Video
Citizen Scientists at Work! Monitoring Camas on the Weippe Prairie
Transcript
To the Nez Perce people and to many other tribes, camas is and was one of the most widely used root foods in the Pacific Northwest. On their expedition through Idaho, Lewis and Clark wrote that fields of camas were like “blue lakes” on the landscape. Over the last one hundred years, however, camas populations have declined as seasonal wetlands have virtually disappeared due to development and agriculture.
In historic times, camas was critical for winter survival and was valuable as a trade item. Weippe was one of the largest camas gathering grounds for the Nez Perce. During the summer, people traveled from many different places to play games, arrange weddings, have dances, organize buffalo hunts, meet up with friends from other tribes, and trade goods. Camas was also dug and eaten by the Nez Perce during the battle of 1877 in the Big Hole valley. As in times past, Nez Perce families still harvest camas bulbs in the traditional way for use at feasts or gatherings.
Today, Nez Perce National Historical Park and the Upper Columbia Basin Network Inventory and Monitoring program are using citizen scientists to monitor the status and trends of national park resources. Just as a doctor monitors the vital signs of a patient, scientists are looking at plant or animal species and ecosystem characteristics to monitor the health of park sites. Camas (Camassia quamash), a plant in the lily family, was chosen as a vital sign for Nez Perce National Historical Park’s Weippe Prairie site in Idaho and Big Hole National Battlefield in Montana because of its value as both a cultural and natural resource.
Camas tends to grow in seasonal wetland prairie ecosystems, such as those found in the interior Columbia Plateau. Monitoring existing camas populations will allow the park to find ways to promote their survival in places where they can still thrive.
To determine the status of camas populations, data is collected annually by dedicated staff and local “citizen scientists” – young volunteers who are trained to perform research-related tasks. Students from three high schools near the Weippe Prairie are taught every year about camas biology, the cultural importance of camas, and data collection methods. In May, after 3 days of classroom instruction, the volunteers go into the field, using Global Positioning Systems, or “GPS” units, compasses, and handheld field computers to collect data. Within a given research plot--or “quadrat”-- Citizen Scientists and National Park Service staff record the:
> Number of camas plants > Number of flowering camas plants > And the presence of two weeds: orange hawkweed, Heiracium auranticum and sulphur cinquefoil, Potentilla recta.
The camas monitoring program serves a variety of purposes. For example, by tracking long term trends, the data collected by citizen scientists will help park managers make objective decisions about restoration and weed control techniques, based upon scientific findings. By working closely with scientists, students gain exposure to the field of natural resources. In addition, the focus on camas allows local students to understand its value, not only as a cultural resource for the Nez Perce, but also as an indicator for the health of the prairies they live around.
This program engages the public in a unique and compelling way. The collaborative efforts between students, teachers, National Park Service personnel, volunteers and scientists will ultimately help preserve these national park sites for the enjoyment of future generations.
Description
Camas lily is a key cultural resource as well as an important ecological component of wetland communities. It is one of the most widely utilized plant foods of the Nez Perce people.
To help the park monitor the health of the camas community, local high school students work hand-in-hand with scientists and resource professionals. The park gets vital data to help it manage the camas populations at Weippe Prairie and the students have the opportunity to learn about the Nez Perce and careers in science.
Duration
3 minutes
Credit
Marc Blackburn and Jannis Jocius
Date Created
12/17/2009
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