We lose so much wildlife to road mortality here in Ontario. Our roads are well paved and well-tended, making great speedways, but often these roads dissect important habitats and migration routes for wildlife. Notably, turtle populations are most threatened and impacted by road mortality (ahead even of other significant issues of habitat loss and the pet trade). This is significant because it can take more than 20 years for a turtle to reach maturity and then another 20 years or more of laying eggs, until one turtle reaches adulthood to replace its parent. Also snakes, our great pest-controllers, are killed on roads and the devastation that roads are causing to these populations, and populations of birds and mammals, remains notable, but yet unqualified.  

You can help by using vision-tactics when driving: When cruising in the highlands, or anywhere for that matter, it is important to look far ahead instead of immediately in front of you, and also to keep your eyes relaxed in order to take in the entire view. This type of “wide- viewing” takes some practice, but allows you to see what is coming from the all directions including from the sides of the roads and also to see both near and far.  Another tip is to look out for certain patterns: when driving through natural areas, take particular notice of where wetlands are found on both sides of the road. These low lying areas where roads dissect wetlands are ideal spots for many mammals including river otters, mink, raccoons, and of course, turtles to cross the road. Time of day also makes a difference to some mammals occupancy on roads; species such as deer are more apt to be out and about in the early evening and porcupines or foxes prefer to move later at night.

In addition to driving with “wide-viewing”, you can also help wildlife by recording what you see on roads and the locations where you see wildlife. Reporting wildlife on roads helps biologists and organization create, facilitate or even install solutions from crossing signs, to road underpasses.  The Land Between and Turtle Guardians have launched a volunteer program specifically for watching for turtles on roads called “Road Researchers” and also have ways to report snakes on roads and other wildlife. You can volunteer as a Turtle Road Researcher here.  Also, you can report your sighting on the Land Between website, or on The Land Between iNaturalist project page

For a great guide to identifying wildlife on roads see our partner, at EcoKare International’s video and new handbook for Citizen Scientists. EcoKare is a leading expert in wildlife underpasses and road permeability.

Watch our Safe Driving Video here

The Land Between staff have been working hard to bring you new opportunities to easily learn about and also help wildlife across the region…and with the current self-isolation requirements, these options are available to you, from the comfort of your own homes!

Photo: Joseph Rosales

The possibilities are fun and endless! We support you in any role that you choose by providing you with online training webinars, tools and easy-to-use reporting forms. You will also have access to our biologists for any assistance that you may need.   

Are you interested in birds on the wing? Bird surveys help biologists understand population trends, nesting patterns and habitat preferences. TLB’s Backyard Whippoorwill Challenge is calling on residents to let us know where you have heard these elusive feathered friends. Report a sighting here.  And when it is safe to travel in pairs, Nightjar surveys are evening outings that are so cool.  Find out more here

Turtles are arguably one of the most endearing and yet mystifying animals on the planet! Turtles live for hundreds of years, can hibernate, navigate using the same routes annually over vast territories, can regrow nerve tissue, and an make anyone smile. They are essential to our aquatic health and biodiversity. In addition to reporting turtle sightings through the Turtle Guardians App, you can sign up to become a Wetland Watcher, Nest Sitter, and hopefully, as “stay-at-home” restrictions are lifted, a Tunnel Assessor, or Road Researcher. Join in by visiting the Turtle Guardians Website

Sssssscared of Snakes? Now you can tame your fears and learn how to snuggle up to them by becoming a Snake Supervisor. 

We also have programs for teams – get fit and have fun while restoring nature. Phrag Fighters remove invasive species across communities. At this time, and until social restrictions are lifted, you can help by simply identifying sites where invasive species are seen. Start the fun here

There are so many ways to have fun and connect with nature this spring. Join in! 

The psychological impacts of the pandemic are being felt across the globe, including in Canada. Findings released from a recent online survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute suggest that half of Canadians are struggling with worsened mental health, many of which reported feeling worried, anxious, and bored (click here for more details). An increasing amount of resources have become available to help people cope during these unprecedented times (click here for an example). One relatively quick and easy strategy that may provide some additional relief is increasing nature contact, or exposure to the natural world.

