"Science shows us that small changes in the way properties are managed can make a huge impact towards improving our environment," said Megan Whatton, project manager for Habitat Network at The Nature Conservancy. "Creating and conserving nature within cities, towns and neighborhoods are key to global conservation."
The mapping tool is also a social network, inviting participants to share information and learn from their neighbors. And over time, the self-reported information from citizen scientists using the Habitat Network will provide data the Conservancy and the Lab can use to understand how much habitat exists in our cities and towns and what role that habitat can play in benefiting wildlife and humans.
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A swallowtail butterfly rests on a liatris plant. Photo by Shane Marvelli, Habitat Network member. |
"The number and diversity of butterfly species on our property is impressive, especially considering there were essentially zero when we moved in," said Richard Barry, of Essex, Massachusetts, who has mapped his property with Habitat Network. "The other big success has been the bird life visiting us…often there is a big crowd of birds using the stream as a birdbath."
The Habitat Network website, which builds on prior habitat programs at the Cornell Lab and the Conservancy, already has 345,000 users–primarily in the United States–who have mapped more than 20,000 yards, gardens, and parks.
"It’s a great way to get to know your yard better. You are really the expert about what’s going on around your house or neighborhood, and we want to tap into that expertise in a way that can benefit the scientific community," said Rhiannon Crain, project leader for Habitat Network at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
The Nature Conservancy and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are also launching a two-year initiative in a handful of pilot cities where they will work with local organizations to test best practices for creating habitats in urban areas. For example, in Seattle, The Nature Conservancy will use the Habitat Network to track the progress of an initiative to install 20,000 rain gardens across the city.
Additional projects could include planting native trees for shade or to improve air and water quality, and efforts to boost pollinator populations. Boston, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., will develop Habitat Network pilot projects in coordination with local partners over the coming year.
Go to
www.habitat.network to sign up for an account and get started mapping, sharing, and learning about sustainable practices you can implement in yards, schoolyards, parks, and corporate campuses.
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Editors: Download photos and sample maps.
Contacts:
Pat Leonard, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, (607) 254-2137, pel27@cornell.edu
Lisa Park, The Nature Conservancy, (408) 821-9255, lpark@tnc.org