Jay Watch is a citizen science program to fill in data gaps by monitoring Florida scrub-jays on conservation sites to assess populations and trends over time. Scrub-jay groups, including young of the year to assess productivity, are mapped annually, and habitat condition is mapped biennially. Habitat loss and degradation are the reasons attributed to the species' decline and Threatened listing status. Jay Watch data inform habitat management, with the goal of more high quality habitat to support more scrub-jays.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
The Nature ConservancyClaire Sunquist
A real-time, online checklist program, eBird has revolutionized the way that the birding community reports and accesses information about birds. eBird provides rich data sources for basic information on bird abundance and distribution at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. By maximizing the utility and accessibility of bird observations made each year by recreational and professional bird watchers, eBird is amassing one of the largest and fastest growing biodiversity data resources in existence. The observations of each participant join those of others in an international network of eBird users. eBird then shares these observations with a global community of educators, land managers, ornithologists, and conservation biologists. eBird documents the presence or absence of species, as well as bird abundance through checklist data. A birder simply enters when, where, and how they went birding, then fills out a checklist of all the birds seen and heard during the outing. Local experts review unusual records that are flagged by the filters. eBird data are stored in a secure facility and archived daily, and are accessible to anyone via the eBird web site and other applications developed by the global biodiversity information community.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Cornell UniversityNational Audubon SocietyChris Wood
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.
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
A worldwide network with over 12,000 registrants providing real-time weather data to the US National Weather Service, and through their MADIS system made available to forecasters throughout the world.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
National Weather ServiceNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AgencySteve Dimse