A joint project with US Fish and Wildlife
Service, US Army, and Washington State University. The project is also cooperating with Amstad Farms,
Frederickson Farms, and Agri-Northwest.



We are recruiting volunteers for help on
a curlew research project researching reproductive ecology. We need up to 3 volunteers for multiple days
a week between 17 April and 10 June.
Volunteers will help search for Long-billed curlew nests. Nests will be located using rope dragging
methods or project prairie bird techniques.
Rope dragging is where the rope floats along the top of the vegetation
flushing curlews from their nest. Rope
dragging is most effective in the middle of the day. This means that we will be dragging during
the hotter part of the day. Project prairie bird technique utilizes bamboo to
flush birds from the ground.



Logistics: We typically would meet at
7:30am at Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge near Irrigon, OR and begin searching
for nests around 8am. However, the
location to meet can change depending on 1) which field site we will drag at 2)
the travel route of the volunteers. Please
prepare for a full day in the hot sun.
You will need a lunch, water, sunhat, and sunscreen. We should arrive back at Umatilla refuge by
4pm. If a full day is not possible, please
make the necessary arrangements with your own vehicle. Temporary housing at
Umatilla refuge may be available for those who are interested in helping multiple
days and require a place to stay. Please
contact me for information concerning housing.




Volunteers need only be able to hike for
multiple hours, be able to recognize a curlew, and have an interest to help. Students
are encouraged to participate and can get experience and exposure with various
methods used to find nests of ground nesting birds.



Contact: Email Sidra Blake at Sidra_Blake AT fws.gov
(please put curlew in the subject heading) or at 509-430-3055