Sept 23rd EwA Vernal Pool Documentation Field Session (Recap)

[EwA]

Thanks again to all of you who came yesterday to the EwA vernal pool documentation field session. This is important citizen science work! Doing so we advance scientific knowledge while protecting effectively those very fragile habitats. Here's the recap of what we've done and observed together. 

Event > Protecting Vernal Pools in the Fells

Date	09/23/19
Site	MHS Sites
Surveyor’s Names	Claire (EwA) + Mike (EwA) + Jen (EwA) + Stacy (DCR) + Carol (guest)
Time	9:30am-12:00pm
Weather	Sunny / Still / Beaufort Scale: 2-3
Approximate Temperature	~27°C/80.6°F
Foot & paw traffic (low, medium or high?) Low < 5 | Med 5-10 | High > 10	Low ☑ // A few walkers aside from the EwA surveyors.

Conducted Tasks

Program introduction to audience & DCR participant, including biodiversity and the need for its documentation: ground-truthing, data gaps, surveillance & monitoring of invasive epidemics, fieldwork ethics, citizen science (need and empowerment in tackling the widespread science knowledge deficit, etc.) Survey of candidate pools LWV14, and LWV12. including phys. documentation at this time of the year + (US Army Corp) Pool characteristics recording ( > phys. documentation to be accessible in end of year report for pools with complete documentation).

Session Records

• Physical evidence + vegetation description > EwA VP Folder (EwA access only)

• Biodiversity session records (all taxa in bounding box focused on the candidate pool) > 

• Biodiversity session records (all taxa in bounding box focused on field session at large) >

• No pooling > Dried conditions. Session records per surveyed pool > i.e. a few records of primary and secondary VP species indicators

Notes | Author: Mike + Claire

General: Candidate pool located. Pool condition: dry phase.  Filled Vernal Pool characterization form for LWV14 and LWV12 + took visual records of pool condition and phys. features. Plant community for LWV14 (pool + canopy) Oaks (25-30%) // red & white present Birch (~1%) Willow (10%) Sweet pepper bush (< 5%) Buttonbush  (15%) Maple (5%) Buckthorn (7%) HIghbush blueberry (<5%)

Observation of the Day: Brush-legged spider [iNat record >]

• Plant community for LWV12 (pool + canopy)

• Marsh Fern (40%)

• Oaks (30%) // red & white present

• Sweet pepperbush (< 5%)

• Hickory  (< 5%)

• Maple (13%)

• False nettle (5%)

• Ash (2%)

• Buckthorn (1%)

• Trumpet vine (1%)

Other notes:

⚠ Human Disturbance & Pollution: Presence of bags of dog poop littering the trail. Regulations Reminder: For ecological reasons, all dogs should be kept on a leash and on trails at all times in this area of the Fells. All water bodies are off-limits. Dog owners are asked to clean up after their pets.

ⓘ More about this project (field protocol) » http://tinyurl.com/ewa-vp-field-protocol

ⓘ More about EwA Citizen Science Program » https://tinyurl.com/ewa-citizen-science

#vernalPools #amphibians #reptiles #wetlands #urbanWildlife #endangered #conservation #biodiversity #citizenScience