tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88998323501107275402024-03-28T03:33:44.912-04:00On the Subject of NatureA blog about the natural world around us, whether it be birds, insects, plants, geology, or more!Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.comBlogger146125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-931936304105660422019-01-21T17:52:00.000-05:002019-02-02T15:40:51.659-05:00Maine's Great Black Hawk Saga Comes to an EndFor the past several months, a tropical bird of prey has been unexpectedly living in southern Maine. The mega-rarity<span class="ILfuVd">—a juvenile Great Black Hawk</span><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—sent shock waves throughout the birding community, and thousands of birders made the journey to Maine to see a glimpse of the hawk. But the story is more complex than the hawk just showing up in one place and staying there for a period of time. Instead, it was a saga that began months ago in Texas, went silent, jumped to Biddeford Pool in Maine, went silent again, and then continued in a city park in downtown Portland, Maine. And yesterday the saga came to an end as the Great Black Hawk was entered into a wildlife rehab center after being found on the ground, injured.<br /> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjenh1P6w93Ks-1APJftppvveXlwaO4gGwBvEWBs_9GIsIxpQlhgvOXJQW-nyB8UrsfFBA0Vp5J04SeP0wwwfndFDInP5LdLBvUamkMyeuykRLZjb9baSji6yKz5hFS7o-rJ-PQYa0300Y/s1600/Great+Black+Hawk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ABA First Great Black Hawk" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjenh1P6w93Ks-1APJftppvveXlwaO4gGwBvEWBs_9GIsIxpQlhgvOXJQW-nyB8UrsfFBA0Vp5J04SeP0wwwfndFDInP5LdLBvUamkMyeuykRLZjb9baSji6yKz5hFS7o-rJ-PQYa0300Y/s1600/Great+Black+Hawk.jpg" title="ABA First Great Black Hawk" width="640" /></a></div>
I was lucky enough to see Maine's famous visitor on December 30, 2018. I had traveled up to southern Maine for a short, unrelated trip, but I was only 20 minutes away from Portland, so of course I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see it! After a first attempted failed on December 29, I<span class="ILfuVd">—along with my birding friends</span><span class="ILfuVd"> and about 30 other birders—</span>finally saw the hawk on December 30 at Deering Oaks Park in downtown Portland. It was an easy find on that day; we simply pulled up to the park, parked the car, and walked up to the mass of people with binoculars and cameras who were all staring quietly at the hawk, who was perched in a spruce tree by the park's entrance. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsDCUI9yqMuqaFrhUif-lnYKkd34ymKobNuvk8TMdGRL_uXXDQyLu8SiRB1KCy-qF7tAT0JpBkHAbhjduc5zzPcV6vawpbIcOtz8S7zYSmo2gdpTHgdDmfgETG8d_DLkFl5YeP2ZTs7XE/s1600/Great+Black+Hawk+Range.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsDCUI9yqMuqaFrhUif-lnYKkd34ymKobNuvk8TMdGRL_uXXDQyLu8SiRB1KCy-qF7tAT0JpBkHAbhjduc5zzPcV6vawpbIcOtz8S7zYSmo2gdpTHgdDmfgETG8d_DLkFl5YeP2ZTs7XE/s1600/Great+Black+Hawk+Range.gif" width="624" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Range map courtesy of <a href="http://www.avibirds.com/suhtml/Great_Black_Hawk.html">Avibirds </a>and <a href="http://www.natureserve.org/">NatureServe</a>. </td></tr>
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Why all the hubbub for this specific hawk though? The Great Black Hawk is a tropical species of raptor, found throughout central and northern South America, as well as throughout Central America up to southern Chihuahua and Tamaulipas in Mexico. Up until the specific Great Black Hawk in question showed up in Texas, there was <i>no accepted</i> <i>record </i>of this species from the United States. Simply put, a Great Black Hawk shouldn't be in the US, let alone in Maine of all places.<br />
<br />
Several Great Black Hawks <i>had</i> been observed over the past few decades in a small area of southern Florida, but those records were never accepted by the rare bird committee of the state. To "count" in the official records, it has to be nearly certain that the rare bird in question is a wild individual that showed up into the area on its own volition. Great Black Hawks are known to be kept in captivity, and it could never be pinned down whether the Florida one(s) were wild vagrants or released/escaped captive individuals. To dive into that quagmire of a story<span class="ILfuVd">—which spans decades</span><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—check out this <a href="http://www.tropicalaudubon.org/birds/south-floridas-birds/florida-specialties/virginia-key-great-black-hawk">detailed write up on the Tropical Audubon Society's page</a>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Timeline</span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKPvez2Dk-7laU4m-U2kbrNwfYIYEgr8WJgaj_lUWPuUmOhooI3uU6AQ74WtNeiL9VxO8RV8pbED5PAjwn4U-YhZnx-2Jac_cpVatn2KCjllPxivJcEVjGdNdCE0rWjRWUonqLspgAzbx/s1600/South+Padre+Island.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ABA First Record of a Great Black Hawk" border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="1095" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKPvez2Dk-7laU4m-U2kbrNwfYIYEgr8WJgaj_lUWPuUmOhooI3uU6AQ74WtNeiL9VxO8RV8pbED5PAjwn4U-YhZnx-2Jac_cpVatn2KCjllPxivJcEVjGdNdCE0rWjRWUonqLspgAzbx/s1600/South+Padre+Island.PNG" title="ABA First Record of a Great Black Hawk" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The location of South Padre Island, Texas. Map courtesy of <a href="http://maps.google.com/">Google Maps</a>.</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
The saga of the Texas/Maine Great Black Hawk began back on <a href="http://blog.aba.org/2018/04/abarare-great-black-hawk-texas.html">April 24, 2018</a>, when a birder photographed a juvenile black hawk species on South Padre Island, Texas. It was initially uncertain whether it was a Common Black Hawk (a species whose range extends into southern Arizona and New Mexico, but have been recorded from southern Texas as well) or a Great Black Hawk. The ID was quickly confirmed as a Great Black Hawk as the photos were circulated on Facebook and elsewhere. A few other birders saw it within the hour or so it was discovered, but the bird quickly disappeared. Despite birders searching the island, it couldn't be relocated later that day, nor in the upcoming days. It appeared it was a one day wonder, something that often happens with rare birds.<br />
<br />
The Great Black Hawk was a species that had been long predicted to show up in the southern US. Although it is a sedentary species across its normal range, the very northern tip of its range is only a mere 200 miles from the US border. So tantalizing close that many birders assumed one would eventually show up in Texas. When this one showed up near the Texas/Mexico border (near the <a href="https://brownsville.org/tour/nature/birding/">famous birding hotspot</a> of Brownsville, at that), it made logical sense. But what was about to happen made absolutely no sense.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDPmke0kdLCa8ebj6KftbGUJ71dOoZog6KhBCtKoMjUk9yS9kauiololMWNOe4e98xmGig1JvSicK70vJk1KSOGTDCKJ1TKdCT70wLbDR6uSxNyPZjFyxA4AC-HTw_Afqh_TWg2sSvXFK/s1600/Biddeford.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Great Black Hawk Visits Maine" border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="946" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDPmke0kdLCa8ebj6KftbGUJ71dOoZog6KhBCtKoMjUk9yS9kauiololMWNOe4e98xmGig1JvSicK70vJk1KSOGTDCKJ1TKdCT70wLbDR6uSxNyPZjFyxA4AC-HTw_Afqh_TWg2sSvXFK/s1600/Biddeford.PNG" title="Great Black Hawk Visits Maine" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The location of Biddeford Pool, Maine, where the Great Black Hawk first showed up in Maine. Map courtesy of <a href="http://maps.google.com/">Google Maps</a>.</td></tr>
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<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">Several months later, on August 6th, 2018, another birder found a juvenile Great Black Hawk in Biddeford Pool, Maine. Of course, this was an absolutely mind blowing observation of what would be a MEGA mega rarity; so mind blowing that the report was initially met with skepticism by some birders. Not only had the first apparently wild Great Black Hawk in the US shown up in Texas only earlier that year, which had been expected for some time, but now one had shown up in Maine? MAINE? It just seemed implausible. A completely hilarious debate ensued in the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/ABArare/permalink/1979544938772806/">ABA Rare Bird Alert Facebook page post</a>, where people began trying to identify the plants in the background of the photo posted to see whether those plants were plants native to Maine, or whether the photo had been taken in the tropics and passed as "Maine." People were also trying to match up the photos with Google Maps Street View.</span></span><br />
<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><br /></span></span>
<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">In the end, it was confirmed that a Great Black Hawk was indeed in the Biddeford Pool area of Maine. Then the discussion moved to the next logical question: Was this juvenile Great Black Hawk <i>the same</i> juvenile Great Black Hawk that had shown up in Texas back in April? It simultaneously seemed both a ridiculous idea and a totally believable idea. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">Then, a <a href="https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/news/birdwatching/great-black-hawk-texas-maine/">close inspection of the markings</a> on the undersides of the wings confirmed that the Texas and Maine individuals were, in fact, the <i>same</i> juvenile Great Black Hawk! Not only had this Great Black Hawk shown up 200 miles north of the northern tip of this species' range, but it then showed up around 1,970 miles further north in Maine over 3 months later. Of course, this raised the question of just where it had been during those 3 months. It had escaped detection that entire time, and no one knew</span></span><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—</span>and no one still knows nor will ever know</span></span><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—</span>whether it had booked it straight to Maine, or whether it had meandered to Maine and hung around in various other states for days, if not weeks, at a time. Despite the question of the time in between, it was in Biddeford Pool now. Well, it was there for a few days at least. It disappeared on August 9, where it had, seemingly, disappeared for good.<br /></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsW4eNdZiFKxr6jELAUiNNlb9iGQGk2HGxL_5xZ1k3A9p0w1pyBCUoTH1wOfvSrbMOjMQli2VqF9H0S_RMiRv8QPa4iwxoMCjHGJahGxr_IWD80z5EkcWD54EZFZfOYepyJ9KsT614S7T/s1600/Deering+Oaks.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Great Black Hawk Deering Oaks Park" border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="889" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsW4eNdZiFKxr6jELAUiNNlb9iGQGk2HGxL_5xZ1k3A9p0w1pyBCUoTH1wOfvSrbMOjMQli2VqF9H0S_RMiRv8QPa4iwxoMCjHGJahGxr_IWD80z5EkcWD54EZFZfOYepyJ9KsT614S7T/s1600/Deering+Oaks.PNG" title="Great Black Hawk Deering Oaks Park" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The location of Deering Oaks Park in Portland, Maine. This is where the Great Black Hawk was based for several months. Map courtesy of <a href="http://maps.google.com/">Google Maps</a>.</td></tr>
