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Park visitors to try hands at research

July 16th, 2010

By Bill Redekop

Source: Winnipeg Free Press

Volunteers to help study vegetation, wildlife

RIDING MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK — The three-woman boat crew plies the high seas of Clear Lake in glorious sunshine, chasing northern pike hard-wired with transmitters, and pulling up creels of slimy sculpin.

For these summer students employed by the wildlife lab at Riding Mountain National Park, it’s a dirty job but someone’s gotta do it.

Now, that someone could be you.

The national park is launching a “citizen scientist” program where ordinary Joes and Josephines can join everything from this summer’s archeological dig at the park’s former POW camp to following transmitter-clad pike by boat using a hand-held antenna.

For years, summer students have lined up for jobs to augment the wildlife lab’s field work. The voluntary citizen scientist program hopes to expand that labour force further.

The park gave the Free Press a tour of some research projects citizen scientists will be recruited for. The first ones started this week, helping students haul up creels of slimy sculpin. Changes in the size or population of the scaleless minnow are one of the first signs of change in lake oxygen levels.

Being a citizen scientist also promises to be fun. “Who doesn’t want to get out on a boat and take samples and get a little bit wet and find out what’s actually going on? It is in many respects way more interesting than watching CSI because you are personally involved, ” said information officer Cate Watrous.

“The other part of it is these projects promote public engagement with the research in the park. The more interested people there are, the more people will be aware of and supportive of measures to protect the environment.”

The key to the program will be the length of time private citizens are willing to commit. It’s uncertain whether the research work will be for a day, a week or a month, said Christian Tremblay, in charge of program protocol.

Another project that will need citizen scientists is making an inventory of Riding Mountain’s 50 lakes besides Clear Lake. The project involves use of an underwater camera and gathering samples of macrophytes — leafy underwater plants.

“I keep thinking I’ll see the Ogopogo,” joked summer student employee, Heather Gray, referring to the legendary lake monster of Lake Okanagan, while looking through the underwater camera on Moon Lake.

Gray and Eric Anderson of the University of Winnipeg head the project, which will also record levels of phosphorus, nitrogen, dissolved oxygen, acidity and algae in lakes. Citizen scientists could help gather macrophyte samples, measure lake depths and even paddle.

“It’s easier to get behind some scientific project when something is being threatened, whereas people see Clear Lake as almost invincible,” said Watrous.

That’s not the case. “Part of the research here is to find out what the lake’s threshold is.”

For example, tracking the 40 jackfish fitted with transmitters will help Riding Mountain staff determine how best to protect fish from human activity, Watrous said.

“It’s a fantastic program,” said George Hartlen, manager of Friends of Riding Mountain, which is working with the park on the program. “It’s a great way of getting locals, visitors and students to understand some of the research happening.”

The wildlife lab’s programs are often funded jointly with other levels of government. For example, it has $1.6 million in funding over three years for a bovine tuberculosis monitoring program and the above-mentioned Clear Lake research.

People interested in being citizen scientists should call 1-204-848-0573, or the park’s visitor centres at 1-204-848-7228.

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 16, 2010 A6

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