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!
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