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And just when the story couldn't get any stranger, the Great Black Hawk appeared <b>81</b> days later in downtown Portland, Maine, only 18 miles to the north of where it had last been seen in Biddeford Pool. The initial report came from the Eastern Promenade, but the Great Black Hawk soon began making its home in Deering Oaks Park. Deering Oaks Park is a city park, complete with a large pond, baseball fields, tennis courts, some trees, and<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—perhaps most importantly</span></span><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—a large population of very fat Eastern Gray Squirrels. <br /><br />The Great Black Hawk hung around Deering Oaks Park for the next several months, proving that a tropical bird of prey could apparently make it in through the Maine autumn and the first parts of a Maine winter. But then a <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/blizzard-to-dish-out-up-to-40-inches-of-snow-in-northeastern-us-as-dangerous-ice-storm-takes-aim-farther-south/70007187">large snowstorm</a> hit New England on January 19th and 20th. During the early hours of Sunday, January 20th, a birder found the Great Black Hawk on the ground, apparently injured. It was quickly captured and brought to the home of a concerned Portland resident, who made some calls. That's when <a href="http://www.avianhaven.org/">Avian Haven</a>, a wild bird rehabilitation center, came in. Volunteers made the treacherous trip in the poor weather conditions to pick up the injured hawk and transport it to the Avian Haven. Initial inspections found that the Great Black Hawk had frostbite on its feet, along with some other minor problems. The hawk is now in stable condition</span></span></span></span><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/381894018553252/photos/a.382016711874316/2046517442090893/?type=3&theater">Avian Haven just reported</a> on their Facebook page</span></span><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—and it will begin its (hopefully successful) journey toward recovery. What will ultimately become of the bird if it successfully recovers is still unknown, but</span></span><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—</span></span>as the Avian Haven pointed out</span></span><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—that question will get answered if, and when, the time comes.<br /><br /><b>UPDATE: </b>On January 31st, 2019, Avian Haven <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2060399997369304&id=381894018553252&__tn__=K-R">reported </a>that the decision had been made to euthanize the Great Black Hawk. The frostbite damage was just too bad; the feet had begun to decompose, and the behavior of the hawk had changed from lively to listless. Kudos to Avian Haven for trying all that could be done, and for ultimately making the hard, yet appropriate, decision to euthanize such a well-known individual.</span></span></span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Chasers, Listers, and Rare Birds </span></span></span></span></span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIRqk9AeKCqPNOGhbmfK2CuH31n4JJBJ4kWK26Pc98nhOObrVVYo0JKoTzhSH3-p4siiG6VRGGwb0uEgtapwNVXZRXVePFYSqtEQifyhjZ_20PM-QEnlxLrZnhqm8mC3Wi74k1nhBtome/s1600/DSC_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Birders Chasing the Great Black Hawk" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIRqk9AeKCqPNOGhbmfK2CuH31n4JJBJ4kWK26Pc98nhOObrVVYo0JKoTzhSH3-p4siiG6VRGGwb0uEgtapwNVXZRXVePFYSqtEQifyhjZ_20PM-QEnlxLrZnhqm8mC3Wi74k1nhBtome/s1600/DSC_0123.JPG" title="Birders Chasing the Great Black Hawk" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crowd of birders on December 30, 2018, when I saw the hawk.</td></tr>
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The Great Black Hawk was seen regularly in Portland from October 29, 2018, to January 20, 2019. Because of how rare it was, and because of how consistently it could be found, <i>thousands</i> of birders ventured to Deering Oaks Park in Portland (a fantastic city, by the way). The Great Black Hawk became quite a celebrity, with it receiving both local and regional news coverage. On the day that I visited, over 30 birders were watching the hawk, and that was on a cold day in December. <br />
<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">If you're not in the birding community, you might be thinking how crazy all this is. And you would be right; birders can be crazy. While not all birders are like this, many take <b>listing</b></span></span><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—or keeping track of all the species you see</span></span></span></span><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—</span></span></span></span>seriously. It's the drive to see as many birds as possible that underpins this listing hobby. Some of that drive can be due to competitive reasons, or even simply due to an urge to see the biodiversity of birds as best as one can, or a combination of both. A subset of listers can be considered <b>chasers</b>, which are birders who will go out of their way to see a rare bird that shows up somewhere. Chasing can be as much as chasing a rare bird that shows up in your home county (as I did when a <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2014/12/black-legged-kittiwake-in-central-ohio.html">Black-Legged Kittiwake showed up</a> in Pickaway County, Ohio), to getting on a plane and flying across the country. Several chasers I know in Ohio made the drive all the way to Portland (a 13 hour drive) <i>just </i>for the <i>chance</i> to see the Great Black Hawk in person. </span></span><br />
<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><br /></span></span>
<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">One of the interesting side effects of birders chasing a rare bird is the economic impact they bring to the local communities. Birders came from as <a href="https://www.pressherald.com/2018/08/09/rare-sighting-of-a-great-black-hawk-draws-birders-to-biddeford/">far away as Arizona</a>, and each person undoubtedly spent at least $1 in the Portland area. People would have bought hotel or AirBnB rooms, got lunch or dinner at local restaurants, spent time at local shops, and the likes. Birding tourism can have huge impacts on local communities. The Biggest Week in American Birding, held in northwestern Ohio, had a <a href="https://www.toledoblade.com/business/2018/05/06/Biggest-Week-in-American-Birding-expected-to-bring-influx-of-tourism-dollars.html">$40 million dollar economic impact</a> in the local community last year. <a href="https://www.birdguides.com/articles/ornithology/the-economic-benefits-of-chasing-rare-birds/">One study</a> looking at the economic impact of birders chasing a rare bird</span></span><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—in this case a Black-Backed Oriole which showed up in Pennsylvania in 2017</span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—found that the nearly 2,000 birders who went to see the rare bird brought in an extra $223,000 to the community over the course of 67 days. The Portland Great Black Hawk will, no doubt, have a similar impact, if not greater!</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span class="ILfuVd" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">Why Was it There?</span></span></span></span></span></span></h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-XsbftH7HrdTzpyvHzqnY9BeAhtsbsl0gp9hmr-hXJZzmgzeRJERZpAuEWGbmWn4W8fKK_-AguMeBcTdRVOJiTToxMV1aqcNYzhuWr09NM4E2EmFDOg057EKNViAlW3FssJ3N9nhjmv2/s1600/DSC_0103-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Great Black Hawk Portland Maine" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1200" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-XsbftH7HrdTzpyvHzqnY9BeAhtsbsl0gp9hmr-hXJZzmgzeRJERZpAuEWGbmWn4W8fKK_-AguMeBcTdRVOJiTToxMV1aqcNYzhuWr09NM4E2EmFDOg057EKNViAlW3FssJ3N9nhjmv2/s1600/DSC_0103-2.JPG" title="Great Black Hawk Portland Maine" width="640" /></a></div>
Why did this juvenile Great Black Hawk do what it did? Why did it leave its normal range and venture not only to Texas, but 2,000 miles north to Maine? There are several possible explanations, but we will never know the answer for certain. <br />
<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">Birds regularly show up in places outside of their normal range. Some species do so more than others, due to both biological and meteorological circumstances. Sometimes weather events like hurricanes, strong winds, or storm fronts will push birds into new places. Sometimes young birds will disperse outside of their range either due to naivety or an attempt to find a new place to live (such as pioneering or colonizing attempts). Sometimes the internal navigational system of birds will be messed up, making a bird migrate north instead of south, or vice versa. Sometimes birds accidentally go a little too far when migrating, and end up further north or south of where they should be. Recent data suggests that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/29/common-pesticide-can-make-migrating-birds-lose-their-way-research-shows">insecticides might even be disrupting</a> the ability of birds to navigate, which might be causing some birds to show up in unusual places on accident. There's a lot of reasons that can cause birds to show up in unusual places, and oftentimes it's very hard to pinpoint exactly which factor was at play.</span></span><br />
