This adult Barred Owl perched near field biologist Adam Baz while he was conducting an early-morning bird count for the Environmental Services watershed monitoring program on June 8.

Environmental Services collects data along rivers and streams and summarizes the information in Watershed Report Cards. We’re working hard to improve the health of our rivers and streams. By tracking how they’re doing, we can see what’s improving and where we need to do more.

We measure birds, fish, and bugs (macroinvertebrates) because they are indicators of overall environmental health. Some bird and fish species are also protected under the Endangered Species Act or are at risk of becoming threatened or endangered.