If it crawls, creeps or slithers’we want to know about it.
That’s the message from Brittany Bird, natural resource planner for Oakland County Parks, on the eve of the most comprehensive study ever launched for the more than 6,000 acres of public land in the Oakland County Parks system.
The Herpetological Resource Management, LLC, Environmental Consulting and Technology, Inc., along with Oakland County Parks, have partnered to conduct biological surveys adjacent to recreational areas at area parks. The surveys may include aquatic traps and wooden or metal cover objects along with voluntary observations by parkgoers.
‘We’ve wanted to do this survey for a few years,? she said. ‘The frogs and snakes that use the wetlands and upland areas serve as sentinels if there is a problem with the environment. If numbers are low or high for that matter, the data will reflect just what’s going on in the area. Also the parks are home to a few rare species which includes the eastern massasauga rattlesnake and the Blandings turtle? there are special concern for these animals. Their survival is on the line right now.?.
The public is also encouraged to submit observations to the Michigan Herp Atlas’a statewide database for Michigan’s unique herpetofauna. Submit your amphibian and reptile observations to miherpatlas.org or download the smartphone app.
The data collected is used for park planning, emphasized Bird.
‘Sometimes habitat fragmentation in wetland occurs in developed areas,? she said. ‘The data collected from the survey can help determine if park area is compromised. The information will help us understand what areas the wildlife are using and how to preserve the framework of green space that the parks are all about. The data will help create a benchmark that will help future studies with regard to wildlife.?
Bird also stressed that activities such as mowing lawns in the parks, controlled burns or spraying for invasive phragmites will be better managed with the data collected.