Federally Listed Mussel Found on Proposed Mitigation Bank It is always exciting to start the process of permitting a new mitigation bank here at WES Southeast. We never know what we’re going to find, despite conducting many hundreds of hours of research before even starting the process. We are especially excited when we learn that
Hydrologic Monitoring at Van Vleck Mitigation Bank During a recent sunny day I had the privilege of spending time out of the office and in the field helping our senior ecologist complete some hydrologic monitoring at our Van Vleck Mitigation Bank. Although I would never complain about getting to spend the day outside in the
The Southeast Office of Westervelt Ecological Services participated in a collaborative effort to build the southeast’s first “nature playground” in Auburn, Alabama. Knowing that children between the ages of 3 and 12 only spend 1% of their time outdoors, the playground was designed to encourage appreciation for the outdoors. Unlike traditional parks, the nature playground
Maintaining Basking Sites for California Red Legged Frog at Big Gun Conservation Bank Back in 2010 we announced the approval by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of our Big Gun Conservation Bank. The Bank, located in Michigan Bluff, outside Foresthill, is home to what may be the largest remaining documented population of California red-legged frogs
Here at WES we are just weeks away from the first round of sampling for California Tiger Salamander (CTS) larvae at our Burke Ranch Conservation Bank, assuming the rains continue. The California Tiger Salamander is listed both as a federally threatened and California State threatened species. It is a terrestrial salamander with a broad, rounded
Recently, we highlighted our cooperative burn conducted on our Pensacola Bay Mitigation Bank in the Garcon peninsula of Florida. The site has a number of listed plant species including the carnivorous white-topped pitcher plant, which is a Florida state listed species. Many other cool (and rare) plants such as the snake mouth orchid, pot of
Prescribed Burn at Pensacola Bay Mitigation Bank Prescribed burning is a complex task best left to experts in the field; and the more experts involved in such a project, the better. Recently, Westervelt Ecological Services’ John McGuire and the Garcon Point Stewards combined their expertise to jointly burn roughly 200 acres in the Pensacola Bay
The Timing of Restoration They don’t let me out of the office much these days, but I was recently invited to revisit a property our team here at WES worked to restore back in 2008. Historically, this area was part of a riparian flood zone that, during years of intense rain, was inundated by water
This video shows the vernal pool creation process on our Van Vleck Mitigation Bank in Sacramento County, California. This beautiful 775 acre vernal pool oasis is a sea of color during the early part of spring. The bank provides Preservation credits for fairy shrimp habitat, Swainson’s hawk foraging habitat and Creation credits for vernal pool
On August 24, 2011 Westervelt Ecological Services celebrated the completion of the Cosumnes Floodplain Mitigation Bank. This video shows the timeline for development of the project from site selection to reintroducing natural hydrology and finally rapid establishment of the historic floodplain. This 472-acre site located at the confluence of the Cosumnes and Mokelumne Rivers, in
