new April '08Volunteers or Intern Needed for Huron River Data Collection.
The Middle Huron Partnership Initiative coordinated by HRWC is seeking volunteers and an intern to collect data at local streams this spring and summer. 2008 marks the 7th year that HRWC staff and volunteers have collected water quality data at 10 sites from Dexter to Ypsilanti, and the first year we will be adding sites in Livingston County.

No prior experience is needed, as training is provided, but it is appreciated. Volunteers will work in pairs to measure stream flow, collect water samples, and monitor other water quality parameters. You can volunteer for one or all monitoring activities. The information collected is analyzed and presented to elected officials and decision makers from local units of government in Washtenaw, Wayne and Livingston counties, MDEQ, universities and other organizations that are members of the Middle Huron Partnership Initiative. The data collected is critical to evaluating progress from projects designed to reduce eutrophic conditions in that section of the watershed. If interested, please contact Ric Lawson, Watershed Planner, at 734/769-5123 x13, or rlawson@hrwc.org, to learn more about the data collection project and to sign up.

updated Mar '08Explore the Huron’s Natural Areas AND Help HRWC. HRWC is seeking interested people to volunteer with our Bioreserve Project, which aims to preserve high quality natural areas in the Huron Watershed.

As part of the Bioreserve Project, HRWC created the Bioreserve Map pdf file = 2.4mb by drawing the boundaries of forests, wetlands, and grasslands on a computer, using aerial photos as a guide. Then we used a computer model to rank each natural area based on fifteen different measurements of its ecological value. These include the size of the area, whether wetlands, streams, or lakes are on the site, the diversity of the landscape on the site, the potential for the site to be a groundwater recharge area, the potential for the site to be connected to other natural areas, and how much native vegetation the site potentially still harbors.

Given that the map has delineated over 1700 natural areas in our watershed, it would be impossible to perform full-scale ecological assessments of every site. Using our newly-developed rapid assessment process, we hope to select out those sites with the greatest potential to be high quality natural areas most deserving of protection. The rapid assessment consists of walking the site and answering questions about the kinds of trees and other plants on the site, presence of damage from human activities, etc.

• Volunteers are needed to participate in our roadside survey of the 1700 natural areas in the watershed. This will involve driving to the natural areas and completing a one-page form that asks very general questions about the site. The purpose of the survey is to screen out sites that program staff can easily tell are not worth taking the time to perform the field assessment on. This survey will take place throughout this coming winter. Contact Kris at 734/769-5123 x16 or kolsson@hrwc.org if you are interested. Also check out the roadside volunteer web site at www.hrwc.org/bioreserve to find out more about what you would be doing.

• This spring, volunteers are needed to perform the field assessments on the natural areas the roadside survey has determined have potential for being of high ecological quality. This will begin in late May of 2008 and continue throughout the field season (through September 2008). See the announcement below to attend a training session for the assessments.

  Saturday, May 10: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
  Assessing Natural Areas: Rapid Ecological Assessment
  Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens
  You can help identify high-quality natural areas for protection. At this workshop new volunteers for the Huron River Watershed Council will learn to conduct a rapid ecological assessment of grasslands, forests, wetlands, and aquatic habitats. Trained volunteers are then certified to be sent out in groups to work together on site assessments throughout the spring, summer, and fall (an expected time commitment of four hours per site). Participants will gain broadly applicable skills in ecological assessment. (Please bring a sack lunch. The workshop includes hands-on practice outdoors, so please come prepared for weather, mud, etc.)
  Leader(s) and Speaker(s): Kris Olsson, Huron River Watershed Council.

If you are interested in learning a new skill, helping preserve natural areas, or just getting outside and enjoying the watershed’s woods and wetlands, contact Kris at kolsson@hrwc.org or 734/769-5123 x16.

Last Updated: January 2008