Global Change Research Wetland Annual Plant Census

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The Biogeochemistry Lab at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) is conducting their annual census of the Global Change Research Wetland, a marsh that SERC scientists have been studying for over 30 years. There are a variety of projects happening, but all of them involve counting and measuring plants in the marsh. We do an experiment to look at the impacts of increased carbon dioxide on plant growth, one to look at the combined impacts of increased carbon dioxide and nitrogen on plants, one that looks at whether native and invasive plants are responding to nutrient input in similar or different ways, and another one that looks at the impacts on plants when you actually warm the soil that they are growing in. In the beginning, volunteers usually act as data recorders, and then start taking some of the measurements as they become more comfortable. We’d love to have you join us for one or more days if you are interested!

We are looking for volunteer citizen scientists on weekdays from July 22 through August 2 from 730AM to 4PM to help us count and measure plants. These measurements help us understand how global warming, nutrient pollution, and invasive species are changing salt marshes. Volunteers are need for a minimum of one full day, but we love to have volunteers help out over multiple days. The work involves working in the tidal marsh (on boardwalks) at SERC to count and measure all of the plants in the experimental plots and working in the lab to sort samples and conduct analyses. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old to participate.