<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd"><br /></span></span>It's especially difficult regarding the <span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">Great Black Hawk. The Great Black Hawk is a species that doesn't migrate, so migratory overshooting and misdirection don't make sense. The Maine individual is a juvenile, and so it dispersing 200 miles north to Texas makes some sense, but at the same time it doesn't make sense for a juvenile to disperse 2,000 miles north to Maine. Maine also has a history of southern species showing up, so this suggests some kind of weather-related events possibly at play, but there's no specific storm or front we can attribute to its arrival. From what I've seen, there's no obvious conclusion to be made about why this Great Black Hawk ventured this far north.<br /></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZ3_nULfqmlLNeVh_UbEw5EsgzxUEvI5RgeJJeBWA0rx2RaNFYHhyphenhyphenC4utTKY5jWxg6mMLRaDf9vjAb2A9cvKvbMs1Yx4h4sMFyp0-cGBkdBpM6BEavT80Q0kwkT-laE9Nlk28xIyOboft/s1600/Trio+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Leah Mould, Kyle Brooks, and Olivia Brooks Birding" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZ3_nULfqmlLNeVh_UbEw5EsgzxUEvI5RgeJJeBWA0rx2RaNFYHhyphenhyphenC4utTKY5jWxg6mMLRaDf9vjAb2A9cvKvbMs1Yx4h4sMFyp0-cGBkdBpM6BEavT80Q0kwkT-laE9Nlk28xIyOboft/s1600/Trio+Resized.jpg" title="Leah Mould, Kyle Brooks, and Olivia Brooks Birding" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leah Mould (left), your blogger Kyle Brooks (center), and Olivia Brooks (right) in Deering Oaks Park, Portland, after seeing the Great Black Hawk. You can actually see the Great Black Hawk in this photo; it's the brown blob in the spruce tree above the person in the purple coat that's facing away. Photo Credit: Miranda Wheeler</td></tr>
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Although the Great Black Hawk saga has come to a sad end, this crazy traveling hawk has impacted thousands of people around the US, and the local community as well. It's not the first time something like this has happened, as birders know all too well, and it won't be the last. What species will be the next big star, and where will it show up? Only time will tell!Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com37Portland, ME, USA43.6590993 -70.25681889999998543.4753223 -70.57954239999998 43.8428763 -69.93409539999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-79445616271597174182019-01-13T20:29:00.000-05:002019-01-13T20:30:12.476-05:00A Selection of Photos from Wayne National ForestI'm still alive! After my <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-journey-through-watkins-glen-gorge.html">last post</a> on August 11, 2018, this blog fell silent for over 5 months. Back in late June of this year, I began a new job as a photojournalist resource assistant for the USDA Forest Service at Wayne National Forest<span class="ILfuVd">—Ohio's only national forest.</span><br />
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<span class="ILfuVd">Most of my days since then have been filled with editing photos, writing, and editing that writing. Subsequently, I quickly found myself not having the drive to do the same exact thing for this blog. When coming home from work, the last thing I wanted to do was to continue doing the exact same things I had been doing all day. </span><br />
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<span class="ILfuVd">So I put this blog on the back burner. With the new year now in swing (and the government shutdown currently still going strong), I decided to work on some new posts. This "re-entry" post is simply a selection of photos I've taken while on the job that I really like. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKAeb119cRBWUn0aitLsKT1EMI9I7nv-NoRfswQtGu1sPPAMTys0w4SyRh19TfRmmljc8gqwT5IK2hjTzbqtCc1-HUEKrvCvkSK3-ZVCGbk1sqt2dtVr0cWgiwusqIdTLddqXNMTsvgwg/s1600/DSC_0008-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lake Vesuvius Wayne National Forest" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtKAeb119cRBWUn0aitLsKT1EMI9I7nv-NoRfswQtGu1sPPAMTys0w4SyRh19TfRmmljc8gqwT5IK2hjTzbqtCc1-HUEKrvCvkSK3-ZVCGbk1sqt2dtVr0cWgiwusqIdTLddqXNMTsvgwg/s1800/DSC_0008-Edit.jpg" title="Lake Vesuvius Wayne National Forest" width="640" /></a></div>
Wayne National Forest is around 244,000 acres in size, with much of that being a patchwork of relatively small areas. Most of those patches lack any sort of developed recreation infrastructure like hiking trails, parking lots, campgrounds, and so on. However, there are some developed areas, and probably the most-visited of those areas is Lake Vesuvius in the Ironton Unit. Lake Vesuvius is a man-made reservoir, and is often used for boating, fishing, and swimming. This fisherman was out on the lake just after sunrise, heading toward his fishing spot. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgv06jrRyDCq_hIsD6hutWzD-UaxXHdQrtXa1o-UtGNpsLMjyug_wy2oG5AYNxtuWmOiFKYzuqDIefa6wpuVHozMnAKMWg1gNuWMztl66RMbqnAwONl-Wmw1UkolEFccwPR6VI3iYgrnT/s1600/DSC_0048-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Black and White Photo of Dried Cracked Mud" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgv06jrRyDCq_hIsD6hutWzD-UaxXHdQrtXa1o-UtGNpsLMjyug_wy2oG5AYNxtuWmOiFKYzuqDIefa6wpuVHozMnAKMWg1gNuWMztl66RMbqnAwONl-Wmw1UkolEFccwPR6VI3iYgrnT/s1800/DSC_0048-Edit.jpg" title="Black and White Photo of Dried Cracked Mud" width="640" /></a></div>
Every photographer has a list of subjects they want to take a photo of, even if there are thousands and thousands of similar photos. Despite the cliché, there's something about having <i>your own</i> version of an oft-photographed subject or trope that is appealing. The photograph above is one such case. Despite the absolutely overwhelming number of such similar photos out there (just check out the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1&biw=1600&bih=786&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=EpA6XJeZPLK8tgWXga_4DQ&q=photo+of+dried+mud&oq=photo+of+dried+mud&gs_l=img.3...6968.7944..8180...0.0..0.121.651.6j1......1....1..gws-wiz-img.y_kHPnE90mQ">Google search results for "photo of dried mud"</a>), I wanted my own photo of such a scene. I finally got the chance while getting photos of the Leith Run Campground after it was <a href="http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/local-news/2018/09/leith-run-closed-again/">flooded by the Ohio River</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZL_V63KoEu-3LK2schjJKXXWAYQhgB6nY8BKTXQaN_AcCXbBNq1Dp53O2JQxMdTwzDbR9TXAbmTd-nJ1we42nNPLI1DGBJMKvu38etKaKQKwm0Iiuf4rprV3ZYZMdP6QlqTl75sskVfj3/s1600/DSC_0007-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wildcat Hollow Backpacking Trail Wayne National Forest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZL_V63KoEu-3LK2schjJKXXWAYQhgB6nY8BKTXQaN_AcCXbBNq1Dp53O2JQxMdTwzDbR9TXAbmTd-nJ1we42nNPLI1DGBJMKvu38etKaKQKwm0Iiuf4rprV3ZYZMdP6QlqTl75sskVfj3/s1800/DSC_0007-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" title="Wildcat Hollow Backpacking Trail Wayne National Forest" width="456" /></a></div>
The Wayne National Forest has a variety of trails across its 3 units, with <a href="https://www.ohio.edu/compass/stories/17-18/03/baileys-mountain-bike-trail-system.cfm">more on the way</a>. One of the most well-known trail systems in the national forest is the Wildcat Hollow backpacking trail. Ohio doesn't really have a lot of backpacking trails, and so every trail counts. The Wildcat Hollow trail comes in at 17.2 miles long, with some parts winding along ridgetops, and other parts<span class="ILfuVd">—like the scene pictured above</span><span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">—snaking through the valley bottoms. </span></span><br />
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<span class="ILfuVd"><span class="ILfuVd">One of the things I've been trying to do in this new position is experiment with new photographic styles and methods. This photo, for example, was a post-processing experiment a la the ever-popular (and in my opinion, overdone) desaturated-with-crushed-blacks look that's all over Instagram.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCq_Cgo5O3Jm7VHpFYBtHDDjT2H8DzExib8O8QHjvz_Ww1vfbixVMJhxEmzI6vk2aUuBwl7u2exeigCB_PCqImuW3zlnULBzjrCE1Mb6b8JQN-82seYiAaS4qIWXf_3YvzQUABldCF42P/s1600/DSC_0076-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Purple Coneflower with Bokeh Background" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCq_Cgo5O3Jm7VHpFYBtHDDjT2H8DzExib8O8QHjvz_Ww1vfbixVMJhxEmzI6vk2aUuBwl7u2exeigCB_PCqImuW3zlnULBzjrCE1Mb6b8JQN-82seYiAaS4qIWXf_3YvzQUABldCF42P/s1800/DSC_0076-Edit.jpg" title="Purple Coneflower with Bokeh Background" width="640" /></a></div>
A Purple Coneflower (<span class="st"><i>Echinacea purpurea</i>) among a field of Wild Bergamot (</span><span class="LrzXr kno-fv"><i>Monarda fistulosa</i>). This was taken in one of the Wayne's acid mine drainage mitigation sites. This mitigation site in particular is outside the village of Shawnee. In addition to raising the pH of acid mine drainage impacted stream water, this site features several acres of planted prairie filled with native wildflowers to provide food for our native pollinators. </span><span class="LrzXr kno-fv"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXOsEirGsl1vIkuRd9P4zehDvVPaqbBBt5WRh8VKyG9Vmc5ZWPOaLC_rS0yBWB9ksSv_NwFYQF1LR9fneT-riXLyoYSjnquvciUEvm1VM0tmvqkh0AcfGcV9T5Qfh0z0ADavijHAJdojL/s1600/DSC_0050-Edit-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fly Gorge Wayne National Forest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXOsEirGsl1vIkuRd9P4zehDvVPaqbBBt5WRh8VKyG9Vmc5ZWPOaLC_rS0yBWB9ksSv_NwFYQF1LR9fneT-riXLyoYSjnquvciUEvm1VM0tmvqkh0AcfGcV9T5Qfh0z0ADavijHAJdojL/s1800/DSC_0050-Edit-Edit.jpg" title="Fly Gorge Wayne National Forest" width="512" /></a></div>
