Goals & Objectives:

This project will build upon past SEAS projects that have helped with the completion of baseline ecological inventories, development of monitoring protocols, and formation of key educational messaging surrounding the importance of the conservation of watersheds and habitat preservation with a strong focus on the 690-acre Inspiration Ridge Preserve (IRP)in Homer, Alaska. In particular, this project will focus on:
1. The monitoring of migratory birds (particularly songbirds, swallows and sandhill cranes) through a citizen science initiative,
2. A teen internship program designed to introduce teens to migratory bird monitoring through nest monitoring, bird banding and youth mentorship,
3. Youth camps designed to introduce 10-12-year olds to migratory birds, habitat needs and conservation
4. The completion of a food availability survey and inventory of insects and other invertebrates found in the
Inspiration Ridge Preserve.
In 2019, the IRP was donated to the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (CACS) and a robust management plan was implemented that included developing monitoring protocols consistent with those of the conservation easements that make up part of IRP and a strong outreach and education component that included a robust citizen science component. Three graduate student teams from the SEAS program have helped us tremendously, and we are eager to move forward with completing one of the species inventories that has not been done yet and that is directly connected to the success of the migratory bird population, some of which are listed as species of concern. This project involves investigating the phenology and breeding success of Tree and Violet-Green Swallows in the far north, while educating participating community members about songbird conservation in a changing climate.

Specifically, this project will help with the implementation of a swallow nest box monitoring program that was designed by a past SEAS graduate team and is ready for full implementation this coming spring and summer. While the swallow nest box monitoring is ready for implementation it needs to be adapted to be relevant to adult volunteers and youth. It will include integrating the monitoring data into the Alaska swallow monitoring network. Part of this program includes an educational component integrating youth and high school interns modeled after the successful swallow ecology project conducted at the Alaska Songbird Institute in Fairbanks, Alaska. The project includes the development of a partnership with the Alaska Maritime Wildlife Refuge/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and local bird banding experts as well as a piloting of the proposed program in the summer of 2023. In order to incorporate the monitoring of more migratory bird species, we would also like to also establish Homer as a site for the Birds ‘n’ Bogs citizen science project which was founded In the spring of 2013 by Audubon Alaska and the Geography and Environmental Studies Department at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. In addition to monitoring swallow nest boxes, we would like to establish a Birds ‘n’ Bogs project at the Wynn Nature Center, Peterson Bay Field Station and IRP following the basic protocols established by the Anchorage founders, with some adaptations, and contribute our data to their growing database. With the help of volunteer birders, we aim to document the distribution of boreal birds in Southcentral wetlands, including Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Rusty Blackbirds, Olive-Sided Flycatchers, Tree Swallows, and Violet-Green Swallows. 

There is a considerable amount of work that can be done remotely by using data collected from past projects, connecting with researchers, potential project partners and community members through remote means and using existing environmental informatics and citizen science curricula for some initial work on designing the internship and youth program component. Partnering with CACS staff to conduct some of the “ground truthing” and test monitoring will also be key. CACS has seasonal staff at both the Wynn Nature Center and IRP. One challenge we face is being able to get seasonal staff “up to speed” with some of the monitoring programs that we do because some of it has to occur earlier than their season begins. They also do not have the time and resources to prepare programs prior to the start of the season. This project would allow the core of citizen science monitoring and youth involvement to be developed and then tested with staff and the SEAS team and then refined in the fall/winter.

Theoretical Justification, Social Benefit, or Significance: 

Swallows are aerial insectivores, a group of birds that are declining, especially in northern ecosystems. Alaska is the northern extent of the breeding range of these small neotropical migrants, making it an ideal location to look at their response to changing environmental conditions. The chronology and success of each nest is monitored and adult birds are captured and banded to look at longevity and site fidelity. Nestlings are also banded. These data are helping us learn more about the adaptability and conservation of songbirds in the far north. This program strives to make conservation science accessible and relevant to diverse groups of people, from all walks of life. Our projects offer the unique opportunity for participants to work with wild birds alongside scientists. Boreal ecosystems are also changing–both globally and locally–and boreal wetland birds are among North America’s most rapidly declining birds. In North America, Rusty Blackbirds and Solitary Sandpipers have declined at a rate of 6.2% per year, Lesser Yellowlegs at 5.3%, and Olive-Sided Flycatchers at 3.5% since the 1960s. Although these species are typically thought of as common, they are rapidly becoming less abundant and are now rare or absent from some locations. For this reason, a number of boreal species are now considered to be of conservation concern both in Alaska and nationally. The boreal system has historically been an area with extensive disturbance such as fire, insect outbreaks, and wind. In addition, the boreal system is vulnerable to global climate change as well as increasing pressure on forest and water resources. Current knowledge indicates that birds play an important role in boreal forests, and sustaining these populations affords many benefits to the health of boreal forests. It is critical to identify the important factors that influence and indicate sustainability of boreal bird populations. Sustainability embodies the concept of "sustainable development," in which development meets present and future human needs without damaging the environment and biological diversity (Lubchenco et al. 1991).

Specific Activities & Duration: 

The team will need to research other projects that monitor food availability in order to determine the best approach to conducting an insect/invertebrate inventory for the IRP. They will be able to look at previous monitoring approaches that previous SEAS teams have used.

Integrative Approach: 

This is a very multidisciplinary project that will benefit from team members with varying skill sets. It combines scientific monitoring and research with conservation education.