Issue: Spring 2015


Our USA-NPN/USFWS Partnership has seen some exciting additions this year. We are teaming up with the Upper Mississippi River NFWR's Mayfly Watch to help them expand their citizen science data collection effort this summer. Canaan Valley NWR is up and running with a volunteer-centered program collecting information about plants at the southern-most edge of their range. And Valle de Oro NWR continues to expand their effort with new off-Refuge partners contributing to the larger Rio Grande Phenology Trail. 

Check out the resources we have available to you below, including a new Nature's Notebook online course and workshop materials, and webinars for educators and data users. 

 

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USA-NPN
USFWS Liaison		USA-NPN
Education Coordinator
 
Phenology on the Refuges
Photo: Alan Stankevitz
Mayfly Watch is Gearing Up for Emergence

 

The Upper Mississippi River NFWR and the La Crosse Wetland Management District are tracking the timing of mayfly emergence along the Mississippi River. This year, they are leveraging the infrastructure of the Nature's Notebook program, along with its thousands of citizen scientists, to assist with their effort. 

 

In the long term, this citizen science-based research will help educate the public that the presence of these insects is an indicator of generally good local water quality conditions during the past year. 

 
New Resources for our Refuge Partners
Pilot Project Summary and Recommendations

 

The Project Summary and Recommendations from the Valle de Oro NWR Pilot Project is now available for download. This resource includes a timeline for phenology monitoring implementation, and recommendations for monitoring deisgn, volunteer management, and more! Or, download the 2-page Recommendations Summary.

 
Nature's Notebook Workshop Resources

 

Looking for resources to host a Nature's Notebook Workshop for your Refuge or Field Station? We have a wide variety of training materials available to you. 

 

In March we hosted a workshop for Region 3 Refuges that included Biologists and Visitor Services staff from 7 Refuges and Field Stations. You can download the workshop materials, view the outcomes and read our Phenology Monitoring Implementation Plan for Region 3.  

 


What's New at USA-NPN
Nature's Notebook Course on DOI Learn

 

Looking for a refresher on the basics of using Nature Notebook or a teaching resource for your volunteers? You can take our Nature's Notebook How-to course on DOI Learn for one hour of credit. Find it under course number USGS-USANPN-001-OLT.

 

Upcoming Events
NCTC Webinar on June 11th, 2015

 

Join us for a webinar as we present 'Engaging Citizen Scientists with Nature's Notebook'. This webinar is part of the NCTC's Engaging Youth in Conservation Science Webinar Series. 

 

June 11, 2015, 1pm EDT

 
New USA-NPN Data Visualization Tool Webinar

 

Curious to see how your Refuge's observations compare to those collected outside of the NWRS? How about to previous years? Does the timing of phenological events at your Refuge seem to be driven by temperature, precipitation, daylength, latitude, or elevation? You can explore all of these patterns and more in the new USA-NPN data visualization tool! We hope to launch this tool in a matter of weeks. Check the Visualization Tool page soon!

 

We will provide an in-depth demonstration of this tool's functionality in the Webinar on July 14, 2015, 2pm EDT. The webinar will be recorded. 

 

 

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Erin Posthumus
US Fish & Wildlife Service Liaison and Outreach Associate
520-622-0363 
 LoriAnne head shot
LoriAnne Barnett
Education Coordinator
520-622-0363
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