While fall is in full swing where I’m from in New England, it appears to be just now taking hold in Delaware. It is certainly not the same New England fall I’m used to. For example, there are hardly any apple orchards or sugar maples turning blazing hues of orange and red in Delaware. Instead, I’ve come to love a different fall color palette, the deep burgundy of sapling sweetgum trees in a mosaic of fluffed out groundel-tree shrubs (Baccarhis halimifolia) and the tan of dried grasses in a managed field habitat. Instead of apples the fruit of the season are persimmons, which are admittedly rather unpleasant until they are practically overripe. If you can get over the baby food-like texture and large seeds, the flavor is comparable to an orange popsicle.

As the plants begin to senesce with the cooler weather, I find myself coming across the insects I always enjoy finding with less and less frequency. Some are still moving across the landscape, most notably adult monarch butterflies undoubtedly making their multi-generational migration south to their wintering grounds in Mexico. Others are hungry – bees are still scouring the landscape for the remaining fall asters and occasionally mistake the red blotches on my tie dye shirt for the sort of vibrant flowers long out of season. One very large bumblebee decided I needed a very thorough inspection to make sure I wasn’t hiding any nectar from her and proceeded to crawl all over my shirt for a solid ten minutes as I very gingerly attempted to continue to collect Spartina alterniflora seedheads from the side of a dike.

Noticing the absence of the invertebrate curiosities of summer provoked me to think about the role they play in seed collection and subsequent habitat restoration projects, besides from when they ruin what we thought would be a great collection. From what I’ve noticed, or at least from my personal experience, there hasn’t been an awful lot of consideration and appreciation of the little things we’re protecting when we collect and utilize wild seed. There’s always ‘restoration’ and ‘wildlife use’ in the broad sense of things, but how often do we consider the tiny creatures so undervalued by most of human society in management efforts? In light of this, I want to dedicate this blog post to all of the fascinating insects I’ve come across this summer. Most of these critters were found utilizing species on our collection list, just in case you need another reason to be proud of the work we’re doing and the diversity of species it supports!

This black swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes) was found feeding on Daucus carota near some Strophostyles helvola we were collecting. Their coloration doesn’t look like much of a disguise, but they actually blend in surprisingly well against the finely cut leaves of the plants in the Apiaceae that they feed on.

Cicada exuvias (exoskeletons left behind when they turn into adults) can be still be found clinging to the various species of pine trees whose roots they feed on before they emerge. This is probably an annual cicada.

I was beyond excited when I found this guy, an io moth (Automeris io) caterpillar feeding on Sassafras albidum leaves. It’s a sizable caterpillar with painful stinging hairs if you’re careless enough to touch it. The adults are large silk moths famous for the false eyespots on their hindwings they flash to startle predators.

I tend to be fairly decent at identifying insects, but this very colorful caterpillar had me stumped for quite some time. It reminded me a bit of a monarch caterpillar and was the about the size of a small one as well. As it turns out, this beauty (finally IDed to Cucullia alfarata) turns into the most drab little brown moth once it goes through metamorphosis. The larval host plants are camphorweed and as seen here, seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens).

Stunning red-spotted purples (Limenitis arthemis) were abundant at all of our freshwater wetland sites throughout Delaware. They frequently could be seen drinking from mud in a behavior called puddling in which butterflies take up supplementary minerals.

If only I had kind words to say about this caterpillar besides commenting on its fascinating appendages and bright colors. While collecting beach plums, my hand and arm started having this rather unpleasant burning sensation. I wrote it off as just being scratched too many times reaching into the bushes with my famously sensitive skin. It wasn’t until a few minutes later I realized it was in fact a reaction to something when Lucy mentioned that her hand “was on fire.” We looked and looked around the bushes, not finding any likely suspects until we stumbled across this crazy looking caterpillar. One look at it between its bright warning colors and visible stinging hairs, it was evident what we’d been stung by! Apparently the stinging rose caterpillar (Parasa indetermina) is a common culprit of caterpillar stings, feeding on a variety of plants in the Rosaceae.

