Week 6

Fire monitoring is going well! We only have two forest plots left to complete!

Like most things, fire monitoring plots require some maintenance as time goes on. The poles marking the transect get removed or knocked down and tree tags become ingrown over time, which isn't unreasonable considering these plots were originally established in the nineties. So, we look out for these incidences and try to keep the plots in good repair for future studies. For science! 

Blue Hill Overlook

This week, there was still trail maintenance that needed to be done from last week's storm. I walked Blue Hill Trail with the YCC (Youth Conservation Corps) picking up small debris and watching for larger trees that would need to be cut up later. 

Blanding's Turtle

I marked my first Blanding's Turtle this week! This female turtle was gravid, meaning she was full of eggs that she'd probably be laying soon. We could actually feel the eggs; it was really cool!

Killdeer Nest

There is a killdeer nesting on the Wildlife Drive! Other cool animal sightings of the week include a sandhill crane pair with their colt, a pair of turkeys with their poults (they look like baby dinosaurs, so cute) more snapping turtles, and a COYOTE. So much nature! 

 Froghopper Nymph Cover

When I was out pulling invasive species with Sally one afternoon, I stumbled across a few plants with patches of foam on their stems. Being of a science background, I quickly wondered, who has been throwing foam parties on the refuge, and why wasn't I invited...? It turned out that the residue in question was a form of protection produced by froghopper nymphs, more commonly known as spittlebugs. Spittlebug nymphs tap into plants and use their sap to make a foam casing. The resulting cover protects the young bugs from predation as well as unfavorable temperature fluctuations. Pretty cool!

Week 5

I spent most of this week doing fire monitoring. We're finishing up the forest plots, and then will move on to the prairie and savanna plots in the following months. It looks like prescribed fire has done the refuge some good!

On Thursday night there was a huge storm that knocked trees down all over the refuge and surrounding area. Friday was spent doing maintenance on refuge roads and trails. 

Cattle

It may seem a little funny to see cattle grazing on a national wildlife refuge, but it's actually a really useful initiative! The cattle, which are owned and maintained by a local cooperator, are helping to knock back some of the invasive species on the refuge, and open up the understory of our oak savanna plots for more ideal species! Pretty cool! 

Snapping Turtle Nest

It's nesting season for snapping turtles! Many snapping turtles nest just off the side of the road. Snapping turtle eggs are heavily predated, so we've begun placing cages around the nests to keep out other critters and give the eggs a fighting chance. It was pretty cool to see this nest in tact! 

Week 4

Air Boat!

Steve and Sally

Sally

Getting to go out on the air boat was definitely one of the highlights of my experience at Sherburne thus far. It was amazing to see the refuge from the water as opposed to on land. It was the perfect day for a tour; when the water was calm, it perfectly reflected the clouds and sky above. And while I didn't get to drive the boat myself (the first picture was staged), I was definitely one happy passenger. 

Fire Monitoring with Kris and Pete!

Today was my first day on another project I'll be helping with through out the summer: fire monitoring. There are over 100 plots of land on the refuge designated for this purpose. On these plots, the herbaceous layer (what plants are present?), tree cover (how many living and dead trees are there, what kind are they, and how big are they?), and fuel load are evaluated in an effort to examine the the long-term effects of prescribed burning on the land.  

And of course, more interesting plants and animals! I learned way more plants today when we were out fire monitoring (thanks for quizzing me, Pete!), but I didn't have my camera to take pictures! Hopefully I retain that info! 

Painted Turtle

I rescued this little guy from the road!

Spider Web

The morning dew on this spider web made it really visible and pretty!

Columbine

The flowers on the columbine plant have small edible sap pockets that taste like honey!

This week, I also did some mapping of leafy spurge (another invasive species on the refuge), helped to clear out more woody debris from beaver activity, and did some data entry and analysis on ArcMap (the GIS system).

Four weeks down, eight weeks to go! This summer is flying! 

Week 3

On Tuesday, the weather was finally nice enough for me to hike Mahnomen Trail. It's been raining a lot lately, but I think it's slowing down for the summer. Mahnomen Trail is a 3-mile hike through prairie and oak savanna habitats on the refuge. 

"Mahnomen" is the Ojibwa (a native american people) word for "wild rice"!

I was going to get a map before I started my hike, but then  I thought, hmmm, better not!

Mahnomen Trail

I saw some interesting flora and fauna on the trail! I was about 10 yards away from a deer at one point. I also saw a ton of chipmunks and song birds, as well as some insects (dragonflies and gnats abounded!) and a good variety of plants.

Lupine

Bull Snake!

I stumbled upon this little guy at the very end of my hike. Honestly, I almost stepped on him - I was only about a yard away when I noticed him in the path. Snakes are common on Mahnomen Trail because there is a hibernaculum (a group hibernation chamber, like a winter-long sleepover!) there. It was awesome! Another one slithered right in front of me when I was mapping leafy spurge near headquarters later in the day.

Seed Collector Meeting

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to sit in on Sherburne's annual Seed Collector Meeting. The Seed Collector program is a very valuable initiative for Sherburne. There are a ton of diverse seeds on refuge lands; basically, collecting some seeds each summer saves the refuge from having to go out and buy seed when it's needed in the future. The entire program is run by volunteers, who are gathered for an orientation (or re-orientation) every year right before the peak collecting time begins.

On Thursday, I went to an educational workshop in Elk River focused on using the outdoors as a classroom. It was really informative, and actually peaked my interest in environmental education as a future career path!

Nature Explore Center

An Excerpt from a child's Nature Journal

The second half of the workshop was held on refuge grounds. We gathered on the Oak Savanna Trail on Wildlife Drive to employ some of the observational techniques we'd learned about that morning. 

Replica Eagle Nest

There were some good finds on the Oak Savanna Trail!

Warbler Nest

 Garter Snake

Today I started my summer's main project: mapping phragmites. Phragmites, also known as common reed, has an invasive strain (Type M) that is becoming increasingly prolific on the refuge. In order to  develop a plan on how to effectively manage the phragmites on the refuge, we first have to know where it is has spread to. That's where I come in!

Nomad Trimble (GIS Unit)

I'm mapping phragmites using GIS technology, which was completely foreign to me prior to this internship. It took me a couple of days to get the hang of it, but I know enough now to do what I need to do. There are a bunch of capabilities that I haven't explored yet!

The going was pretty rough at times. Phragmites is a wetland species, so I was effectively walking through marsh/swamp to get to the plots I needed to map. This was only my second time in waders, and I definitely put them to good use. I quickly got a more realistic concept of the phrase "off the beaten path"; blazing my own trail was a lot more intense than I'd anticipated. Finding  solid footing wasn't a luxury I always had; I lost count of the number of times I slipped, slid, and generally got stuck (sometimes up to my thighs) in the mud. Slowly but surely, however, I began navigating the wetland more efficiently. I became better at spotting where to step, and found myself moving with more confidence as the day wore on. I'm nowhere near walking on water, but I'm improving!

As always on the refuge, this expedition was a good opportunity to spot wildlife! In addition to the photos below, there were  tons  of spiders and red-winged black birds.

Water Strider

Frog

Turtle Shell

Bird Nest (look closely!)