 Nature’s Mental Health Benefits

A substantial amount of research suggests that spending time in nature can support better mental health². Regardless of where nature is experienced – a backyard, an urban park, or in remote wilderness locations – its benefits are wide-ranging. Both passive and active engagement (sitting, walking, etc.) in outdoor areas with mostly natural features, including being around trees or bodies of water, have been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and increase happiness, joy, and awe. Nature’s effects on well-being can also be quite fast-acting; even 15-20 minute walks in nature can boost mood and vitality.

People who spend more time in nature tend to feel a stronger sense of connection with the natural world (a construct known as nature connectedness or nature relatedness⁹). People with greater nature-connectedness not only engage in more environmentally-protective behaviours, but also report greater life satisfaction, personal growth, and purpose or meaning in their lives⁸. Connecting with nature may therefore help people feel happier and function better during these uncertain times.

Photo: Jordan Whitt

 Why is Nature Beneficial?

One explanation for nature’s well-being benefits is described by the Attention Restoration Theory, which suggests that attention is a limited resource that (like a muscle) is exhausted with use. However, attention can be restored through rest! Many daily activities require effort to focus attention, such as staying on work-related tasks amid distractions or tending to children’s needs and keeping them engaged. Even activities like checking social media or watching television (that may be perceived as restorative) can be mentally draining because they draw from the same attentional resource. The more exhausted this resource is, the more likely people are to experience poor concentration and negative moods. However, fascinating stimuli provide a form of rest and recovery. Natural environments are restorative because they are inherently interesting and evoke soft fascination; an effortless form of attention (as opposed to more intense forms of fascination, like watching concerts or sports, which can consume more attention). Soft fascination also frees up “mental space”, allowing for more expansive and reflective thinking. Not surprisingly then, nature contact has been linked with better concentration and enhanced creativity.

Liana Mikah

 What if Access to Nature is Limited?

Indirect exposure to nature, such as viewing nature images or videos, can also improve well-being. For example, watching a 30-minute slideshow of pictures of a park can be as effective in reducing stress as actually being in the park⁵. Stress recovery is also heightened when sounds of nature accompany nature scenes. Also, viewing nature images for as little as 10 minutes has been shown to reduce negative emotions, including anxiety and depression³. Evidence also suggests that viewing nature images that have high colour brightness, saturation, and contrast can help reduce boredom⁴. Although simulated nature is not as effective in improving well-being as actual nature experiences⁷, it may serve as a supplement when access to nature areas is limited. Click on the links below for examples of alternative ways to connect with nature:

• Virtual Walking Trails
• Nature Sounds
• EarthCam

Connecting with nature is not a cure-all for mental health struggles, but it may aid in coping as people adjust to a rapidly changing world. In fact, it has been argued that nature contact is an underutilized therapeutic strategy, and that a connection with nature is necessary for human well-being and functioning¹. Research shows that people tend to underestimate nature’s benefits, so prioritizing regular nature contact may be essential to support your mental health and to feel more connected.

Written by Danielle Lachance, MSc. Pshychology

References

1. Baxter, D. E., & Pelletier, L. G. (2019). Is nature relatedness a basic human psychological need? A critical examination of the extant literature. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne, 60(1), 21–34. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000145
2. Bratman et al. (2019). Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective. Science Advances, 5: eaax0903. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aax0903
3. Brooks, A. M., Ottley, K. M., Arbuthnott, K. D., & Sevigny, P. (2017). Nature-related mood effects: Season and type of nature contact. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 54, 91-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2017.10.004
4. Igou, E. R., & Van Tilburg, W. A. P, (2019). A remedy for boredom: Natural environments as a psychological resource. In A. A. Donnelly & T. E. MacIntyre (Eds.), Physical activity in natural settings: Green and blue exercise. Routledge.
5. Kjellgren, A., & Buhrkall, H. (2010). A comparison of the restorative effect of a natural environment with that of a simulated natural environment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30, 464-472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.01.011
6. Mackay, C. M. L., & Schmitt, M. T. (2019). Do people who feel connected to nature do more to protect it? A meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 65: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.101323
7. McMahan, E., & Estes, D. (2015). The effect of contact with natural environments on positive and negative affect: A meta-analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10, 507–519. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2014.994224
8. Pritchard et al. (2019). The relationship between nature connectedness and eudaimonic well-being: A meta-analysis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21, 1145-1167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-019-00118-6
9. Tam, K.-P. (2013). Concepts and measures related to connection to nature: Similarities and differences. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 34, 64–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.01.004

