This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_003A_01C62B52.7D534680 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Minnesota Owl Monitoring =20 Overview: As top predators in the food chain, owls are considered good indicators = of environmental health. For this reason, they are important to = monitor, however, it is difficult to obtain adequate data using = traditional avian survey methods such as the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) = and the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Due to the lack of abundance and = population status data about owls, the Western Great Lakes Region Owl = Monitoring Survey was initiated in 2005. The goal of this survey is to = increase our understanding of Northern Saw-whet, Barred, Great-horned, = Great Gray, Long-eared, Eastern Screech and Boreal owls through surveys = conducted by volunteers during the breeding season each spring. =20 Methods: Random routes, identified by the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, = will be used to conduct owl surveys throughout much of the northern = forest region of Minnesota. Volunteers will be asked to survey their = assigned route one time during each of the three periods (see below), = which will be done to test the seasonal variation in calling activity. = However, if a volunteer is unable to conduct three surveys, it will be = possible for a volunteer to conduct one survey in Period 2. Volunteers = will be required to drive a ten-mile route, stopping at one-mile = intervals and listening (passively, no call-back tape) for 2 minutes. = Given this formula (10 stops per route, 2 minute listening period per = stop), each route should take less than 1.5 hours to complete. At each = station, volunteers will record all owls detected, an estimate of = direction and distance to the calling bird, the time, wind speed, and = noise levels onto a data sheet (which we provide). Additionally, = weather data will be recorded at the start and end of the survey. =20 When Survey dates are predetermined as follows: Period 1--March 11-19, 1006 Period 2--March 20-April 9, 2006 Period 3--April 10-23, 2006 =20 Owl monitoring volunteers will be provided with the necessary training = and materials, including a CD of Minnesota's northern owl calls. =20 =20 If you are interested in participating.. If you are interested in participating in the Owl Monitoring Survey, or = would like additional information, please contact Julie O'Connor or Dave = Grosshuesch. We will contact you about the route, training materials, = and datasheets used in the survey. =20 Julie O'Connor: phone #: (218) 348-2291, or email: jpmco...@aol.com Dave Grosshuesch: phone #: (218) 525-7253, or e-mail: = dgros...@nrri.umn.edu Bruce www.arrowheadadventuresmn.com "I care to live, only to entice people to look at Nature's loveliness." -- John Muir ------=_NextPart_000_003A_01C62B52.7D534680 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =20 </SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix =3D st1 ns =3D=20 "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"=20 /><st1:State><st1:place><B><U>Minnesota</U></B></st1:place></st1:State><B= ><U>=20 Owl Monitoring<?xml:namespace prefix =3D o ns =3D=20 "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = /><o:p></o:p></U></B></FONT></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman"><B><U>Overview</U></B>:</FONT></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times = New Roman">As=20 top predators in the food chain, owls are considered good indicators of=20 environmental health.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For = this=20 reason, they are important to monitor, however, it is difficult to = obtain=20 adequate data using traditional avian survey methods such as the = Breeding Bird=20 Survey (BBS) and the Christmas Bird Count (CBC).<SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Due to the lack of abundance = and=20 population status data about owls, the Western Great Lakes Region Owl = Monitoring=20 Survey was initiated in 2005.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> = </SPAN>The=20 goal of this survey is to increase our understanding of Northern = Saw-whet,=20 Barred, Great-horned, Great Gray, Long-eared, Eastern Screech and Boreal = owls=20 through surveys conducted by volunteers during the breeding season each=20 spring.</FONT></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman"><B><U>Methods</U></B>:</FONT></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman">Random routes, identified by the Minnesota = Dept. of=20 Natural Resources, will be used to conduct owl surveys throughout much = of the=20 northern forest region of=20 <st1:State><st1:place>Minnesota</st1:place></st1:State>.<SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Volunteers will be asked to = survey their=20 assigned route one time during each of the three periods (see below), = which will=20 be done to test the seasonal variation in calling activity.<SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, if a volunteer is = unable to=20 conduct three surveys, it will be possible for a volunteer to conduct = one survey=20 in Period 2.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Volunteers = will be=20 required to drive a ten-mile route, stopping at one-mile intervals and = listening=20 (passively, no call-back tape) for 2 minutes.<SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Given this formula (10 stops = per route,=20 2 minute listening period per stop), each route should take less than = 1.5 hours=20 to complete.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At each = station,=20 volunteers will record all owls detected, an estimate of direction and = distance=20 to the calling bird, the time, wind speed, and noise levels onto a data = sheet=20 (which we provide).<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> = </SPAN>Additionally,=20 weather data will be recorded at the start and end of the = survey.</FONT></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><U><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman">When<o:p></o:p></FONT></U></B></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman">Survey dates are predetermined as = follows:</FONT></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman">Period 1--<st1:date Month=3D"3" Day=3D"11" = Year=3D"1006">March=20 11-19, 1006</st1:date></FONT></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman">Period 2--March 20-<st1:date Month=3D"4" = Day=3D"9"=20 Year=3D"2006">April 9, 2006</st1:date></FONT></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman">Period 3--<st1:date Month=3D"4" Day=3D"10" = Year=3D"2006">April=20 10-23, 2006</st1:date></FONT></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times = New Roman">Owl=20 monitoring volunteers will be provided with the necessary training and=20 materials, including a CD of Minnesota=92s northern owl calls.<SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman"><B><U>If you are interested in=20 participating=85.</U></B><U><o:p></o:p></U></FONT></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3D"Times = New Roman">If=20 you are interested in participating in the Owl Monitoring Survey, or = would like=20 additional information, please contact <st1:PersonName><?xml:namespace = prefix =3D=20 st2 ns =3D "urn:schemas:contacts" /><st2:GivenName>Julie</st2:GivenName> = <st2:Sn>O=92Connor</st2:Sn></st1:PersonName> or=20 <st1:PersonName><st2:GivenName>Dave</st2:GivenName>=20 <st2:Sn>Grosshuesch</st2:Sn></st1:PersonName>.<SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We will contact you about the = route,=20 training materials, and datasheets used in the survey.</FONT></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New = Roman"><st1:PersonName><st2:GivenName>Julie</st2:GivenName>=20 <st2:Sn>O=92Connor</st2:Sn></st1:PersonName>: phone #: <st1:phone=20 phonenumber=3D"2183482291">(218) 348-2291</st1:phone>, or email:=20 jpmco...@aol.com</FONT></P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New = Roman"><st1:PersonName><st2:GivenName>Dave</st2:GivenName>=20 <st2:Sn>Grosshuesch</st2:Sn></st1:PersonName>:<SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>phone #: <st1:phone=20 phonenumber=3D"2185257253">(218) 525-7253</st1:phone>, or e-mail: = </FONT><A=20 href=3D"mailto:dgros...@nrri.umn.edu"><FONT=20 face=3D"Times New Roman">dgros...@nrri.umn.edu</FONT></A></P></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Bruce<BR><A=20 href=3D"http://www.arrowheadadventuresmn.com">www.arrowheadadventuresmn.c= om</A></FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2>"I care to live, only to entice people = to<BR> look at=20 Nature's loveliness."<BR>-- John Muir</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_003A_01C62B52.7D534680--