Presenter(s): Mya Ganzer — Environmental Science
Co-Presenter(s): Shane Kreger, Emma Peara, Olivia Holah
Faculty Mentor(s): Peg Boulay, Hannah Gershone
Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—Learning from the Environment
The primary goal of the Birds & Blooms Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) team is to evaluate the effects of the 2016-2018 Oregon white oak and upland prairie restoration project at Dorris Ranch. The team will monitor showy wildflower species, invasive plant species, oak characteristics, and target bird species within the study site at Dorris Ranch. This will allow us to monitor and assess the health of the oaks and the response of the biotic communities dependent on oak woodland and prairie habitats at Dorris Ranch, which will indicate the success and impacts of the 2016-2018 restoration projects. Specifically, our group will conduct presence-absence surveys for target bird species, map wildflower and invasive species populations, create an evaluative census of the Oregon white oaks, and replicate photo points based on a set done in 2020. The data we collect will be compared to previous data that has been collected from Dorris Ranch. The relationships between the datasets, in addition to our new findings will further inform Willamalane Park and Recreations adaptive management decisions and strategies in order to continue the restoration of crucial Oregon white oak habitat and its associated species at Dorris Ranch.