One of the best parts parts about national forests is that you can pretty much wander wherever you want in them. And, of course, there are beautiful areas hidden throughout each national forest that require you to do some bushwhacking and exploring to find. Fly Gorge is one such place. Fly Gorge is a small ravine featuring a series of cascading waterfalls. To get there, you have to park in a nondescript pull-off on Ohio Scenic Byway 7, push your way through a dense wall of saplings, bushes, and Poison Ivy, carefully meander through a decades old illegal dumpsite, find the creek, and begin making your way upstream.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnP-1z5AwEiPJejgws38PbgRv4Y54Gr4HelRrMy2QOnQb_DuBNp_vJnI6JzmvxzpwrQJiqls9SCnqwKRAJU8tk2HfNOhnEFdsdZu6NLwwrSoAlWVvr5EI6E9COu2gFlIAeEhi4-aQP7JAk/s1600/DSC_0057-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mushroom Photography" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnP-1z5AwEiPJejgws38PbgRv4Y54Gr4HelRrMy2QOnQb_DuBNp_vJnI6JzmvxzpwrQJiqls9SCnqwKRAJU8tk2HfNOhnEFdsdZu6NLwwrSoAlWVvr5EI6E9COu2gFlIAeEhi4-aQP7JAk/s1800/DSC_0057-Edit.jpg" title="Mushroom Photography" width="640" /></a></div>
I love finding repetitive patterns and tantalizing textures while hiking, and so I was happy to find this wall of tiny mushrooms on a dead log. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWsFJKJcZkXsbeSqHPA5ZCBHMci6OYnFt5WpI8em1nVQoUbNahuYCvDcoUFcXDUqu6GP2fDS8U_dKf25QMGvkk9aORUNhgqAUBNBnjayDpaUv5O62OWxwdCmJjkpDn34iAMW1AL_hq_AB/s1600/DSC_0184-Edit-2+After.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Diphasiastrum digitatum Running Pine" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaWsFJKJcZkXsbeSqHPA5ZCBHMci6OYnFt5WpI8em1nVQoUbNahuYCvDcoUFcXDUqu6GP2fDS8U_dKf25QMGvkk9aORUNhgqAUBNBnjayDpaUv5O62OWxwdCmJjkpDn34iAMW1AL_hq_AB/s1800/DSC_0184-Edit-2+After.JPG" title="Diphasiastrum digitatum Running Pine" width="512" /></a></div>
In addition to patterns and textures, I also love finding scenes of contrast. Here's some evergreen Southern Running Pine (<span class="st"><i>Diphasiastrum digitatum</i>) against the reds, oranges, yellows, and browns of the new leaf litter. </span><br />
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As I mentioned in the opening, this is a re-entry post of sorts. As I get back into the swing of things, I'll be posting more educational articles. Thanks for reading!Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com0Wayne National Forest - Athens Ranger District - Athens Unit, Coal Township, OH 43766, USA39.5625695 -82.18736960000001114.040535000000002 -123.49596360000001 65.084604 -40.878775600000012tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-87587235906663008592018-08-11T16:28:00.001-04:002018-08-11T16:30:45.863-04:00A Journey Through the Watkins Glen GorgeWatkins Glen State Park is a relatively small park in west-central New York that features an absolutely beautiful shale gorge filled with waterfalls and other wonderful geologic formations. I visited back in early June of this year to hike the gorge and see the sights. <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-geology-of-watkins-glen-state-park_11.html">In my last post</a>, I did a relatively deep-dive into the geological history of the region and the gorge to put the park into context. If you're a geology buff, I highly recommend checking it out: <b><a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-geology-of-watkins-glen-state-park_11.html">The Geology of Watkins Glen State Park</a></b>. This post, however, will examine what the park is like today. So let's go on a pictorial journey down the gorge!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbyPVUfv0_ZL9YgWtV2TY46hNu4ktjRgBTHgMjlHbibCBoDvbMHhqR_JvKaUtY-c76DNP_w_Wv0RxSgsIFXsJJBGneTFy7luYySk8O2kowxidYfFNahlGuxy8cedVoQ1TR9u1Hg2VjRsY/s1600/DSC_0198-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Spiral Gorge" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1115" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbyPVUfv0_ZL9YgWtV2TY46hNu4ktjRgBTHgMjlHbibCBoDvbMHhqR_JvKaUtY-c76DNP_w_Wv0RxSgsIFXsJJBGneTFy7luYySk8O2kowxidYfFNahlGuxy8cedVoQ1TR9u1Hg2VjRsY/s1600/DSC_0198-Edit.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Spiral Gorge" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning of the Spiral Gorge section.</td></tr>
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There are several trails at Watkins Glen State Park, including some that go along the edge of the gorge walls, some that connect the gorge with the top of the gorge, and<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—of course</span><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—the trail that follows the gorge itself. The Gorge Trail comes in at around 1.5 miles long. You can access the trail from either the Upper Entrance, which sits at around 1010 feet above sea level, or the Main Entrance, which sits at around 490 feet above sea level. This post will follow the flow of Glen Creek as it cuts its way down the gorge, so we will be going down in elevation. We'll start half a mile down the trail at Mile Point Bridge. Mile Point Bridge (called such as it is a mile up from the end of the gorge) crosses Glen Creek as it begins to enter a section of the Gorge known as Spiral Gorge.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84Hn_oQc4Ajgd9puoSJsYAHcxDm4VRdkbtAxPUNVq2QCcTOMg0EcbHxMphOZ19tZlQrYlo9uGEFbiw3oq9A_6RObDgndHh4ov5mAap6oTtHveSuu2erUVCnZzMx_vL5G6Bx42ybzKvh49/s1600/DSC_0196-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Pluto Falls" border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="1600" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84Hn_oQc4Ajgd9puoSJsYAHcxDm4VRdkbtAxPUNVq2QCcTOMg0EcbHxMphOZ19tZlQrYlo9uGEFbiw3oq9A_6RObDgndHh4ov5mAap6oTtHveSuu2erUVCnZzMx_vL5G6Bx42ybzKvh49/s1600/DSC_0196-Edit.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Pluto Falls" width="640" /></a></div>
Spiral Gorge is an extremely narrow section of the main gorge that is more reminiscent of the slot canyons out in the American Southwest than anything I've seen in the East. The main waterfall of this section is called Pluto Falls, and it's the small waterfall pictured above. With Spiral Gorge being as narrow as it is, not much light reaches it. This coupled with the steepness of the walls means only the hardiest of mosses can grow on the shale. The darkness and lack of life gave rise to the name Pluto Falls, as Pluto (better known as Hades in the original Greek myths) was the Roman God of the underworld.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5SabY2Tsby1lfzZVShNU35p3nl7jZGVg9tV6c6r8htKLL5xVhY364KefrPqYtIiyHYRVt11w5PlC-qTpVcetQJrFp5qAlm8N1Rz06elFD1mW4dgr85osQkYyKeolREk_n1opmxMgeLkrl/s1600/DSC_0189-Edit-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Rainbow Falls" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1146" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5SabY2Tsby1lfzZVShNU35p3nl7jZGVg9tV6c6r8htKLL5xVhY364KefrPqYtIiyHYRVt11w5PlC-qTpVcetQJrFp5qAlm8N1Rz06elFD1mW4dgr85osQkYyKeolREk_n1opmxMgeLkrl/s1600/DSC_0189-Edit-2.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Rainbow Falls" width="458" /></a></div>
Spiral Gorge soon lets out into a more open section of the Gorge. This immediate section contains the "crown jewel" of Watkins Glen State Park: Rainbow Falls. You can't tell, but this picture was taken from atop a bridge that crosses a big cascade<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—in fact, you can just see the end of the cascade at the bottom center</span>. The thin waterfall in the center right is the famous Rainbow Falls. As you can see, the water runs down a slick section of the cliffside before falling into the bottom of the gorge. You can also see that the trail actually run <i>behind </i>the waterfall as well. You might be thinking that it doesn't look like much<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—and you are right, at least from this angle. The view from coming up the gorge is much more spectacular than from going down.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAefT7SYYodpxQmDDL-2JAnzrDwYMhZMzpfNlKJ7UqNRu37gecZV6nNKOefp6559ORvtyZtEUubt1bHrskuOABUO_KXek_z-Y7lnfwv5LzJD-dLISjikWqTXO6dfxgQGHe3dSknK7PuuE/s1600/DSC_0181-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Rainbow Falls and Triple Falls" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAefT7SYYodpxQmDDL-2JAnzrDwYMhZMzpfNlKJ7UqNRu37gecZV6nNKOefp6559ORvtyZtEUubt1bHrskuOABUO_KXek_z-Y7lnfwv5LzJD-dLISjikWqTXO6dfxgQGHe3dSknK7PuuE/s1600/DSC_0181-Edit.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Rainbow Falls and Triple Falls" width="456" /></a></div>
If you walk a bit further down, and then turn around, you're rewarded with the most-famously seen angle of Rainbow Falls and the Triple Falls cascade right by it (as well as the bridge the previous photo was taken from). <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=watkins+glen+state+park&client=firefox-b-1&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjo9eDV4sfcAhVMyYMKHU0mDGkQ_AUICygC&biw=1600&bih=786">If you look at the Google results for "Watkins Glen State Park,"</a> you'll quickly notice that almost all the photo results are of Rainbow Falls from this general angle. It's a common photo, but one that I was longing to take for years, and one that I'm happy I have my own of. I know people sometimes wonder why photographers take photos of places that have been photographed thousands upon thousands of times, especially if it's of the same feature. A lot of times, it comes down to the photographer wanting to have <i>their</i> own version of it, even if thousands of others have essentially the same photo. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jDNu_KLbB0DmzyM4S6vXw4xB-zXXhM5kq2ItUVBdwwdOTECcIlQhUEFXJWM8yrL7Sb7WoBFtRtQK6rsApuHV0hoRY4-3K7H7DwgnrNw3EVZlAz-6rKFkxRypYZlB_qpR0cl4ErNuFcVI/s1600/DSC_0185-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Under Rainbow Falls" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jDNu_KLbB0DmzyM4S6vXw4xB-zXXhM5kq2ItUVBdwwdOTECcIlQhUEFXJWM8yrL7Sb7WoBFtRtQK6rsApuHV0hoRY4-3K7H7DwgnrNw3EVZlAz-6rKFkxRypYZlB_qpR0cl4ErNuFcVI/s1600/DSC_0185-Edit.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Under Rainbow Falls" width="456" /></a></div>
