Digital Acoustic Owl Monitoring
Funds Granted: $30,000
California Spotted owls can be quite the hoot, but the process for monitoring them for forest restoration projects is lengthy and based on older protocols. With the launch of the Smartest Forest Fund, Tahoe Fund recognizes the need to bring innovative technology to the Basin to significantly increase the pace and scale of forest restoration.
Tahoe Fund partnered with the US Forest Service to support a new acoustic monitoring protocol and system to more effectively determine the value of habitat and the occurrence of the California spotted owl in project areas. Through a pilot project, the Forest Service is deploying automated recording devices to determine if they can more efficiently detect individual owls and thereby shorten the existing process from two years to one year.
Thanks to the support of our generous donors, the Tahoe Fund granted $30,000 in funds towards the owl acoustic monitoring project. With your help, we are on our way to making Tahoe the Smartest Forest on the planet.