SIGN-UP BY AUGUST 15. (REgistration is full)
What: Learn about the benefits of mycorrhizal communities (symbiotic with plant roots), and their restoration. Join us for the first community-based mycorrhizal study. Help Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP) biologists from the City of Austin and Travis County collect mycorrhizal samples to inform their habitat restoration and land and natural resources management.
Why: Mycorrhizal fungi, known to provide a wide range of ecosystem services such as erosion control and water retention, are also the organisms that form common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs), now famous for their “wood wide web” or underground highways that share resources and signals between plants. These amazing creatures, like others, are often depleted by human activities.
However, they are not often protected, conserved and/or restored. Help us design the most effective ways to implement the science on the BCP to boost ecosystem services and habitat quality. To begin this process, we’ll be collecting mycorrhizal samples from different areas across the system of tracts that make up the BCP.
When: An online orientation will be held Wednesday, September 21, 2022 from 6-7pm and a repeat of the same training will be held on September 22nd from noon to 1pm. Root collection activities will take place at various locations around Austin, during the days of Saturday, September 24, 2022 through Sunday October 2, 2022. In addition, hands-on field trainings will be provided at the start of each collection day.
Time Commitment: We are asking volunteers to commit to at least one day of sampling in the field. Plan to spend about six hours on site for each day that you join in the effort.
Prerequisites:
• Attending the online orientation
• Try out GPS and plant ID tools on your own at home before your sampling date
• Sign up for at least one sampling date, a six-hour commitment
• Ability to identify local plants preferred
Description: Walk BCP lands, locate target trees at provided GPS coordinates, collect data on aboveground conditions and plants, and collect small roots from target trees. We’ll provide an initial training on data and root collection techniques, data sheets for data collection, and team leaders at each site to assist. Training will include background on mycorrhizal fungi and common mycorrhizal networks, and a review of local plant identification for the data collection.
Photo credit: Lisa Markovchick
Equipment to bring:
• Water / sun protection / hats / sturdy shoes / snacks etc.
• Smartphone with apps to navigate to GPS coordinates and help with plant id (we’ll go over in the orientation) Optional (BCP will have extra, if needed)
• Small hand-carry coolers / cooler bags
• Ice packs for the coolers
• Trowels
• Clipboard
• Calipers
• Pen / pencil
Volunteer spaces are limited. If interested, please fill out this Google form by August 15th
We will reach out to you by early September. Thanks for your interest!
Any questions, please contact Andrew Harrod, andrew.harrod@austintexas.gov