The Gorge Trail is fantastic, and one of the unique features of the 1.5 mile trail is not only that you get to see 19+ waterfalls, but you get to <i>walk</i> <i>behind </i>2 of them! Rainbow Falls is one of the two waterfalls the trail passes behind, and expect to get wet when you go through it. Also, don't forget to tuck away your camera gear. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZM769h3tTRuJeHVcxh-7CpjOuz78s7VUuePqplcTr1t7Vq8GsNN9Gf1yXQwaimTKEV_7iwBq_0EBZrIxdQRh7WYULcS0wCe4jBDxl1vYsKkjNDwZjoz76l6VTNnwJjiyJIBmesreTAXl/s1600/DSC_0175-Edit-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Rainbow Falls and Glen of Pools" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZM769h3tTRuJeHVcxh-7CpjOuz78s7VUuePqplcTr1t7Vq8GsNN9Gf1yXQwaimTKEV_7iwBq_0EBZrIxdQRh7WYULcS0wCe4jBDxl1vYsKkjNDwZjoz76l6VTNnwJjiyJIBmesreTAXl/s1600/DSC_0175-Edit-Edit.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Rainbow Falls and Glen of Pools" width="426" /></a></div>
Just downstream from Rainbow Falls is a section of the gorge called the "Glen of Pools." This section is filled with several potholes and plungepools, one of which you can see at the bottom of the photo above. Potholes and plungepools form from different sets of geological processes, but the end results are similar in appearance: a deep, circular depression carved into the rock. There are two main ways a pothole can form. One way involves the rapid flow of water coming around a curve and forming an eddy. The water will carry sand and pebbles, and over time these rocks will get caught in the eddy and swirl around for a bit. When they swirl around, they carve a pothole. Given more time, the pothole gets larger and larger. Another way involves joints, which I talked about <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-geology-of-watkins-glen-state-park_11.html">in my last post</a>. If a pebble being carried by the water gets dropped into a joint, the water will swirl that pebble (and others) around in the joint, forming a circular depression over time. The circular depression in the bottom of the picture above, for example, is a pothole.<br />
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Plungepools, on the other hand, are associated with waterfalls. Essentially, when water (and any sediments the water is carrying) plunges over a waterfall, the water will hit the bedrock directly underneath the waterfall. Over time, this force essentially digs out a circular depression underneath the waterfall. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8kC3Eu015EEnumetafxSLd6J6EZ6wne3VGiMVe7P7qVGDSZgFzXDFcUndn0O34A2MalvfpobtDjvkA3kgisB4rwYsXbBKXIGg0iT5g4SV8crd8h8q_CgTgzLNN9YsDG-ey9-FgvbjKiT/s1600/DSC_0158-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Geology" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8kC3Eu015EEnumetafxSLd6J6EZ6wne3VGiMVe7P7qVGDSZgFzXDFcUndn0O34A2MalvfpobtDjvkA3kgisB4rwYsXbBKXIGg0iT5g4SV8crd8h8q_CgTgzLNN9YsDG-ey9-FgvbjKiT/s1600/DSC_0158-Edit.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Geology" width="640" /></a></div>
Further yet downstream, the gorge enters a section that is relatively flat and wide. Why the change? Even though all the rocks exposed in the Watkins Glen Gorge belong to a formation called the Genesee Group, there are hundreds of sub-layers within the formation. Some of these layers are softer or harder than others. The layer exposed in the creek bed above, for example, is harder than other parts of the formation. Because of this, Glen Creek was able to erode down to this harder layer, but was "having trouble" eroding past it; instead, the water followed the path of least resistance and traveled horizontally along the harder layer instead of down and through it. Although after a while this changes once the water <i>does</i> encounter a softer layer that it can more easily erode. At that point, the vertical drops continue!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQhvDL_mkuslXj8dJVOhFrOisTRbm8smWy4eL4_REp4QmZPdotJjMIS4wClf1K7qcGwI921QdedkSuNEHweklh35nSWvnAKo7sQa9WlHJE5MBySU8bYmAU1vpCfz2yoN9FLpFvHgoJncO/s1600/DSC_0149-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Cavern Cascade" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1164" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQhvDL_mkuslXj8dJVOhFrOisTRbm8smWy4eL4_REp4QmZPdotJjMIS4wClf1K7qcGwI921QdedkSuNEHweklh35nSWvnAKo7sQa9WlHJE5MBySU8bYmAU1vpCfz2yoN9FLpFvHgoJncO/s1600/DSC_0149-Edit.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Cavern Cascade" width="464" /></a></div>
As you travel further downstream, you run into what is<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—in my opinion, at least</span><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—the most spectacular formation in the gorge. This is Cavern Cascade. It's a massive waterfall (although not the largest in the park still) that spills out into a deep pool. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KndQQXqUMA2aUiq2diYkcoOpLZWaGtMLPm6UeEbfA1kmCYvm6bccQNfYiiig82-JI39YkP7lbpRuQYyxMtwyC48PWB5LnI5RS5IP_TXLLKDzssAYULHP9h86JqkLHT0PaFsd5AatkVDq/s1600/DSC_0152-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Walk Behind Cavern Cascade" border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KndQQXqUMA2aUiq2diYkcoOpLZWaGtMLPm6UeEbfA1kmCYvm6bccQNfYiiig82-JI39YkP7lbpRuQYyxMtwyC48PWB5LnI5RS5IP_TXLLKDzssAYULHP9h86JqkLHT0PaFsd5AatkVDq/s1600/DSC_0152-Edit.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Walk Behind Cavern Cascade" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your blogger by Cavern Cascade.</td></tr>
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Cavern Cascade is also the other waterfall that the trail passes behind. There's a much great volume of water passing in this waterfall, and the roaring sound of the water as it reverberates around the cavernous opening is spectacular to behold. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1FjQZOXMncfGkPv0ZH-5KDiH9RVw7iAoPVGbem0jRA3EOT6Symzy9dppDfNePxuFLzqSoOdKgCes6WTq61Uk1ov5r9_z2czjuvmZOr5AmFmMXiVtxcLYKiwDJHaTMWffORq2zTN9P7VB/s1600/DSC_0154-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Behind Cavern Cascade" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1198" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1FjQZOXMncfGkPv0ZH-5KDiH9RVw7iAoPVGbem0jRA3EOT6Symzy9dppDfNePxuFLzqSoOdKgCes6WTq61Uk1ov5r9_z2czjuvmZOr5AmFmMXiVtxcLYKiwDJHaTMWffORq2zTN9P7VB/s1600/DSC_0154-Edit.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Behind Cavern Cascade" width="478" /></a></div>
If you stand behind the Cavern Cascade waterfall, you get a real sense of the erosional power of water, and you get to see the impacts this power has had as you stare out over this section of the gorge. All the changes in topography you see in the photo above is due to water and what it does over time. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vP_CG5WRbIUnXS2kqPz2-Bl5Tw-886eAiIvfHGQYsKCgkr2JdgmjEvMqjy8QdjevkAgHoE8tGCLqSu1fI4scfzYjazdDLGACEth1DpLaIQpQ1FpJNwO7-Y8c-sP1tJAklFvUOAtXrlVe/s1600/DSC_0144-Edit-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Waterfalls" border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vP_CG5WRbIUnXS2kqPz2-Bl5Tw-886eAiIvfHGQYsKCgkr2JdgmjEvMqjy8QdjevkAgHoE8tGCLqSu1fI4scfzYjazdDLGACEth1DpLaIQpQ1FpJNwO7-Y8c-sP1tJAklFvUOAtXrlVe/s1600/DSC_0144-Edit-2.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Waterfalls" width="640" /></a></div>
Just downstream from Cavern Cascade<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—which you can see peeking around in the top portion of the photo</span><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—is another, but unnamed, waterfall. At this point in time, the gorge is almost over...</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgtp7GLXrZbrucTnXwbtsZGnaWX-h3B1BP9tRRPYqklGYRxUY3Z1MIUAKLNodB9xEDh7u53rCltM01L894PtAlKRp5VrMDo-J1mJUUE7lFtdee4_pTrQuPWidc4O1g2uxgJ_3Olkh3DtQ/s1600/DSC_0137-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hiking Watkins Glen State Park " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgtp7GLXrZbrucTnXwbtsZGnaWX-h3B1BP9tRRPYqklGYRxUY3Z1MIUAKLNodB9xEDh7u53rCltM01L894PtAlKRp5VrMDo-J1mJUUE7lFtdee4_pTrQuPWidc4O1g2uxgJ_3Olkh3DtQ/s1600/DSC_0137-Edit.JPG" title="Hiking Watkins Glen State Park " width="456" /></a></div>
Glen Creek runs through one more narrow, slot-canyon-like section of the gorge, once again highlighting the erosional power of water. This section of the gorge also distinctly highlights the layering found in the Genesee Group. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7u1fd8RfWsVg0Rz4ElVy2PUnEQzDrOgmiDSxn71mA2ytcpCIc4FRmhGnEe_zSREo-a1akwtq1bvTLHnSWHCs5B__TgcmvqMeeVPqU0AcsBS21BQ-CI6hrkkS4La5X6ReoC2OWEyOSOKG/s1600/DSC_0134-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Hanging Valley" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7u1fd8RfWsVg0Rz4ElVy2PUnEQzDrOgmiDSxn71mA2ytcpCIc4FRmhGnEe_zSREo-a1akwtq1bvTLHnSWHCs5B__TgcmvqMeeVPqU0AcsBS21BQ-CI6hrkkS4La5X6ReoC2OWEyOSOKG/s1600/DSC_0134-Edit.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Hanging Valley" width="640" /></a></div>
With one more waterfall, Glen Creek spills out into a wide section of the gorge directly looking into Seneca Valley. Just to the left in this main valley<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—</span>out of sight in this photo<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—is Seneca Lake, the largest and deepest of the Finger Lakes. This part of Watkins Glen State Park is the Main Entrance, and it is indeed the main way people enter the park. The town of Watkins Glen is located right outside the gorge opening. The Main Entrance also contains a gift shop and welcome center for the park.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUFVQcf8AzPN73p8WC2hlcpYSCN1mXxIFZppj2xpYAIrJzG13a0uRYCfgDfGNHFH0ZKntAJ2YZdIT9nm_cEwQTrqCwirrJ-yVNajrAQcHSwU8pO4MmVI34Az7hexDny9KL0J9rRJlKGsN/s1600/DSC_0133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Trail" border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="1600" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUFVQcf8AzPN73p8WC2hlcpYSCN1mXxIFZppj2xpYAIrJzG13a0uRYCfgDfGNHFH0ZKntAJ2YZdIT9nm_cEwQTrqCwirrJ-yVNajrAQcHSwU8pO4MmVI34Az7hexDny9KL0J9rRJlKGsN/s1600/DSC_0133.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Trail" width="640" /></a></div>
