Volunteer Natural Heritage Monitoring on Trail Lands (Summer 2004-present)

Mountain spleenwort, Asplenium montanum, a rare fern of the gunks. Photo Credit: Ed McGowan

State Natural Heritage Programs have the difficult task of tracking the status of rare plants, animals, and natural communities, an undertaking that generally outstrips the capacities of these understaffed and under funded state agencies. Through a data-sharing agreement with the NY Natural Heritage Program, the Trail Conference is using volunteers to assist with rare species monitoring in southeastern New York.

Under this program, volunteers receive training in monitoring techniques and then "adopt" a known Natural Heritage occurrence, be it a rare plant colony or animal population, which they will monitor annually.

Volunteers originate from throughout the geographic area served by the Trail Conference, from western Long Island to the Hudson Valley to Northern NJ. The program is receiving technical and logistical support from Troy Weldy, staff Botanist with NY Natural Heritage, who is interested in using this program as a model for similar efforts elsewhere in New York.

Time commitment: spring workshop (date to be determined) and one or more self-directed field visits to a survey site during the appropriate season. Hours are flexible. Location: trail lands in southeastern NY.

Look for further updates on this program here. Contact info@nynjtc.org to get involved.

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