Goals of Mass Audubon's Odonate Monitoring Project

In 2004, the Biodiversity Program of the Massachusetts Environmental Trust provided Mass Audubon with a two-year grant to initiate a study the distribution and abundances of odonates throughout Massachusetts. Fieldwork for this ongoing project has been conducted primarily on Mass Audubon sanctuaries.

The goals of the project are as follows:

1. Enhance our knowledge of the distribution and abundance of odonates throughout Massachusetts.
2. Provide new information to county and statewide databases on odonates, particularly related to rare species
3. Help guide statewide land protection and other conservation efforts by determining to what extent the odonate fauna of Mass Audubon sanctuaries is representative of the region
4. Form partnerships with other organizations and state agencies that are interested in using our methods, expertise, and information
5. Engage the public's interest in becoming active in protecting aquatic biodiversity.

How is Mass Audubon's Odonate Monitoring Project being carried out?

Fieldwork

We have carried out several types of sampling:

1. General searches of likely odonate habitats on sanctuaries to develop species lists. This was generally non quantitative (presence/absence) or semi quantitative (the observer made a qualitative estimate of abundance in a defined section of the sanctuary). Our focus has been on sanctuaries that have not been sampled extensively for odonates in previous years.
2. Estimating abundance through sampling a known distance along a transect, i.e., a modified "Pollard Walk." An observer counts all odonates within five meters on either side of the transect.
3. Estimating abundances through point counts, in which the observer remains in one place and counts odonates passing by within a five-meter radius in 10 minutes. Point counts were used for abundance estimates where the observer's mobility was limited.
4. Searches along the edges of ponds, rivers, and other wetlands for exuviae, the cast off exoskeleton of nymphs. The presence of exuviae indicates that the species has bred in that wetland or water body.

Contact rbuchsbaum@massaudubon.org if you are interested in receiving an electronic copy of the complete sampling protocols.

Data Management

Massachusetts Audubon's odonate database is an Access file that incorporates the older odonate records in our general sanctuary database of species occurrence with the results of our recent sampling. There are over 6000 occurrence records in the odonate database, representing 161 separate sampling stations on 47 sanctuaries. Sampling from 2004 through 2007 added 3500 new records to the species. The database also includes over 800 records from transects and point counts, representing one of the first attempts of which we are aware to gather quantitative information on adult odonate numbers.

Key Staff, Volunteers, and Partners

Staff

• Robert Buchsbaum - Staff Scientist and Project Manager
• Chris Leahy - Bertrand Chair of Natural History
• Taber Allison - Vice President for Conservation Science
• Rene Laubach - Sanctuary Director of Berkshire Sanctuaries
• David Ludlow - Naturalist, sampling in the southeast region
• Taylor Yeager - Naturalist, sampling at Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary
• Fred Saintours - Odonate Field Assistant 2005
• Alexandra (Lexi) Brown - Odonate Field Assistant 2006

Outside Odonate Experts who have volunteered their time and sent us records

• Blair Nikula - shared his extensive records from Cape Cod sanctuaries
• Brian Steinberg - compiled about 2000 records representing over 10 years of sampling at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary
• Ken Shea - led a dedicated cadre of odonate enthusiasts sampling at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary since 2004.
• Jennifer Ryan - formerly of the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, surveyed odonates at Skunknet River Wildlife Sanctuary before joining Mass Audubon's advocacy staff.

We encourage other odonate enthusiasts to send us their records of odonate sightings at Mass Audubon sanctuaries.

Outreach and Education

One goal of Mass Audubon's odonate project has been to engage our staff, volunteers, and other organizations in the study of odonates and promoting their use as environmental indicators. The project has supported a number of staff trainings, has engaged the use of volunteers who have been providing a great deal of data, and has provided information to the Mass Natural Heritage Program. A major component of our outreach has been the production of a laminated pocket field guide to Massachusetts odonates and their habitats. This is a beautifully illustrated guide with artwork by Ed Lam and text by Chris Leahy. It is similar in format to other laminated nature guides that Mass Audubon has produced.

Funding for this project was initially provided by: