Building Capacity for Reserves to be Motus Wildlife Tracking Leaders - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative)

This multi-reserve project led by the ACE Basin Reserve convened a series of workshops to provide guidance and assistance on siting, construction, installation, and interpretation of Motus sites at participating reserves.

The project
Protecting critical habitats for migratory species is increasingly important as sea level rise and climate change reduce the availability and diversity of habitats in the hemisphere. The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) operates alongside protected and managed landscapes that provide refuge for a wide array of species that have been deemed research and conservation priorities. Reserves also support a diversity of outreach and education programs that promote environmental stewardship and highlight the importance of protecting habitats for these species.

In 2018, the ACE Basin Reserve received private funding to implement a Motus receiver station at partner State Park, which sparked interest from potential collaborators. The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is an open-source, international network of community hosted radio-telemetry receivers and wildlife researchers designed to investigate a wide variety of wildlife movement questions. Volunteer partners host and operate receiving stations across the world that autonomously listen for flying migratory animals equipped with transmitters called nanotags. Researchers rely on the receivers for movement data for a diversity of tagged wildlife, including birds, bats, and insects.

Through this project, the ACE Basin Reserve facilitated the implementation and expansion of Motus networks in the Mid-Atlantic, West Coast, and Gulf regions. Participants met through a combination of virtual and in-person workshops designed to meet the needs of partners and intended users in the given region. Partners of all four reserves gave examples of unique ideas to reduce construction costs, such as buying components in bulk when constructing multiple towers and splicing wires in-house. Presentations discussed alternative ways to use Motus towers, such as smaller scale studies to better understand resident population dynamics and species behavior.