Birds flutter about against the backdrop of a clear blue skies of the university, while the springtime tunes are heard by their avian counterparts. Bees and wasps could be zigzagging around students in search of their preferred vegetation. Squirrels frantically search for nuts while their tiny counterparts, chipmunks, nervously run from point A to point B. Countless six-legged, eight-legged creepy crawlies exist in the campus’s nooks and crannies.
The moment students step out of their dorms, the telltale signs wildlife can be seen and heard; if one were to pay attention. With global warming, and the decline of many species, there may come a point in time where students may not see the university’s wildlife visitors.
Wild inhabitants in Urban Oasis
It is not a coincidence that wildlife can be seen in and around campus because the university itself is welcoming to the region’s flora and fauna. Sustainability Coordinator Suzanne Huminski says that places on campus such as Beaver Pond, the community garden near Davis Hall and other areas can be attractive to wildlife.
Huminski says Beaver Pond is a great place to see an animal and the pond particularly is a great place to bird watch.
Above is the tagged goose found near Jennings Hall. According to Suzanne Huminski, Canada Geese love curated fields, such as ball fields all across campus. 
The European mantis, found near the North Campus Townhouses, is Connecticut’s official state insect and native to North America, according to State my Symbols USA. Entomology Today states that mantises are known for their method of reproduction as the female decapitates its male partner’s head and feeds on its body for nourishment. 
The monarch is known for its distinctive orange and black colorization, but according to the Science Learning Hub these butterflies’ colors serve as a warning, which is called aposematic coloration. Hub also states that these winged insects lay their eggs on milkweeds. When the larva hatch from these eggs, they eat the plant which contains the chemical cardiac glycosides. When the caterpillars pupate, they retain this toxicity, thus any animal that tries to eat them will become ill due to these chemicals. This monarch was found near Office Building 1. 
The common buckeye, according to Insect Identification, has six legs not four. Their front hindlegs are short to where people presume they only have four. Insect Identification states that males of this species are aggressively territorial. This specimen was found near the Orlando House. 
The flock of geese pictured was found near the Jess Dow Field. Huminski also said that many consider the birds pests. 
The New England cottontail is the only rabbit native to Connecticut, according to the DEEP, which theorized that the rabbits thump the ground with their hind feet as a form of communication. This rabbit was found at North Campus. 
The Virginia opossum is North America’s sole marsupial. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection states this animal has been around for 70 million years, since the era of the dinosaurs. The Department also states that opossums were not found in the Nutmeg State until the early 1900s. This opossum was found in the bush across from Connecticut Hall. 
The National Audubon Society describes the Song sparrow as “skulking in behavior” where they flutter from bush to bush. The Audonbon also stated they are abundant in North America. This bird was found near the North Campus Townhouses. 
Neotibicen tibicen, or the Swamp Cicada, are the Cicadas found on campus. The exuviae, remains of an exoskeleton, is clamped upon a tree that is near the Jess Dow Field path that leads to the North Campus Residence Hall. The shell that a Swamp Cicada leaves behind is all that remains of its nymphal stage. 
Clouded Sulphur are not the kind of insect to meander as according to Insect Identification, the butterflies fly direct routes. Insect Identification also states that these butterflies love existing in urban environments like the North Campus Townhouses. 
A USGS certificate to report a tagged goose sighting.
“I’ve seen lots of different species ranging from Red Tailed Hawk to ducks and geese, to cats and birds, mockingbirds, robins, cardinals.”
She says there is an epidemic facing pollinators such as bees and birds who are critical to our ecosystem. She mentioned “colony collapse disorder” is ravaging bees of all varieties. She also referenced a recent study that found 3 billion birds since 1970 have vanished. With such loses, it is important to maintain these animals and ensure they can thrive, says Humanski.
“We wipe them out. They take us with them. End of story. We have to protect our insects. It’s critical,” she says.
The school participates in the Urban Oasis project. She says the project aims to provide places for pollinators to rest, habitat and exist in an urban environment. Organizations such as The Peabody Museum, Yale’s School of Forestry, U.S. Audubon Society, and New Haven Parks participate in the project which has become known as the New Haven Urban Oasis partnership. Southern’s effort is through the Sustainability Office.
Huminski says she cannot underscore the importance of land stewardship, avoidance of using certain chemical applications, and even allowing one’s own yard to allow certain weeds like dandelions to grow.
“As bad as the dandelions are when we see them and they get in the wrong spot. They are important for ecosystems,” she says. “Planting flowering trees, planting native wildflowers, allowing areas of your land to grow with clovers, or God forbid, dandelions and wild flowers, so that we can provide some habitat for peace is a very, very important thing to do.”
Maintaining these types of spaces is crucial she says as, “Bees and butterflies other insects, as well, are critical for the health of our ecosystem.”
Wild goose chase
In the space between Jennings Hall and the baseball field, a flock of geese grazes in the fields. It is not an uncommon sight seen by passing students all over campus. However, what was unusual was one of the Canada Geese who had a yellow neck collar with blocky black, inscribed with identification. It was the only one with such a tag.
Researchers, according to the United States Geological Survey, use auxiliary markers, such as the one seen on the goose, to identify an individual bird at a distance. They come in various sizes and colors and the neck collar ones are primary for Canada Geese.
According to the “Identification Field Guide to the Geese of the Willamette Valley and Lower Columbia River,” all geese are not alike. They vary in body size, wing shape, body length, color and bill length. The variance in color and code numbers is a way for researchers to track subspecies and measure their distance from the original tagging site.
It is up to the public to take note of the codes inscribed on the collars which can be submitted through a portal on the USGS website. A goose with a neck collar, or another species of bird with a similar tag, can be located by a web search: “Banded Bird Encounter Reporting.” Then input who found the bird, what kind of band, the species of the bird, exact coordinates of where the bird was found. The USGS will email a certificate with information such as the birds age, gender and place of origin.
This Canada Goose, a female, found on campus was approximately hatched around 2016. The animal was collared near Westport on June 20, 2017, and was re-encountered more than three years later.
Managing Editor
(Jason Edwards/ Crescent Magazine)
