Each year, Five Rivers MetroParks volunteers monitor 48 bluebird boxes throughout nine MetroParks. Why do we monitor bluebirds? In the 1890s, House...
Eastern Bluebirds Need Your Help
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In the Community
Research
Five Rivers MetroParks are laboratories for research: Ecologists, botanists, and other scientists conduct observations and experiments in nature.
This research grows our understanding of how nature works and reveals new methods for conservation. Five Rivers MetroParks are an invaluable resource for research, offering the necessary environment and resources for researchers and scientists to make discoveries and advance our understanding of nature.
MetroParks provides the necessary resources for researchers to conduct experiments and share their results, facilitating the academic community and other ecologically-minded organizations to facilitate research projects.
MetroParks' Research Programs
EcoTalks
Meet researchers from the local area and beyond, contemplate their study questions, hear their stories, and learn what they have discovered.
Next EcoTalk: April 18, 6 to 7:30 PM
Local Soil Science
- First Speaker: The State of Soil Streamlines Success in Restoration: Finding a Solution in Soil!
by Madelaine Gregory, University of Dayton - Second Speaker: Secondary “Succession:” Healing Post-agricultural Soils through Prairie Plantings
by Valerie Thurston, University of Dayton
Bat Box Monitoring, Bat Blitz and University Research
Bats play a key role in the ecosystem and provide humans with several ecosystem services, primarily insect control. There are 10 bat species commonly found in Ohio, including the federally endangered Indiana bat and northern long-eared bat, and the state endangered little brown bat and tricolored bat.
Like many species, bat populations are threatened by habitat loss and other human activity. However, with the introduction of the fungal disease white-nose syndrome into Ohio in 2011, bat populations have severely declined in the last decade. To prevent further declines and help protect the remnant bat populations, it’s important to protect quality bat habitat and monitor populations.
Eastern Bluebird Monitoring
Each year, Five Rivers MetroParks volunteers monitor 48 bluebird boxes throughout nine parks. In the 1890s, house sparrows and European starlings found their way to the United States, competing with existing bluebirds for nesting sites. This bird boom and loss of habitat due to increased development meant that, by the early 1900s, bluebird populations had dwindled by 90%.
During the years since, bluebird populations have recovered incrementally. However, there’s still work to do, as such food sources as insects and habitats continue to decrease – both integral to the survival of these beautiful native birds.
Five Rivers MetroParks Foundation Ecological Research Grant
Five Rivers MetroParks, with support from the Five Rivers MetroParks Foundation, offers a research grant for scientists that conduct or plan to conduct research on FRMP land to promote conservation. The grant award reimburses expenses up to $5,000 to researchers conducting studies related to ecology, conservation, and biology. This grant is designed to reimburse costs to assist with equipment, travel, stipends, and other costs associated with research.
Requests for Research Permits
Five Rivers MetroParks provide an ideal environment for research due to its diverse habitats, ranging from wetlands and woodlands to grasslands and meadows. Scientists can observe the interplay between different species and ecosystems in the parks. This helps to inform their research into the dynamics of nature and how different organisms interact with each other.
In addition, the park provides the necessary resources for scientists to conduct experiments and tests. Five Rivers MetroParks has a network of trails and open spaces, providing access to different habitats and allowing scientists to carefully monitor their research sites.
To conduct scientific research in any Five Rivers MetroParks facility, please complete a research permit application.