A familiar garden spider of my childhood, I could have never expected the overwhelming abundance of the yellow argiope (Argiope aurantia) in the salt marshes of Delaware. These buggers are everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE. Not only that, but they can be enormous! The one above is slightly less than two inches from leg tip to leg tip, although admittedly much larger than most I’ve come across. Take solace, spider haters, in the fact that these guys are in my experience very skittish, so much so that they can be difficult to photograph!

The collecting season is short here in New England, and we are nearly done with our quota (182 of 200 collections to date).  We have noticed a distinct pattern in the dominance of the species we have collected based on their abundance and phenology:  Back in July and the first half of August, we were mostly collecting the saltmarsh blackgrass (Juncus gerardii), and from the latter half of August to mid-September we were primarily collecting marshelder (Iva frutescens).  For the past four weeks we have been collecting mostly asters, in particular Eupatorium sp. sensu lato and Solidago sp.  These are all wind-dispersed seeds that are easy to collect, usually later in the season.  Unfortunately, many of the species we collect from both look incredibly similar and grow together, especially in the case of the Solidago species, of which we have collected four thus far (S. altissima, S. canadensis, S. sempervirens, and S. rugosa).  For example, S. altissima and S. canadensis look identical, except that S. altissima has an evenly hairy abaxial leaf surface and stem, whereas S. canadensis has hairs only on the midveins, with the rest of the abaxial lamina and stem completely glabrous.  On paper this seems diagnostic, but of course, Nature has given us individuals that look intermediate between the two (e.g., very sparsely hairy on the abaxial leaf lamina and stem) and we have to make do between our trusty Flora Novae Angliae key and our best understanding of goldenrod gestalt.

Tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima), Grape Island, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, MA

We have also made some great collections of species that once were all lumped in the Eupatorium genus.  Of those we have collected, most are now in the Eutrochium genus, e.g., E. dubium and E. maculatum., but the boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) has remained in the old genus.  All these species tend to grow very large floral heads and make for superb seed collections.

Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), Harwich, MA

With much of our work now focused on wind-dispersed seed (Asteraceae and others), we couldn’t help but take advantage of helping Nature out with dispersal too, with these milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) seeds:

I am finishing up my internship here is Klamath Falls. This was my last full week! That means that my project at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge was pretty much complete. We spent the last couple of weeks checking out some of the other projects that are going on in the office.

Last week we got to see a pretty cool project happening in the Freemont- Winema National Forest. There is a creek that has both endangered Bull Trout and invasive Brooke Trout. Over the past several years it has been the site of a massive Brooke Trout removal process. It successfully eliminated Brooke Trout from several miles of the stream.

In addition to the removal, there is a joint restoration project occurring with the Forest Service and the Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust. One of the biggest components was adding large woody debris to aid in creating riffle and pool habitat, which is really important for fish populations. The wood also helps the conductivity of the stream and helps retain smaller gravel, all really important for maintaining fish habitat. We went electrofishing to make sure there were no Brooke Trout or any other fish that could be endangered by the dropping of large woody debris. We found no fish, which was exactly what we were hoping for!

We also got to spend the day with a restoration biologist in the office. She works for the Partners Program in US Fish and Wildlife, which is a program that works directly with land owners to implement conservation projects on private land. We saw several channel reconstruction, where straight channels are reconstructed to streams with natural curves and winds, and got to help plant sedges along the banks of one of the project. Every one of her projects helps ranchers better utilize their resources in ways that also benefit the environment. It was really great to see another program in US Fish and Wildlife and get a feel for other career paths in conservation biology.

We also got to do some more sucker work! We got to see the monitoring effort US Geological Survey is undertaking in another population of suckers. Most of the work we were doing this summer was with the population in Upper Klamath Lake.  This week we got to see the effort to recapture tagged adults in Clear Lake. It was really good to see some adult fish again! USGS also explained their work with understanding how suckers are moving through both the lake and the river systems.  It was an informative day. We also got to help collect genetic samples from another population of suckers. To do this, we went electrofishing again and took fin clips. All the fish we captured were from Klamath Large Scale suckers, a non-listed species of sucker that is hybridizing with the endangered Short Nosed Sucker. It was really great to be out in the field again after report writing! My internship is finishing up next week, so you guys will get to hear from me again soon to wrap up my experience.