Looking back toward the gorge, you would never know what lies in wait from this angle. If you ever find yourself in the Finger Lakes Region, do yourself a favor and visit Watkins Glen State Park. If you do, I have a few tips. There is no entrance fee, but there is a parking fee. However, there is free street parking if you don't mind walking a couple hundred yards extra. Also, <b>get there early.</b> I arrived at 6 AM sharp, and it was literally only me and one other early-rising photographer for the first two hours or so. For a park that attracts over 700,000 people <i>a year</i>, having to share the park with only one other person is fantastic. This park <i>does </i>get busy as the day goes on, but an early visit means you get the park almost to yourself! Also, if you're a photographer, you <i>need</i> a tripod to take decent photos of the gorge. There is plenty of room for a tripod on the wide rock walls of the trail, so you don't need to worry about taking up room on the trail. <br />
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As a friend of mine who used to work at Watkins Glen State Park would say: come visit! <i>It's gorge-ous</i>. Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com2Watkins Glen State Park, 1009 N Franklin St, Watkins Glen, NY 14891, USA42.3703896 -76.88827429999997816.848355100000003 -118.19686829999998 67.8924241 -35.579680299999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-33197107561358687302018-08-11T15:54:00.001-04:002018-08-11T16:30:16.978-04:00The Geology of Watkins Glen State Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vjXbnClObfLMJl0oSkzYtFNKMno6oaghWY9Z2-OUz17lM58JUZYJmhANsTN4ZAKZTCaMpGtf9lwVaUp_5le3Lq_NO9xQtxl3xmr_uX1GXlF0USZwPaCKVnOhyfdzAAP018JX6XJ_PReT/s1600/DSC_0181-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watkins Glen Rainbow Falls" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vjXbnClObfLMJl0oSkzYtFNKMno6oaghWY9Z2-OUz17lM58JUZYJmhANsTN4ZAKZTCaMpGtf9lwVaUp_5le3Lq_NO9xQtxl3xmr_uX1GXlF0USZwPaCKVnOhyfdzAAP018JX6XJ_PReT/s1600/DSC_0181-Edit.JPG" title="Watkins Glen Rainbow Falls" width="456" /></a></div>
Years ago, I saw a photo of a spectacular place called Watkins Glen State Park, and I decided that I would—at some point in my life—go visit the park. That chance came this past June, as I was traveling from Maine to Ohio to <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2018/06/update-back-in-ohio.html">start a new job</a>. I made a detour into the Finger Lakes region of New York, and spent a morning exploring the park that lies just on the edge of the town of Watkins Glen. Watkins Glen State Park—one of the 215 parks and historic sites operated by the <a href="https://parks.ny.gov/">state of New York</a>—sits at the very southern edge of Lake Seneca, the largest and deepest of the Finger Lakes. The main attraction of the state park is a deep shale gorge with over a dozen waterfalls. The geological history of this gorge is incredibly interesting, and this post will dive into that history. We'll explore the geological context of the rock layers that the gorge cuts through, while also examining what forces eroded those rocks to form the gorge itself. After this post, I'll be posting a pictorial walk-through of the gorge, so stay tuned for that post as well for more photos and information about the modern-day park. (<b>UPDATE</b>: Here is the second post: <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-journey-through-watkins-glen-gorge.html"><b>A Journey Through the Watkins Glen Gorge</b></a>)<br />
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When trying to understand and appreciate any present-day geological formation, you have begin with understanding the rocks that the formation is made of. The history of the rocks gives you context for how erosional forces ultimately created the formation in question, and understanding the gorge at Watkins Glen State Park is no different. In a quick-and-dirty summary, fine-grained sediments were deposited in a shallow sea, and these sediments formed a thick layer of a soft rock called shale. Large-scale tectonic forces then exerted pressure on this shale layer, creating thousands of fractures called joints. These joints represent weak areas in the shale, and when glacial and post-glacial forces met these joints, water was able to easily erode the shale and cut a deep gorge over the time span of several thousand years.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipht0luD2daon2BIGbGj4zxchvEJeB4TuNETsIDBYDuPHS41Ues1Zj-uHHm_YHPObNDrUoFSU0dy0Qi-by4fLl_xlXrCBGqvpVAb0RvKL6LOx3Xr8bdzvy_gmm_mliQZJYqpVwO6SG27ua/s1600/1280px-Caledonides_EN.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Geology of Watkins Glen State Park" border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1280" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipht0luD2daon2BIGbGj4zxchvEJeB4TuNETsIDBYDuPHS41Ues1Zj-uHHm_YHPObNDrUoFSU0dy0Qi-by4fLl_xlXrCBGqvpVAb0RvKL6LOx3Xr8bdzvy_gmm_mliQZJYqpVwO6SG27ua/s1600/1280px-Caledonides_EN.svg.png" title="Geology of Watkins Glen State Park" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map courtesy of Woudloper, from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caledonides_EN.svg">Wikimedia Commons</a>.</td></tr>
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Let’s look at this geological story in greater detail though. Our story begins approximately 380 million years ago in the Late Devonian Period. As you might expect, the Earth looked quite different at this time. Terrestrial plants were just beginning to take root across the world, and early amphibious tetrapods like <a href="https://tiktaalik.uchicago.edu/meetTik.html">Tiktaalik </a>were first venturing onto land for short spurts of time. But also occurring at this time—and of importance to this story—was the Acadian Orogeny (orogeny meaning a period of mountain-building). The two smaller landmasses of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalonia">Avalonia </a>and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltica">Baltica </a>had been colliding with the continent of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurentia">Laurentia</a>, which is the ancient landmass that the modern North American Plate is built around. The collision of these landmasses pushed up layers of rock, forming an ancient mountain range called the Acadian Mountains.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBAHT6MFCuMXD7XmkXHXm-JnwNWIQdabxBe_9GMjAWmxnZw4tFp-3sg8ElFJqFuvWmKZ_W4omle-K8fwlfbashyphenhyphenQeRnU4zLeeFEPbFIPOIrhMTB5Q0V-qdNHtM9zUBvvX0EnEr2gS7dkY/s1600/euramerica.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="History of Watkins Glen Gorge" border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="412" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBAHT6MFCuMXD7XmkXHXm-JnwNWIQdabxBe_9GMjAWmxnZw4tFp-3sg8ElFJqFuvWmKZ_W4omle-K8fwlfbashyphenhyphenQeRnU4zLeeFEPbFIPOIrhMTB5Q0V-qdNHtM9zUBvvX0EnEr2gS7dkY/s1600/euramerica.GIF" title="History of Watkins Glen Gorge" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map courtesy of Dennis C. Murphy via <a href="http://www.devoniantimes.org/who/pages/euramerica.html#credits">The Devonian Times</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These Acadian Mountains were flanked on the southeast by the ancient Rheic Ocean, and on the northwest side by a shallow inland sea called the Kaskaskia Sea. The Kaskaskia Sea covered what is now western New York, western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, and more. It is in the Kaskasia Sea that our story continues. As all mountain ranges experience, the Acadian Mountains faced erosional forces like rain and wind, and eroded sediments began moving downhill. On the northwestern side of the Acadian Mountains, many streams and rivers were transporting these sediments down the mountains and toward the Kaskaskia Sea. Once these waterways hit the Kaskaskia Sea, they formed a large series of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_delta">deltas</a>. Geologists refer to these deltas collectively as the Catskill Delta, and the rocks that were subsequently formed from these delta sediments underlay many parts of what was to become western New York, western Pennsylvania, and parts of Ohio and West Virginia.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQlDGvqIQIiqH_gDUkz0FJswHcKvXaqyZwlre6UrMkILn9qQWdThV_lbMGYxOkkuaOHd6x5FvFC2tW1rqy_6iw7PA_B4AiXM10WFoDKTtKtWplGnf0BxbfBGJ4A_zxEAzWiIE-nYUvpnqU/s1600/DSC_0164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Linguoid ripples from Kaskaskia Sea in Genesee Group Shale Watkins Glen" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQlDGvqIQIiqH_gDUkz0FJswHcKvXaqyZwlre6UrMkILn9qQWdThV_lbMGYxOkkuaOHd6x5FvFC2tW1rqy_6iw7PA_B4AiXM10WFoDKTtKtWplGnf0BxbfBGJ4A_zxEAzWiIE-nYUvpnqU/s1600/DSC_0164.JPG" title="Linguoid ripples from Kaskaskia Sea in Genesee Group Shale Watkins Glen" width="640" /></a></div>
If you pay close attention while hiking in the gorge, you can actually see remnants of ripples that formed from the Catskill Delta sediments after they were deposited on the floor of the Kaskaskia Sea. Although these "fossilized" ripple marks are common in the overall rock layers, they can be hard to notice. Luckily, a section of the Gorge Trail exposes some of these ancient hardened seafloor ripples! The photo above shows these ripple marks, and they can tell us a bit about the environment in which they were formed. Due to the fact that the ripples are lobe-shaped, we can tell that the water at this specific point in time and at this specific area had a good deal of energy in it, as the higher energy current created <a href="http://www.seddepseq.co.uk/SEDIMENTOLOGY/Sedimentology_Features/Ripples/Ripples.htm">linguoid ripples</a>.<br />
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Many of the sediments that were deposited in the Catskill Delta—especially the area that would become western New York—were fine-grained (i.e. small). These fine-grained sediments eventually became fine-grained rocks like shale and siltstone, although there are some thinner layers of limestone and sandstone mixed in as well. The rock layers of the Catskill Delta are incredibly thick, ranging from several hundred feet thick to several thousand feet thick, depending on your location. This large formation is subdivided into smaller layers, and the rocks that are exposed at Watkins Glen State Park belong to a specific slice of the Catskill Delta formation called the Genesee Group. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJZKInP_WbGv5eejLRXHHxSgDYfJGI1xyEsSLhPDsfb4vnITGBkaBJeM1OWk6Oqad4MWONPev2BjkIUJwAxC9H1YyMQg6AsPLlhx_01yiVTufb4uKgv_Hmija3nK-X2CXAk3iioCj7237/s1600/Black+Shale.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Genesee Group Black Shale" border="0" data-original-height="1487" data-original-width="1600" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeJZKInP_WbGv5eejLRXHHxSgDYfJGI1xyEsSLhPDsfb4vnITGBkaBJeM1OWk6Oqad4MWONPev2BjkIUJwAxC9H1YyMQg6AsPLlhx_01yiVTufb4uKgv_Hmija3nK-X2CXAk3iioCj7237/s1600/Black+Shale.JPG" title="Genesee Group Black Shale" width="640" /></a></div>
