Northern CA PPSR Projects 1

Project Tierra

• Organization Name

  Watsonville Wetlands Watch
• Project Website

  http://www.citizen-science.org/www/rdPage.aspx , http://www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org/citizen_science.htm
• Organization Website

  http://www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org/index.html
• Partners

  e-Bird, Santa Cruz Bird Club
• Contact Name

  Noëlle Antolin, Director of Education Programs
• Contact Email

  noelle@watsonvillewetlandswatch.org
• Contact Phone

  831-728-1156 x 5
• Other Contact Information

  N / A
• Project Purpose (taken from project materials)

  To collect and record environmental data over the long-term to monitor the biodiversity and overall health of the Watsonville wetlands. The overarching goal of Project Tierra is to provide ongoing data regarding water quality, plant populations and bird populations to the scientific community that will inform wetland conservation and land management decisions in the Pajaro Valley. Project Tierra is especially interested in using this data to evaluate the success of Watsonville Wetlands Watch restoration projects and guide the adaptive management of these lands.

• Participant Activities

  Bird populations: Volunteers assist in counting land and shore bird populations in Watsonville Sloughs and surrounding upland habitats. Volunteers use bird protocols designed by local experts in ornithology and the Watsonville Sloughs system. Volunteers can monitor alone or in teams, on their own time or at events.

  Water quality: Each month, volunteers test water quality in the Watsonville Sloughs. They measure temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and turbidity. They also sample periodically for nutrients and bacteria levels.

  Aquatic invertebrates: Volunteers and students visit the local sloughs to sample and identify the diversity of species of aquatic invertebrates in the wetlands. Because some species of aquatic invertebrates are more sensitive to pollution than others, the kinds of species found help us determine how healthy a wetland is.

  Vegetation: Volunteers monitor plant populations in restored wetland and upland sites of the Watsonville Sloughs. Project Tierra is interested in native versus non-native plant populations as well as rare, threatened, and endangered plants.

• Data Entry

  • Website
  • Unknown
• Other Participant Activities

  Project Tierra also invites students and researchers to get involved by using the data to help answer local and regional water quality questions.

• System Studied

  • Birds
  • Plants
  • Water Quality
  • Invertebrates
  • Wetlands - Freshwater Streams and Marshes
• Geographic Scope

  Local
• Region

  Santa Cruz
• Location

  Watsonville Sloughs and surrounding upland habitats
• Location - Map

  500 Harkins Slough Road, Watsonville, CA
• Time Commitment

  • Specific dates (see Other Information below)
  • Other (see Other Information below)
• Volunteer Qualifications

  For Water Quality, Aquatic Invertebrates, and Vegetation Monitoring: Volunteers must commit to once per month participation and attend a 2-hour training before getting started.

  For Bird Population monitoring: Volunteers must attend orientation at Fitz Wetlands Educational Resource Center. 

• Volunteer Training

  Bird Population monitoring orientation covers:

  • Introduction to Project Tierra
  • Survey Methods
  • Site Overviews
  • Data sharing: Setting up eBird account and sharing data with WWW
• Cost to Participant

  N / A
• How will the findings be used?

  Reports and data is available on the website and is used to inform management decisions

• Other Information

  N / A
• Photo

  N / A
• last update:

  N / A