Solar Pollinator Meadow Biodiversity Survey

From Foxglove Beardtongue to Goldenrod and Aster season, I observed over 270 different species engaging with the pollinator meadow growing under and around the Weld Hill solar array at the Arnold Arboretum.

Here are some of the flowers that make up the meadow.

The goal of the project was to practice my field naturalist skills of observation and identification while creating a biodiversity survey of the meadow.

Pure Green Sweat Bee!

The majority of my observations were of invertebrates, including 185 varieties of insects!

To observe insects, I found that I had to learn to soften: to soften my gaze, to soften my assumptions about what I was seeing, to soften my response to flying things with stingers buzzing all around me.

The more insects I encountered, the more my curiosity grew. There is so much beauty and complexity (and violence and drama) in the insect world, with each insect playing a role in our ecosystem that we may never fully understand.

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Getting to know spiders, and signs of spiders (like the little retreats in flower heads that some species spin) and learning how to identify spider egg sacs, was a highlight of the project. I observed 17 species of spiders.

I have always loved birds, and it was a great pleasure to spend time observing many bird families from courtship to nesting to seeing their fledglings take flight.

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I observed 26 species of birds in the meadow. My first observation of the project was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, drinking nectar from the blooming foxglove. Over 50 nests were found: on the structures that hold up the panels, in nest boxes, and among the plants. The Tree Swallow nest pictured is one of the softest, most beautiful things I have ever seen. From the Song Sparrows who sang from the tops of the solar panels every morning to the bossy Northern House Wren who yelled at me the entire time I was anywhere near her nest, the birds of the meadow always brought cheer to my practice.

Eastern Coyote checking out the field camera

Observing mammals interacting with the landscape (with the help of tools like trail cameras and an Echo Meter), learning to read signs such as scat and urine marking, and following trails & tracks, was my favorite part of the project.

Twelve Species of Mammals were observed using the meadow for food and shelter. An abundance of Eastern Cottontail Rabbits and Meadow Voles live in the meadow, and I documented regular visits from Common Raccoons and Eastern Coyotes--absolutely thrilling!

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In the beginning I thought this meadow would be a small, manageable space to observe, but today I see it as enormous, a whole universe. Encountering 272 different types of creatures would have once sounded like an impossibly large number, but I have come to understand that it’s just a small sampling of the life unfolding in these 1.2 acres.

Now the wildflowers and grasses that make up the meadow have settled into their winter dormancy. The meadow is mostly silent when I stop by, just the rustling of rabbits darting in the underbrush, a flock of Dark-eyed Juncos among the dried flowers, making their ticking call that sounds like popcorn kernels in a pot of oil, just about to pop. Winter is on its way. But I am already dreaming of summer in the meadow, shoulder-deep in Wild Bergamot and blooming Boneset, patiently waiting to see what I might encounter next.

Notes and Resources

Most observations were first identified using the iNaturalist or Merlin apps, and then confirmed using field guides, websites such as BugGuide, and with the help of more experienced naturalists, both in person and on the apps. On my spreadsheets, observations that have been confirmed by humans are highlighted in light green.

You can access the full spreadsheet of observations by clicking here. I will continue to update the identifications as I learn more (and as the insect experts on iNaturalist get caught up on insect IDs! There are 24 insect observations that I could identify to genus, but not yet to species.)

Here is a link to the iNaturalist Solar Meadow at Weld Hill Biodiversity Survey project page. I will keep the project running on iNaturalist so anyone walking by the meadow can make observations and add to the research.

BugGuide is an invaluable resource. The process of submitting observations for feedback is slower than using an app, but real human naturalists and scientists are on the other end helping to make identifications--I continue to learn a ton about the insect world through them.

Two field guides that I found super helpful:

Common Bees of Eastern North America by Olivia Messinger Carril and Joseph S. WIlson. A wonderful deep-dive into the world of bees. This is the book where I learned the most about my new love--the sweat bee!

Tracks & Signs of Insects and Other Invertebrates by Charley Eiseman and Noah Charney. This book is AMAZING. It helped me solve a spider mystery I had been carrying with me for a year. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in insects--it will make you see the world in a whole new light.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Michael Dosmann and Kathryn Richardson of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University for granting me access to the Solar Pollinator Meadow at Weld Hill and for allowing me to do this research.

Special thanks to Arnold Arboretum Horticulturalist Brendan Keegan, who suggested this biodiversity survey research project. It isn't an exaggeration to say this project wouldn't have existed without his knowledge, guidance, enthusiasm, and support.

About the Observer

With the completion of this project, Louise Miller is a Certified Field Naturalist with the Massachusetts Audubon Society. She is also a certified Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide. When forced indoors, Louise is a nature writer and artist (and a pastry chef and novelist). She writes a free newsletter about urban wildlife called Red-tails on the Fire Escape: Exploring the Natural World Within City Limits. You can find her photographs of the Arnold Arboretum (and a few pictures of cats and baked goods from the non-nature-obsessed part of her life) on Instagram.