Episode 150: Democratizing Wildlife Management Data To Protect Biodiversity And Habitat In The Superior Bio-Preserve
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Superior Bio-Preserve Study Area
The Superior Bio-Conservancy is an ambitious plan to protect and restore the biological integrity and hydrology of the Great Lakes Region and the Laurentian Forest Province throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The conservation plan will create maps and effectively advocate for the creation of protected wildlife corridors to connect large tracts of public (Federal, State and County forests) land to avoid fragmentation.
After running a successful GIS consulting business based in New Mexico, Kurt Menke moved to Denmark in 2021 and now works for Denmark’s largest open-source geospatial firm Septima. He has a broad skillset. He is a spatial analyst, cartographer, teacher and author. His focus has always been conservation GIS. Over the last 30 years, he’s worked for most of the conservation non-profits in the western US . He is an expert in modeling wildlife habitat and wildlife corridors, most recently modeling biodiversity connectivity for the Laurentian Forest Province.
Kurt is also an open-source GIS advocate and author. He recently authored his eighth, ninth and tenth books on the software QGIS: these are the 2nd editions of both Discover QGIS 3.x and QGIS for Hydrological Applications, along with Field Data Collection with QGIS and Mergin Maps, all with Locate Press. In 2015 he was elected as an OsGeo Charter Member and he serves on the Leadership Council of the Rewilding Institute and a board member of Wild Arizona.
Bob Boucher is the founding President of the Superior Bio-Conservancy and is President and owner of Still Meadows, LLC. He has a MS in Water Resource Management from the UW Madison with an emphasis in ecosystem management of watersheds. He studies landscape ecology and is an advisor to the Beaver Institute.
He was the founder of Milwaukee Riverkeeper and is the retired Executive Director of the Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation, Wisconsin’s oldest land trust. Bob has traveled to over 60 countries, exploring wild and tame places.
He has worked in Alaska as a fishing, kayak and naturalist guide and led wilderness trips for Camp Manito-Wish. He is a member of the Birch Leggings club and has summited Denali. Bob and his wife Mary share a love of nature, wildlife, hiking, biking, skiing, their home, organic gardening and their dogs.
Show Notes
This episode focuses on the development and application of a novel wildlife management approach using GIS technology and baseline data. Kurt Menke and Bob Boucher explain their collaborative efforts to subdivide large watersheds into smaller units for more effective wildlife management, specifically targeting beaver populations but applicable to other species. The discussion highlights the importance of maintaining hydrology and biodiversity, and touches on the political and technological challenges of implementing such systems.
They propose a new mobile app for tracking wildlife populations, emphasizing the role of citizen science and public data availability. The episode also explores potential applications of carbon credits and the integration of connectivity analysis for more effective land protection strategies. The aim is to democratize conservation efforts and ensure sustainable wildlife management across public and private lands.
Approaches for Accurate Population Management
Introduction
The management of wildlife populations requires accurate data and sophisticated techniques. In this context, the use of Watershed Units and GIS (Geographic Information System) technology emerges as a powerful tool for State and Tribal wildlife agencies to manage wildlife populations more accurately, utilizing the best available science.
The Concept of Watershed Units
Watershed Units refer to distinct areas of land where all the water drains to a common point, such as a river, lake, or other bodies of water. Beavers are the structural engineers and ecosystem benefactors of watersheds. In Wisconsin and the North Woods, understanding and managing ecosystems, biodiversity, and wildlife habitats are critical. By focusing on watershed areas, wildlife managers can ensure that environmental conservation efforts are comprehensive and cohesive, addressing the needs of various species within the same ecological corridor.
Benefits of Using Watershed Units
- Holistic Management: Watershed units enable the management of entire ecosystems, rather than fragmented habitats.
- Improved Data Collection and Baseline Records Storage: Utilizing watershed units facilitates the collection of more accurate environmental data, thereby enhancing the understanding of habitat conditions.
- Efficient Resource Allocation: Resources can be allocated more effectively by focusing on specific watershed areas that need immediate attention.
GIS Technology in Wildlife Management
GIS technology is a computer-based tool that analyzes and visualizes geographical information. It can revolutionize wildlife management by providing detailed maps and spatial data that enable the tracking of animal movements, habitat changes, and population dynamics.
Beavers play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems by creating wetlands that support a diverse array of wildlife species. However, their activities can sometimes conflict with human interests. Using Watershed Units and GIS technology, wildlife agencies can manage beaver populations more effectively to promote coexistence.
Strategies for Beaver Management
- Habitat Mapping: GIS can be used to map beaver habitats, identifying areas where their activities are beneficial and areas where conflicts may arise.
- Population Monitoring: Regular monitoring of beaver populations using GIS enables the tracking of their movements and an understanding of population dynamics.
- Conflict Resolution: By analyzing the spatial data, wildlife managers can develop strategies to mitigate conflicts between beavers and human activities.
Collaborative Efforts
The successful implementation of Watershed Units and GIS technology requires collaboration between various stakeholders, including state and Tribal wildlife agencies, conservation organizations, and the local community.
Role of State Wildlife Agencies
State wildlife agencies have a responsibility under the Public Trust Doctrine to manage wildlife for the benefit of everyone, acting as the Trustee. They can leverage Watershed Units and GIS technology to develop effective management plans that are based on the best available science.
Extra Credit
- Visit and engage with Superior Bio-conservancy to learn more about the citizen science app discussed in this episode, view maps, and stay up-to-date on the organization’s work.
- Mapping: Check out some of the mapping work going on at Superior Bioconservancy
- Omniscape: software used for connectivity analysis
- Septima: Denmark’s largest open-source geospatial firm
Director of Digital Outreach (D.O.D.O.) for The Rewilding Institute
Host and Producer of the Rewilding Earth Podcast
Jack started Rewilding work as Executive Director of Sky Island Alliance in the mid-1990’s, organizing the Sky Island Wildlands Network design, ripping up illegal roads on forest service lands, installing wolf acclimatization pens on Ted Turner’s Ladder Ranch & conducting howling surveys to help make way for the final stage of the Lobo reintroduction program in the Southwest.
Through the years, Jack has worked with Dave Foreman and the Rewilding Gang to further Rewilding initiatives and education.