Do you know the difference between a bog and a fen? Can you tell what species of turtle is basking on a log in your backyard pond? Do you know what type of trees you usually find in a swamp? You can learn all of these things, and more by participating in the Wetland Watchers citizen science program with Turtle Guardians. 

Wetlands are important ecosystems that seem to fly under the radar, and are not given the credit they deserve. They provide critical habitat to wildlife – 70% of Ontario’s wildlife use wetland habitat at some point in their life cycle! Wetlands also act as natural carbon sinks, soaking up atmospheric carbon in their wetland plants that is then trapped in peat when these plants only partially decompose and become part of the thick peat floor of a bog or fen.

Flood control is another handy service wetlands provide. Their water-logged soils and water-loving vegetation can naturally handle the ebb and flow of fluctuating water levels better than other areas (especially those highly modified by humans) that can be badly damaged by floods.

We are super-excited to be rolling out the Wetland Watchers citizen science program, because it will help you learn first-hand about these amazing ecosystems, and what type of plants and animals you can find in them.

The Wetland Watchers program gets you outside once a week, and guides you through the process of: selecting your own wetland, classifying your wetland, identifying turtles you find there and recording data about their behaviour and location. With the resources provided in your Wetland Watchers volunteer package you will also have the chance to learn about wetland plant species, and some rare wetland bird species to watch out for here in the Land Between.

Normally, we would be hosting in-person workshops to train our wetland watchers in wetland classification and turtle identification, but because of current restrictions we have instead turned to the wonderful world of online learning J. This is good news for people who would like to participate, because now you can learn all you need to know from the comfort of your own home on your computer. We have designed online workshops in webinar form that guide you through turtle identification in the Land Between, and explain how to survey your wetland and record your data. These materials are available for everyone for free on the Turtle Guardians website.

If you are unsure about committing to becoming a wetland watcher – you should still check out our species identification webinars to practice your Ontario turtle identification skills! There is a beginner-level general turtle ID webinar, and a more specific (and more advanced) wetland watchers turtle ID webinar where you have the chance to test your ID knowledge with some tricky turtle photos. 

Currently, the Wetland Watchers program has to be done on your own property, because of COVID 19 restrictions. If you are interested in this program but do not have a wetland on your property, we still encourage you to complete the webinars and training. If restrictions are lifted later on this summer we might be able to launch this program outside of just your own property, because it can be done individually or with small groups from one household, and does not involve interacting with other members of the public.

Written by Meredith Karcz

Spring has officially sprung in The Land Between (hooray)!  That means the turtles are emerging, the woodcocks are dancing, and the Spring Peepers are peeping.

But what are Spring Peepers, and why are they peeping so much?

Spring Peepers are a common species of tree frog found throughout Eastern North America. In Canada, they can be found from Manitoba to PEI.

They are small (about the size of a paper clip), and have grey, tan or brown bodies and a dark X-shaped mark on their back. In fact, they are the only frogs in Ontario with this X-shaped marking, making it a good identifier if you can actually spot these cryptic dudes…

They spend most of their 3-4-year lifespan in a wide variety of forest habitats close to where they breed. Despite being classified as tree frogs they prefer to hang out in the leaf litter below the trees rather than actually in them. The favorite meals of adult Spring Peepers include beetles, ants, flies and spiders, while the tadpoles prefer to munch on algae and microorganisms.

Speaking of meals, adult Spring Peepers are a common snack for many of their forest neighbors including salamanders, owls, spiders and snakes. The tadpoles are also food for salamander larvae and aquatic invertebrates.

