As part of an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) for impacts to Florida Scrub-Jays, Mosaic contracted Verdantas ecologists to monitor the response of a population after a series of translocations.  Our team continues to monitor the long-term outcomes of these translocations to better understand conservation efforts and guide future strategies for the species.

Verdantas staff bring extensive expertise in long-term demographic monitoring. Lauren Deaner, Senior Ecologist at Verdantas, who has been working with this population for 20 years, contributes her intrinsic knowledge of the population along with her expertise in wildlife biology and field experience with bird banding. Verdantas Ecologists Tyler Buckley and Katie Serba have both become field leads for this project, now leading nest searching and banding activities.

As the population grew and the need to aggregate data for publications became critical, paper records proved to be tedious and obsolete. Ben Polasky, Senior GIS Analyst at Verdantas, helped ecology team set up ESRI Field Maps and Survey123 to maintain a comprehensive database of all nest records. By leveraging these digital solutions, our team ensured that efforts to sustain and grow the Florida Scrub-Jay populations were meticulously documented and monitored, paving the way for ongoing conservation success and dissemination of data, which is critical to the conservation community.

The primary goal of the project is to reduce the extinction risk of a metapopulation of Florida Scrub-Jays occurring on the west coast of Florida. During the permitting process in 1999, various models were run to determine what mitigation options had the greatest positive impact on the population. These models included options with no impacts, or no impacts with habitat management. However, the best model was the successful translocation of the fragmented population to a congruent managed parcel of land owned by Mosaic. This data-driven approach led to a significant reduction in extinction risk by as much as 70% between 1999 and 2012. Continued research on the genetic outcomes of the translocation has guided future management decisions.

Mosaic and Manatee County have worked collaboratively on prescribed burns at the Mosaic Wellfield to ensure proper habitat management. Mosaic provides Manatee County with management recommendations based on assessments conducted within each nesting territory. These efforts maintain Florida Scrub-Jay habitat in optimal condition for the species over a significant portion of protected habitat and support the growth of the metapopulation.

By working closely with Mosaic and collaborators, Verdantas is committed to publishing research and guiding future conservation efforts for the Florida Scrub-Jay, ensuring the long-term sustainability and protection of this unique species.

To learn more, check out this Current Biology Article written by members of our project team.