Hello all,

Since my last entry, I’ve been assisting the range crew with more of their work. I’ve gotten to participate in Rangeland Health assessments (RLH), Proper Functioning Conditions assessments (PFC), and Multiple Indicator Monitoring (MIM). This has been a great opportunity to learn more about both rangland and riparian health and the indicators used to measure them. Below, I’m going to go into a little bit of detail about each of these, to give you a better understanding of how and why these are performed.

When assessing rangeland health, we go out into the field and follow a set of protocols that allow us to collect data on several aspects of the landscape. First, we dig a hole to check the soil type. Then, we run a line and collect vegetative and substrate data. We measure the gaps between each plant along the line. Two crews work on this, one measuring canopy gaps and the other measuring basal gaps. While they are doing that, another team will walk along the line and collect point intercept data. That means that every two feet we record if there is a plant, what the height of the plant is, and what the substrate is. While all this is going on, the last member of the crew is collecting soil samples in order to test for surface soil stability. Once all of the data is collected and everyone has seen the site, it is evaluated based on 17 indicators. We gather around the truck and discuss what we saw in reference to each question and then rate each indicator based on how much it deviates from what is expected.

The first photo is of some of my colleagues recording gap data for an RLH assessment. The second, is all of us gathering around the truck to evaluate the site.

This process allows the range technicians to evaluate the health of the land and manage it accordingly. The results of the assessment can tell them whether the current plan is working or if things need to be changed. For instance, if the area is being over grazed and the plant community cannot handle the stress, they can change the grazing permits to help the land recover. Another example is pinyon pine/juniper (PJ) encroachment. If the community composition is out of whack because of PJs coming in, they can formulate a plan for removing the invading PJ and helping the grass/forb/shrub community to rebound.

Next, I’ll talk about the PFCs. Performing a proper functioning condition assessment involves walking along the riparian area (stream, pond, etc…), photographing wherever there is a transition or disturbance, and paying close attention to the plant communities, stream banks, and surrounding environment. After observing the length of the area in question, we gather together and fill out the assessment form. The form has several questions which allow the observers to determine whether or not the area is able to function properly or if it may need intervention.

My co-intern, Zach, and I were walking down a stream taking photos for the PFC as the vegetative community changed or wherever there were signs of disturbance. After working in sagebrush and pinyon/juniper forests much of the summer, the lush green vegetation is always a welcome change.

MIM is another way of assessing riparian areas. In this case, we follow a protocol that evaluates various aspects of the stream. Several different methods are used to collect data on the vegetation, including species composition and abundance, canopy cover, and presence or absence of browse. The stream bank and stream substrate are also evaluated. We looked for signs of disturbance and animal usage (hoof prints) as well as stream bank stability. I think my favorite tool was the gravelometer. Essentially, it’s a piece of metal with squares cut out of it and you place whatever size rock you find during your pebble count in it in order to measure the size of the materials composing the stream bed. Honestly, I just love the name gravelometer.

Illustrating how one uses a gravelometer.

Like the RLH assessment, both MIM and PFCs are performed every few years in order to track the health of the riparian area over time. While water is always a precious resource in need of protection, it is even more so in the drought stricken southwest. Roads, cattle, wildlife, and recreation can all have a big impact on the functionality and health of a stream. Performing both quantitative and qualitative analysis of these areas allows the land managers to see what’s going on and if any changes need to be made in order to balance usage and conservation of our natural resources.

Using a range finder to determine the distance between the riffle crest and the deepest point in the nearest upstream pool. But to a passersby, I just look like a creeper.

On the wildlife side of things, I’ve gotten to go electroshocking for a fish study and install bird ladders in troughs. I’ll talk more about those in my next post!

As far as my personal adventures go, I’ve been quite busy. Within the last month, I’ve visited the Grand Canyon, explored the mountains nearby, hiked at Zion National Park a few more times, and have gotten to check a few animals off of my Utah bucket-list. It’s been a blast!

My fellow Wildlife Techs and I at the Grand Canyon.

This was my most challenging hike yet. That is a photo of Angels Landing. Yes, you climb up that narrow portion, all the way to the top. It’s a bit scary, but oh so worth it!

This is a female big horned sheep I saw at Zion.

Although they were quite a ways away, I saw my first mountain goats!