BIODIVERSITY
​The Schoharie bioregion features diverse habitats like forests, wetlands, and riparian areas that support a wide range of plants and animals.
The Waterfall Center is partnering with various local organizations and stakeholders to bring awareness to the biodiversity within our bioregion, threats that our region may face, and creating projects around various aspects of biodiversity and conservation.
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Below are some of the projects that we have begun or created in partnership - including one-time and ongoing projects, as well as resources and tools for the community to learn more and get involved.
Land-Based, Community-Driven Action
Community Stakeholders
Opportunities For Involvement
Goals
All community members!
• Forest stewardship
• Community driven biodiversity identification & mapping
• Community driven invasive species mapping
• BioBlitz events
• Building a place-based shared vision rooted in community participation, love and care
• Create community awareness around biodivesity of the region - including current risks & mitigation measures
• Identify funding sources for biodiversity projects (ex: pollinator gardens, invasive species mitigation)
• Provide tools and resources around biodiversity topics
Biodiversity Topics & Projects
Click on the images below to learn more about each focus area, find topic specific resources & tools, and what projects we are working on or part of.
Invasive Species - Identification, Risks & Management​
Forest Health & Management​
Open Source Tools
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iNaturalist is a free online platform and smartphone app for documenting and identifying observations of living things like plants, fungi, and animals, serving as a global citizen science project. Users upload photos or sound recordings of organisms with location data, receive help from the community to identify them, and contribute to a public, searchable database of biodiversity that supports scientific research and conservation efforts. ​
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Merlin Bird ID is a free mobile app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that helps users identify birds by using their photos, sounds, or by answering questions about a bird's characteristics. Powered by eBird data, Merlin offers detailed information on species, sound ID, photo ID, and a customizable life list to log sightings. It is available globally and can work offline, allowing bird identification in various locations. ​
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iMapInvasives is an online, GIS-based data management system used to assist community scientists & natural resource professionals working to protect our natural resources from the threat of invasive species.​