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Training

Ecology of Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse

Ecology of Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse program image

An excellent opportunity to learn about the biology and conservation of the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse, and improve field biology skills.

 

Photo credit: Judy Irving (c) Pelican Media

Date

Tuesday, September 10, 2019
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Rush Ranch
Suisun City
Lunch will be provided

COST: $300.00
Payable by check to Elkhorn Slough Foundation
Payable by credit card (online)

REGISTRATION FOR THIS PROGRAM IS CLOSED


Instructor Information

Laureen Barthman-Thompson
Wildlife Biologist
California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Dr. Katie Smith
Wildlife Biologist
WRA, Inc.

Contact

Grant Lyon
grant@elkhornslough.org
831-288-5404

Sponsors

Description

See also: Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse, Habitat Restoration

The salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) is an endangered species endemic to the San Francisco Bay Area. On September 10, 2019, Dr. Katie Smith (lead instructor) and Laureen Barthman-Thompson (co-instructor) will present a workshop on the biology and conservation of the species. Katie, who works for WRA, has studied the salt marsh harvest mouse extensively and received her Ph.D. from UC Davis. Laureen is a wildlife biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and has worked on salt marsh harvest mice for over 20 years.

 

This workshop is being jointly offered by the Coastal Training Programs of the Elkhorn Slough and San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserves.

 

Workshop Format

The workshop consists of a daytime classroom session mixed with three field trips throughtout the day on Tuesday, September 10, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm. The classroom session will take place at the Rush Ranch Nature Center. The field trips will take place in the Rush Ranch vicinity, with specific locations TBD. Field trips will happen in the morning, mid-day, and in the afternoon, interspersed between classroom sessions.

 

Workshop Objectives

  • Gain a better understanding of the biology of salt marsh harvest mice
  • Provide insights into management concerns, techniques, and solutions
  • Improve field biology skills, and in particular learn about conducting site assessments
  • Provide an opportunity for practitioners to network

 

Topics Addressed

  • Taxonomy and species identification
  • Biology and life cycle of the species
  • Population distribution
  • Habitat requirements and assessment
  • Population movement
  • Threats
  • Regulatory issues

 

Field Training Practicum

Participants will receive  training on habitat requirements and habitat assessments of the salt marsh harvest mouse. Katie and Laureen will lead participants through field discussions about how plant species and structure are important to salt marsh harvest mouse, high tide refuge, microhabitat use, differences between tidal and diked wetland habitat, sea level rise and tidal restoration concerns.

 

* Please Note - the field component of this workshop is now different from our original announcement

 

*Very Important*

It is important to note that no component of this workshop should be construed to apply to attendee’s ability to obtain permits for salt marsh harvest mouse; if you are interested in how workshop activities might be used for permitting, you are encouraged to contact your agency permitting representative.

 

Payment Deadline and Registration Details

 

5 pm, August 13 is the deadline for both payment and registration. 

 

We do not allow 3rd party registration - please do not register anyone but yourself. Registration is email sensitive; registering others frequently results in cancellation, missed communication, and other issues.

 

If you cancel prior to August 13, 5 pm., we will refund any registration fees minus a $50 processing fee. Although we cannot refund registration fees after this date, please let us know as soon as possible if you cannot attend, so we can allow others the opportunity to register. If you pre-register and do not pay by August 13, 5 pm, we cannot guarantee you a spot as our waiting list tends to be quite long. You cannot transfer your registration to another person, even in your own organization. Your help with these guidelines makes it possible for these workshops to be offered as fairly and affordably as possible.

We reserve the right to cancel or postpone this event should we receive insufficient registration by August 16; in that event, we will remit full refunds.

Documents and Publications

Contact List
We encourage participants to download the contact list to assist with arranging a rideshare or to get in contact with someone you met at the workshop. Those interested in sharing a ride to the event are marked on the contact list.

DOCUMENT AUTHOR / SOURCE
WORKSHOP MATERIALS
Draft Agenda: Ecology of Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse
PDF, 61KB
Coastal Training Programs, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve & San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Coastal Training Program
August 20, 2019
Field Walk Information Form
PDF, 259KB
Coastal Training Programs, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Coastal Training Program
August 20, 2019
Handout: Mouse Body Condition Scale
PDF, 37KB


Handout: Percent Cover Diagrams
PDF, 97KB

Phase 3 Field Guide - Vegetation Diversity and Structure
April 2001
Handout: Rodent Measuring Methods
JPG, 82KB
Ingles, L

Handout: Small Mammal Hair Clipping Guide
PDF, 14KB


Handout: SMHM Belly Color Key
PDF, 168KB


Handout: SMHM Workgroup Field Data Sheet
PDF, 346KB


2018
Lecture: Population and Demographics
PDF, 2.5MB
Smith, KR, and L Barthman-Thompson
Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program
September 2019
Lecture: Regulatory
PDF, 2.5MB
Smith, KR, and L Barthman-Thompson
Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program
September 2019
Lecture: Taxonomy and Identification
PDF, 1.7MB
Smith, KR, and L Barthman-Thompson
Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program
September 2019
Lecture: Threats
PDF, 554KB
Smith, KR, and L Barthman-Thompson
Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program
September 2019
Poster: Managing the Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse in the Built Environment
PDF, 2.2MB
Smith, KR, L Barthman-Thompson, S Estrella, and MK Riley

Poster: Novel Insights into the Diet of the Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse
PDF, 8.3MB
Edgerton, EM, and CR Rose

Poster: Predators of the Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse in the Suisun Marsh
PDF, 3.7MB
Smith, KR, MK Riley, C Angulo, S Fresquez, M Smith, S Trombley, and M Zhang