When it is time to find a mate, Spring Peepers will move to nearby shallow ponds, preferring forested pools that are not home to any fish, and that only hold water for part of the year.

Why do Peepers peep?

From about April to early June, on warm spring nights, Spring Peepers can most easily be recognized by the high-pitched “peeping” that gave them their name.

The repeating “peep….peep…peep” is the sound of males looking for a female. The peep call is repeated about 20 times per minutes, and can be herd over one kilometre away! The males often compete with each other in groups of three, with the frog with the deepest voice starting the call, and the others chiming in after him. The males with the loudest and fastest call tend to do the best with the laddies.

How do Peepers Peep?

Spring Peepers make their characteristic call by moving air from their lungs, over their vocal cords and into their “vocal sac”, a balloon-like pocket in their throats that inflates to look like a bubble. The inflation of the vocal sac helps to make the peeping call nice and loud.

Why peep now?

Spring Peepers are one of the first frogs to start calling in the spring. This is likely because they have adapted to be able to prevent themselves from freezing even when the temperature is a few degrees below zero. This allows them to be out in cooler temperatures and breeding ahead of many other species that hibernate through the winter.

Spring Peepers are also nocturnal, and so are most active at dusk and during the night. This is why their mating songs are usually only heard in the evenings.

What happens after the peeping ends?

When a male has successfully won over a female with his beautiful song, the two will mate. The female lays her eggs on underwater vegetation, and the male fertilizes them as they are laid. The female will lay 800 to 1000 eggs, either all together or in a few small groups. The eggs hatch into tadpoles in one to two weeks, and become new full grown peepers in about 3 months!

So the answer to the age old question “Why do Peepers peep?” is this: Peepers peep so that future generations of peepers can keep peeping for years and years to come. Say that 5 times fast!

Sources:

• https://ontarionature.org/programs/citizen-science/reptile-amphibian-atlas/spring-peeper/
• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/s/spring-peeper/
• https://www.naturewatch.ca/frogwatch/spring-peeper/
• https://www.farmersalmanac.com/facts-about-spring-peepers-24077
• http://canadianherpetology.ca/species/species_page.html?cname=Spring%20Peeper

Join us each Friday at 2pm for live feeding of our friendly teaching turtles: Mica, Tripod, Jeremiah, Timothy and Betty.

Plus watch Jeremiah get his skateboarding in.

This is an interactive Facebook Live-streaming event, fit for kids and those young at heart.

Each week has a theme: how turtles navigate, how old is that turtle, how hatchlings hatch out and more…..

Learn turtle-y cool facts. Answer skill testing questions and win prizes!

We look forward to seeing you online!

Link to event listing here 

Spring is undeniably on its way to The Land Between.

While the season may feel pretty different for many of us doing our part by staying home, there are still some sure fire signs of spring we can look forward to.

There are the longer days, which give us more daylight hours to get outside and go for walks (while following social distancing rules of course). What’s more, the warmer weather means when we do go outside, we don’t have to wear 10 layers of clothing to keep warm.

In my opinion however, the most exciting sign of spring is the return of the migratory birds to The Land Between.

One of our coolest and earliest returnees is the American Woodcock, a robin-sized shorebird with a lot of character. These birds will be here anytime now, as they often arrive in their northern breeding grounds (southern Canada) by March.

About the American Woodcock

The American Woodcock is a plump, short-legged bird with a long, straight bill, and a short neck and tail. Males and females have the same black, grey, brown and beige (“mottled”, in bird lingo) colour pattern, allowing them to blend in with their forest floor habitat.

What makes this bird so cool you might ask?

For starters, it goes by all kinds of crazy names. The American Woodcock is also known as the Timberdoodle, Bog sucker, Labrador Twister, Hokumpoke, and Mudsnipe. And these are just some of the better ones.

The birds also have a very interesting way of eating. American Woodcocks use their long bills to probe moist soil for earthworms, their primary source of food. Sometimes, the birds will rock back and forth as they forage, sending vibrations through the ground that may trigger the earthworms to move. It is thought the American Woodcock may be able to detect this movement, and therefore know where to probe. Check out this fascinating foraging behavior here.

