In spite of their importance and abundance, we do not know much about the spiders in Los Angeles. There are no truly large collections of urban spiders from this area, as most collectors concentrate on studying natural areas. As an important international port, new species of spiders from various parts of the world are always being accidentally introduced into the Los Angeles area, and some of these have established breeding populations. We need to know how widespread these introduced species have become, and how they have interacted with the native spiders. Also, we want to know how urbanization and the loss of natural habitat has affected populations and distributions of naturally occurring spiders.
Coastal breeding bird populations at Boston Harbor Islands, a National Park area, are monitored each spring and summer. Monitoring data helps park managers understand what species breed in Boston Harbor and correlate changes in coastal breeding bird populations with management actions. Boston Harbor Islands was designated as an Important Bird Area in 2002 and birdwatching is an important experience for many park visitors. This citizen-science monitoring program involves and engages the public in park stewardship. The information they gather helps to protect coastal breeding birds and their habitats.
The University of Minnesota is requesting funding to implement a nationwide citizen science project focused on the life cycle of monarch butterflies. Scientists from the University will train naturalists and environmental educators throughout the U.S. at nine host sites. Participants in the first round of training will then conduct regional training sessions for naturalists, who will in turn train volunteer monitors. The target audience for volunteers will be adult/child teams. Results will be disseminated using the University of Minnesota's Environmental Spatial Analysis Center to show temporal and spatial data via the WWW. Listserves will also be created to support the project, to augment a monthly newsletter and the website. Mini-exhibits will be created to highlight the project at participating nature centers. Exhibits will focus on monarch and insect ecology and conservation, as well as local and population-wide monitoring efforts. It is estimated that 90-150 nature centers will participate in the regional training, and they will in turn train almost 5,000 volunteers.
LiMPETS (Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students) is an environmental monitoring and education program for students, educators, and volunteer groups throughout California. Approximately 3,500 teachers and students along the coast of California are collecting rocky intertidal and sandy beach data as part of the LiMPETS network. Join us—learn the process of science and help to protect our local marine ecosystems.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Claire FacklerUniversity of California Santa BarbaraFarallones Marine Sanctuary AssocationUniversity of California Santa CruzMonterey Bay National Marine SanctuaryChannel Islands National Marine Sanctuary