Welcome to the Northern Redbelly dace recovery project
Where Colorado students, scientists, and community come together to save an endangered species in our own backyard
Project Updates
A group of talented students turned the story of our project into a comic! Check it out!
| Northern Redbelly Dace Comic |
NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUDUBON SOCIETY OF GREATER DENVER
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The Audubon Society of Greater Denver is an organization that strives to inspire actions that protect non-game wildlife here in Colorado through education, research, and conservation. They recently became a partner, following their grant donation that will allow our project to purchase professional water quality equipment. This equipment will allow us to better monitor the water that we are both raising and releasing the Northern Redbelly Dace into.
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Students use novel science in effort to reintroduce endangered fish
Taryn McDermid did not think at 15 she would be working to save an endangered fish species, but on Thursday she stood in front of a room of wildland biologists explaining her work doing exactly that.
The Niwot High School sophomore and the other four members of the northern redbelly dace data science project team delivered a formal presentation to the members of Boulder County Parks and Open Space about their work to save the endangered species.
The Niwot High School sophomore and the other four members of the northern redbelly dace data science project team delivered a formal presentation to the members of Boulder County Parks and Open Space about their work to save the endangered species.
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“I just think it's really cool that I have the opportunity to do that, and that I have the opportunity to make a real world impact that I can see,” McDermid said.
Northern redbelly dace are a freshwater minnow native to the Front Ranch, and the 2013 floods nearly wiped them out. Over the past couple years McDermid, Silvercreek High School sophomore Mark Reyhold, Niwot senior Mateo Bandera, Erie High School sophomore Bethany Lonsinger, and Niwot sophomore Jenna Watson have worked to help reintroduce the fish at the St. Vrain Valley Schools Innovation Center. |
St Vrain Valley School District's Data Science Team Collects eDNA at Webster PondIt was a beautiful fall day enjoyed by the SVVSD Data Science Team. Every other week, this student team visits one of the release sites to record data on water quality and environmental conditions. This week, Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza taught the students a new technique in detecting the presence of species through aquatic sampling, called "environmental DNA" or "eDNA". This will be a crucial tool in monitoring success of the fish released. To learn more about eDNA and how it is applied to conservation projects like the Northern Redbelly Dace Recovery Project visit our Monitoring Success page.
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Northern Redbelly Dace Release of 2021
This video was a wonderful celebration of community and the synergy of passionate partners who were involved in the 2021 Northern Redbelly Dace Project. Thank you to everyone who supported this project, and a special thank you to our videographer Georg Beyer!
Release Day 2021
Join us on Saturday, August 28th, at 10 am for the release of the Northern Redbelly Dace, a locally endangered Colorado fish species.
The Northern Redbelly Dace Project showcases a successful collaboration of local students, community stakeholders, and wildlife professionals coming together to save a native species.
The event will feature the release of nearly 600 fish that were raised by students, volunteers, and faculty of the St Vrain Valley School District.
The release will occur in Webster Pond at Pella Crossing, and will feature many of the project partners including, the Ocean First Institute, Boulder County Parks & Open Space, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, as well as the Denver Zoo! Check back for more updates on logistics such as parking, a full schedule of events, and more.
The Northern Redbelly Dace Project showcases a successful collaboration of local students, community stakeholders, and wildlife professionals coming together to save a native species.
The event will feature the release of nearly 600 fish that were raised by students, volunteers, and faculty of the St Vrain Valley School District.
The release will occur in Webster Pond at Pella Crossing, and will feature many of the project partners including, the Ocean First Institute, Boulder County Parks & Open Space, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, as well as the Denver Zoo! Check back for more updates on logistics such as parking, a full schedule of events, and more.
Lyons Gas Spill on St Vrain Creek
On the afternoon of 04/27/2021 a gas tanker crashed about a mile upstream from last year's Northern Redbelly Dace Recovery Project release site. Unfortunately, gas ran right into St. Vrain creek killing fish and invertebrates. We were so worried. The pond where the NRD was released last year gets fed from the creek.
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We went out the next day and were able to confirm our little fish are okay! The pond is monitored for water quality weekly, and no disturbances have been observed since the spill in April, 2021. In one way or another, it seems we are all connected to a creek. To learn more about the incident and the interagency response, read the story below by the Boulder Daily Camera. |
Northern Redbelly Dace Release of 2020
Awards & Recognition
Innovation Center Students Win the World Affairs Challenge! |
The Northern Redbelly Dace project has won an international award!
Recently two students from the Innovation Center's Data Science Class, Anya Wieder and Taryn McDermid, won 1st place in the World Affairs Challenge. This competition focuses on celebrating students who are 'innovating sustainable solutions to global issues' across the globe. Taryn and Anya have dedicated their time to focusing on ideal water quality and riparian habitats that are conducive to the success and survival of the Northern Redbelly Dace. This is important work for both the fish and the future of this project. To view their presentation and hear more about their work, watch the video below! |
Northern Redbelly Dace Recovery Project Wins Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Ecological Restoration"
On October 11, 2021 the Northern Redbelly Dace Recovery Project received a Blue Grama award in the category of "Outstanding Achievement in Ecological Restoration" by the Colorado Open Space Alliance. This award recognizes projects or programs that have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments in ecological restoration or recreation management resulting in the conservation/protection of natural resources, enhancements in the health of a landscape, and/or the improvement of an open space area to promote safe and sustainable recreational practices. We are honored to receive recognition and could not have done it without the hard work of all our partners, volunteers, and team members!
2021 Lauren Townsend Memorial Wildlife Fund Grant
The Northern Redbelly Dace Project is deeply honored to announce we have received a grant for $5,000 from the Lauren Townsend Memorial Wildlife Fund to support restoration efforts of the Northern Redbelly Dace species and their habitat. The fund awards grants to nonprofit organizations that focus on animal welfare or wildlife preservation, to commemorate the life of Lauren Townsend, who was one of 13 victims killed in the shootings on April 20, 1999. Lauren worked at an animal hospital and loved every living creature from wolves to spiders or any other animal that needed protection. Thank you to the Townsend family and the Denver Foundation for supporting this project.
Northern Redbelly Dace Recovery Project Gains National Recognition
This partnership effort with St Vrain Valley School District students, to raise and release a state-endangered fish species, has been honored with a National Association of Counties Achievement Award in the Parks and Recreation category. The Daily Camera wrote a recent article covering this achievement that is special to the project, our partners, and participants.
Northern Redbelly Dace Recovery Project
A collaborative species conservation partnership
Email: redbellydacerecovery@outlook.com