Good luck everyone, this is a wonderful job and a wonderful organization to work for!
Unfortunately since I was conducting interviews I didn't take any pictures today so I hope you enjoy this funny example of osmosis that I found on the internet! :)
Thursday, July 31, 2014
July 30th -- Interviewing Day!
Well, today I did not get out in the field, but it was for a good cause. As most of you know, my time at the Friends of Blackwater is coming to a fast end -- I only have 3 weeks left here already -- which means my job is up for grabs! I posted the job announcement on the Texas A&M Job Board and received an amazing amount of qualified applicants! Today I conducted majority of the interviews, but I still have a few more to do tomorrow.
Good luck everyone, this is a wonderful job and a wonderful organization to work for!
Unfortunately since I was conducting interviews I didn't take any pictures today so I hope you enjoy this funny example of osmosis that I found on the internet! :)
Good luck everyone, this is a wonderful job and a wonderful organization to work for!
Unfortunately since I was conducting interviews I didn't take any pictures today so I hope you enjoy this funny example of osmosis that I found on the internet! :)
July 29th -- Lindy Point Day!
Today our computer tech guy came to work on our computers and phones, thank goodness because my work computer kept crashing! While he was here Judy and I went out to check the hair snares on Canaan Loop Road, and the one in the State Park that we didn't get to yesterday. There wasn't very much hair to collect today, I think it may have had something to do with the crazy storms we have gotten the last couple of days. I pulled the SD cards from the cameras we have at Flag Run and the Canaan Loop Road Big Rock site. We also went to Cherry Lane Trail in the park to scope it out because we are thinking about putting 10 new hair snares in that area. It was a beautiful trail full on beech, spruce and hemlock trees.
When we were done checking the snares the computer guy, John, needed more time so Judy took me over to Lindy Point in the State Park, and WOW what a view of the canyon! I was standing near the edge and the shear beauty of it almost brought a tear to my eye! I found myself wishing I had wings so I could soar through the canyon with the birds!
When we got back to the office I started looking at the images from our cameras and saw what at first I thought to be a flying squirrel! We were so excited, but then upon further investigation we realized it was just some species of mouse...the giveaway was the tail -- it was string-like and not fuzzy like a flying squirrels would be.
Mouse lurking underneath the hair snare
Indian pipe plant
Cherry Lane Trail
Lindy Point
I'm on top of the world!
Silly red squirrel!
Little mouse
The mouse kept going in and out of the hair snare stealing all the sunflower seeds!
Look at those buggy eyes!
When we were done checking the snares the computer guy, John, needed more time so Judy took me over to Lindy Point in the State Park, and WOW what a view of the canyon! I was standing near the edge and the shear beauty of it almost brought a tear to my eye! I found myself wishing I had wings so I could soar through the canyon with the birds!
When we got back to the office I started looking at the images from our cameras and saw what at first I thought to be a flying squirrel! We were so excited, but then upon further investigation we realized it was just some species of mouse...the giveaway was the tail -- it was string-like and not fuzzy like a flying squirrels would be.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
July 28th -- Rainy, Soggy, Wet Day!
Today Judy came in to help me with some of the hair snares, and from the very beginning of the day the sky did not look pleasant at all! It was dark grey with huge clouds that looked like they were just waiting for the right moment to release all the water within.
When Judy arrived we started with the Blackwater Falls State Park sites, and sure enough as soon as we started the rain came! Thankfully we both had out rain coats with us and pushed forward despite the dismal weather. Pendleton Run wasn't productive and we headed over to check out Yellow Birch.
It seemed like the rain was coming in waves and was relentless! The second portion of Yellow Birch was flooded pretty bad from all the rain we have had the past couple of days and today. I knew it would be flooded so I had put my rain boots on but Judy did not have rain boots so she had to walk along the edge of the trail in the shrubbery to avoid walking in the above-ankle deep pools of water. At the end of Yellow Birch we could not cross the river on the Davis Trail like we normally would because it was so high so we turned around and headed back to the van the long way. The only parts of my body dry were my feet and torso and we decided to not move forward with checking our last snare site and headed back into the office cold and very wet!
The river is very swollen!
Judy in the rain!
Me i
When Judy arrived we started with the Blackwater Falls State Park sites, and sure enough as soon as we started the rain came! Thankfully we both had out rain coats with us and pushed forward despite the dismal weather. Pendleton Run wasn't productive and we headed over to check out Yellow Birch.
It seemed like the rain was coming in waves and was relentless! The second portion of Yellow Birch was flooded pretty bad from all the rain we have had the past couple of days and today. I knew it would be flooded so I had put my rain boots on but Judy did not have rain boots so she had to walk along the edge of the trail in the shrubbery to avoid walking in the above-ankle deep pools of water. At the end of Yellow Birch we could not cross the river on the Davis Trail like we normally would because it was so high so we turned around and headed back to the van the long way. The only parts of my body dry were my feet and torso and we decided to not move forward with checking our last snare site and headed back into the office cold and very wet!
Friday, July 25, 2014
July 25th -- Now Hiring!
