Volunteer Opportunity
Nature Area Monitor
Location(s): Burnham Park , Columbus Park , Douglas Park Cultural & Community Center , Garfield Park , Gompers Park , Humboldt Park , Hurley Playlot Park , Indian Boundary Park & Cultural Center , Jackson Park , Marquette Park , McKinley Park , Montrose Beach , North Park Village Nature Center , Northerly Island , South Shore Cultural Center , Washington Park , Winnemac ParkContact Phone: 312.742.4072
Contact email: Volunteer Contact Email
Volunteer Description:
The Chicago Park District Butterfly Monitoring Program
The Chicago Park District Butterfly Monitoring Program is a citizen scientist program monitoring the health of butterfly populations atChicago Park District nature areas. Following the success of the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network, we have established a yearly monitoring program. Through this project we hope to be able to gain a greater knowledge of the butterfly species present in our park system. The Park District, with the assistance of the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network, will provide training and sites to be monitored.
Volunteers are required to:
° Learn to identify common butterflies likely to be found in our park system
° Conduct at least 6 site visits between June and early August
° Spend 20 to 30 minutes walking the route during each visit
° Submit data sheets at the end of the season, which are then added to the CPD butterfly database
° Attend a butterfly monitoring workshop held in the spring.
The 2009 Butterfly Monitoring Workshop will be held on May 9th at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum from 10am until noon.Please e-mail Vince Olivares(volivares@naturemuseum.org) at the Nature Museum to register
For more information, please contact the Volunteer Stewardship Coordinator at (312) 742-4072.
Dragonfly Monitoring Network through the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
The Dragonfly Monitoring Network is a citizen scientist program monitoring the health of dragonfly populations throughout the Chicago area. After the success of the Butterfly Monitoring Network, dragonflies represent a next step in collecting data on insect populations and their response to land management techniques. Through this project we hope to be able to gain a greater knowledge of the distribution and abundance of dragonfly and damselfly species in the Chicagoland region and eventually to expand the network across Illinois and beyond. Chicago Park District is helping support the DMN by linking volunteers with Chicago parks.
Volunteers are required to:
° Learn to identify key dragonfly and damselfly species
° Conduct at least 6 site visits between late May and late September
° Spend 1 to 2 hours walking the route during each visit
° Submit data sheets at the end of the season, which are then added to the DMN database
° Attend a dragonfly monitoring workshop held in the spring (APRIL 25th, 2009)
The Spring 2009 training workshop will be held at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum on April 25th from 10am to 1pm. For more information or to register for the workshop, contact Craig Stettner at 847.925.6214 or cstettne@harpercollege.edu.
Bird Conservation Network (BCN) Census Monitors
If you are an avid birder at a Chicago Park District nature area, you are encouraged to become involved in the Chicago Wilderness BCN Census. The BCN Census uses citizen scientists to capture bird distribution and abundance information for birds in the Chicago region. For more information about the BCN program or to become a BCN monitor for a Chicago Park, please visit http://www.bcnbirds.org/censusinfo.html.
Rare Plant Monitors with Chicago Wilderness Plants of Concern
Plants of Concern, a regional rare plant monitoring program coordinated by the Chicago Botanic Garden, aims to gather standardized information on the status of our region’s rare plants. Believe it or not, the Chicago Park District’s nature areas are home to several rare and/or endangered plant species. To learn more about the program, please visit the program’s website at http://www.plantsofconcern.org/.
We are currently looking for anew plant monitor in 2009 for a rare plant population at a Chicago Park District nature area.To find out more information please contact the Volunteer Stewardship Coordinator at 312-742-4072.
