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Northern CA PPSR Projects 1

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Welcome to our ongoing effort to catalog citizen science and other public participation in scientific research (PPSR) projects for UC California Naturalists and other citizen scientists.  We invite you to browse the listed projects or enter key words (like birds, youth, invasive, coast, Alameda, etc.) in the search box above to find projects in your area. It's a great way to stay involved and keep developing your skills as a natural scientist!

A vast majority of the information in the database was gathered from project websites and may be out of date. We encourage you to contact projects directly to get involved and learn about most recent opportunities. If you work with a listed project and would like to add to, update, or correct the information we have, please email cghdixon@ucdavis.edu. Also, please consider filling out the "PPSR perspectives" survey. Click here to access the survey, which will help guide this project in the coming year.

If you know of a project not on our list, please go to the "tell us about a project" link on the left so we can list the project here. Thanks for your help!

Special thanks goes to the National Science Foundation Informal Science Education program and the Stephen J. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation for supporting this database of projects.

Sacramento Valley Fox Survey & the Contribution of Citizen Science to Conservation

  • Organization Name
    Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
  • Project Website
  • Organization Website
  • Partners
    UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Genetics Laboratory
  • Contact Name
    Amy Brasch, Master’s Student in Conservation Biology
  • Contact Email
    sacvalleyredfox@gmail.com; asbrasch@gmail.com
  • Contact Phone
    N / A
  • Other Contact Information

    Dr. Heiko Wittmer (heiko.wittmer@vuw.ac.nz)

    Dr. Ben Sacks (bnsacks@ucdavis.edu)

  • Project Purpose (taken from project materials)

    Determine the current distribution and status of the Sacramento Valley red fox in the Sacramento Valley. The study entails three parts: (1) seeking sightings of red foxes or dens from residents of the Sacramento Valley, (2) collecting road-killed specimens for genetic, reproductive, age, and health indexes, and (3) collection of feces and hair from around dens for genetic material.

    The project also addresses (1) how effective public input was on locating the foxes and (2) how the website can be improved for future conservation efforts.

  • Participant Activities

    Participants report information about Sacramento Red Fox sighting on a Report a Sighting webpage.

  • Data Entry
    • Website
  • Other Participant Activities

    Website visitors are invited to take 5-minute survey. The team is conducting a research project to study the use of citizen science and its application for Sacramento Valley red fox conservation. By answering questions regarding personal experiences with Sacramento Valley red foxes and/or the fox sighting website, participants help researchers determine the effectiveness of public sighting reports on locating Sacramento Valley red foxes.

  • System Studied
    • Mammals
  • Geographic Scope
    Regional
  • Region
    Northern California
  • Location
    Sacramento Valley
  • Location - Map
    N / A
  • Time Commitment
    • Other (see Other Information below)
  • Volunteer Qualifications
    N / A
  • Volunteer Training

    Participants can consult the Fox or Coyote training link to see markings distinguishing red fox, gray fox, and coyotes.

  • Cost to Participant
    N / A
  • How will the findings be used?

    The results of the survey and research project will be posted on the website, or can be obtained by contacting Amy Brasch.

    Reports from previous years research are available for download on the website.

  • Other Information
    N / A
  • Photo
    N / A
  • last update:
    9/11/12

If you work with this project and would like to add to or update the information below, please email cghdixon@ucdavis.edu.

If you know of a project not on our list, please go to the "tell us about a project" link on the left so we can list the project here. Thanks for your help!

This database is focused on projects in California focused on the environment. For opportunities outside California, as well as national projects that don't have a California-specific components, check http://www.birds.cornell.edu/citscitoolkit/projects.