Volunteers Needed for Grassland Bird Monitoring

Isabel Bronson, a Land Stewardship Coordinator serving with the Trustees of Reservations, is seeking volunteers to participate in a grassland bird monitoring community science program at Chestnut Hill Farm, The Fruitlands, Old Town Hill, Appleton Farms, Ward Reservation, Moose Hill Farm, Worlds End, or Powisset Farm. Since 2010, the Trustees have been conducting volunteer grassland bird monitoring at their reservations with significant grassland habitat. This monitoring enables the Trustees to assess grassland bird populations on their properties and aids in informing management decisions within their pastures, fields, etc. This year, the Trustees are excited to be expanding the program and, as so, are looking to add monitors to their volunteer roster. The Trustees have found that in addition to this being a fantastic opportunity to enhance birding skills, volunteers participating in the program have developed a strong connection to both the property and birds they monitor and feel empowered about their role protecting local biodiversity.

The monitoring season runs from May 1st through July and each volunteer is assigned a monitoring property. The Trustees ask that monitors visit this property at least once a month during the season and conduct point count surveys for grassland birds, with special attention being given to identifying bobolinks. Before the season starts, monitors are provided with onboarding materials such as monitoring maps and detailed instructions on how to conduct bird surveys and submit results.

If anyone in the BBC is interested in this opportunity, please let Isabel Bronson know via email to ibronson@thetrustees.org. Isabel would love to schedule a Teams meeting to say hello and talk more about the program. Additionally, please feel free to check out the Trustees’ volunteer website which lists all their monitoring opportunities across the state: https://volunteer.thetrustees.org/ecology.