RRWC, Michigan

The Marsh Monitoring Program (MMP) is seeking volunteers.  See the notice below.

Dear Michigan AOC stakeholders,

I assist to coordinate the Marsh Monitoring Program (MMP), a unique binational marsh bird and amphibian population monitoring initiative of Bird Studies Canada that has successfully engaged hundreds of volunteer Citizen Scientists since 1995 to measure the status and trends of wetland-dependent birds and amphibians, and has provided valuable information about the health and ecological integrity of Great Lakes basin coastal and inland wetlands. For several years our program has worked with many dedicated volunteer participants to track marsh bird and amphibian populations in Michigan, but we are hoping to improve the level of volunteer participation in Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs). By doing so, we aim to improve the capacity for the MMP to report volunteer-collected data to local AOC RAP committees.

Through funding from the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the MMP is looking for enthusiastic and dedicated individuals to act as volunteer MMP regional coordinators for their area, and help increase marsh monitoring activities among local volunteer citizens. Regional coordinators work to recruit, train and support local MMP volunteer participants to help oversee MMP monitoring activities in U.S. and binational AOCs and their surrounding watershed regions. Volunteer MMP regional coordinators will help to expand the presence of the MMP in these AOC regions by helping to promote the program locally, recruit new volunteers, provide them appropriate survey training, and mentor and assist their MMP monitoring activities during the survey season. Coordinators will work closely with MMP staff to complete their tasks and responsibilities.

We are currently looking to recruit one or more volunteer MMP regional coordinators from the following AOC regions in Michigan:
* City of Monroe and surrounding region (River Raisin AOC)
* Detroit and surrounding region (Detroit River and Rouge River AOCs)
* Oakland and Macomb Counties (Clinton River AOC)
* St. Clair County (St. Clair River AOC)
* Bay, Huron, and Saginaw Counties (Saginaw River/Bay AOC)
* Sault Ste. Marie and surrounding region (St. Mary's River AOC)
* Kalamazoo and Allegan Counties (Kalamazoo River AOC)
* Manistique and surrounding region (Manistique River AOC)
* Menominee and surrounding region (Menominee River AOC)
* Keweenaw and Houghton Counties (Torch Lake AOC)

For information about the MMP regional coordinator positions, please view our online regional coordinator brochure at http://www.bsc-eoc.org/download/MMPvolcoordbrochure.pdf, and the position description document at http://www.bsceoc.org/download/MMPvolcoordescription2007.pdf. The brochure includes a registration form for anyone who is interested in applying for the position. Registration forms can either be faxed to 519-586-3532 or the relevant information can be emailed to Ryan Archer at rarcher@bsc-eoc.org. We are hoping to have our coordinators secured by mid-November. For information about the Marsh Monitoring Program itself, please view the MMP webpages at http://www.bsc-eoc.org/volunteer/glmmp/index.jsp?lang=EN&targetpg=index.

It should be noted that suggested coordinator activities are flexible to meet the strengths and time commitments of individual coordinators, and that Bird Studies Canada will be providing coordinators with a set amount of money in the form of a bursary to off-set their coordinator-related costs.

If you decide that you cannot take a coordinator position, or if you simply know of others who might also be interested, we would greatly appreciate you passing along or posting this information.  For more information about the MMP regional coordinator positions, or if you have any questions, please contact Ryan Archer at the contact information below.

Thanks very much,
Ryan Archer

Assistant Coordinator
Marsh Monitoring Program
Bird Studies Canada
P.O. Box 160, Port Rowan, ON, M0E 1M0
Tel: (519) 586-3531 ext. 235
Tel Toll Free: 1-888-448-2473 ext. 235
Email: rarcher@bsc-eoc.org