Measuring success:Community groups and

environmental restorationMonica Peters, PhD candidate

Supervisors: David Hamilton FSEN, Chris Eames TEMS

Restored wetland, Otarata

How can groups ensure that their data are needed, relevant, desired, useable, accessible and timely? -Weiler, 2007

Strategic monitoring

Citizen science!

…Japan's citizen scientists map radiation, DIY-style… …Citizen "Scientists" Track Birds in BP-Spill Zone… …60,000 participants in 100 countries help map the retina online...

… Join our Roadkill Survey for Road Bikers…

ResearchOnline Questionnaire: 540 groups/NZ – 292 responses

Core activities, monitoring –how, why and what, data use

Top LHS – www.naturespace.org.nzBottom RHS - www.waicare.org.nz

www.monicalogues.com

Findings

• Most groups well established 11+yrs; 6-12 core members; most in 51-65yr age group – not retirees!

• Partnerships: stronger with Regional council than

DOC

• Responses from all regions; projects mainly rural: forest, stream, wetland ecosystems as focal points

• Key activities: Planting, weeding, pest control, ed/advocacy

• 48% groups science-based monitoring for 6+yrs

…I think too much time can be spent on monitoring and not enough on killing invasive introduced species.

…methods for what we would want to measure (e.g. inverts) are not very suitable.

…All that we need is someone motivated to drive the set up of a monitoring programme and get the relevant agencies on board.

Monitoring …no

44%

53%

Monitoring …yes

44%54%

23%

18%

12%

Photopoints

5-Minute Bird Counts

Residual Trap Catch Index

Vegetation plots

Stream invertebrates

Lizard counts

Foliar Browse

Data use & monitoring priorities

60%59%

60% 49%

63%

41%

59%

37%

28%

Management

Accountability

EducationSupporting applications

Decision-making

46%

Context: national

LWF “Community... will be actively engaged in

the development and implementation of the

[regional freshwater] plan...”

DOC “... eventually more conservation

outcomes are achieved through the efforts of

others than by DOC itself... targeting an increase

in conservation work of 15% from these groups

over the next 4 years...”

FUNDERS ...quantify value of restoration

Making monitoring happen

• Attitude – valuing community generated data

• User-friendly tools

• Technical support – monitoring training, QA/QC

• Data transfer – web-based interfaces

• Institutional systems – enabling effective data use

LHS & Middle: www.opalexplorenature.orgRHS : www.waicare.org.nz

“Innovationing”“Innovationing”

Community groups finding solutions

Keep in touch:

(Info on Blog etc)ThanksProf. David Hamilton, FSEN, University of Waikato

Dr. Chris Eames, TEMS, University of Waikato

Dr. Mira Peter, Ed, University of Waikato

Community groups & supporters