MeadoWatch

Day 308 (bonus edition): So what is this "MeadoWatch" thing I was talking about in my earlier post? Well, it's a program developed at the University of Washington to study the response of plants to climate change, particularly in the subalpine meadows where such changes will be most keenly felt. Participants in the program hike along specific transects, stopping at predetermined waypoints where they record the phenological phases of ten focal plant species. Ideally, the program will have up to three individual volunteers or groups of volunteers hiking each transect every day throughout the growth period to limit the error factor inherent in any research involving observation. The broad section of data gathered in this manner is then correlated in such a fashion that patterns can be tracked. Are the flowers earlier at a certain altitude this year than last year? Did snowpack persist later into the season? Are flowers blooming before or after the pollinators for their species arrive? MeadoWatch aids researchers by acquiring hard data from citizen scientists who have more time to spend in the field.

Proud Scouts Plus One

Day 257: Seven young citizen scientists (one of whom declined to be in the photo) earned their Girl Scout Ranger Resource Stewardship badges today. The girls, their three leaders, Ranger Kevin, Centennial Ambassador Ian and I helped them gather phenological data for several species of wildflower alongside the trail to Myrtle Falls (Paradise, Mount Rainier National Park). The girls observed and photographed plants, recording species names (scientific or common), growth phase (leaf, bud, flower or seedhead), as well as GPS coordinates to match each of their photographs. The information and photos will be uploaded to a website when they return home. This session followed an earlier one with me on Thursday, learning the art of "field-guide" photography (as opposed to art photography). These young ladies should be very proud of themselves for the service they have rendered to the Park!