public. The four slideshow presentations, which range in topics from lichen to moths, will each last for forty-five minutes and involve Q&A. Click here to learn more about this program and other planned activities.

This year’s program is organized and sponsored by Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) and Nature Academy of the Berkshires. It’s co-sponsored by Berkshire Community College, Greylock Federal Credit Union, and Panera.