Fall is upon us here in New England…and it’s amazing! Gone are the days of sweating profusely out in the field, mosquitoes, and landscapes covered in green vibrant plants and trees. We’ve officially entered the season of Asters, which has been a challenge for our team as we learn and re-learn how to properly identify Solidago species (Goldenrods). Here’s the jist of it:

There are about 25 Solidago species native to New England and they all look VERY similar, for the most part. The species we have come across so far are S. canadensis, S. rugosa, S. sempervirens and S. altissima.

S. sempervirens is my favorite because it’s the easiest to identify. The reason it’s so easy to identify is because it grows along the coast only, where other Solidago species cannot grow! It also has fleshy and large basal leaves (like many other plant species that grow along the coast) that are quite distinctive and help you feel confident about properly identifying the plant.

S. canadensis, S. rugosa, and S. altissima all look very similar and grow together in large stands that you would love to just be one species of Solidago, but more likely than not is a combination of several species. Our trick for properly identifying between these three lies in their leaves. Venation and hairs are two characteristics that help distinguish between these species. Whenever we come across a Solidago we check for nearly parallel versus netted venation first. That helps us distinguish between S. rugosa and the others because S. rugosa has netted venation while the others have three nearly parallel veins. To distinguish between S. canadensis and S. altissima you need a hand lens. The difference between these two species is all in the hairs on the abaxial surface of the leaf. S. altissima is typically only hairy on the veins of the underside of the leaf whereas S. canadensis is hairy on and between the veins of the underside of the leaf. Although this seems pretty straight forward, it’s definitely not black and white. Sometimes we see S. altissima individuals that appear to have hairs on the veins and in between the veins, for example.

The New England team has been busy collecting other species beyond the Asters as well. We recently went to Ponkapaug Bog in Milton, MA and collected the following bog species: Cloethra alnifolia, Chamaedaphne calyculata, and Kalmia polifolia. I especially love visiting this bog because I find bog habitats to be so special and unique. Sphagnum moss has always been one of my favorites. The way it creates a majestic carpet of shades of green and red has always intrigued me.

On another note, we have officially surpassed our goal of 200 seed collections, which feels incredible! We were able to reach this milestone through hard work and an opportunistic attitude. I think we were all a little surprised how quickly we reached our goal and how quickly this season has gone by. With only a month left we have each placed bets on where we will end up by the end of the season. My bet is 248 collections, but who really knows! As seed collectors, we are at the will of mother nature, which is always unpredictable. For all we know, our pace of seed collecting could double or be cut in half this November. I guess I’ll have to check in at least one more time to let you know where we end up!

Until next time,

Anna

Bungee jumping!

October has been very busy. I cannot believe my internship is almost over! I am finishing up my final report. My final report deals with the pilot rearing project at the Fish Evaluation Station (FES) monitoring. I should be done with it sometime next week. Every first Monday of the month we have an all staff meeting. This month we had an all staff meeting/ going away potluck/ clean-up day. It was a lot of fun. Everyone pitched in and got us interns a little present. I received an insect field guide. It is pretty sweet. Darrick planned another going away party at the local restaurant. It was so much fun and really nice of everyone to come out.

Greenhouse and fish ponds at Gone Fishing. Photo Credit: Julie Day USFWS

James from BOR, Alia, and I installing pond lining at Gone Fishing. Photo Credit: Julie Day USFWS

KFFWO donated their greenhouse to Ron Barnes at the Gone Fishing Facility. We dissembled it and took it over to his facility where we resembled it. We also assisted with the lining of the ponds. It was hard work but we managed to get it all done in a few hours.  KFFWO plans to utilize his aquaculture ponds for future sucker rearing efforts. This facility has unique geology that provides geothermal water for the fish ponds.

The geothermal water allows for a warm water supply year round. Minerals in the water cause parasitic Lernaea (Anchor worm) to die off. Suckers salvaged from the A Canal, next week, will be transported to Gone Fishing and held over winter.

Alia thinking about fish.

We went out with Sue last week to gain insight on her position. She works for the partners of USFWS. It was really neat to see all the incredible work she has done. She focuses on river and stream restoration and works with a variety of people. Sue is someone I look up to. She has a lot of passion about the environment. We went to check out a couple of her current projects. We also planted sedges along the toe of a stream that was disconnected during installation of a fish screen. This week we had the chance to go out with Sue and Nolan to broadcast seed and plant more sedges. It was really awesome to see our previous plantings were growing and the stream was now connected.

Photos of a closed mouth can be useful for sucker identification.

Adult Klamath largescale sucker (Catostomus snyderi) caught in Gerber Reservoir.

Josh has been collecting genetic samples from Klamath suckers to get an understanding of the genetic diversity present in sucker populations. We searched for pools at Gerber Reservoir to electrofish. We successfully turned over 20 juvenile suckers and collected genetic samples via fin clippings. This past week we went into the reservoir to set trammel nets. This was my first time working with these types of nets.

We set two trammels out of a canoe for one hour. Working fish was really cool. We caught a few crappie and a ton of catfish. In total, we had about 17 adult suckers that we were able to get genetic samples from. Some were fairly large. They were all in good condition. Most of the suckers were Klamath largescale (Catostomus snyderi) and a couple were shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris).

Right before I jumped 300 feet into a gully.

I took a couple personal days off and my cousin from North Dakota came to visit. We had a blast exploring Oregon. We went up to Bend, OR and went bungee jumping! It was awesome!!! We went to the coast and saw whales in Depoe Bay. We stopped in Lincoln City for the night. My birthday was last weekend and we went up to the coast. It was amazing! We saw sea lions in Florence. Alia and I found an awesome campsite in Yachats, OR called Tillicum. It was right next to the ocean. It was a great way to spend my birthday.

My last day is November 11th. This has been such an amazing experience.

Until next time… the last time,

Erica