Project Title: Preserve Monitor

Contact: Tina Hall, Director of Conservation programs

Location: The Nature Conservancy in Michigan
               101 East Grand River
               Lansing, Michigan 48906
               517 316-2280

Description: The Nature Conservancy is a private, non-profit, international conservation organization.  Its mission is to preserve plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.  The Nature Conservancy owns 35 preserves in Michigan that are very special places.  It is necessary to monitor these special places regularly so that we know that the plants, animals and natural communities remain, especially those of particular concern.  The accountability for protecting these preserves begins with Preserve Monitors and the reports they file.

Preserve Monitors are key volunteers who visit a preserve on a regular basis and note conditions existing there at the time of the visit.  Preserve Monitors will be keeping an eye on the preserve and periodically filing a short monitoring checklist that will become part of the permanent record of the preserve, and one we anticipate being audited in the future.  Some Preserve Monitors with a science background will be asked to do more comprehensive monitoring once or twice a year.  Those with an interest and/or expertise in botany or zoology will be afforded the opportunity to search for rare species that may not have been seen for many years.  A willingness to walk a preserve periodically is the primary requirement.  Having a digital camera to take condition photos from photo points is very helpful.

Activities will include:

• Walking on a Nature Conservancy preserve in Michigan.
• Filling out a nominal checklist of things observed on your visit (checklist provided).
• Working with staff to locate some rare species, and record the status of these populations.
• Receiving (or giving) training on monitoring techniques for natural areas.
• Preparing a monitoring summary once a year.

• Able to walk in natural areas
• Willingness to fill out reports periodically
• A multiple year commitment is especially helpful
• Willingness to cooperate with Land Stewards, Asset Management staff and volunteers.

How will a volunteer benefit from this position? Being a Preserve Monitor for The Nature Conservancy gives you the opportunity to take nature walks while helping to protect critical habitat for plants, animals, and birds.  Apart from the physical well-being derived from the walk, there is also the spiritual connection with nature.  For those interested in pursuing an interest in botany and/or zoology, there will be some opportunities, depending on the preserve, to locate and record data on rare species.  For those with a botanical or zoological background or training, there is the opportunity to help train other monitors who share this interest.

Who has already volunteered to be a Preserve Monitor? There are several couples who are preserve monitors; there is a high school science teacher who has his advanced biology students actively monitoring a preserve in his area.  We have couples who monitor preserves near their summer homes, others near their year around homes.  All people are welcome, and we anticipate several monitors for each preserve, so there may be friends who walk together who could take on this activity while exercising.  It is not required that someone live near a preserve, we welcome people who will show up regularly at a preserve.

How does completion of this project assist The Nature Conservancy? Preserve Monitors form the heart of the Habitat Monitoring Team and both act as local agents on behalf of the Nature Conservancy and as key people who gather baseline, longitudinal data on conditions at the preserve.  We anticipate those data being audited in the future; it is of critical importance to accountability. Supervisors: Regional Conservation Staff (East Michigan, West Michigan, Upper Peninsula.)