Poster: Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Nest Variation: Potential to Adapt to Rising Sea Levels
PDF, 2.2MB
Trombley, S

Poster: Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Summary
PDF, 4.2MB
Smith, KR

Poster: Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Survey Bias at China Camp State Park
PDF, 1.1MB
Barthman-Thompson, L

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
Conservation genetics of the endangered San Francisco Bay endemic salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris)
PDF, 929KB
Statham, MJ, S Aamoth, L Barthman-Thompson, S Estrella, S Fresquez, LD Hernandez, R Tertes, and BN Sacks
Conservation Genetics 17(5): 1055-1066
2016
Distinguishing between northern salt marsh and western harvest mice
PDF, 543KB
Sustaita, D, SK Brown, L Barthman-Thompson, S Estrella, L Patterson, PQ Finfrock, and FX Villablanca
The Journal of Wildlife Management 82(4): 723-733
May 2018
Effects of natural and anthropogenic change on habitat use and movement of endangered salt marsh harvest mice
PDF, 1.3MB
Smith, KR, L Barthman-Thompson, WR Gould, and KE Mabry
PLoS ONE 9(10): e108739
October 2014
Habitat selection of the salt marsh harvest mouse and sympatric rodent species
PDF, 663KB
Bias, MA, and ML Morrison
Journal of Wildlife Management 70(3): 732-742
2006
Of mice and mallards: positive indirect effects of coexisting prey on waterfowl nest success
PDF, 1.8MB
Ackerman, JT
OIKOS 99(3): 469-480
December 2002
Potential evidence of communal nesting, mate guarding, or biparental care in the salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris halicoetes)
PDF, 2.2MB
Trombley, S, and KR Smith
California Fish and Game 103(1): 15-20
2017
Salt marsh harvest mice, urban development, and rising sea levels
PDF, 1.1MB
Shellhammer, HS
Conservation Biology 3(1): 59-65
1989
Salt marsh harvest mouse demography and habitat use in the Suisun Marsh, California
PDF, 167KB
Sustaita, D, P Finfrock Quickert, L Patterson, L Barthman-Thompson, and S Estrella
The Journal of Wildlife Management 75(6): 1498-1507
July 2011
The selfie trap: A novel camera trap design for accurate small mammal identification
PDF, 212KB
Gracanin, A, V Gracanin, and KM Mikac
Ecological Management & Restoration 20(2): 156-158
2019
Threat of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome to field biologists working with small mammals
JPG, 239KB
Kelt, DA, DH Van Vuren, MS Hafner, BJ Danielson, and MJ Kelly
Emerging Infectious Diseases 13(9): 1285-1287
2007
Toward salt marsh harvest mouse recovery: A review
PDF, 14MB
Smith, KR, MK Riley, L Barthman–Thompson, I Woo, MJ Statham, S Estrella, and DA Kelt
San Francisco Estuary and Water Science,16(2): 2
2018
Toward salt marsh harvest mouse recovery: Research priorities
PDF, 189KB
Smith, KR, MK Riley, L Barthman–Thompson, MJ Statham, S Estrella, and D Kelt
San Francisco Estuary and Water Science 16(2): 1
2018
Updated guidelines for protection of mammalogists and wildlife researchers from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS)
JPG, 255KB
Kelt, DA, MS Hafner, and the American Society of Mammalogists
Journal of Mammology 91(6): 1524-1527
2010
Use of brackish marshes in the South San Francisco Bay by salt marsh harvest mice
PDF, 232KB
Shellhammer, H, R Duke, and MC Orland
California Fish and Game 96(4): 256-259
2010
Waterfowl management and diet of the salt marsh harvest mouse
PDF, 1.3MB
Smith, KR, and DA Kelt
The Journal of Wildlife Management 1-13
September 2019
OTHER INFORMATION
Data collection protocols surveying for the salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris), California vole (Microtus californicus) and other small mammals
PDF, 173KB
Padgett-Flohr, GE, and H Shellhammer
Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program Plan
2002
Guidance Document - Minimum Qualifications
PDF, 390KB
USFWS
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Fact Sheet
PDF, 205KB
Center for Disease Control
CDC
Key to Vegetation in Suisun Marsh
DOC, 185KB


2016
Minimum qualifications for the salt marsh harvest mouse
PDF, 9KB


Parakeet Mix
PDF, 37KB


Physician Alert Card
PDF, 126KB

California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Poem: What a wondrous experience
PDF, 38KB
Shellhamer, H

Preventing Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrom in the Workplace
PDF, 4.9MB

California Department of Public Health
Rodents and Hantavirus Poster
PDF, 1.3MB


Salt marsh harvest mouse abundance and site use in a managed marsh
PDF, 740KB
Basson, G
San Jose State University Master's Thesis
2009
Selected Tidal Marsh Plant Species of the San Francisco Estuary: A Field Identification Guide
PDF, 2.2MB
Baye, P
San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project
March 2007
Small Mammal Survey Codes
JPG, 61KB


2017
Suggested SMHM Survey Equipment List
DOC, 31KB


March 2017
USFWS Field Office Permit Contact
PDF, 521KB
USFWS
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Walking in the Marsh: Methods to Increase Safety and Reduce Impacts to Wildlife/Plants
DOC, 45KB


Links

Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Symposium 2017 documents
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B59qGxzL875Cc2NrUU1ka25DLXM

Questions and Answers

Submit a question on this subject and we'll provide an answer. coastaltraining@elkhornslough.org