Projects: Southeast Wisconsin Ephemeral Ponds Citizen Monitoring Project
Goals:
Establish an ephemeral pond monitoring network consisting of educational organizations and citizens to monitor long-term sites.
Produce a science-based monitoring protocol to support the network monitoring efforts.
Conduct two seasons of ephemeral pond monitoring during spring and early summer, 2008 & 2009.
Produce an ephemeral pond relational database designed for data-entry, archival and reporting of information on the biological and physical characteristics of verified ephemeral ponds.
Produce digital map (data layer) of Potential Ephemeral Ponds occurring within the Lake Michigan Coastal Zone of Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha counties. Provide this information to collaborators and county planning organizations.
Produce a process-oriented methodology to serve as a guiding tool for future ephemeral pond mapping.
Purpose:
The purpose of this volunteer-based project is to train citizens to identify, inventory, and monitor the ecology of ephemeral ponds. Ephemeral ponds are ponds that are present only a portion of the year, drying up later in the summer but available as habitat for a variety of amphibians, macroinvertebrates, and wildlife during spring and early summer. The objective of the project is to collect data that will lead to a better understanding of the location and ecology of Wisconsin's ephemeral pond habitats.
This project is being piloted in 2008 in Southeastern Wisconsin's coastal counties. Nearly 80 Citizen Monitors in Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha counties have been trained for the 2008 monitoring season. Partners hosting the Citizen Monitors include Pringle Nature Center, Richard Bong State Recreation Area and UW-Parkside in Kenosha County, River Bend Nature Center in Racine County, the Milwaukee Zoological Society, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center and Wehr Nature Center in Milwaukee County, Concordia University of Wisconsin and Friends of Cedarburg Bog in Ozaukee County and the Sheboygan River Basin Partnership in Sheboygan County. (Note: Riveredge Nature Center in Washington County is coordinating a partner effort as well.)
Ephemeral pond monitoring is conducted monthly beginning in March for approximately four months (or until the ponds dry up). For more information contact:
Gail Epping Overholt
gail.overholt@ces.uwex.edu
414-290-2434
Milwaukee River Basin Partnership
1845 N. Farwell Avenue, Suite 100
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414)763-6170