"The Newfound Trackers":
Monitoring Wildlife to Save Habitat: Citizen Scientists
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| The Keeping Track staff talk about wildlife habits and habitat at the Wildlife Event in September 2007 |
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The Newfound Lake Region Association tracking team completed its professional training in 2009. Working with Susan Morse, a nationally recognized naturalist, wildlife photographer, forester, habitat identification specialist, and founder of Keeping Track (www.keepingtrack.org), trains volunteer "citizen scientists" to observe, interpret, record, and monitor presence and movement of mammals in the Newfound Lake watershed using a scientifically rigorous system.
The Newfound Trackers meet the third Sunday of most months to track wildlife around the watershed and study the behavior and habitat uses of specific species. These adventures are topped by an evening potluck. Those interested in wildlife are most welcome to join in.
With their training complete, the Newfound Trackers are establishing several transects around the watershed to explore habitats in more detail and over long periods of time, to monitor resident species movement and document mammals "just passing through." Focal species include bear, bobcat, moose, mink, fisher and otter. Below, Sue Morse shows trackers a "moose wallow" that male moose will create to attract females during the rutting season in the fall.
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| Click for full-sized photo. |
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Data collected in the field by Newfound Trackers will help local landowners, community organizations, cities, and towns identify and protect the most critical wildlife travel corridors and habitat. The NH Fish and Game Wildlife Action Plan identifies much of the Newfound Watershed as having the highest quality habitat for many types of wildlife.
NLRA will host the first Keeping Track team in the Newfound Lake watershed. These teams attract all kinds of people, Morse reports. “We’ve got scientists and homemakers and farmers and artists and loggers and people who don’t think you should ever cut a tree. What we’re finding is, they all care passionately about wildlife habitat. And they’re putting their differences aside to go out together and learn these skills for the purposes of intelligent planning in their communities.”
Those interested in learning more about the Newfound Tracking Team should call NLRA at (603) 744-8689.
Learn more about Keeping Track.
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