It has been a great summer for observing flora and fauna at Runge. Thirty observers made nearly 900 observation of over 400 species during the summer months. Some of the more exciting observations included 19 observations of Swamp metalmark, a Missouri Species of Conservation Concern, and the first Cole County record Swallow-tailed kite, a rare summer visitor to the state of Missouri (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Swallow-tailed_Kite).

The observations of these cool critters has inspired a new element to our project. We will be introducing a monthly 'Observation of the Month' post that will be added to the comment section to be viewed between journal posts (click on the title of the journal post on the online version to view the comments, or the following link for August and September’s Observations of the Month https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/runge-biodiversity-project/journal/41846-summer-2020-summary-and-food-web-observation-challenge#new_comment ). Keep exploring and maybe one of your observations will be selected in the future.

Fall has finally arrived, which means summer's bounty is ready for harvest. This process of energy being passed from one organism to another has influenced the creation of our next observation challenge, food webs. For this challenge, participants are to observe four parts of a food web using the iNaturalist app, then add those observations to the "Runge Biodiversity Project" before uploading. Observe one plant (including nuts, fruits, etc.), one herbivore (an animal that eats plants, such as, grasshoppers, pollinators, deer, squirrels, etc.), one carnivore (an animal that eats other animals, such as, dragonflies, spiders, snakes, frogs, etc.), and one scavenger or decomposer (such as termites, worms, vultures, fungus, etc.). Once you have made your observations stop at the front desk, share your observations with our Runge staff, and receive a free field guide and 'Discover Nature' magnifier. Don't forget to share your favorite observations using Instagram - #RungeBiodiversityProject. Get out, explore, and observe at Runge!