By Dr. Doug Tozer, Director, Waterbirds and Wetlands, Birds Canada; and Kathy Jones, Volunteer Manager and Biologist, Birds Canada
The latest results from the Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program are now available in the program’s annual newsletter,The Marsh Monitor. The issue is jam-packed with dozens of fascinating graphs and other illustrations, along with examples of how the program conserves wetland wildlife. For instance, using the program’s data we demonstrate the importance of muskrats for marsh birds given the muskrat’s feeding activities create pools of open water within thick matts of wetland vegetation that most marsh birds love. Unfortunately, muskrats are decreasing for unknown reasons, so we must take steps to help ensure this aspect of high-quality marsh bird habitat is maintained.
Amazingly, 2024 was the program’s 30th year, an impressively-long tenure that is almost unheard of in wildlife monitoring, and a huge testament to the program’s value! Given that the program has been in place for such a long time, the results are getting really interesting, as well as more useful for conservation. The data are starting to span across multiple periods of high and low Great Lakes water levels, which brings power to predicting how birds and frogs will respond to future lake level extremes due to climate change. With this, we can take action to help them thrive.
The program also helps conserve wetlands and wildlife in numerous additional ways, such as contributing to The State of Canada’s Birds report, guiding migratory bird joint ventures (see the Black Duck Joint Venture section on pg. 32 of Habitat Matters), and supporting the State of the Great Lakes report.
Check out the details in the newsletter to find out more.
Virginia Rail spotted on a Great Lakes MMP route. Photo: Wayne Patzer
Birds Canada delivers the Marsh Monitoring Program throughout southern Canada—in British Columbia, the Prairies (2008-2012), Great Lakes, Quebec, and the Maritimes. The success of the program would not be possible without the dedication of volunteer participants and regional coordinators who generously give their time and effort for the cause, so thank you! To find out more about the Marsh Monitoring Program, why it matters, and how to get involved, please visit here.
You might also be interested in a program focused on wetland birds and amphibians for beginners called MarshWatch, which you can learn more about on the program’s webpage.