Well, as the summer quickly comes to an end, so does my internship! I only have a month here in West Virginia with the Friends of Blackwater! It's always sad when the end date starts getting closer and closer, but I must go back to school (SUNY Cobleskill) and finish my degree.
The good news from this situation is that my job is up for grabs for a worthy candidate! If you follow this link it will take you to our official job announcement. Feel free to submit your resumes if you meet the qualifications. The posting has only been up for 2 days and we've already received tons of applicants!
http://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/jobs/flying-squirrel-technician-needed-asap-west-virginia/
Today Lon and I checked the Canaan Loop Sites and at the Big Rock site there were 3 hair snares knocked down by bears...of course...and we got more photographic evidence...we only had one productive snare here today which is extremely odd! We also moved the trail camera to a tree that is closer to the hair snare so we will hopefully be able to catch squirrels on the camera easier. There have been times when the snare has been triggered but then there are no pictures. I think it was because the camera was too far away for it to pick up a small squirrel...
At Flag Run I was very pleased to find out it is becoming more and more productive. Today we had 3 out of 10 snares that had been triggered and had hair. I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but it is. I also pulled the SD card from the trail camera and discovered that one of the batteries came loose when I moved the camera last time so there were no new pictures! Thankfully that snare wasn't triggered so I didn't miss out on capturing a flying squirrel picture. On our way back to the truck I looked under a rock and found another Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander! Lon was excited because I've been trying, this whole time he's been helping me, to find a salamander to show him and I haven't had any luck, and finally today we found one!
The good news from this situation is that my job is up for grabs for a worthy candidate! If you follow this link it will take you to our official job announcement. Feel free to submit your resumes if you meet the qualifications. The posting has only been up for 2 days and we've already received tons of applicants!
http://wfscjobs.tamu.edu/jobs/flying-squirrel-technician-needed-asap-west-virginia/
Today Lon and I checked the Canaan Loop Sites and at the Big Rock site there were 3 hair snares knocked down by bears...of course...and we got more photographic evidence...we only had one productive snare here today which is extremely odd! We also moved the trail camera to a tree that is closer to the hair snare so we will hopefully be able to catch squirrels on the camera easier. There have been times when the snare has been triggered but then there are no pictures. I think it was because the camera was too far away for it to pick up a small squirrel...
At Flag Run I was very pleased to find out it is becoming more and more productive. Today we had 3 out of 10 snares that had been triggered and had hair. I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but it is. I also pulled the SD card from the trail camera and discovered that one of the batteries came loose when I moved the camera last time so there were no new pictures! Thankfully that snare wasn't triggered so I didn't miss out on capturing a flying squirrel picture. On our way back to the truck I looked under a rock and found another Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander! Lon was excited because I've been trying, this whole time he's been helping me, to find a salamander to show him and I haven't had any luck, and finally today we found one!
July 24th -- Not Very Exciting Day
Well, I hate to say it, but today wasn't all that exciting...
Lon and I went and checked the snares we have in Blackwater Falls State Park, and nothing really out of the ordinary happened. However, the snares on the Blackwater River Road Trail are finally becoming pretty productive so I'm happy about that!
Other than that it was a pretty typical day...checking snares, pulling hair, entering data...
Some pretty rhododendron blossoms. Don't let their beauty fool you...it is a huge pain trying to bushwhack through rhododendron!
Lon and I went and checked the snares we have in Blackwater Falls State Park, and nothing really out of the ordinary happened. However, the snares on the Blackwater River Road Trail are finally becoming pretty productive so I'm happy about that!
Other than that it was a pretty typical day...checking snares, pulling hair, entering data...
Thursday, July 24, 2014
July 23rd -- Vegetation Sampling Day!
Today started off very early, well, very early to me...I had to be at the office by 7:30am because today I went out with Stephanie and Sarah from Purdue University.
Stephanie, a Graduate student, and her technician Sarah, are collecting vegetation samples to help better understand what the flying squirrels are eating. They have predetermined, but randomly selected points all over the Monongahela Forest in which they set up vegetation plots. To setup these plots they go to the center point and lay out measuring tape 10m long going north, south, and another tape 10m long going east, west. Once the tape is laid out they then place pitfall traps every 5m in randomly chosen directions, and then one in the center. After placing the traps, they go back in 4 days to see if they captured any insects.
Pitfall traps are designed to catch insects on the forest floor. Basically you dig a hole the depth of a plastic cup, and then place the cup inside the hole. Then you place a plate over the top to prevent the cup from flooding if it rains. The insects then fall into the cup while walking across the forest floor.
We were also collecting vegetation samples, about 10 pieces each, of things such as spruce sprigs, yellow birch and maple buds, ferns, mosses, lichens, mushrooms, spruce cones, and hemlock cones. All of these samples, insects included, are then frozen until they return to Purdue University. At Purdue they will then crush up the samples to analyze the isotopes to compare with the isotopes in the hair samples that I collect and mail to them. When they compare the results they are then able to see what percent of the vegetation or insects are in the squirrels diet! Neat, huh? So basically they will be able to say "Oh, this squirrel has a diet of 60% mushrooms, 20% mosses, 10% ferns, and 10% spruce cones". Something along those lines.
