Humboldt Fish Action Council (H-FAC)
Ken and Hilary monitoring adult salmonids at the Freshwater Creek weir.
500 Freshwater Road
Eureka, CA 95518
(707) 499-2301 (Doug Kelly)
(707) 825-4860 (Seth Ricker)
H-FAC Webpage
Mentors:
Doug Kelly
Mentor Biography
dougk@h-fac.org
Seth Ricker, Fisheries Biologist
Mentor Biography
sricker@dfg.ca.gov
Current Members:
John Diebner-Hanson
Member Biography
Willy Ziolkowski
Member Biography
Site Description:
The Humboldt Fish Action Council is a local non-profit organization that is dedicated to the restoration and monitoring of Northern California salmonid populations as well as improving public awareness of salmonid conservation issues through education. The Americorps Watershed Stewards will be facilitating these goals by working with the H-FAC and Ca. Dept. Fish and Game cooperative Freshwater Creek Salmonid Monitoring Project. The Freshwater Creek Salmonid Monitoring Project is a cooperative effort between H-FAC and the California Dept. Fish and Game. The goal of this effort is to collect data on fish abundance, and distribution at both juvenile and adult life stages. This aspect of this WSP placement site puts fish and scientific data collection in the hands of the stewards. These data are currently being used to study the population status and trends of Freshwater Creek salmonid populations. H-FAC has an active volunteer program bringing science and awareness to the public through field oriented learning. This aspect asks WSP members to coordinate volunteers of all ages as well as classroom visits to Freshwater Creek by grade 6-12 science classes. Lastly, the WSP members placed at this site will be working with H-FAC to identify, coordinate and initiate restoration projects aimed at enhancing salmonid habitat.
Hilary and Ken measuring and tagging juvenile salmonids as a part of the
downstream migrant trapping program.
Time members spend on each of the following tasks at their site (WSP trainings and mandatory events not included in this breakdown):
Monitoring - 35%
Restoration - 25%
Field Surveys and Data Collection - 10%
Report Writing and Data Entry - 10%
Lab Work - 0%
Education - 10%
Outreach - 10%
Member comments:
"The mentor at this site is a top notch biologist with an exceptionally progressive research approach. Responsibilities include working at a unique permanent weir trapping adult salmonids as they migrate upriver to spawn, conducting spawner surveys on the entire anadromous portion of a single watershed, and trapping and PIT tagging juveniles as part of an extensive migration and population assesment project. It is a place that you can become intimately familiar with a single watershed and quickly develop a greater understanding of the bigger picture and full Salmonid life cycle."
- Ken Lindke, year 12 and 13 member
Mentor comments:
"This placement site is fairly unique in that we use the scientific research conducted by the California Department of Fish and Game’s Freshwater Salmonid Monitoring Project to direct the restoration action of groups such as the Humboldt Fish Action Council. In this way, the positive feedback loop of research leading to experimental restoration then back into refinement of our understanding of the natural system is in a constant state of learning and adaptive management."
- Seth Ricker, mentor
For a sample calendar of WSP member duties at this site, click HERE .
US Forest Service - Redwood Sciences Laboratory (RSL)
Note: Year 14/ 2008 members at this site will divide their time between the Ft. Bragg RSL site and the Arcata RSL site, in order to experience both the field data collection and lab processing aspects of this unique sediment study project. From January until mid-April, members will experience the Mendocino coast (click HERE for Ft. Bragg site information) and will then work at the Arcata site for the remainder of the term. Housing for the 3 months spent in Ft. Bragg is available at the Forest Service barracks.
RSL's office has a beautiful view of the Arcata Community Forest.
1700 Bayview St
Arcata, CA 95521
(707) 822-3691
(707) 825-2901 (fax)
RSL Webpage
Mentors:
Sue Hilton, Hydrologist
Mentor Biography
shilton@fs.fed.us
Diane Sutherland, Geomorphologist
Mentor Biography
dsutherland@fs.fed.us
Deb Visser, Computer Specialist
Mentor Biography
dvisser@fs.fed.us
Current Members:
Basilia Lopez
Member Biography
Jayme Seehafer
Member Biography
Site Description:
Members are engaged in cutting-edge research projects and applications, which look at cumulative impacts of land use practices on watershed processes, in order to provide accurate information for resource managers to make effective decisions. Members will be trained in Turbidity Threshold Sampling (TTS) which was developed at the Arcata RSL and is now used internationally. Recently, members have been involved in sediment attrition studies, bed load studies, stream bed morphology monitoring, turbidity monitoring to assess cumulative effects, and large woody debris surveying. Members will have options for activities including field surveys, quantifying physical conditions in streams, processing physical samples in the laboratory, and processing and analyzing data. Members have had the opportunity to use specialized survey and laboratory equipment as well as GIS software. Member present WSP curriculum in local schools and participate in community outreach events.
Sam Price and Jayme Seehafer conducting laboratory studies.
Time members spend on each of the following tasks at their site (WSP trainings and mandatory events not included in this breakdown):
Monitoring - 0%
Restoration -
Field Surveys and Data Collection - 10 - 30%
Report Writing and Data Entry - 10 - 50%
Lab Work - 10 - 30%
Education - 10%
Outreach - 10%
Member comments:
"After several months at RSL, something dawned on me: tasks are completed and studies manifest here because each person is naturally drawn by personal obligation, professional interest, or curiosity to achieve a goal, and the synergistic effect of all these people results in a finished end. It’s almost magical, and it’s wonderful to be a part of that process."
- Jayme Seehafer, year 13 member
Mentor comments:
"My goal is to help transfer the TTS technology that was developed here at RSL to as many people as possible. With the WSP program I am able to give longer and more in-depth training, one WSP member at a time. Service year 12 was my first year as a mentor... I especially enjoy getting to know my mentee with their special talents and perspectives since I get to work with them for the whole year."
- Deb Visser, year 13 mentor
For a sample calendar of WSP member duties at this site, click HERE (member conducting more field work) or HERE (member conducting more lab work).
Forrest Phifer collecting data in the field.
Sam and Jayme helping students make fish print artwork at Ferndale Family Science Night