While the American Woodcock is hunting for worms, it can still keep a look out for danger. This is because its eyes are positioned very high and far back on its head, allowing it to look out for predators even while it has its bill in the soil.

Lastly, and perhaps the coolest of all, male American Woodcocks have a very elaborate and impressive mating performance. These dances take place in areas called singing grounds, which are generally in clear spaces such as on the edge of back roads, or in old fields.

To start, from the ground, the males repeat a “peent” call several times. Click here for a listen. The male then flies upward 100 to 300 feet (30-90 metres), and hovers in a circle for a while. Finally, he returns to the ground in a spiralling, zig-zag pattern, and resumes his peenting. Pretty.Darn.Neat!

American Woodcock Conservation

The American Woodcock is not listed as a Species at Risk in Canada or in Ontario, but its numbers have been declining. Data gathered through the annual American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey found Ontario Woodcock populations have declined by about 2.2% over the past 10 years (Jones 2019).

The primary threat to the American Woodcock is the loss of suitable habitat. The birds rely on young forests for many aspects of their lives. As a result of human suppression of natural processes that would create young forests such as floods and fires, as well as the continued expansion of human development, much of the suitable habitat of the American Woodcock has been lost.

How You Can Help

Things like keeping your pet cat indoors (see our blog post on this subject here), buying bird-friendly products, and supporting nature conservation efforts in general, can go a long way in helping to maintain healthy bird populations, and healthy bird habitats.

More specifically, and only if the local guidelines for COVID 19 allow this, you can participate in the American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey citizen science project taking place this spring. Each participant is assigned a route to travel to listen for and record singing male American Woodcocks. The information gathered through these surveys is used to inform the sustainable management of the species’ populations. For more information about the American Woodcock Singing Ground Survey, or to register for a route, click here.

For more information about other citizen science projects, bird related or otherwise, that are offered by The Land Between, visit our Citizen Science Centre page here. (Please note that we are changing our protocols and restricting activities to protect human life and abide by COVID 19 protocols)

Written by Siena Smith

Download the blog here: The American Woodcock: the Coolest Harbinger of Spring

Sources:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Woodcock/id

https://www.birdscanada.org/bird-science/american-woodcock-survey/

https://www.birdscanada.org/cute-but-cryptic-the-american-woodcock/

https://www.birdscanada.org/you-can-help/top-6-ways-to-help-birds/

https://timberdoodle.org/

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-woodcock

https://ruffedgrousesociety.org/woodcock-facts/

A closer look at the common Red-winged Blackbird.

The days are long, the ice is melting, and our feathery friends are starting to return from their wintering grounds. One of the earliest arrivals is the Red-winged Blackbird, which starts to appear in Ontario in February, returning from the United States or farther south. Millions of birds fly north to breeding grounds across Canada, even reaching large portions of the Yukon and Northwest Territories. These birds are commonly seen and heard throughout Central Ontario from March onward. Check out a cool animation of the Red-winged Blackbird’s movements on eBird’s website here. Red-winged Blackbirds are often seen traveling in flocks with a slightly larger bird, the Common Grackle. These two species often breed in the same marshes (Wiens, 1965).

In spring, the male Red-winged Blackbird is easily recognizable with a solid black body, and bright shoulder patches (known as “epaulets”) that are red and orange. They love attention, and can often be seen calling out while perched on a branch or tall cattail. Adult females arrive at their breeding grounds about 5 to 10 days later, giving the males enough time to establish a territory (Wiens, 1965). These birds are more subtle in both colouring and behaviour. The female Red-winged Blackbird’s feathers are streaked with brown and white, and may have a faint red or rust-coloured shoulder patch. See if you can spot them weaving in and out of marsh vegetation!

Upon arrival to their respective marshes or upland areas, Red-winged Blackbirds build a cup-shaped nest within clusters of cattails or shrubs. Watch this cool video to see Red-winged Blackbird parenting in action in a typical cattail nest. Both parents will help feed their young a range of insects and spiders. The adult diet contains more seeds, grains, and berries. The males will aggressively defend their territory against other birds.

