The Champlain Project
P. O. Box 400; Southwest Harbor, ME 04679 - info@vfthomas.com

Welcome to the home page of the Champlain Project.  In 1880 Charles Eliot, son of Harvard president Charles W. Eliot, organized the Champlain Society, a group of Harvard undergraduates, to explore Mount Desert Island (MDI) and study various topics of natural history: botany, ornithology, geology, etc. One result of their investigations was the 1894 publication "Flora of Mount Desert Island, Maine".
   On 1 August 2007, with the original Champlain Society in mind, a group of seven naturalists gathered for a potluck supper and an evening of discussion about the natural history of Mount Desert Island. The members of that group agreed there was a need for more communication about MDI's natural history. They knew that lots of facts were stored in the heads of some people and that there were many reports filed away in various facilities, but they believed that that information should be readily and easily accessible. Like members of the earlier Champlain Society, these naturalists were also interested in hiking and studying the natural history of the island. They would have adopted the name Champlain Society had it not been recently chosen by College of the Atlantic as an honorary title for those who donated more than $1500 to the college. So, an alternative name, the Champlain Project, was selected.
   The seven naturalists recognized that there were already groups that held regular meetings, offered public programs, and planned field trips, and, therefore, they decided that there was no good reason to create a formal organization. Instead, they thought that a web site could reach the widest audience, although other methods of sharing information were not ruled out. In particular, because many naturalists like to share experiences with others, the web site would include announcements of hikes, canoe/kayak outings, etc., that Champlainers (the name for anyone interested in the natural history of Mount Desert Island) were individually planning, so a limited number of people could join in the fun.
   The purpose, then, of the Champlain Project is two-fold: to assemble information about MDI's natural history and to present it in an accessible manner, primarily via a web site.

How this web site is organized.  The Champlain Project web site is divided into four parts. Part one contains taxonomically arranged links to checklists of Mount Desert Island's animals and plants. (Kingdoms monera, protoctista, and fungi (including lichens) will be added when information becomes available.) Many links are followed by descriptions of one or more research projects, questions, or observations. Within some (goal: all) checklists, links for some (goal: all) species lead to for further information, including photographs. Part two lists programs and activities scheduled by various organizations or planned by Champlainers. Part three announces volunteer opportunities. Part four contains a list of organizations and other resources that focus wholly or in part on some aspect(s) of natural history of Mount Desert Island.
 This web site is best viewed using a monitor resolution of 1440 x 900 pixels.

How to contribute to this web site.  All information (animal or plant observations, questions, photographs, notices of events, etc.) for the Champlain Project web site should be e-mailed to info@vfthomas.com or sent by traditional mail to the address at the top of this page. Credit will be given to submitters, or, if desired, information can be posted anonymously. Material may be edited, primarily for brevity. (Extraneous material will be referred to the Champlain Project's Department of Redundancy Department of the Champlain Project.) Suggestions for additional topics are encouraged.

E-mail newsletter and mystery photo.  Every few months a Champlain Project update will be e-mailed, and it will include a link to a "mystery photo" of an animal or plant or even something geological. Please e-mail if you would like to receive these updates. To see the current (posted 1 March 2008) mystery photo, click here.

Checklists

Living organisms were divided at one time into two kingdoms: Kingdom Animalia (animals) and Kingdom Plantae (plants). Perhaps you used to play the guessing game "Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral". Then, in the late 1960s, came the five-kingdom classification: Kingdoms Monera, Protista (sometimes called Protoctista), Fungi, Animalia, and Plantae (sometimes called Metaphyta). Now, with the advent of molecular biology, which has made it possible to sequence DNA, and computers, which have made previously impossible calculations manageable, we have a better understanding of the evolutionary relationships among organisms. Three domains (a grouping above the kingdom level) are now recognized: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. The first two domains contain the prokaryotes (all formerly in Kingdom Monera), and Eukarya, as the name suggests, includes the eukaryotes. Today, researchers still recognize Fungi, Animalia, and Plantae, but the former Kingdom Protista is now known to contain many species that are not more closely related to each other than they are to Fungi, Animalia, or Plantae. It is, therefore, no longer recognized, and species, genera, families, etc., that were once thought to be united under that kingdom are listed immediately below.

