The FIRST Pilot Program

June 10, 2024 marked the first arrival of Tarleton State University undergraduate students Naomi Zahn, Carter Perez, and Francisco Salgado as well as M.S. graduate student Catalina Berry to Fishers Island, NY from Stephenville, TX. These newcomers comprised the Fishers Island Research & Survey Team (FIRST) pilot program in 2024, organized by longtime Fishers Island Conservancy researcher and Assistant Professor at Tarleton State University, Adam Mitchell, Ph.D. The goal of FIRST in collaboration between Tarleton State University and the Fishers Island Conservancy (FIC) is to quantify the success of previous grassland restoration efforts, monitor birds and invertebrates, manage invasive plants, and promote education and outreach.

To assess the restored grasslands in the Parade Grounds and Elizabeth Field, we surveyed 15 randomly placed vegetation transects that will allow us to compare the vegetation community with previous data and quantify diversity, percent cover, and proportion of native and invasive species. We observed high proportions of native species in some plots, which is a positive indicator of successful long-term restoration. The data will be analyzed and shared with the FIC in the near future.

In addition, we collected 150 pitfall traps and 75 vacuum samples along the vegetation transects to monitor the post-restoration arthropod community. We have collected a diverse array of invertebrates (bees, caterpillars, spiders, beetles, grasshoppers, ants, isopods, and flies) which will be transported back to Tarleton State University for preservation and identification in the fall and spring semester. We also led the annual Bug Night on July 20th to get a species count of nocturnal moths on the island and promote community education and involvement.

FIRST conducted bird surveys every 2 weeks from the west to east end of Fishers Island with survey points in coastal, grassland, garden, pond, and forest environments and found 83 total species, an excellent amount for an island. During vegetation surveys, we found an American black duck and red-winged blackbird nesting in Elizabeth Field. This, as well as the diversity and abundance of birds in the Parade Grounds, suggests a healthy grassland ecosystem that benefits a host of organisms along with island residents.

Over multiple weeks between research tasks, we removed 2152 sq. feet of Japanese knotweed and common mugwort as well as multiple stands of porcelain berry in the Parade Grounds. This amounts to eight dumpster bags of knotweed and a 6-foot-high pile of invasive plant debris. We accomplished this using loppers, garden shears, and by hand pulling while applying appropriate methods for the species. While a lot can be accomplished with a small team, invasive plant management requires continued removal over many years to give native species a fighting chance to thrive.

We are glad the FIRST pilot program was a success and will be renewed for summer 2025 to continue research and promote biodiversity on the island. The project is funded by the Tarleton State University-President’s Excellence in Research Scholars (PERS) initiative and the Fishers Island Conservancy. Research funded by PERS will be presented at the Research, Innovation, and Economic Development symposium at Tarleton State University in February 2024.

Meet the Fishers Island Research &  Survey Team (FIRST)

Naomi Zahn is an undergraduate at Tarleton State University studying Wildlife Sustainability and Ecosystem Sciences with a minor in Entomology. She transferred from the University of Texas at San Antonio and joined Tarleton State University in the spring of 2024. Before joining the project, she worked at SeaWorld San Antonio as a Dolphin Trainer for two years. She enjoys the focus on the importance of invertebrate species on Fishers Island and plans to continue researching invertebrates on Fishers Island in the upcoming year. She loves all things insect related and would like to further explore options related to insects in the coming years. She hopes to become a Wildlife Biologist in the future focusing on entomological interactions with the environment. Her favorite find on the island was a trapdoor spider and a wooly bear caterpillar.

 

 

Catalina Berry is a graduate student pursuing an M.S. in Agricultural & Natural Resource Sciences at Tarleton State University. She earned a B.S. in Biology at Texas A&M International University in her hometown of Laredo, TX. She has two years of experience working on multiple research projects to investigate rangeland vegetation, piping plover nest success, quail hunt dynamics, and grassland bird communities. Her research interests include avian population trends and grassland restoration. She was interested in the research project to see the positive effects of invasive plant removal on the native bird community. Her favorite species to see on the island are American Minks. After earning her degree, she plans to have a career in wildlife management with a government or nonprofit agency.

 

 

Carter Perez from Granbury, Texas is an undergraduate at Tarleton State University. He is majoring in Agricultural Education with a minor in Wildlife Ecology. He has grown up showing cattle throughout Texas and taking care of other livestock animals. Carter was interested in the research project because the Fishers Island Conservancy’s goal of enhancing and preserving natural resources directly aligns with his career goals. He was excited to learn about the unique diversity in plant life on Fishers Island and how they compare to different regions. Carter is hoping to gain knowledge and experience to share “best practices” as he pursues academic and professional goals in Texas. He hopes to communicate wildlife issues in the classroom as a teacher and educate communities regarding preservation and enhancement of natural resources.

 

Francisco Salgado is an undergraduate at Tarleton State University working with the Fishers Island Conservancy for this summer. His major is in Wildlife, Sustainability, and Ecosystem Sciences, with a concentration in Zoology and Confined Wildlife Management. His primary interests that led him to this degree path and this research project are ornithology and avian ecology. A more personal interest connected to this is exotic bird care and management. Francisco’s primary goal with his degree is to specialize in wildlife rehabilitation. HiIs hope for my future research with Fishers Island is to collaborate with the data of threatened shorebirds that are currently being monitored on the Fishers Island beaches, such as the piping plover and multiple species of tern.