[Awclist] August 1 Amphibian Monitoring

[Steve Harris]

Thanks to Tom, Scott, Paul, David, Wendy and Eric, for answering the  
call for volunteers in the Doodle Poll.  It appear that most  
respondents are available to assist on August 1-3 and, absent any  
communication to the contrary from the BEMP leaders, I'm ready to  
advance planning around that date.

Based on our experience doing the monitoring earlier this summer, here  
is the way the event might lay out.  Eight investigators, armed with  
sampling equipment, organized into 4 teams of two, each pair riding a  
raft navigated by oarsmen.  According to a sampling plan supplied by  
Ryan at BLM, investigators will stop at irregular intervals (four  
times during the day) and conduct a survey protocol, taking about one  
hour each.  I will row one boat and I anticipate either that Dan Shaw  
or BLM will supply a second raft, leaving a need for two (maybe 3) AWC  
volunteers who can support 2 student investigators, each. The party  
(of 12) will travel together as much as possible and, of course,  camp  
together.

There is an issue of provisioning the event.  In May, the Chama Flow  
Project provided meals for the investigators, but is hoping to reduce  
its expenses by recruiting the assistance of the participants (or AWC)  
in supplying two breakfasts and two dinners.

Our mission in all this is to initiate annual monitoring trips, which  
may help begin to address the absence of wetlands habitats and  
amphibians in the Wild and Scenic Rio Chama.

I'll ask that each of you reply to this message, registering your  
continued willingness (or UN-willingness) to participate.  Once I have  
your phone and e-mail contacts, we can arrange a call to finalize the  
event.

For the river,

Steve Harris
Rio Grande Restoration
HCR 69 Box 3-C
Embudo, NM 87531

home/office: 575-751-1269
fax: same
Mobile: 575-770-2502

steve.harris39 at gmail.com