Brown Algae Checklist: For a species checklist of brown algae that live in the ocean adjacent to Mount Desert Island, click here. Research Project: The species of brown algae in the checklist linked to immediately above are only a few of those that live in the waters of Mount Desert Island or in the adjacent ocean. Remaining species need to be determined and added to the list.

Red Algae Checklist: For a species checklist of red algae that live in the ocean adjacent to Mount Desert Island, click here. Research Project: The species of red algae in the checklist linked to immediately above are only a few of those that live in the waters of Mount Desert Island or in the adjacent ocean. Remaining species need to be determined and added to the list.

Green Algae Checklist: For a species checklist of green algae that live in the ocean adjacent to Mount Desert Island, click here. Research Project: The species of green algae in the checklist linked to immediately above are only a few of those that live in the waters of Mount Desert Island or in the adjacent ocean. Remaining species need to be determined and added to the list.

Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

Sponges (Phylum Porifera) Checklist: For a species checklist of sponges that live or potentially live in the ocean adjacent to Mount Desert Island, click here. Research Project: Some of the species of sponges on the checklist linked to immediately above are listed in a book that reported general distributions (e.g., Labrador to Cape Cod) but have not been documented for Mount Desert Island. Each species needs to be documented (photographed or collected [not alive]) or determined to be listed incorrectly.

Cnidarians (Phylum Cnidaria) Checklist: For a species checklist of cnidarians that potentially live in the waters of Mount Desert Island or in the adjacent ocean, click here. Research Project: Some of the species of cnidarians on the checklist linked to immediately above are listed in a book that reported general distributions (e.g., Labrador to Cape Cod) but have not been documented for Mount Desert Island. Each species needs to be documented (photographed or collected [not alive]) or determined to be listed incorrectly.

Comb Jellies (Phylum Ctenophora) Checklist: For a species checklist of comb jellies that potentially live in the waters of Mount Desert Island or adjacent ocean, click here. Research Project: Two of the three species of comb jellies on the checklist linked to immediately above are listed in a book that reported general distributions (e.g., Labrador to Cape Cod) but have not been documented for Mount Desert Island. These two species need to be documented (photographed or collected [not alive]) or determined to be listed incorrectly.

Flatworms (Phylum Platyhelminthes) Checklist: For a species checklist of flatworms that potentially live on Mount Desert Island or in the adjacent ocean, click here. Research Project: Some of the species of flatworms on the checklist linked to immediately above are listed in a book that reported general distributions (e.g., Labrador to Cape Cod) but have not been documented for Mount Desert Island. Each species needs to be documented (photographed or collected [not alive]) or determined to be listed incorrectly.

Kinorhynchs (Phylum Kinorhyncha) Checklist: For a species checklist of kinorhynchs that live in the ocean adjacent to Mount Desert Island, click here.

Ribbon-worms (Phylum Nemertea) Checklist: For a species checklist of ribbon-worms that potentially live on Mount Desert Island or in the adjacent ocean, click here. Research Project: Some of the species of flatworms on the checklist linked to immediately above are listed in a book that reported general distributions (e.g., Labrador to Cape Cod) but have not been documented for Mount Desert Island. Each species needs to be documented (photographed or collected [not alive]) or determined to be listed incorrectly.

Molluscs (Phylum Mollusca) Checklist: For a species checklist of molluscs that (potentially) live on Mount Desert Island or in the adjacent ocean, click here. Research Project 1: The species on the checklist linked to immediately above are listed in a book that reports general distributions (e.g., Labrador to Cape Cod). Each species needs to be documented (photographed or collected [not alive]) for the waters of Mount Desert Island or adjacent ocean, or determined to be listed incorrectly. Research Project 2: The species on the Mollusca checklist linked to above are marine members of the phylum. Nonmarine species need to be determined and added to the list.

Segmented Worms (Phylum Annelida) Checklist: For a species checklist of segmented worms that (potentially) live on Mount Desert Island or adjacent ocean, click here. Research Project: The species on the Annelida checklist linked to immediately above are only two of many more in this phylum. Remaining species need to be determined and added to the list.

Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda) Summary of Phylum: Phylum Arthropoda is divided into 18 classes. These classes are grouped in 3 subphyla: Chelicerata (Classes Merostomata, Arachnida, and Pycnogonida), Crustacea (Classes Cephalocarids, Branchiopoda, Ostracoda, Copepoda, Mystacocarida, Remipedia, Tantulocarida, Branchiura, Cirripedia, and Malacostraca), and Atelocerata (Classes Diplopoda, Chilopoda, Pauropoda, Symphyla, and Hexapoda).

Hexapods (Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Summary of Class: Two current textbooks in entomology (the 7th edition of "Borror and Delong's Introduction to the Study of Insects" by Triplehorn and Johnson [2005, ISBN 0-03-096835-6] and "Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity" by Stephen A. Marshall [2006, ISBN 978-1-55297-900-6]) recognize 31 and 33 orders, respectively, under Class Hexapoda. The two additional orders (Megaloptera and Raphidioptera) in the latter book are included as suborders within Order Neuroptera of the former one. Representatives of 21 (22 if Suborder Megaloptera is elevated to order level) of the orders have been reported from Mount Desert Island.

Springtails (Order Collembola of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: Only one species of springtail was reported for Mount Desert Island in the 1946 publication of William Procter's Biological Survey of the Mount Desert Region (part VII, p. 36.): Anurida maritima Guérin (now included in family Hypogastruridae).

Diplurans (Order Diplura of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: Only one species of dipluran was reported for Mount Desert Island, specifically Bar Harbor, in the 1946 publication of William Procter's Biological Survey of the Mount Desert Region (part VII, p. 36.): Campodea fragilis Meinert, in family Campodeidae. (Procter included this species and family in Order Thysanura.)

Firebrats (Order Thysanura of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: Only one species of firebrat was reported for Mount Desert Island, specifically Bar Harbor, in the 1946 publication of William Procter's Biological Survey of the Mount Desert Region (part VII, p. 36.): Thermobia domestica (Packard), in family Lepismatidae. (Procter used the family name Lepismidae.)

Mayflies (Order Ephemeroptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: For a species checklist of mayflies that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here.

Damselflies and Dragonflies (Order Odonata of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: For a species checklist of odonates that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here. Research Project: Data from the Maine Damselfly and Dragonfly Survey (MDDS) and those of William Procter's 1946 publication of the Biological Survey of the Mount Desert Region (part VII, amplified revised) need to be reconciled. For example, there are species listed in Procter that were not later reported by MDSS.

Orthopterans (Order Orthoptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: For a species checklist of orthopterans (grasshoppers, katydids, crickets, etc.) that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here.

Stoneflies (Order Plecoptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: For a species checklist of stoneflies that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here. Research Project: Nomenclature and identification of several entries on the checklist linked to immediately above need further examination.

Cockroaches (Order Blattodea of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: For a species checklist of cockroaches that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here.

Bugs, Cicadas, Aphids, etc. (Order Hemiptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: For a species checklist of hemipterans that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here.

Thrips (Order Thysanoptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: For a species checklist of thrips that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here.

Psocids (Order Psocoptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: For a species checklist of psocids that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here.

Lice (Order Phthiraptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: For a species checklist of lice that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here.

Beetles (Order Coleoptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: to be added.

Neuropterans (Order Neuroptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: For a species checklist of neuropterans that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here.

Bees, Wasps, Ants, etc. (Order Hymenoptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: to be added.

Caddisflies (Order Trichoptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: For a species checklist of caddisflies that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here.

Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: to be added.

Fleas (Order Siphonaptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: For a species checklist of fleas that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here.

Scorpionflies (Order Mecoptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: For a species checklist of scorpionflies that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here.

Twisted-wing Parasites (Order Strepsiptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: Only two individuals from Order Strepsiptera were reported for Mount Desert Island in the 1946 publication of William Procter's Biological Survey of the Mount Desert Region (part VII, p. 209.). Both were in the genus Stylops but were not identified to species. They were collected from Mount Desert ("N. E. Harbor") and Southwest Harbor ("Echo Lake").

