Wetland Mapping Verification Field Day 8/30/2024
Wetlands serve many functions- from biodiversity hotspots, water storage and filtration, aquifer replenishment, wildfire breaks and more. However, wetlands are also notoriously tricky to map, and you can’t protect an ecosystem you don’t know is there! The National Wetland Inventory was predominantly done in the 80’s in Oregon with technology less sophisticated than scientists now use. Because of that, our wetland maps no longer tell us the information we need to know! Bark staff and volunteers work alongside Kyla Zaret, Wetland Ecologist for Institute for Natural Resources to update these maps and further protect the valuable wetland ecosystems of the PNW.
Everyone is welcome and no experience necessary! Wetland Mapping Verification field days are moderate to high physical activity days with plenty of stepping over logs, wading into wetland areas and pushing through shrubs. We’ll collect data from all over our site and assess our site to see if the wetland codes on our maps match what we see on the ground. This includes assessing plants, hydrology and soils- be ready to get your hands dirty! This data will then be shared with our wetland mapping partner at the Institute of Natural Resources who will quality check it and then relay the data to the National Wetland Inventory to update public national wetland maps!
For every field day, we will all meet at Gateway/NE 99th Ave. at 9 am. Make sure to meet us at the entrance to the parking garage! From there we will coordinate carpooling to our secondary location. This location will vary depending on the final survey site so keep an eye out for an update/reminder email a few days before the event. At the secondary location, I will share the coordinates for our final destination, and we will caravan together to the site. At the final site, we will do our Land Acknowledgement writing practice, share safety info, talk about the site and then head into the field for some surveying! While in the field, we will stop frequently for breaks, water, snacks and lunch. We will survey for approximately 4 hours, depending on the length of our drive, and return in time to be at the Gateway/99th Ave. Park and Ride between 5 and 6pm.
Before registering:
1. Review our Intro to Wetland mapping verification PowerPoint slides
2. Fill out the Carpool Form (there are tabs at the bottom for each field day)
3. Reserve rubber boots on our Boot Reservation form– we will be in standing water! (there are tabs at the bottom for each field day)
4. Check out our website for more info: Typical Field Day, Field Day Packing List
5. Email Bark with any medical issues (diabetes, allergies, etc.), accommodations, questions or concerns.
Questions? Email Meg@Bark-Out.org