They also have these very expensive (about $3,000 each) meters, which the name of them has escaped me, that can measure the amount of light that comes through the forest canopy so then they can determine the percent of canopy cover! The only downfall to these meters is that the only work when the sun is brightly shining. So if it is a cloudy day they will have to go back to the area to try to capture that data.
All-in-all it was a great day! It was really nice to see the work that they are doing especially since I send them the hair samples that I collect. Steph has offered me the chance to go out with them again, but to a closer location. Yesterday we drove down to Pocahontas County for the data collection making it about a 160 mile round-trip day!
Covered pitfall trap
The pitfall trap
Steph investigating a pitfall trap to see if there are any insects
Hiking in to the next pitfall trap site
The 2nd pitfall trap site
Steph and Sarah setting up a new pitfall trap plot
Sarah holding the measuring tape while Steph measure it out
Setting up those fancy sunlight meters
Sarah holding the meter while it measures the amount of sunlight
Stephanie, a Graduate student, and her technician Sarah, are collecting vegetation samples to help better understand what the flying squirrels are eating. They have predetermined, but randomly selected points all over the Monongahela Forest in which they set up vegetation plots. To setup these plots they go to the center point and lay out measuring tape 10m long going north, south, and another tape 10m long going east, west. Once the tape is laid out they then place pitfall traps every 5m in randomly chosen directions, and then one in the center. After placing the traps, they go back in 4 days to see if they captured any insects.
Pitfall traps are designed to catch insects on the forest floor. Basically you dig a hole the depth of a plastic cup, and then place the cup inside the hole. Then you place a plate over the top to prevent the cup from flooding if it rains. The insects then fall into the cup while walking across the forest floor.
We were also collecting vegetation samples, about 10 pieces each, of things such as spruce sprigs, yellow birch and maple buds, ferns, mosses, lichens, mushrooms, spruce cones, and hemlock cones. All of these samples, insects included, are then frozen until they return to Purdue University. At Purdue they will then crush up the samples to analyze the isotopes to compare with the isotopes in the hair samples that I collect and mail to them. When they compare the results they are then able to see what percent of the vegetation or insects are in the squirrels diet! Neat, huh? So basically they will be able to say "Oh, this squirrel has a diet of 60% mushrooms, 20% mosses, 10% ferns, and 10% spruce cones". Something along those lines.
They also have these very expensive (about $3,000 each) meters, which the name of them has escaped me, that can measure the amount of light that comes through the forest canopy so then they can determine the percent of canopy cover! The only downfall to these meters is that the only work when the sun is brightly shining. So if it is a cloudy day they will have to go back to the area to try to capture that data.
All-in-all it was a great day! It was really nice to see the work that they are doing especially since I send them the hair samples that I collect. Steph has offered me the chance to go out with them again, but to a closer location. Yesterday we drove down to Pocahontas County for the data collection making it about a 160 mile round-trip day!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
July 22nd -- Water Monitoring Day!
Well it's that time of the month again...time for our monthly water monitoring! This time I went out by myself and it was a beautiful day! I made sure to calibrate the testers before I went out so the readings were accurate and I brought a cup with me to collect water in for testing.
It only took me about 3 hours which is really good time because there are 13 different monitoring areas. And that's even with me stopping at the coke ovens that are on the road I use to get to the sites -- you will be able to read about the coke ovens in the pictures I took!
When I was all done with that I headed back into the office to enter the data into the Excel workbook we have for it. Then I took the stomped on hair snare over to Lon to see if he could work his magic and get it fixed for me -- he did! :) He also fixed my pocket knife for me -- You're the best Lon! While I was at Lon's house, his wife Glenda was generous enough to give me a bunch of fresh veggies from their garden! She gave me some broccoli, onions, green beans, peas, and swiss chard! Thank you Glenda!!!
I think these are some sort of baby fish, but I'm not sure
Site # 1
Site #2
Site #3
Site #4
Site #5
Site #6
Site #7
Coke Oven
Site #8
More coke oven stuff
Site #9
This is the meter I use to test the conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS) and salinity
Water quality from site #10
Site #10
Algae growth in site #11
Site #11. Its grey from manganese and aluminum pollution
Site #12
Site #13
It only took me about 3 hours which is really good time because there are 13 different monitoring areas. And that's even with me stopping at the coke ovens that are on the road I use to get to the sites -- you will be able to read about the coke ovens in the pictures I took!
When I was all done with that I headed back into the office to enter the data into the Excel workbook we have for it. Then I took the stomped on hair snare over to Lon to see if he could work his magic and get it fixed for me -- he did! :) He also fixed my pocket knife for me -- You're the best Lon! While I was at Lon's house, his wife Glenda was generous enough to give me a bunch of fresh veggies from their garden! She gave me some broccoli, onions, green beans, peas, and swiss chard! Thank you Glenda!!!
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