Flies (Order Diptera of Class Hexapoda of Phylum Arthropoda) Checklist: to be added.

Echinoderms (Phylum Echinodermata) Checklist: For a species checklist of echinoderms that potentially live in the waters of Mount Desert Island or adjacent ocean, click here. Research Project: Most species on the checklist linked to immediately above are listed in a book that reports general distributions (e.g., Labrador to Cape Cod). Each species needs to be documented (photographed or collected [not alive]) for the waters of Mount Desert Island or adjacent ocean, or determined to be listed incorrectly.

Chordates (Phylum Chordata) Summary of Phylum: Three subphyla of chordates occur in Maine (including deeper water off the coast): Urochordata (tunicates, sea squirts), Cephalochordata (lancets), and Vertebrata (vertebrates). Maine's Vertebrata are further divided into eight classes: Myxini (hagfish), Cephalaspidomorphi (lampreys), Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish), Osteichthyes (bony fish), Amphibia (amphibians), Reptilia (reptiles), Aves (birds), and Mammalia (mammals).

Bony Fish (Class Osteichthyes of Phylum Chordata) Checklist: For a species checklist of bony fish that have been reported to live in the waters of Mount Desert Island or adjacent ocean, click here.

Amphibians (Class Amphibia of Phylum Chordata) Checklist: For a checklist of all species of amphibians that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here. Research project: It has been said that there are no American toads (Bufo americanus) on the east side of Mount Desert Island. Of course, no one seems to say how far east is "east". So, here is a question: What is the distribution of American toad on MDI? Of special interest is how far east they are found.

Reptiles (Class Reptilia of Phylum Chordata) Checklist: For a checklist of all species of reptiles that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here.

Birds (Class Aves of Phylum Chordata) Checklist: For a species checklist of birds that have been reported for Mount Desert Island and the adjacent ocean, click here. Daily Sightings: It is not unusual for someone to report the first robin in the spring, and Acadia National Park has a general year-round frequency record for birds, but now there is a day-by-day record of what species are observed and where they are seen. To download this spreadsheet (updated 27 April 2008), click here. To contribute to this project, please e-mail your bird observations (giving the species, the date, and the location).

Mammals (Class Mammalia of Phylum Chordata) Checklist: For a checklist of all species of mammals that have been reported for Mount Desert Island and the adjacent ocean, click here. Question 1 (23 August 2007): A Champlainer writes: "[My daughter and I] kayaked in the small beaver pond just to the east of the Eagle Lake/Carriage Roads parking lot on Eagle Lake Rd. and saw our usual beaver activity. But for the first time we saw a trio (family probably) of another mammal that we are not absolutely sure of. Otter or muskrat?? We think otter. They were cuter than muskrats and more playful and the bodies were sleeker. Never did get a good look at the tail. Small heads. However, seemed like the wrong wetland for otter. Thoughts?" Please e-mail if you have an answer. Question 2 (23 January 2008): A Champlainer writes: "On Wednesday, January 23, just after noon, two deer crossed Crooked Road in front of my car. One of these deer was a color I've never seen before. It was almost cordovan brown, dark and reddish. The color wasn't even, it was darkest at the spine. The legs and underbelly seemed to be a normal deer color. The other deer looked normal (so I know it wasn't the lighting that caused the effect). Has anyone else in the area noticed a deer like this dark-backed one?" Please e-mail if you have an answer.

Plants

Plants were previously divided according to whether they were (considered to be) nonvascular or vascular. Liverworts, hornworts, and mosses were called nonvascular and the so-called higher plants (clubmosses, horsetails and scouring rushes, ferns, conifers, and angiosperms) were called vascular. Now it is known that there is rudimentary vascular tissue in mosses, thereby making the nonvascular designation incorrect. However, liverworts, hornworts, and mosses do not possess tracheids, which the ferns, conifers, and angiosperms do. Therefore these latter three are now collectively called tracheophytes.

Liverworts Checklist: For a checklist of all species of liverworts that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here. Research Project:This checklist and nomenclature is based on a very old (1924) article in Rhodora, the journal of the New England Botanical Club. Therefore, the taxonomy needs to be updated.

