Three Decades of Community Science Wildlife Monitoring: Lessons from the City of Ann Arbor’s Bird, Butterfly, Reptile & Amphibian Data

Ann Arbor, MI

Project Description

In southeastern Michigan, the City of Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation Department's Natural Area Preservation (NAP) division has amassed nearly 30 years of ecological survey data through volunteer-based community science initiatives. These datasets, managed using software like eBird, PollardBase, and Survey123, track the presence, diversity, and distribution of birds, butterflies, and herpetofauna (herps; reptiles and amphibians) within Ann Arbor’s natural areas. We leveraged these extensive datasets to analyze long-term trends across space and time, examining the effects of park characteristics, management activities, and climate change on species abundance, diversity, and composition.

Effective management is essential for protecting urban and peri-urban natural areas, which serve as critical refugia for biodiversity and provide key ecosystem services despite pressures from habitat fragmentation, invasive species, and climate change. Understanding species distributions within these spaces is crucial for guiding conservation and informing management strategies. Moreover, our findings emphasize the importance of knowing and celebrating the existing biodiversity in the City of Ann Arbor's parks for community outreach and education. The results of our analyses highlight key ecological patterns, educating the adaptive management of natural areas in Ann Arbor’s parks, while also guiding volunteers on local wildlife trends and documenting park ecology to support species monitoring and conservation efforts.

Year

2024 - 2025

Project Status

In Progress

Client Organization

The City of Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation Department's Natural Area Preservation (NAP) Division

Students Involved

Ludo Behrendt, Megan Eakin, Michael Enda, Jana Hustedt & Troy Tofil

SEAS Faculty Advisor

Sheila Schueller

Advisor(s)

Becky Hand

Final Report

Capstone Project Report

Map of the City of Ann Arbor

To protect and restore the city’s natural areas and foster an environmental ethic within the community.

NAP's Mission

WILDLIFE SURVEY STATISTICS (1995 - 2023)

178,207

Bird Observations

16,617

Butterfly Observations

36,969

Reptile & Amphibian Observations

MEET OUR TEAM

Ludovico "Ludo" Behrendt

M.S. '25 Ecosystem Science & Management

He/Him

[email protected]

Ludo's contributions to this project mainly focused on the butterfly survey data standardization and analysis, exploring how butterfly indicator species can be used to infer park habitat heterogeneity, and how this can be used to inform ecological impacts of the City's management practices. His analyses also examined how climate, park size, and habitat diversity affect butterfly distributions over time. Ludovico received his Honors Bachelor's of Science degree from University of Toronto, while studying conservation biology. His interests lie within the fields of ecological restoration and environmental education. In his free time, he enjoys biking and going on hikes with friends.

Jana Hustedt

M.S. '25 Ecosystem Science & Management

She/Her

[email protected]

Jana's contributions to this project focused on analyzing visual herpetofauna survey data to understand ecological trends, explore the relationship between species distributions and site characteristics, and assess the impact of management on this taxon. Originally from Germany, she grew up in Houston, Texas, and completed her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences at Colorado State University in 2021. Jana has experience volunteering in wolf conservation, conducting forestry inventories and research, and analyzing long-term community science datasets for multiple research projects. In her free time, she enjoys backpacking, reading, and exploring local coffee shops.

Jana's LinkedIn

Megan Eakin

M.S. '25 Ecosystem Science & Management

She/Her

[email protected]

Megan's contributions to this project focused on analyzing the frog and toad calling survey data to determine ecological trends, assess the impacts of management activities on salamanders, and explored patterns related to frog and salamander breeding phenology shifts across Ann Arbor parks and natural areas. Originally born in Iowa, she grew up in Michigan and received her Bachelor's of Science from Central Michigan University in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology in 2021. Megan has experience in wet lab work, field work, and analyzing community science datasets. Her passions include herpetology and engaging local communities to conservation efforts. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, hanging out with her chickens, and chasing sunsets.

Megan's LinkedIn

Michael Enda

M.S. '25 Environmental Policy & Planning; Environmental Justice

He/Him

[email protected]

Michael's contributions to this project focused on analyzing spatial and temporal trends in bird observations, developing intermediate variables for use in further analyses, and documenting code for future use by the City and other researchers. He earned a B.S. in Philosophy with a minor in Mathematics from the University of Utah in 2019. At SEAS, Michael approached environmental issues through a social-ecological systems lens and is interested in translating ecological and social science data into actionable insights for policymakers. His goal is to ensure that policy is informed and motivated by the best available understanding of the world around us.

Troy Tofil

M.S. '25 Ecosystem Science & Management; Geospatial Data Sciences

He/Him

[email protected]

Troy's contributions to this project focused on bird data analysis to explore ecological trends, assess the impacts of management practices, and examine the relationship between climate, spatial data, and park characteristics on avian populations. Originally from Akron, OH, just outside of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Troy earned a B.S. in Biology from the Ohio State University in 2021, with minors in Philosophy and Society & Environmental Issues. His research interests include wildlife conservation, natural resource management, and land stewardship, using spatial and ecological data analysis tools to inform decision-making. Outside of work, Troy enjoys outdoor activities, exploring national parks and the Great Lakes, reading, and spending time with loved ones.

Troy's LinkedIn