Diario del proyecto Macbride Nature Recreation Area

Dear iNaturalist MNRA Project Members,

We are embarking on an exciting phase of our research at the Macbride Nature Recreation Area, and we need your valuable participation. Our focus is on the Periodical Cicadas, remarkable creatures that offer us insights into the rhythms of nature and the environment only once every 17 years and we are already seeing evidence that they are very close to emerge any day!

This year, we are aiming to document the pre-emergence tunnels of these cicadas, as well as their emergence patterns, to create a comprehensive map of their locations. This data is crucial for understanding the timing and distribution of the cicada population, which has significant implications for ecological research as well as our natural resources management at MNRA.

As the Periodical Cicadas do not survive removal of their host trees while they are using them locating where all they are and if they are still present in old growth woodlands is important.
There is only a little data of where they are present in our area of Johnson County from the previous emergence and MNRA is one of those limited locations!

Here's how you can contribute:

1. Tunnel Spotting: Look for cicada pre-emergence tunnels in the ground. These are roughly the size of a dime and often have a distinctive mound of soil around them.
2. Cicada Sighting: Keep an eye out for the cicadas themselves. You'll recognize them by their prominent cicada looking bodies with clear wings, and red eyes.
3. Documentation: If you spot a tunnel or a cicada, please document the location with a photograph and note the date and time of your observation. And upload as soon as possible for us to see.
4. Mapping: Submit your findings through the iNaturalist app, which will help us update the map of cicada locations in real-time.

The Periodical Cicada is a fascinating species, emerging only once every 13 or 17 years. Their synchronized life cycles are a natural wonder, and your participation in mapping their emergence is invaluable to our understanding of these insects and their role in our ecosystem.

Your involvement not only contributes to important scientific research but also connects you with a community of like-minded individuals passionate about nature and conservation.

We will be closely watching Macbride Nature Recreation Area’s Inaturalist Project for updates which will alert us when to come out as we hope to get information from them as soon as they first start emerging and not far from their tunnels.

We look forward to your enthusiastic participation in this unique research opportunity.

Together, we can uncover the mysteries of the Periodical Cicada and contribute to the broader scientific knowledge of our natural world.

Warm regards,
Tamra Elliott MNRA Land Manager and the
University of Iowa Researchers using MNRA

Hi friends,
Last fall we reintroduced fire to a portion of the flood plain near Falcon Shelter for the first time in generations in an effort to stimulate the dormant species to come back up. Now it is time to see what we stimulated.

We suspect the first 3 years since the fire disturbance to see a lot of invasive species including nonnatives, but we also hope to get an idea of what ecosystem also exists there from the historical ecosystem.

Getting information on what species exists there will help guide us on what our restoration efforts and management will look. Entering species you come across anywhere on MNRA helps with understanding the land, however this particular area we will be seeing species that have not been seen in our lifetime or many generations due to the changes in habitat since settlement.

Saturday will be the big push to get an idea of what is in the area burned but feel free to continue to explore and document the area, or anywhere on MNRA beyond this event. We do use the data.
Click on this link to go to the event page: https://fb.me/e/1MLibTSL3

Thank you everyone for all of your hard work with this project!