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February 1, 2019

Opportunity to help DNR Track Bald Eagle Nests and Frog and Toad Populations

It’s 10:00 on a summer night along a gravel road anywhere in Iowa. In the farm pond next to the road a raucous chorus of male frogs are making themselves heard as they vie for mates. A volunteer stands clipboard in hand, ear cocked, mentally sorting out each of the calling species which are using this seemingly ordinary pond.

Skip over to a Saturday morning by the river where another volunteer has binoculars and spotting scope trained on the tallest tree in the vicinity. In this tree is a huge nest, home to two bald eagles and their young. A peaceful half hour is spent watching one of the most spectacular birds in North America.

All across the state of Iowa, citizen scientists are making enormous contributions to wildlife conservation. Both of the volunteers described above were trained through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring Program (VWMP). Program Coordinator Stephanie Shepherd explains, “We just don’t have enough staff in the DNR to adequately monitor all the vulnerable species that we need to. This is where citizen scientists play a crucial role.” Every March and April, Shepherd travels around the state to lead training workshops that ready folks to collect data on some of Iowa’s critical wildlife.

So what are these critical wildlife species? One training workshop focuses on some of Iowa’s more spectacular bird species such as bald eagles, ospreys, and peregrine falcons. Volunteers are taught how to collect data on specific nesting sites around the state and submit pertinent data such as how many young birds fledge. “This data collection requires lots of patience and some good optics [binoculars and/or spotting scope] in order to watch the nest from a distance and not disturb the birds,” Shepherd indicates. Last year volunteers reported on over 150 bald eagle nests across the state.

The second survey requires a keen ear. Volunteers are trained to listen to and recognize the 16 species of frogs and toads in Iowa based on their breeding calls. In 2018, volunteers surveyed 54 survey routes which translate into a little over 400 wetland sites monitored for frog and toad activity. “The frog and toad surveyors are particularly special because to perform the surveys they have to drive back country roads at night along a specified route with only their ears to collect data with,” Shepherd says. “I think most feel that exploring the Iowa wilds at night is a unique experience and opportunity.”

Interested volunteers must register for and attend a training workshop. The Iowa DNR is partnering with the Scott, Wapello, Mahaska and Sioux County Conservation Boards to host the following workshops:

Bird Nest Monitoring Workshops

Anyone interested in being a Bald Eagle Nest Monitor must participate in some training.

• March 16: Environmental Learning Center at Caldwell Park, Mahaska County Conservation, Oskaloosa, IA (east side on Highway 92). 1:00 to 4:30 pm.
• April 13: Sioux County Conservation, Oak Grove Lodge, Oak Grove Park, 4051 Cherry Ave., Hawarden, IA 51023. 9:30-12:30

Frog and Toad Call Survey Workshops

Workshop is required to participate in the Frog and Toad Call Survey.

• April 2: Pioneer Ridge Nature Center; Wapello County Conservation, 1339 Highway 63, Bloomfield, IA 52537, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
• April 8: Wapsi River Environmental Center, Scott County Conservation, 31555 52nd Ave., Dixon, IA 52745, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
• April 9: Boone Wildlife Research Station, 1436 255th St, Boone IA 50036 (by Ledges State Park), 6:30 to 9:30 pm.
• April 13: Sioux County Conservation, Oak Grove Lodge, Oak Grove Park, 4051 Cherry Ave., Hawarden, IA 51023, 1:00 to 4:00 pm. 

There is a $5 fee to cover workshop materials. For more information, go to http://www.iowadnr.com/vwmp/ or e-mail vwmp@dnr.iowa.gov