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NWP Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists - Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, Stevensville, Montana, USA

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Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, Stevensville, Montana, USA
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lobita



Registered: December 2008
City/Town/Province: Missoula
Posts: 1
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The environment and its preservation are very important to me. I was born and raised in Missoula, Montana and the breathtaking beauty of the mountains, creeks and wildlife here has lent me a great appreciation for our planet. I love the wild places of the world; I want to make sure they will remain as they are. I volunteer at the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana to help preserve nature and wildlife.
The Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1963 to provide suitable migratory bird habitat. The primary mission of the Refuge is to protect healthy habitat for wildlife, focusing on native, endangered and threatened species. The refuge offers two and a half miles of nature trails and a Wildlife Viewing Area to provide opportunity for the public to enjoy Refuge wildlife and wetlands. Because many fish-eating birds such as osprey, great blue heron and bald eagles depend on healthy fisheries, preserving vigorous stream ecosystems is of great importance to the Refuge. Native trout species are an integral part of a healthy Montana stream, but unfortunately are only found in small numbers in the streams flowing through the refuge.
As an environmentally concerned volunteer, I work with many of the refuge staff and a forest service fisheries biologist to help restore the riparian ecosystems on the refuge. This summer, we installed eight temperature sensors in key locations on the refuge to see what sort of adverse impact some of the ponds were having on the temperature of the streams. High water temperatures are detrimental to native trout, and temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius can be lethal. I spent many long hours in the field monitoring the sensors and recording their status. I checked the water level to insure they remained submerged throughout the summer, and helped record many of the species found in different reaches of the stream. At the end of October, we removed the sensors and downloaded the temperature readings onto one of the refuge’s computers.
We are currently using the data to predict the best methods of restoration for native trout species on the refuge. We are working to reinstate nature’s original condition, and to provide a healthier ecosystem for the wildlife on the refuge. We are presenting our findings to the staff at the refuge soon, and hope to provide easy and efficient ways to decrease water temperature in the streams. This spring I hope to be planting trees on the banks of Burnt Fork Creek and Three Mile Creek to help overheated trout.
We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children. I volunteer in order to ensure that my children may experience the magnificence of nature. I donate my time to help heal our abused and ravaged Mother Earth, because if we do not take care of her now, it will soon be too late. The Lee Metcalf National Wildlife provides a sanctuary for the incredible wildlife native to our state, and I am proud to do my part to help preserve and further restore such a precious resource.
· Date: December 7, 2008 · Views: 6778 · File size: 45.1kb, 420.8kb · : 1500 x 1125 ·
Hours Volunteered: 163
Volunteers: 4
Authors Age & Age Range of Volunteers: 17 to 57
Area Restored for Native Wildlife (hectares): 1120
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