Goosy Call!

$10
Raised of $7,000 Goal
1%
Ended on 10/22/13
Campaign Ended
  • $10
    pledged
  • 1%
    funded
  • Finished
    on 10/22/13

About This Project

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What is the context of this research?

The primary objective of this project is to demonstrate and establish an interactive mapping and reporting system that will record real-time incidences of Aleutian goose presence and activities on public and private land in northern California.

What is the significance of this project?

This research is urgently needed because local farmers are losing pasture to migrating geese that graze on the same grass their cattle eat. They need a way to alert local scientists and natural resource managers that the geese are on their property and the numbers. This will help managers record real-time goose incidents on private that they can use to establish alternative refugia for the geese and possibly compensate the farmers.

Benefits of this project will include:

1)Establishment of an accurate, easy to use, verifiable system of Aleutian goose incident reporting that may be maintained over the long term by any entity.

2)Increased public awareness of Aleutian goose ecology and human impacts through public participation and ownership.

3)Accurate reporting that may be used to guide and advance policy surrounding management of public lands and relief to private landowners.

4)Scientific merit through improved understanding of Aleutian goose migration patterns through northern California and a learning tool for students.

What are the goals of the project?

1) The first step will involve setting up and testing the mobile crowd-sourcing platform.The platform is freely available online, but needs to be customized to meet the specific objectives of our project.Some suggested information to be collected will include:

a.Exact location of the occurrence using the mobile devices’ GPS capabilities.

b.A photograph of the occurrence, which can also be geo-referenced.

c.Aleutian goose flock activity (roosting/ grazing/ flying).

d.Reporters name and contact information, expertise (amateur/advanced) and ancillary information (citizen-scientist/ landowner/ student, etc.).

2) The innovative crowd-sourcing platform will instantaneously map incidences, tabulate and process data into figures.Processed data may also be used to establish the duration of Aleutian goose presence at any given location and overall migration pattern.

3) The next step will involve outreach to the public and education about the various ways to report Aleutian goose occurrences (mobile phone/tablet app, personal computer (laptop or desktop) or verbal e.g., phone call).We will contact local media outlets, post notices and announce the availability of the platform at meetings.

4) During fall migration 2014, we will conduct a preliminary test of the crowd-sourcing platform and establish a system of randomly selecting incident report locations for verification by trained surveyors (primarily Humboldt State University students).We will then adapt the spring migration reporting system based on our experience.Reported incidences will be verified using multiple methods including random surveys by experienced biologists, overlapping reports and photographic evidence submitted by the original reporter.

5) Data will be mapped and pre-processed by the online platform and a final report will be generated based on the findings.The final report will be disseminated to the public via presentations at local meetings and media outlets where possible.

Budget

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The budget will cover student intern time and mileage as well as equipment used to identify and locate incidence reports.

Meet the Team

Sharon Kahara
Sharon Kahara
Researcher

Affiliates

Ph.D. Wildlife and Fisheries - South Dakota State University (USA)

MSc. Environmental Science and Technology - International Institute for Infrastructural, Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering (The Netherlands)

BSc. Biological Science - Jomo Kenyatta university of Agriculture and Technology (Kenya)

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Team Bio

I'm an aquatic ecologist specializing in wetland habitats and their wildlife. My research interests involve modeling wildlife habitat relationships to gain a better understanding of the relationship between landscape changes and population dynamics. The most intense and life-changing experience I've had was while conducting research on Nairobi's Rivers. We collected samples from some of the most heavily polluted streams in the world, flowing through Africa's largest slum. Further downstream, we kept an eye out for crocodiles and hippos, while viewing amazingly diverse birds. I developed this project to integrate new mobile technologies into my work to help the public understand and invest in wildlife issues that affect them and their neighbors. Most of the funds will be spent reimbursing student interns for their time and mileage. Thanks for looking and helping out!

Sharon Kahara

I'm an aquatic ecologist specializing in wetland habitats and their wildlife. My research interests involve modeling wildlife habitat relationships to gain a better understanding of the relationship between landscape changes and population dynamics. The most intense and life-changing experience I've had was while conducting research on Nairobi's Rivers. We collected samples from some of the most heavily polluted streams in the world, flowing through Africa's largest slum. Further downstream, we kept an eye out for crocodiles and hippos, while viewing amazingly diverse birds. I developed this project to integrate new mobile technologies into my work to help the public understand and invest in wildlife issues that affect them and their neighbors. Most of the funds will be spent reimbursing student interns for their time and mileage. Thanks for looking and helping out!

Lab Notes

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Additional Information




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