Whatcom County Amphibian Monitoring Intern

This internship is taking place at the Samish River Preserve (SRP) south of Acme, WA. The SRP is a parcel owned by the Whatcom Land Trust that consists largely of seasonally-flooded wetland, part of the large wetted channel of the Samish River. This site contains the largest population of the endangered Oregon spotted frog (OSF) in the sub-basin and has been subject to active restoration since 2016. Our work is largely centered around the removal of invasive reed-canary grass (RCG) to create persistent aquatic habitat, in addition to the planting of native sedges, rushes, and grasses. This project has given me the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with wetland habitat restoration rooted in a specific understanding of metapopulations, OSF ecology, and the challenges related to invasives. Additionally, this focal point has been a framework for me to gain a far greater understanding of wetland ecology as a whole.