Breeding Displays

Many male birds perform dances, calls, or peculiar movements in the hopes of attracting a lady bird. In the spring the air is filled with different melodic (or somewhat screechy) sounds. If you hang around outside wetlands you may notice the male Red-winged Blackbird’s conspicuous display. From a prominent perch, he will hold his wings outward, fluff up his bright red wing patches, and belt out a loud gurgling call – how attractive! Click here to see a video of this display. Red-winged Blackbirds are polygynous – meaning that one male breeds with multiple female partners. They often have up to 15 partners in one season!

While watching courtship displays can be fun for birders, it is important to remember to keep your distance. Interrupting a displaying bird could scare away potential partners, reducing their potential to have offspring. Give breeding birds some space, and keep your binoculars ready.

Look out for these other early migrants in the Land Between: 

• The Common Loon is starting to return to Ontario lakes. You can help monitor breeding rates of loons in a lake near you by volunteering with Birds Canada. Find out more on their Citizen Science page here.
• Many birds of prey arrive in March including Bald Eagles, Northern Goshawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, and Turkey Vultures.
• The Great Blue Heron starts arriving in the Land Between by the end of March.
• Many waterfowl like the Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, and Wood Duck come back to our wetlands in April. Ducks Unlimited Canada has some good resources to help you identify the waterfowl around you.
• The American Woodcock has also started to arrive. Read our blog to learn about this cool bird.

Download this article:The Birds Are Back. Spring Birds of TLB

References:

Beletsky, L.D., Orians, G.H. 1987. Territoriality among male red-winged blackbirds. Behavioural Ecology Sociobiology. 20, 21–34. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00292163

Canadian Wildlife Federation. 2009. Hinterland Who’s Who: Red-winged Blackbird. https://www.hww.ca/en/wildlife/birds/red-winged-blackbird.html

Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2019. Red-Winged Blackbird. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/id

Ruddy, J. 2020. “Guide to Spring Arrivals in Eastern Ontario”. Blog post from Eastern Ontario Birding. https://eontbird.ca/?p=5525

Wiens, John A. 1965. Behavioural interactions of Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles on a common breeding ground. The Auk, 82: 356-374. https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v082n03/p0356-p0374.pdf

We want to refine the understanding and then communications related to the Algonquin Wolf in Ontario, to provide new information, find better or enhanced solutions, and correct some public perceptions.

While the Draft Recovery Strategy included best available science, research was limited, approaches were broad, and communications were inexact resulting in concerns related to the health of the ecology around wolf areas, and also public misconceptions about the threats to wolves.

This initiative is provided in partnership with the Ontario Fur Harvesters Federation and supported by Environment Canada and Climate Change’s Community Nominated Priority Places Fund.

For more information call Leora at 705-854-3578

REGISTER FOR AN INTERVIEW HERE

Why You Should Participate in Citizen Science.

ryan magsino

What is Citizen Science?

Citizen science, or community science, refers to public participation in recording scientific data across large areas. It allows for much more information to be gathered than would be feasible by organizations or scientists alone. This concept is being used across the world through websites, phone apps, or in-person data sheets to collect information on wildlife.

Online submission databases like eBird and iNaturalist are becoming increasingly popular, with users logging thousands of wildlife sightings every day. One of the oldest citizen science projects in the world is the Christmas Bird count organized by the Audubon Society. This annual birding event takes place in over 2,000 locations!

The bird count is so popular with so many participants around the world, and the data collected so extensive, that scientists can trends in bird populations over decades.

Bioblitzes are another forum for Citizen Science. Here communities of people head out to parks and nature reserves to help identify what species are present. They record sightings all together, on a given day or over a week.

So, if you have any identification skills and knowledge related to local plants and animals, you can contribute to the larger body of scientific knowledge and conservation! However, some Citizen Science projects provide people with training, and no prior experience is required.

The Significance of Citizen Science

Ecologists and other scientists can take samples in order to get an idea of the organisms that are in an area, or to monitor concentrations of nutrients and contaminants in soil and water. Taking these measurements gives scientists an idea of how natural systems are changing over time, and helps to identify problems and also solutions. However, collecting data can be very labour-intensive and expensive. Citizen science is a great way to gather data over a large area in a cost-effective manner. This information can then help groups, agencies and even governments effectively manage resources, influence policy decisions, help set conservation priorities, and reduce environmental impacts.

