The Group for the East End will hold its 21st annual nature scavenger hunts known as ‘Fauna-thons’ in several locations Saturday, May 21 — one is taking place at Orient Beach State Park.
This is a fun event as Group for the East End staff, local naturalists and friends search throughout eastern Long Island, trying to find as many different kinds of wildlife as can be found. Six different groups of animals are pursued: amphibians, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, mammals, and reptiles.
The Fauna-thons provide a valuable survey of the East End’s wildlife diversity including red foxes, eastern woodchucks, bald eagles, eastern bluebirds, chuck-will’s-widows, diamondback terrapins, and others. Last year 188 species of wildlife were observed.
Interested persons may participate in several ways: search on your own on May 21, join a Group staffer for a field study, make an outright donation to the Group or make a pledge based on the number of species that will be found.
There will be a number of opportunities for interested persons and families to join up with Group naturalists for wildlife searches in the field on Saturday, May 21st:
The locations are as follows:
(1) Morton National Wildlife Refuge (Noyack) @ 7:30 a.m. with Christine Tylee
(2) Orient Beach State Park (Orient) @ 8:00 a.m. with Bob DeLuca
(3) Louse Point, Accabonac Harbor (East Hampton) @ 9:00 a.m. with Anita Wright
(4) Quogue Wildlife Refuge (Quogue) @ 9:30 a.m. with Steve Biasetti
(5) Shinnecock Inlet (Hampton Bays) @ 4:00 p.m. with Steve Biasetti
The Fauna-thon is an important source of funding for the Group. Funds raised go toward educational field trips and school visits, habitat restoration projects, nature activities at Downs Farm Preserve and other environmental programs.
Click here to email for more information or call 631-765-6450 ext. 205.
