Mountain Birdwatch is a long-term monitoring program for Bicknell's Thrush and other montane forest birds. From the Catskills to Mount Katahdin, trained volunteers conduct dawn surveys along foot trails that pass through some of the region's most awe-inspiring forests. The typical time commitment is one to two mornings each June, with overnight camping recommended on remote routes. Participants receive training in bird identification, experience the thrill of alpine adventure, and help guide the stewardship of vulnerable mountain habitat.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Vermont Center for EcostudiesBird Studies CanadaCanadian Wildlife ServiceWhite Mountain National ForestJudith Scarl
Cornell's Laboratory of Ornithology will develop the "Cornell Nest Box Network (CNN)". This is an educational/research project that will enable lay people to participate in scientific research and it builds on a successful NSF grant "National Science Experiments". For this project, CNN participants will build and place nest boxes in their communities and monitor the boxes gathering information on the breeding success of their occupants. Participants will summarize and analyze their data and then send it to the Lab for more comprehensive analysis. Lab biologists will analyze the compiled data and report results in a variety of media including scientific reports and popular newsletters. The CNN includes both an educational and research agenda. Participants will learn about birds while participating directly in the scientific process. The research questions, requiring huge, continent-wide databases, will focus on the effects of acid rain on bird populations, geographic variation in avian clutch size, effects of ectoparasites on nesting birds and population dispersal, among others. The protocol will encourage group participation and will be especially suitable for families. It will involve a corps of trained "ambassadors" who will help sustain the project a local levels. One of the goals of the project is to move participants up a ladder of science knowledge from projects involving minimal knowledge and skill to those requiring more. It also addresses national education standards that call for increased opportunities for students to engage in extended inquiry and authentic research activities. After the fourth development year, this research/education project will become self-sustaining.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Andre DhondtRick BonneyJohn FitzpatrickDavid Winkler
The CMN helps communities in British Columbia and Canada map sensitive habitats and species distribution. Information is integrated from many sources to assist landuse planning and is freely available in over fifty user friendly atlases. The atlases have links to local and remote databases, WMS sources and geo-referenced video. The CMN supports Sensitive Habitat Inventory and Mapping (SHIM) projects and provides customized data entry, digitizing and other tools. By providing accurate and up to date information, the CMN and its many partners will help plan sustainable communities.