Gathering public support and participation in Citizen Science has been very effective in the birding community. Because many bird species migrate long distances, it can be hard to understand their distribution and movement patterns. Projects like Feeder Watch, iNaturalist, and Christmas Bird Counts harness the knowledge of thousands of people across continents to produce maps and trends. The value of Project Feeder Watch alone has been estimated at about $3 million per year.

But not all citizen science projects are equal. While public engagement is a great way to get people to care about the world around them, the data collected may or may not be useful.

Some issues that come up in relation to citizen science include: incorrect species identification, unequal search effort, and biased observations. For instance, volunteer birders are likely to report a sighting of a rare Cerulean Warbler or a Golden Eagle, but may overlook the number of American Crows or gulls they observed. Observations also tend to be higher near roads and properties, since these areas are easier to access. This biased reporting creates an inaccurate picture of species numbers in the landscape.

Biases can largely be avoided with good study design. Those who create projects should cater to the different levels of knowledge that the public may have, and ensure that participants are comfortable with the protocols. Some other tips that Citizen Science researchers suggested include:

• Properly train volunteers and provide feedback. This will improve data accuracy, but also help volunteers understand the importance of the work they’re doing.
• Encourage submitters to include pictures. This allows for experts to confirm identifications. Most photos taken from smartphones are also “geo-tagged,” meaning that the GPS coordinates, date, and time are automatically saved with the photo.
• Record search effort in each submission so you can adjust for sampling effort bias. This means that observers should record the amount of time they spent surveying and/ or the distance traveled during their surveys.

Opportunities: How you can get involved?

• If you are interested in birds, participate in The Backyard Bird Count from wherever you are. This takes place February 14 to 17, 2020.
• If you have a bird feeder in your yard, join Project Feeder Watch! Monitor birds in your free time and submit your results online. Join before April 2, 2020.
• This summer, participate in the annual dragonfly butterfly and dragonfly surveys in Minden. The Haliburton Highlands Odonate Count will be on July 4 and the Butterfly Count is Sat. July 11, 2020.
• The Couchiching Conservancy has listed several opportunities to get involved in Citizen Science monitoring projects. They also host a Bird Blitz at the Carden Alvar.
• If you like watching flowering plants, you can submit your observations to Plant Watch.
• Help us record animal observations in The Land Between on our iNaturalist Or use eBird to easily report your own sightings to a collective database.
• You can submit online, or download their apps.Check out the Zooniverse forum to help on a wide array of science projects.

Stay tuned for upcoming projects in the Land Between! This spring and summer look out for: Turtle Road Patrols, Wetland Watchers, Phragmites removal teams, Snake Supervisors, and weekly bird walks.  If you are enthusiastic about citizen science and want to help us organize events, let us know! We could especially use folks with good biological ID skills.

 Written by Emma Halupka

References:

• Barone, T. 2016.The Art & Science of Citizen Science. iNaturalist. https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/7182-the-art-science-of-citizen-science-draft
• Lukyanenko, R., Y. Wiersma, and J. Parsons. 2016. Emerging Problems of Data Quality in Citizen Science. Conservation Biology 30(3):447-449. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/294259801_Emerging_Problems_of_Data_Quality_in_Citizen_Science
• National Geographic Resource Library: Citizen Science. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/citizen-science/
• Periquet, S., L. Roxburgh, A. le Roux, and W.J. Collinson. 2018. Testing the Value of Citizen Science for Roadkill Studies: A Case Study from South Africa. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2018.00015/full
• Team eBird. 2016. Citizen Science Reveals Annual Bird Migrations Across Continents https://ebird.org/news/lasortemap/
• Van der Wal, R., N. Sharma, C. Mellish, A. Robinson, and A. Siddharthan. The role of automated feedback in training and retaining biological recorders for citizen science. 2016. Conservation Biology. 30(3): 550-61. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27111194.