Community Science

WILDLIFE DATA OBSERVATION COLLECTION

Many people enjoy observing wildlife. At Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, there are opportunities for volunteers to join community science programs that allow members of the public to take part in collecting important data while spending time outdoors.

Community Scientists:

• Care about protecting wildlife and the natural world
• Enjoy observing nature with fellow outdoor enthusiasts
• Contribute critical scientific data to community science programs like the NYS Nest Box Survey and Monarch Larva Monitoring Project
• Learn about current environmental issues

Five Rivers EEC has several long-running community science programs:

Bluebird Monitoring: Monitor and maintain bluebird nest boxes at Five Rivers to help ensure a successful nesting season for bluebirds and other native birds. Volunteers meet once a week and spend 1-2 hours in the field visiting and  collecting data from nest boxes. March-August

Monarch Monitoring: Join volunteers across the globe in conserving monarchs and advancing our understanding of butterfly ecology and migration. Volunteers meet at Five Rivers once a week and spend an hour in the field recording signs of monarch butterflies. June-August

Bat Survey: Help monitor a maternity colony of breeding bats at Five Rivers. Volunteers meet 3-4 times over the summer around dusk to count bats emerging from the Jones Barn, a summer roosting site for Little Brown Bats. July-August

Winter Raptor Survey: Help monitor wintering raptor species on our grassland habitat. Volunteers meet at Five Rivers twice a month and spend an hour, centered around sunset, scanning for and recording raptor species on Five Rivers’ grasslands. December-March

To learn more about community science programs at Five Rivers, check out the Five Rivers Community Science brochure.

To learn about opportunities outside of Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, check out DEC’s Community Science webpage.

For further information on the above opportunities, please call the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center at (518) 475-0291 or email 5rivers@dec.ny.gov