Ever wonder what it would be like to be an ecologist working in the field, cataloguing numbers of threatened species or monitoring migration patterns? With so many ecological initiatives around the Island, Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary needs everyday citizens’ help in maintaining the vibrance and uniqueness of our Vineyard habitats.
By participating in the Citizen Science program, regular folks can become scientists: Whether it’s monitoring osprey nests for fledgling chicks, or counting the number of spawning horseshoe crabs during the full or new moon, you can be an active part in preserving the well-being of many distinctive species.
Felix Neck director Suzan Bellincampi told The Times engaging people in their surroundings and helping them form a connection with nature is essential to creating an environmentally conscious populace. She said when people begin the Citizen Science program, they often become more aware of how their actions affect the natural world.
“This program really gets people involved. You gain a better appreciation for nature, and start to understand that all your actions play a part — everything is connected,” Bellincampi said.
There are a number of programs that people can volunteer to take part in, such as the osprey monitoring program or the odonate and damselfly survey program.
The osprey monitoring program, which was launched in the 1970s by original sanctuary director Gus Ben David and a number of volunteers, was the initial effort to track migratory birds and count the number of nesting pairs of osprey on Martha’s Vineyard.
According to Felix Neck naturalist Liz Dengenis, the osprey population on-Island was originally as few as two nesting pairs, but thanks to the efforts of many dedicated volunteers, the population has flourished to around 100 nesting pairs as of 2019.
Since osprey are particular about their preferred nesting space, tall poles were erected by Ben David at the outset of the project so the osprey would be encouraged to settle there.
Many of the poles are located on private property, so Dengenis said those folks with osprey nests on their land are often the active osprey monitors for those locations.
“Some people get really into it, and even name the birds they are assigned. People are always very willing to contribute, because for them it is enjoyable, and becomes a big part of their life,” Dengenis said.
One osprey monitor, Kathy Kinsman, recently started the program after seeing a presentation at the West Tisbury library by Felix Neck naturalists.
Kinsman said she had always been fascinated by birds, and enjoys bird watching in her backyard off Old County Road. Because Kinsman lives near multiple nests, she offered to volunteer as an osprey monitor.
“I figured I might be able to help with the nests at Long Point and at the Brickworks Chimney because of my location, but I was also very interested in learning more about the birds,” Kinsman said.
Kinsman is also a retired teacher, and said she fondly remembers teaching a class on birds of prey.
When she first travelled to the Brickworks Chimney pole, Kinsman said she saw birds flying around with sticks in their beaks and claws, but there was no nest to be found.
A few weeks later, she traveled again to the pole, and a full nest had been built in that short time.
Now, Kinsman said, the Long Point nest is the only nest she visits that contains chicks. “It’s very interesting to witness the behavior that goes on at the Long Point nest,” Kinsman said. Sometimes, if the birds are too young to mate, they will “play house” and build a nest to accommodate pretend chicks, according to Kinsman.
Osprey monitors are required to fill out a data collection sheet, which includes the date the nest is first established, any time the adults are seen feeding their young, and when the chicks are beginning to fledge (chicks hover above their nest as they learn to fly).
Kinsman said that, although she just started the osprey monitoring program, she has already learned a lot about the unique and intelligent Island birds.
Although Dengenis said there are currently no new osprey poles being built, homeowners in advantageous locations near the water used to be able to request that a pole be placed on their land. That person would then monitor the pole for any osprey that might move in.
But supporting the local osprey population is just one of the ways that people can contribute to the health of our Island ecology.
Horseshoe crabs are a fairly abundant species here on Martha’s Vineyard. During full and new moons, the crabs (which are actually arthropods) begin their spawning ritual. Hundreds of crabs line the shores of Tashmoo and other Vineyard beaches, and the volunteers that count these mating animals do so for a very specific reason.
Horseshoe crabs are often used as bait to fish for eels and conch, but most are harvested for their blood, which is a valuable resource in the medical field. The blood from the crabs is used to detect bacterial endotoxins in medical applications. For these reasons, the crabs are often overharvested. Horseshoe crab survey volunteers head out to Tashmoo to do an inventory of the crabs and track trends in population density. Horseshoe crabs are a vital food source for migratory shorebirds and other marine animals, and must be protected from overfishing.
At Tashmoo, horseshoe crab survey volunteers scoured the shoreline for any sign of the ancient animals. Divots in the sand where the crabs had burrowed down deep to lay their eggs could be seen all along the beach.
Using three poles each connected by 6 meters of rope, the surveyors sectioned off areas of shoreline and searched each area for any sign of life.
After searching five sections of beach, one citizen scientist, Nelle Agin, called out, “Here’s one!”
The horseshoe crab, an old male, was writhing its arms and digging into the sand where Agin stood.
That crab ended up being the only one the group found that day, but horseshoe crab survey leader Sue Streeter said sometimes hundreds of the spiny sea creatures can be seen under the light of the moon. “One of the nights that I was out, there may have even been triple digits of horseshoe crabs. They come to breed when the moon cycle is right,” Streeter said.
Agin said she finds horseshoe crabs fascinating because of their medical use, and their strange, otherworldly appearance.
“I wanted to come out here to do this [volunteering] because it sounded really interesting, and I wanted to know more about these animals,” Agin said.
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a citizen scientist, contact Liz Dengenis at 508-627-4850, ext. 9412, or send an email to ldengenis@massaudubon.org.