Last spring, Audubon announced National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Received more than $1 million in funding It is used for the shorebird planning of the desert terminal lake.Audubon received a portion of the funds to be used in cooperation with Mannomette, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and Rahontan Audubon Association (LAS) Identify habitat management opportunities for migrating shorebirds, and improve shorebird and habitat monitoring capabilities at the La Juntan Valley wetland site in Nevada near Reno.
The project is progressing well, and the partners have made progress in a series of activities, including mapping historical and current shorebird habitats, creating a profile of priority shorebird species, and identifying opportunities to improve shorebird habitats through field management.
A major component of the project is a comprehensive community science volunteer waterfowl monitoring program led by LAS, which aims to increase the capacity of the ongoing USFWS and NDOW waterfowl monitoring efforts. Both Alan Gubanich, a retired professor of biology at the University of Nevada, Reno, and Michael Goddard, former project leader of the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge He is a member of LAS and led the volunteer shorebird monitoring program.The team is helping USFWS and NDOW staff to monitor shorebirds and their habitats on 220,000 acres of land La Hontan Valley Wetlands, Designated as the Hemisphere Important Site of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Sanctuary Network (WHSRN).
“Our first season was full of challenges and successes,” Goddard said. “Volunteers work hard to learn species identification skills and survey techniques. We have received strong support from NDOW and USFWS. I look forward to next spring when shorebirds will return with breeding feathers.”
The LAS leaders developed a shorebird identification plan to teach volunteers how to use accepted survey methods and estimate the number of shorebirds in a large group. Sixteen volunteers participated in virtual and on-site training in June and July, and conducted 3 coordinated surveys with agency staff in August and September 2021. Volunteers will participate in the survey during the spring and autumn shorebird migration in 2022.
“I have been seeking to participate in bird conservation in Nevada, so I am very happy to learn that Mike and Allen are organizing the opportunity, and I am very happy that I can be a part of it.” said one of the volunteers who conducted the shorebird survey this fall Brendan Bucy. “The first field season was enjoyable and fruitful. All partner organizations did a lot of work to ensure that we were fully equipped and prepared when we set off. I even tried to investigate on a steamboat. Jonathan from USFWS Jonathan Garrison gave me a quick crash course on motorboat monitoring procedures when the sun rose over Stillwater NWR. Before I knew it, we were sliding across the calm waters of Foxtail Lake, counting birds. It’s a great experience, and I’m very happy to work with Jonathan and Bethany Chagnon from USFWS.”
What did the survey this fall reveal? Like much of the arid western region, the wetlands of the Lahontan River Valley are also affected by severe drought, which has caused the water level in the Lahuntan River Valley to drop and the wetlands are even drier. Waterfowl surveys show that large areas of habitat, usually covered by water-which are prolific for waterfowl-are dry this year. These conditions underscore why the NFWF grant program is so important: it provides Audubon and its partners a unique opportunity to study how extreme conditions (such as drought) affect the Lahontan Valley. As the future of water availability becomes increasingly unpredictable, partners can use the collected information to adaptively manage water resources and maximize the benefits of shorebirds.
“The survey of waterbirds last fall was extremely challenging.” said Bethany Chagnon, deputy project leader of the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge. “Although record high temperatures, droughts and wildfires have caused widespread air quality impacts and suboptimal survey conditions, the dedication of our partners and volunteers is a breath of fresh air. Without their flexibility and enthusiasm And the willingness to help others, we cannot be so successful. These partnerships have greatly improved our monitoring program. I look forward to seeing our program continue to evolve and learn from these surveys so that we can better manage in the future Wetland for waterfowl.”
As the project enters its second year in 2022, partners will continue to work together to better understand the habitat and distribution of shorebirds. The results of the survey contribute to a larger, Long-term data set It can be used to inform and strengthen the management of the water resources and wetlands of the Lahontan Valley, so that they can continue to support the thousands of shorebirds that depend on this large basin oasis every year.
Disclaimer: The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the author and should not be construed as representing the views or policies of the U.S. government or the National Fish and Wildlife Fund and its funding sources. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. government, the National Fish and Wildlife Fund, or its sources of funding.
