Consider Observing Indicators of Foodshed Health for Student Projects

The ecological health of our local foodsheds—our gardens, farms, ranches, and surrounding ecosystems on which they depend—is critical for sustainability. Paying attention to indicators of that ecological health, such as weather, wildlife, water quality, pollinators, soils, and much more presents many opportunities for student projects—whether student-directed for older students or led by teachers or parents for younger children.

Our San Juan Mountain Watch Project is designed to encourage and support observing, monitoring, and Citizen Science activities and projects with a Field Guide pdf for all ages and a Wild School Garden Guide for younger students, parents, and teachers. We encourage teachers, students, and parents to consider such projects as part of regular school programming, home schooling, or remote learning. Do contact us if you would like help in selecting and carrying out projects. It’s very rewarding for people of all ages to be outdoors and learn at the same time, and with Citizen Science you can even help scientists understand and solve challenges facing our food systems and our natural world.

Birds are one of our favorite and highly recommended things to observe in monitoring foodshed health. This new free downloadable guide from the Wild Farm Alliance is a treasure of insights as to how birds can be managed in farms, gardens, and ranches for the greatest benefit.

For the grower, this guide provides a wide range of specific management techniques with clear  examples, case studies, and comprehensive techniques for many species of birds.

For the observer, these examples can add richness to your bird watching by explaining what bird species to look for, when to look for them during the season, and what behaviors are important in helping us grow our food.

Did You Know?

That a single tufted titmouse can be worth up to $2900 per year to a pecan grower (page 6)!

That trapping pocket gophers in a vineyard case study cost over $8 per gopher, while money spent encouraging barn owls cost 34 cents per gopher (page 13)!

We highly recommend you take a look at this colorful and informative resource guide.

Happy Observing!

One of my favorite ways of keeping track of changes on our farm and the surrounding foodshed is what we call First Occurrences—as described in the Observing Indicators of Foodshed Health section of our website. Recording “firsts” in the spring on your calendar and comparing dates from year to year gives insight into annual variations and longer term trends. Celebrating “firsts” in the spring is a natural way to welcome the growing season.

In the fall, the first snow on the mountain peaks and then in your garden or backyard, first or peak color on favorite trees, and arrival of your favorite winter birds are obvious things to note. Of course there is the often-dreaded first freeze of the season. Before that official 32 F temperature arrives, gardeners especially are aware of the frosts that can damage particular plants at temperatures as modest as 39 F or so—and are worth noting as well. Celebrating these fall “firsts” is fun as well—in fact, many weary gardeners secretly welcome that first hard freeze.

But in the fall, notable changes involve as many “lasts” as “firsts.” Less easy to catch, these “last occurrences” are just as important to track year to year. Some things I try to note are the last time I see vultures and also hummingbirds. Absence is of course harder to note, so as the time arrives when I expect them to leave, I try to record at least weekly when I see these birds so I can go back later to my desk calendar and see when they have left. I often post these sightings on eBird to help scientists who track these things. Almost every fall morning I look for my favorite flower—the morning glory—as a personal indicator of the passing summer season (still seeing some late blooms as I write this). Of course, the last fresh and local corn, tomatoes, or squash should be fondly remembered and noted as well.

So take a look at the dozen or so observing options on our Observing Indicators of Foodshed Health pages and try recording a  few “firsts” and “lasts” this season, track them each year, and share with others. What you decide to track and how you do it is up to you, but recording what you see in some fashion and sharing with others can increase community awareness. Awareness of what is happening in our foodsheds can help us in growing our own local food, being aware of what our local farmers and ranchers are dealing with, seeing how our climate is changing, and simply—but very importantly—enjoying the natural world around us.