The Genesee Group is primarily made up of what are known as black shales. As one might guess, black shale is called such due to its dark hue. This dark coloration is thought to be the result of its depositional environment lacking oxygen. Also to note—as this will come into play later on—shales are relatively soft rocks, and are consequently easy to erode.<br />
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As the Permian Period began around 300 million years ago, another orogeny took place. This orogeny—termed as either the Appalachian or Alleghenian Orogeny—occurred as Gondwana (specifically the part of Gondwana that would become Africa) collided with Euramerica (the continent that was made of Laurentia plus the newly acquired Avalonia and Baltica from the Acadian Orogeny). A giant mountain range was formed that included the Appalachian Mountains, Ouachita Mountains, Atlas Mountains, and several other associated ranges. The ocean that used to separate Gondwana and Euramerica was also closed up during this orogeny. The resulting Euramerica-Gondwana landmass is known today as Pangea, a name many of you have undoubtedly heard.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHp5wai5Eahe0YkqawffCjneqCoz2WC7Og-ypF4SrvoSez9OOiDyV_0H_unYbjE8UKajw4G1AqR-8_HNBXhHK8YBUnm-IurEcNEgmvqKZ86BXBj0nOHD5x-GS-SLtHdrDhlrksNzDzEwCR/s1600/Joints.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Joints Watkins Glen State Park" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1331" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHp5wai5Eahe0YkqawffCjneqCoz2WC7Og-ypF4SrvoSez9OOiDyV_0H_unYbjE8UKajw4G1AqR-8_HNBXhHK8YBUnm-IurEcNEgmvqKZ86BXBj0nOHD5x-GS-SLtHdrDhlrksNzDzEwCR/s1600/Joints.png" title="Joints Watkins Glen State Park" width="532" /></a></div>
When this giant tectonic collision occurred, it exerted a tremendous deal of pressure on the rocks of the Catskill Delta formation, including the rocks of the Genesee Group. This pressure cracked these rock layers in thousands upon thousands of areas, creating a multitude of small fractures in the rocks known as joints. These joints come into play later on, as a joint represents a weak area in a rock that can be more easily eroded by water. When you hike through the gorge today, you can see these joints nearly everywhere you look.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQskZEB_7ohAYUdd4WShP7p-s2X_n8nUH5yM_pE4tuhNmEJfCtuRx8AzVYq1GfBCEf9qreW5t6ELyFLu4n5lIgs33S2N8NgUyhAtXBx-R2kojwzoNcVSRbkM8viZ0J0wZhoZzAQ5gLVtx/s1600/DSC_0048-Edit-Edit-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dissected Allegheny Plateau" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQskZEB_7ohAYUdd4WShP7p-s2X_n8nUH5yM_pE4tuhNmEJfCtuRx8AzVYq1GfBCEf9qreW5t6ELyFLu4n5lIgs33S2N8NgUyhAtXBx-R2kojwzoNcVSRbkM8viZ0J0wZhoZzAQ5gLVtx/s1600/DSC_0048-Edit-Edit-3.JPG" title="Dissected Allegheny Plateau" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dissected Allegheny Plateau.</td></tr>
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After the Permian Period, the areas that were to become western New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, as well as eastern Ohio and parts of eastern Kentucky, experienced various cycles of sediment deposition and erosion. By the time that the Cretaceous Period ended, and the Paleogene Period began around 64 million years ago, the land in this area had been eroded down to a broad, flat plain that was criss-crossed by rivers and streams. However, this all changed during the Neogene Period around 20 million years ago. This part of the world experienced a period of uplift, and this flat plain suddenly found itself raised up as a plateau, which we call the Allegheny Plateau. The rivers and streams that criss-crossed the Allegheny Plateau began eroding <i>down into </i>the plateau. Over the next several millions of years, the Allegheny Plateau began to resemble less and less of a broad flat plain, and began to look more like a hilly, dissected plateau.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KMoyh0EdFelaps46h43B6HLxb39kWeGq2JtpOYbAp7KuzMx_J3p06TV0RRQv-F-2znH-tX28ZjdjCkBq_OCuSApKg_YxwVDoPAjq9EyBkd8hcpA_ibY2TbOw0fO_aV3Ov81J0HWuaMTu/s1600/Fingerlakes+Map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Geological Formation of Watkins Glen State Park Gorge" border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="870" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KMoyh0EdFelaps46h43B6HLxb39kWeGq2JtpOYbAp7KuzMx_J3p06TV0RRQv-F-2znH-tX28ZjdjCkBq_OCuSApKg_YxwVDoPAjq9EyBkd8hcpA_ibY2TbOw0fO_aV3Ov81J0HWuaMTu/s1600/Fingerlakes+Map.png" title="Geological Formation of Watkins Glen State Park Gorge" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map adapted from <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7169185,-76.8383693,9.25z">Google Maps</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you were to look at western New York at this time, you would see it was rather hilly with stream valleys in between the hills. Some of these stream valleys ran nearly north-south. These north-south running valleys ultimately became the Finger Lakes that you can see today. But how? Glaciation!<br />
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Beginning around 2.5 million years ago, the Earth began a cyclical period of cooling, and a large ice sheet formed at the North Pole. Thus began the Pleistocene Ice Age. During this ice age, the polar ice sheet advanced and retreated in a cyclical fashion <a href="https://www.e-education.psu.edu/earth103/node/636">nearly two dozen times</a>. Each time this ice sheet advanced southward, it would travel up those north-south running valleys in western New York, making them wider and deeper.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uEJCDU2Mc37sVtwaonZmUCK1cAV8wkhIwj76IF0GP2_n94Ti4Nq57l32m8mmpO3vgzQPwc_n01DMVok2oeIQyqpNEOgV4zDl_TwPK3l-PUkUtCheA3oL86z8VqhnySX9LtQZPJg9L42n/s1600/DSC_0134-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Hanging Valley" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uEJCDU2Mc37sVtwaonZmUCK1cAV8wkhIwj76IF0GP2_n94Ti4Nq57l32m8mmpO3vgzQPwc_n01DMVok2oeIQyqpNEOgV4zDl_TwPK3l-PUkUtCheA3oL86z8VqhnySX9LtQZPJg9L42n/s1600/DSC_0134-Edit.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Hanging Valley" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remnants of the hanging valley carved by Glen Creek as it empties out into the main Seneca Valley. The valley no longer "hangs" above Seneca Valley.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The last glacial advance of the Pleistocene Ice Age reached its max extent around 20,000 to 18,000 years ago. This glacial advance was termed the Wisconsin Glacial Period, and it’s the effects of this glacier which set the stage for the actual formation of the Watkins Glen Gorge. When this glacier was at its extent, the glacial ice had completely filled the Seneca Valley. The glacier did not, however, cover the tops of the ridges that flanked either side of this valley (at least this is what is currently thought by the majority of geologists from what I’ve gathered). A small stream, now called Glen Creek, formed on the western ridge of Seneca Valley, and the water in the creek emptied out either onto the top of the glacier or into a hole in the glacier (we will never know for sure). As the glacier began retreating from the valley, the small stream valley that the Glen Creek had began carving found itself perched above the main Seneca Valley, which was now becoming ice-free. When a smaller valley is perched above a main valley that was carved by a glacial, the smaller valley is known as a hanging valley. (For a visual of what a hanging valley, <a href="http://www.coolgeography.co.uk/GCSE/Year%2010/PhysicalWorld/Glacial%20Landforms/hangingvalley.jpg">check out this diagram</a>.) And this is how the Watkins Glen Gorge began.<br />
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When it comes to liquid water, it’s really important to know that gravity is forcing water to travel to the lowest point of land it can possibly get to. This is why water flows downhill. This feature of liquid water can create spectacular erosional features, especially if a stream finds itself having to cover more vertical distance than it previously had to. When a stream finds itself in such a situation, it begins to incise (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_incision">which is eroding downward in a narrow fashion</a>). Stream incision has led to formations like the Grand Canyon in Arizona, or the New River Gorge in West Virginia. And in western New York, stream incision led to the creation of Watkins Glen Gorge. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPhLxnNpU27b5X98LjLwdApiOla_I36aOpf69NM7yq5KPKEOSXfsPPvc4KxL4gqHBtnrIywYLDokX_4h4HhUlJttCxccR1mcu3QE3qv8VMkrn-cgCBwmIK30qPTxBCgJiV4Rai0JM9j4g/s1600/DSC_0198-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Glen Creek Eroding Genesee Group Formation" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1115" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPhLxnNpU27b5X98LjLwdApiOla_I36aOpf69NM7yq5KPKEOSXfsPPvc4KxL4gqHBtnrIywYLDokX_4h4HhUlJttCxccR1mcu3QE3qv8VMkrn-cgCBwmIK30qPTxBCgJiV4Rai0JM9j4g/s1600/DSC_0198-Edit.JPG" title="Glen Creek Eroding Genesee Group Formation" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glen Creek as it begins cutting into the top portion of the Genesee Group layers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Starting approximately 12,000 years ago, the water in Glen Creek had to travel from atop a ridge down to a lake—now called Seneca Lake—which had formed at the bottom of the valley. This is a vertical distance of roughly 1,000 feet. As it traveled downhill, it began cutting into the bedrock. The creek soon hit the Genesee Group, which, if you remember, was that layer made of soft shales and filled with joints. This is when things got interesting.<br />
