Hi Tweeters,
I'm a couple weeks behind in reading Tweety digests, but thought I would
report on my week in the woods as a volunteer for neotropical migrant
research in Okanogan National Forest, Tonasket Ranger District. This
program, as I understand it, is part of the "Partners in Flight"
research and it is being conducted in various sites throughout
Washington and elsewhere.

I went up last Monday and camped at Conconully State Park all week, and
worked for five days on the vegetative survey for the point-count
stations. (I have some limited experience in plant identification and a
science background. I found out about this project in ABA's Volunteer
Opportunities Directory. I'm assuming others on this list have tried
some of the projects listed in this directory. How was it?)

This spring, two young men went out at ungodly hours to conduct the bird
surveys at the point count stations. The terrain is rugged and steep
and at least 1/4 mile from any trail. These guys left their cars at 4
am (that means they left home at 3 am) and hiked in the woods in the
predawn light without a trail, over pick-up-sticks arrangements of
downed logs, up steep inclines, through bogs, etc. I had originally
thought I'd like to do the bird survey next year, but I've changed my
mind.

Anyway, these same guys and I went out with a forest service employee
for two days of training and then we were on our own, conducting a
vegetative survey to collect data so that experts can determine the type
and quality of the bird habitat. The Subalpine Fir and Engelmann Spruce
area we started in has never been cut; there were no stumps and the
trees were quite large for east side trees. For each station, we
followed a strict protocol to collect data. We documented all the
plants growing in sample plots; we measured dozens of tree diameters and
heights; we measured all down wood along two 164 foot transects; we
documented and measured snags; we ran transects that measured all ground
cover, ...etc., etc., etc. It seemed quite intensive to me. Some of
the trees we measured were over 50 inches in diameter. One was over 130
feet tall.

It was such a cool experience being in untouched forest, off from any
trails. On one of the sites, we heard woodpeckers and one of the guys
who'd conducted the spring survey said they were three-toed, and that
they'd found a nest nearby.

The work was so demanding that I didn't even carry my binocs. Not that
there were many birds to hear or see this late in the season. I did
have a close encounter with a bear; it was close enough that I could
smell it. And we were almost to our study site for the day when we saw
it. I kept imagining I smelled it all that day, and the next, too. But
it was long gone, of course.

The work description in the ABA publication said "must have good mapping
skills and ability to work in difficult terrain." I took it with a
grain of salt, thinking that the USFS just wanted to make sure they
didn't get softies for helpers. HA! Next time, I will believe them.
The guys I worked with said that the stations we were covering were the
EASIEST of the six areas that they monitored. They said on one of the
sections, the terrain is so choked with downed timber and undergrowth
that it took them well over an hour to cover the 1/4 mile to the first
site.

The project I worked on was kind of a "pilot," as I understand it, and
the local Forest Service management is hoping to get full funding to do
the survey over several years. I hope they do. I know one thing: I
have a lot more respect for forest survey workers now; and a much lower
opinion of my fitness level. My bruises and aches and pains are
starting to heal; I'm back at my desk. I'm thinking about next year
already.

Kristi Streiffert
Coulee Dam, WA