Hornworts Checklist: For a checklist of both species of hornworts that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here. Research Project:This checklist and nomenclature is based on a very old (1924) article in Rhodora, the journal of the New England Botanical Club. Therefore, the taxonomy needs to be updated.

Mosses Checklist: For a checklist of all species of mosses that have been reported for Mount Desert Island, click here.

Tracheophytes Summary: Tracheophytes of Mount Desert Island fall into seven groups: lycophytes, monilophytes, nonflowering seed plants, Nymphaeales, monocots, Ceratophyllales, and eudicots (also called tricolpates due to the presence of three long grooved apertures on the pollen grain). For a view of the larger picture, please see the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.

Lycophytes (clubmosses, spikemosses, and quillworts) Checklist: For a species checklist of lycophytes that (potentially) grow on Mount Desert Island, click here. Research Project: The species on the checklist linked to immediately above were reported in a journal article that included nine islands near Mount Desert Island in what the authors called the "MDI unit". Each species needs to be documented for Mount Desert Island itself.

Monilophytes (ferns and horsetails / scouring rushes) Checklist: For a species checklist of monilophytes that (potentially) grow on Mount Desert Island, click here. Research Project: The species on the checklist linked to immediately above were reported in a journal article that included nine islands near Mount Desert Island in what the authors called the "MDI unit". Each species needs to be documented for Mount Desert Island itself.

Nonflowering seed plants (conifers primarily) Checklist: For a species checklist of nonflowering seed plants that (potentially) grow on Mount Desert Island, click here. Research Project: The species on the checklist linked to immediately above were reported in a journal article that included nine islands near Mount Desert Island in what the authors called the "MDI unit". Each species needs to be documented for Mount Desert Island itself.

Nymphaeales (water lilies and related plants) Checklist: For a species checklist of nonflowering seed plants that (potentially) grow on Mount Desert Island, click here. Research Project: The species on the checklist linked to immediately above were reported in a journal article that included nine islands near Mount Desert Island in what the authors called the "MDI unit". Each species needs to be documented for Mount Desert Island itself.

Monocots (grasses, sedges, rushes, orchids, lilies, etc.) Checklist: For a species checklist of monocots that (potentially) grow on Mount Desert Island, click here. Research Project: The species on the checklist linked to immediately above were reported in a journal article that included nine islands near Mount Desert Island in what the authors called the "MDI unit". Each species needs to be documented for Mount Desert Island itself.

Ceratophyllales Checklist: 1 species: Ceratophyllum echinatum.

Eudicots (or tricolpates [remaining flowering plants]) Checklist: For a species checklist of eudicots (tricolpates) that (potentially) grow on Mount Desert Island, click here. Research Project: The species on the checklist linked to immediately above were reported in a journal article that included nine islands near Mount Desert Island in what the authors called the "MDI unit". Each species needs to be documented for Mount Desert Island itself.

Programs and Activities
(Click here for results of past programs and activities.)

Acadia Birding Festival June 12-15, 2008. For details, visit the festival's Web site.

Volunteer Opportunities

Loon Nesting Monitoring Spring/summer 2008. Volunteers monitors are needed to watch loons at a variety of sites; collecting important information on nesting sucess, loon behavior, and human distrubance. Training will be provided to all volunteers, and the strenuousness of any given assignment will be tailored to individual abilities. All are welcome. Time committments can vary, so consider joining us even if you only have 30 minutes each week to spare! To volunteer, call David Lamon at 207-244-4027 or e-mail wildlife@gwi.net.

Migrating Fish Data Collection Spring/summer 2008. An ongoing project involves collecting data on migrating fish within the Somes Pond watershed. Data are collected throughout the spawining season on a daily basis. This is part of a habitat restoration project to help restore diadromous fish populations within the watershed. Training will be provided to all volunteers, and the strenuousness of any given assignment will be tailored to individual abilities. All are welcome. Time committments can vary, so consider joining us even if you only have 30 minutes each week to spare! To volunteer, call David Lamon at 207-244-4027 or e-mail wildlife@gwi.net.

Organizations and Other Resources