As a life-long lover of the outdoors, I enjoy every chance I can get to be outside. A circuitous career route led me to become a GIS Analyst, but I initially started out as a biologist. While monitoring data on species populations and natural environs is not in my job description, I’ve found that doesn’t mean I can’t incorporate this type of work into my life—in fact, doing so has afforded me a deep sense of satisfaction, along with benefiting our natural environment.
To engage my passion for the outdoors, I’ve worked with a group locally for a number of years called The Prairie Enthusiasts (TPE). This all-volunteer group protects prairie and savanna landscapes throughout the upper Midwest. They’ve initiated science-based monitoring projects over the years to better inform the work they do on the ground.
With the advent of citizen science initiatives, collaborations like these between community volunteers and scientists are now common around the globe. Citizen science monitoring projects are, for me, a fortuitous intersection of personal interests in science, volunteering, and the outdoors. Not only do I get the satisfaction of working on something I really enjoy, but the organization benefits as well. Volunteers tend to stick with a project for a long time, so the data they collect is consistent and accurate. This data fills gaps in knowledge about long-term trends for particular species or habitats—and the data are free, making the available dollars stretch a little further.
I’ve volunteered on two species monitoring projects with TPE. The first was designed to build baseline data on the types of dragonflies attracted to a stream and wet prairie restoration. For the second, I have been contributing to the Regal Fritillary Monitoring project for over 10 years. This beautiful butterfly comes by its name honestly and is endangered in all states east of the Mississippi River. In flight, Regals look similar to Monarchs, but Regals fly with a stately purpose while Monarchs tend to glide with the winds.
The Regal’s preferred prairie habitat has dwindled in the face of ongoing urban and agricultural development. The research project I’m part of is a joint effort between the TPE, the Nature Conservancy, and the Wisconsin DNR. It is designed to assess long-term population patterns of Regal fritillary butterflies across the groups’ restored prairie habitat. The location, presence and numbers of butterflies are observed using a standard protocol by all monitors. The data are analyzed against prairie management practices to measure the effects of the timing and type of practice on butterfly populations.
This project has been very gratifying, knowing my efforts contribute to a larger data bank of knowledge on a rapidly dwindling population. While I’ve certainly experienced personal benefits through my volunteer work—developing friendships over the years and getting to spend time in the beautiful thriving prairie landscapes of southwestern Wisconsin—the satisfaction goes far beyond the individual level. There’s a sense of profound connection that comes with donating time and effort over the long years in pursuit of something that, conceivably, could benefit our community for generations to come.
