INVENTORY & MONITORING PROGRAM

Knowing the flora and fauna of Hancock County not only tells us the natural treasures to watch for outdoors, but also helps educate about the changing environment and how best to manage our natural resources from forests to fields or wetlands to wild lands. Various land management procedures and monitoring is conducted throughout the year. These plans are based on scientific knowledge gathered in an on-going Inventory and Monitoring program conducted within the parks and Hancock County by HPD staff and volunteers.

A great way to get involved! Many volunteers are utilized to conduct or assist with a variety of inventories and continued monitoring of our natural areas. The current program consists of the following:

Bluebirds

Duration: March-August

Occurrence: Once a week monitoring of the houses at a site, during the day.

Location: Riverbend Recreation Area, Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Litzenberg Memorial Woods, Blanchard Landing, and Liberty Landing

Responsibilities: Volunteers conduct weekly monitoring and record progress of nest building, egg laying, hatchling development, and fledging of the birds that utilize these boxes. Sparrows are deterred from nesting, but other species such as tree swallow, tufted titmouse, chickadee, and wren are permitted and monitored along with the bluebirds.

Frog/Toad Survey

Duration: March-June

Occurrence: Once a month, third week of each month, after dark.

Locations: Volunteers request a desired Township in Hancock County (current routes: Allen, Cass, Eagle, Jackson , Liberty , Marion , Orange , Pleasant, and Portage )

Responsibilities: Volunteers stop at each of ten pre-chosen sites; listen for frog/toad calls, and record information.

Background: This program is part of The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife that is conducting long-term frog and toad calling count surveys throughout Ohio .

Spring Wildflowers

Duration: Last week of March-mid May

Occurrence: Once a week, during the day.

Locations: Litzenberg Memorial Woods and Oakwoods Nature Preserve

Responsibilities: Staff and volunteers walk the trails once a week while recording developmental stages of the spring wildflowers in the wooded areas before the summer flowers begin to take over and the tree canopy begins to shade the forest floor. Species locations are also kept as descriptions and/or GPS coordinates. Photography is encouraged and utilized to record development.

Project Feeder Watch

Duration:         November- April

Occurrence:   We count the birds for 2 consecutive days, every other week.  One count day is in the am, usually 7:30-9:30am or 8-10am and the other count day is during lunch from 11am-1pm.  Count days vary – are not held on the same days of the week.

Location:         Oakwoods Nature Preserve, Discovery Center

Responsibilities: Count the birds that are in the feeder area behind the Discovery Center .  We keep a record of the birds we see, plus a few weather observations.

Recent Project FeederWatch Bird Counts & Species List

Additional surveys in HPD Areas and Hancock County are conducted as volunteers, finances, and needs arise. Other agencies such as Hancock Soil and Water Conservation District, EPA, ODNR, and OSU Extension can be contacted directly for information relating to their inventories.