<html>
<body>
<font size=3 color="#FF0000"><b><i>New:
</i></font><font size=3>Participatory Biological Monitoring
Guidelines<br><br>
</b><i>View online or download at<b>:</i></b>
<a href="http://www.ifcae.org/projects/ncssf3/" eudora="autourl">
www.ifcae.org/projects/ncssf3/</a>. Bound versions are
forthcoming.<br><br>
<i>Project Title: </i>Broadening Participation in Biological Monitoring:
Guidelines for Scientists and Managers<br>
<i>Team: </i>David Pilz, Heidi Ballard, Eric T. Jones<br>
<i>Administration:</i> Institute for Culture and Ecology (IFCAE)<br>
<i>Funding: </i>National Commission on Science for Sustainable
Forestry<br><br>
Biological monitoring is essential for understanding environmental change
but is often expensive. From the hundred+ year-old Audubon
Christmas bird count to the EPA's volunteer water quality monitoring to
the growing multiparty monitoring movement by community-based forestry
organizations, participatory monitoring has proven to be an effective way
to increase biological monitoring activities, build support for science,
and increase public involvement in understanding environmental
change.<br><br>
A goal of this project has been to synthesize the literature and
stakeholder knowledge on participatory monitoring and create a tool to
help forest managers and scientists: 1) broaden participation to meet
biological monitoring needs while maintaining scientific standards, and
2) build positive long-term relationships with participants and their
local communities. The guidelines are designed as a reference
handbook on the managerial, scientific, and social considerations of
participatory monitoring and complement rather than duplicate existing
manuals providing monitoring methods (e.g., Monitoring Plant and Animal
Populations, Elzinga et al. 2001). The guidelines can be scaled to
work with any type of project whether bottom-up or top-down, large or
small, volunteer or small contractor.<br><br>
While oriented toward natural resource managers and scientists in the
U.S., the guidelines are likely useful to anyone interested in
participatory biological monitoring. In creating the materials the
interdisciplinary team drew from their professional experiences in
participatory research, as well as the invaluable insight of many
advisors and reviewers from the University of California Berkeley
Cooperative Extension, the Forest Service Inventory and Monitoring
Institute, Rural Action, the National Network of Forest Practitioners,
and many others (see report). Much guidance was also gained from
multistakeholder workshops held throughout the United States over the
last several years.<br><br>
The project maintains a network of advisors and consultants to assist
with local implementation. Please see the list of organizations
provided in the appendices or contact the Institute for Culture and
Ecology.<br><br>
Eric T Jones, Ph.D.<br>
Environmental Anthropologist<br>
Institute for Culture and Ecology (501c3)<br>
Post Office Box 6688<br>
Portland, Oregon 97228-6688. USA<br>
Telephone: 503-331-6681<br>
E-Mail: etjones@ifcae.org<br>
Website:
<a href="http://www.ifcae.org/" eudora="autourl">www.ifcae.org</a> <br>
</font></body>
</html>