Unique Bird Monitoring Project at LTLT Tessentee Bottomland Preserve

 

Southern Appalachian Raptor Research (SARR) is planning the first season of MAPS program bird monitoring in partnership with the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee at the Tessentee Bottomland Preserve for summer, 2010.  MAPS is a nationwide program that monitors the productivity and survivorship of breeding birds at many environments and habitat locales across the country. Please see the MAPS website at http://www.birdpop.org/maps.htm for more information about this national program.  

 

SARR and LTLT are seeking volunteer help for the project. Operating a MAPS station includes lots of duties and activities for volunteers including setup of nets, picking and banding birds, birding surveys, habitat surveys, data recording and data management. MAPS samples are taken once every ten days through the late spring and summer months, when birds are breeding.   You are very welcome to attend and contribute in any way possible, no matter your experience level, or just visit us to see what’s happening!

 

The following table is a probable schedule of when MAPS will be operating at Tessentee in 2010.  Several of the dates are not finalized.  The MAPS banding day is from sunrise to ~noon only (6 hrs), so when volunteering or visiting, plan accordingly.

  

 TESSENTEE  MAPS STATION SCHEDULE 2010

PERIOD	STATION DATE	RAIN DATE
3	May 29	May 30
4	June 6	June 7
5	June 15	June 16
6	June 25	June 28
7	July 3	July 4
8	July 11	July 12
9	July 21	July 22
10	August 1	August 2

 

Tessentee Bottomland Preserve is a conservation project of The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee located along the Little Tennessee River that is being managed for wildlife, water quality, cultural heritage, and recreation. With the recent addition of a 5.6-acre parcel, the property now contains 70 acres of diverse wildlife habitat, ranging from cove hardwood and pine-oak forests to early-successional fields and cedar glades. The bird list for the property now stands at over 120 bird species, with more expected to be added through this project.

 

For more information about SARR and for the 2010 MAPS program news, schedules and results or if you have an interest in joining us for any of the MAPS sessions this summer please visit www.bigbaldbanding.org  SARR will send out an email a few days before the finalized date to remind and encourage your participation.