Transcript Challenges and Successes of Volunteer Monitoring:

Challenges and Successes of
Volunteer Monitoring:
Zeloski Wetland Restoration, Lake Mills, WI
Bryan Huberty,
Volunteer Monitoring Coordinator,
Rock River Coalition
2005 Citizen-Based Monitoring Conference
The Rock River Coalition:
Our Mission
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The Rock River Coalition (RRC)
is a local, non-profit
organization with a mission to
educate and provide
opportunities for people of
diverse interests to work
together to improve the
environmental, recreational,
cultural and economic
resources of the Rock River
Basin.
RRC’s Wetland/Shoreline Protection
Issue Team
Priorities:
 Native shoreline restoration
 Wetland prioritization for restoration
 Establishing new wetland restoration volunteer
monitoring
History of a Conservation Partnership
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Madison
Audubon Society (MAS), WIDNR, Pheasants Forever and other
local groups aim to restore large wetlands in south-central WI
through government-citizen partnerships on a “basin” level.
RRC approaches NRCS to form partnership for monitoring
wetland restorations in the Rock River Basin.
MAS acquires a 1,496 acre muck farm in Lake Mills and
Pheasants Forever acquires a 2,736 acre tamarack swamp in
Jefferson from local farmer, Dennis Zeloski, in 2003.
Background:
Zeloski Wetland Monitoring Program
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Partnership determines not enough
information is available on citizen monitoring
programs for large restorations.
Hiring a professional monitoring team not
financially feasible.
Bryan Huberty is hired in 2004 to develop a
monitoring program and coordinate citizen
volunteer activities in 2005.
London Marsh: early history
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1836: Land surveyed as “all wet marsh. Set quarter
post in marsh too wet for mound.”
1850’s: The Fighting Finches, a local outlaw gang
that robbed stagecoaches, used marsh.
Late 1800’s: A railroad was built through the wetland.
One train car lost in sinkhole.
1936: Nature club from Madison camped at Hope
Lake Bog.
1962: Hugh Iltis, Helmut Meuller and Jim
Zimmerman survey Hope Lake Bog’s plant species.
London Marsh and Hope Lake Bog:
Aerial Photos (1937)
London Marsh
Hope Lake Bog
Marsh drained for Muck Farms
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1946: Technology became available to drain
wetlands and Felix Zeloski began to acquire, drain
and farm wetlands.
1950’s to 1999: 3-5 feet of soil lost due to oxidation
of peat and water/wind erosion. Land development
booms in Sun Prairie, 16 miles to the northwest at
the headwaters of the Koshkonong Creek.
1986: DNR acquires abandoned railroad and creates
the Glacial Drumlin Trail.
Muck Farms: 1940 to 1950
1940: Marsh partially drained –
some native vegetation remains
1950: Transition to ag complete
What was lost?
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Native plant communities: tamarack swamp,
wetland, sedge meadow, wet and mesic
prairie
Grassland and marsh bird populations
Several feet of topsoil
Rare and restricted invertebrates, anurans,
mammals and other wildlife
Groundwater filtration
Return of the Wetland
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2000: A heavy summer rain sends floodwaters from
Koshkonong Creek into Zeloski’s farm fields,
creating lakes.
2002: Dennis Zeloski applies for 30-year WRP
easement for Muck Farms and sells 2,736 acres in
Jefferson to Pheasants Forever.
2003: Zeloski sells Muck Farms to MAS.
2005: Cropland farmed while NRCS develops
restoration plan. Citizens monitoring begins.
2006-07: Wetlands will be restored and opened to
public. Long-term monitoring begins.
Muck Farms: Today
Site Map
External drainage ditch
2005 Citizen Monitoring
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Anurans (Frogs & Toads)
Birds
Lepidoptera (Butterflies)
Small Mammals
Odonata (Dragonflies and
Damselflies)
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Plants
Water Quality
Misc.
Anuran (Frog & Toad) Monitoring
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WI Anuran Survey protocol
3 visits/yr (early spring, late
spring and mid- summer)
8 species out of 12 total in
state recorded
Nearby sites surveyed due
to lack of water
10 volunteers contributed to
4 outings in May, June and
July.
Bird Monitoring
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Annual Crane and Pheasant
Count (April 16)
Spring Migration Survey
(late March-May)
Breeding Bird Survey (June)
Pheasant and Duck Brood
Survey (August)
Fall Waterfowl Migration
(October)
9 volunteers contributed to 2
surveys in April and June.
Odonata Monitoring
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Goal: Six site visits from late
May to late Sept
Walk a specific route: ½ to 2
hours
Specimens collected for
WDNR records
Site too degraded; 3 nearby
natural areas surveyedHope Lake Bog, Bean Lake
Bog and Red Cedar Lake
16 volunteers contributed to
4 surveys in July, Aug. and
Sept.
12 species recorded
including 7 new records for
Jefferson Co.
Lepidoptera (Butterflies)
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Protocol similar to Odonata
June 1 to Aug 7 is peak
survey period
July 4 is national butterfly
survey date
Site too degraded; nearby
Audubon sanctuary prairie
used for training
5 volunteers contributed to 1
survey in August
Floristic Monitoring
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Floristic Quality Analysis (FQA) conducted on 2 acre oak island
and Hope Lake Bog.
Invasive species mapped to help engineers during restoration
Degraded tamarack swamp too overgrown to survey now, but
will be catalogued early next spring.
15-20 volunteers contributed to 4 surveys in Oct (’04), June &
Sept (’05).
Water Quality
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1x/month
Storm events (over 1” rain)
Independent citizen team collects data with RRC’s basic water
quality kit
USDA wetland biologist, Greg Kidd, collects data with the
Hydrolab
Data are compared to determine accuracy of home kits
Conclusion: water is very polluted now, biomass is very high
and nutrient levels are influenced by large cattle farm directly
north and illegal dumping in past.
6 volunteers contributed to 3 events in May, June and July.
Miscellaneous Monitoring
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Soils and residual seed bank survey
Prairie and wetland seed collection
Photopoints and historical
photodocumentation of auction, seeding and
restoration activities
Cultural/Historical survey
General Monitoring Challenges
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Unpredictable site and weather conditions
Significant drought
Mobilizing a large volunteer list
Maintaining an accurate database
Training volunteers at highly degraded site
Timing surveys to capture peak activity
Choosing or designing best protocol for each team
Maintaining a consistent monitoring effort
Record keeping and maintenance
Onsite storage for equipment and materials
2005 Monitoring Successes
• Over 30 volunteers out of 51 potential ones participated in
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monitoring
Independent monitoring by citizen-led teams
Baseline data collected for all planned monitoring
Bonus data collected
Student volunteers’ research projects
7 new county records for odonates
Participation in NRCS Earth Team Program
No accidents or injuries
Rock River Coalition named “Top Citizen Monitoring Program in
WI for 2005” by WDNR.
NRCS Site and Seeding Maps
648 acres seeding Nov. 2005
Acknowledgements
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Photo Credits: Bryan Huberty, Sue Probst
www.edenpics.com (Wood Duck)
NRCS, RRC, MAS, WIDNR, UW Extension, Pheasants Forever