Completion Form

2022

In 2021 and 2022, we maintained COVID-19 safety requirements implemented in previous years, Sageland and UHZ hosted an online training, providing volunteers with the opportunity to safely participate. The partners developed updated training and instructional videos, online availability of printable field materials, waivers, additional live interactive webinar events, and safe equipment pick-up options. Due to the innovative and speedy adaptations made by UHZ and Sageland communications and volunteer coordinator and ecologist, participation continues to increased in some areas. 
We took what we have learned to be most effective for volunteer recruitment and increased participation from this into the 2022 training and field season (e.g. increased frequency of formal email communications with updates on the project, updating recorded training videos, updated ways to view and add to field calendar and participate in field trips as well as independent site visits etc.). For example over 20 formal email communications specific to this project have been sent to the community science listserv to over 300 recipients (you can see an example attached to this project proposal). Over 65 community scientists volunteered over 1,917 hours during the 2021 field season.
During the 2022 field season UHZ led 167 surveys, our greatest number yet. We also saw our greatest number of community scientists participate in biologist led surveys during the 2022 season.
Independent community science surveys are ongoing into the 2022 field season. See "Round Up" document attached for more detailed metrics on community science participation and engagement from previous years. 
The objective of this project is to continue an existing community science program to support UDWR (in coordination with USFS and USFWS) to meet species monitoring needs regarding boreal toad distribution, population estimates, and aquatic habitat conditions across Utah.
This project consistently has four major tasks associated with it:
Task 1: Recruit and train citizen scientists
Community scientists were recruited through various channels including but not limited to: current Sageland and UHZ volunteers, previous years community scientists, Universities, and social media posts in relevant groups (for example Utah Frogs and Toads, Utah FrogWatch). A formal community scientist training event was held virtually by Sageland and Hogle Zoo on April 28th 2022 . Community scientists were trained in the use of the standardized field methods and habitat assessment/survey forms (the same methods and forms currently used by UDWR biologists statewide), boreal toad identification and life history and disinfection methods.
Task 2: Collected data throughout 2021/2022
We continued surveying and monitoring efforts, including more community scientists and continuing to work closely with regional biologists. Through coordination with Drew Dittmer and regional biologists from the northern, central and southern and southeastern regions UHZ and Sageland have established priority sites where community scientists have monitored, led by biologists and interns, either independently or alongside UDWR staff, on both single and multi-day survey efforts. Additionally, independent aquatic habitat assessments and surveys continued in areas where the distribution of current breeding habitats remains undocumented but where adjacent suitable habitat is supporting or has recently supported boreal toads. Data collected includes water quality, habitat assessment, boreal toad presence including number, lifestage and PIT tag number. Biometrics were also taken of metamorphosed toads. 
Task 3: Managed and presented data
The collection of habitat data (including parameters such as pH, turbidity, water levels, disturbance) using the standardized form was continued by partner biologists and community scientists. This data will be collated at the end of the season. UHZ disseminated data to each regional biologist in a spreadsheet, for ease of reporting. Data presented at boreal toad state meetings included the number of community scientists engaged, field hours contributed over the season, toad presence, lifestage, breeding, and habitat data and ArcGIS mapping efforts.
Task 4: Coordinated interagency meetings and communications
UHZ biologist coordinated with regional biologists to plan multi-day survey efforts across the state and stepped in to fill in for boreal toad monitoring during staff reassignments throughout the year. The Zoo continues to work alongside the state with the assurance colony and breed and release recommendations. There is a lot of interest to grow the breeding program to include other sites after finding successful toads this summer on the Paunsaugunt from the 2021 release.
UHZ and Sageland coordinated with agency biologists and habitat managers to facilitate communication on recommendations on future collection of habitat data and long-term management of the associated data. The partners also actively participated in meetings, presented results, and assisted in the development of the Conservation Agreement where needed. Along with facilitating meetings to help in the development of a plan for future statewide database management, we continued to analyze how we can best use community science methods to address future monitoring needs.

In addition to the discussion and recommendations provided in the previous fiscal year (included below) we recommend additional DWR coordination with UHZ and Sageland on development of a Survey123/ArcGIS phone application that reflects the same data fields as the physical boreal toad survey and habitat assessment form. We may increase the ease of data collection and integration into the Natural Heritage Program database. UHZ and Sageland would be happy to continue to provide support with community science data QA/QC and collation with physical forms and data gathered via phone application.

We recommend continuing to advance the non-profit and agency coordination required to utilize community scientists in work relating to this species. Community science programing has the potential to assist UDWR in efforts including habitat improvement work directed by the UDWR, continual monitoring on known populations and investigatory areas for survey expansion next year.
A meeting with native aquatic biologists across regions to determine priority data collection for the next season, eg: statewide chytrid sweep, a focus on microhabitat where adult toads are found, any further water quality parameters at breeding sites etc. Data that will be used by the DWR biologists.
Surveyors could determine key management questions for their region, such as livestock disturbance, overgrowth of vegetation, or sedimentation of ponds, and create metrics focused on those issues. There could still be some shared metrics across regions, which would be useful for any future statewide analysis.
For evaluating exploratory sites, it may be useful to use the boreal toad habitat metrics presented in Menuz (2017) rather than or in addition to the habitat field form, since that study found a threshold of mean metric values associated with boreal toad breeding
Biologists should consider recording two additional types of data, hydrologic data and information on management actions; these both may be helpful for tracking important site changes over time and are useful covariates to analyze with species population data.
We recommend instituting a common data structure across regions and strategy for logging annual field data gathered on physical forms into a centralized statewide database for ease of inclusion into planning processes and Utah Natural Heritage Program.

Mary Pendergast

09/01/2022 16:44:29