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Glen Creek began incising deeply into the shales of the Genesee Group. The joints made it easier for the water to do so, as well. As we mentioned earlier, joints are an area in a rock layer that can be more easily eroded than a solid piece of rock. Essentially, joints allow for water to access and impact a greater surface area of the bedrock than a solid block of rock would allow. Liquid water in a joint can mechanically and chemically weather and erode the rock, and water in the joint can freeze and further crack and break apart the rock as the water expands. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGjNumsmjzPArXSAAtX7UdhXbDxpaclfxoWvN4joMh83sCuh6iVo6g4YB7kJZ-6eXoV4zQgYS-dzgCv48FyKFdAJWTFn1eSUbUddzaRxeBKIRD6HSmxxhNiBT71ugqzekIMSigID36tQE/s1600/DSC_0179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Waterfall Formation Watkins Glen New York" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGjNumsmjzPArXSAAtX7UdhXbDxpaclfxoWvN4joMh83sCuh6iVo6g4YB7kJZ-6eXoV4zQgYS-dzgCv48FyKFdAJWTFn1eSUbUddzaRxeBKIRD6HSmxxhNiBT71ugqzekIMSigID36tQE/s1600/DSC_0179.JPG" title="Waterfall Formation Watkins Glen New York" width="640" /></a></div>
Consequently, many of the awesome formations in Watkins Glen Gorge occur where a joint is or used to be. If you look at the photo above, you can see several joints running up and down the exposed bedrock. You'll also notice that a waterfall formed along one of the joints.<br />
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For the past 12,000 years, Glen Creek has been carving its way down through the black shale and siltstones of the Genesee Group, exploiting the hundreds of joints found throughout the bedrock layer. A gorge dotted with waterfalls, plunge pools, and other features has since taken shape. This is Watkins Glen Gorge as we currently know it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxSGnbOYzNu2fuh12Rco_Fkl4HhM42LKM6hpo-vl3fGi3j0sQiqz3DHYn4qN0rm96QGPQwIffFy_HejwOO9cDaOX1jeHmBfAPFU3XXu41r2lToW6SZhnDN3nOWYiZQViBHUyPMDrfzVuh/s1600/DSC_0149-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Watkins Glen State Park Nature " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1164" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxSGnbOYzNu2fuh12Rco_Fkl4HhM42LKM6hpo-vl3fGi3j0sQiqz3DHYn4qN0rm96QGPQwIffFy_HejwOO9cDaOX1jeHmBfAPFU3XXu41r2lToW6SZhnDN3nOWYiZQViBHUyPMDrfzVuh/s1600/DSC_0149-Edit.JPG" title="Watkins Glen State Park Nature " width="464" /></a></div>
When you start digging into the geological history of any place, you soon realize that the place only looks the way it does now due to a specific combination of factors that came together over a long past. The gorge at Watkins Glen owes its existence not to any one factor, but a whole host of them: the sediments in the Catskill Delta laid the foundation and set the scene; the Allegheny Orogeny shattered the resulting rocks and filled them with joints that would be of utmost importance later on; the uplift and consequent dissection of the Allegheny Plateau brought the Genesee Group layers to a perfect location for a gorge to form; the glaciers shaped the area as a whole and the retreat of the last glacier put Glen Creek in the right circumstances for incising; and finally, Glen Creek was able to form the Watkins Glen Gorge due to the erosional power of water meshing with all those other factors that had led up to this moment when the creek met the rocks. Without all these factors and circumstances coming together the way they did, Watkins Glen Gorge wouldn't exist. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQufCr0GqpSdFNDMdbDnEXbYzMtFCCV5qjfhM2x9Mm0QQDDeSNW6tMjiol_QWPzlfVkF0102zBS9ulKUADtK8x1hi4eIjH0D5xrn45zwUJfzgOoXWk3hIOr9VybxPW4mLnF0KnnPvj3wT/s1600/DSC_0185-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Behind Rainbow Falls Watkins Glen State Park" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQufCr0GqpSdFNDMdbDnEXbYzMtFCCV5qjfhM2x9Mm0QQDDeSNW6tMjiol_QWPzlfVkF0102zBS9ulKUADtK8x1hi4eIjH0D5xrn45zwUJfzgOoXWk3hIOr9VybxPW4mLnF0KnnPvj3wT/s1600/DSC_0185-Edit.JPG" title="Behind Rainbow Falls Watkins Glen State Park" width="456" /></a></div>
Now that we've done a somewhat deep-dive into the geological history of Watkins Glen State Park, it's time for a pictorial journey through the gorge as it is today. Check out Part 2 of my Watkins Glen posts at this link: <b><a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-journey-through-watkins-glen-gorge.html">A Journey Through the Watkins Glen Gorge</a></b>Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com5Watkins Glen State Park, 1009 N Franklin St, Watkins Glen, NY 14891, USA42.3703896 -76.88827429999997816.848355100000003 -118.19686829999998 67.8924241 -35.579680299999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-67000636518463772192018-06-11T18:28:00.001-04:002018-06-11T18:28:42.471-04:00Hiking The Beehive in Acadia National ParkCalled by some as the "crown jewel of the North Atlantic Coast," Acadia National Park in Maine is the only national park that can be found in New England. It's a relatively small park by national park standards<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—</span>coming in at "only" 49,000 acres<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—but it protects much of Mount Desert Island, the 6th largest island in the lower 48 states. Back in May, a few of the educators from <a href="http://www.theecologyschool.org/">The Ecology School</a></span><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—myself included</span></span><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—</span></span>drove the 3.5 hours from Saco, Maine, to Acadia National Park for a weekend filled with hiking and exploring. While there, one of the other educators and I decided to climb the famous Beehive.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQklPI88crYgqItektMwBJYhP1buRNzoZBQ7vppN_AK5OjPklHGTkM9cLFoG57KehRjwtc2UtNNB7NOLzmGeX9_a479OitFcfOBQtvFRUgrezXVM9DSKnB0Xr3kYbVooJ50zo4D22A2HOw/s1600/Scale+jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Beehive Acadia National Park" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQklPI88crYgqItektMwBJYhP1buRNzoZBQ7vppN_AK5OjPklHGTkM9cLFoG57KehRjwtc2UtNNB7NOLzmGeX9_a479OitFcfOBQtvFRUgrezXVM9DSKnB0Xr3kYbVooJ50zo4D22A2HOw/s1600/Scale+jpeg.jpg" title="The Beehive Acadia National Park" width="640" /></a></div>
The Beehive is a granite knob that rises 520 feet above the Atlantic Ocean on the southeastern corner of Mount Desert Island. You can access the summit via The Beehive Trail, whose trailhead is found just near the Sand Beach parking lot. This trail is challenging and offers beautiful views, but it also comes with a much higher risk factor than your average trail.<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"> To give you an idea of just what you're climbing up when you hike this trail, take a look at the photo above. The knob pictured is The Beehive. If you look at the zoomed in portion (remember you can always click on a photo to enlarge it), you'll notice a red circle. In that circle is a person, and that person is on The Beehive Trail.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmE6odlEI35rDKNyE4nSR6sBPJAPOSpAn0IzEA6Qn2L4ioZWIhkmlZjfVW0nsOrlIUoaL8rrIvYlOhSZ5zGWGCUtdSkZaaTFHGOZ-_geFpIsj09jVfuPC-TfCNirdHHovJe5afGpmqVVC/s1600/Geology+1.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="1600" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmE6odlEI35rDKNyE4nSR6sBPJAPOSpAn0IzEA6Qn2L4ioZWIhkmlZjfVW0nsOrlIUoaL8rrIvYlOhSZ5zGWGCUtdSkZaaTFHGOZ-_geFpIsj09jVfuPC-TfCNirdHHovJe5afGpmqVVC/s1600/Geology+1.tif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acadia-NP-TF.jpg">figure </a>made by Martin D. Adamiker [CC BY-SA 3.0 (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0">link</a>) or GFDL (<a href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html">link</a>)], via Wikimedia Commons. Figure modified (addition of arrows and text) by Kyle Brooks.</td></tr>
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<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">Before we get to what the actual hike is like, I want to spend some time talking about the geology of Mount Desert Island, and especially The Beehive itself. As with many places in the northern portions of the United States, Mount Desert Island was heavily shaped and modified by various glacial periods during the last Ice Age. The last glacial period</span></span><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—</span>the Wisconsin Glacial Episode</span></span><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—began around 70,000 years ago and finished up around 12,000 years ago. At its greatest extent, this giant sheet of ice <a href="https://opentextbc.ca/geology/wp-content/uploads/sites/110/2015/07/Cordilleran-and-Laurentide-Ice-Sheets.png">completely covered Maine</a>, including Mount Desert Island. In this part of the world, the glacier moved from the northwest toward the southeast. As it moved over Mount Desert Island, it eroded the mountains that were present on the island into long, yet narrow, formations that were separated by U-shaped valleys. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKY78_6kKmbkHRwwadDAMrSgNSO6ZnGcnlQEYW-Ek8ivlPVF5tSyDFm38JXfUO0IfbXKOC73MEKJwPJZng37Ay-IqIr4iOyp5TRAPimZpDIkTohEM_DGwyDeRIoi2AXUpuzDqTYinf8B3/s1600/Glacial+Features.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Beehive Geology Plucking and Abrasion" border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="1600" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKY78_6kKmbkHRwwadDAMrSgNSO6ZnGcnlQEYW-Ek8ivlPVF5tSyDFm38JXfUO0IfbXKOC73MEKJwPJZng37Ay-IqIr4iOyp5TRAPimZpDIkTohEM_DGwyDeRIoi2AXUpuzDqTYinf8B3/s1600/Glacial+Features.jpg" title="The Beehive Geology Plucking and Abrasion" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: A smooth granite face resulting from glacial abrasion.<br />
Right: A jagged, steep granite face resulting from glacial plucking.</td></tr>
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<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">As the glacier eroded the mountains on the island, it did so in two different ways, all dependent on which direction the side of the mountain was facing. Take, for example, The Beehive. Parts of The Beehive experienced glacial abrasion, while other parts experienced glacial plucking. Glacial abrasion and plucking are both examples of how a glacier can erode bedrock, but these two types of erosion are a result of different factors and forces. Subsequently, they end up leaving behind different geological features after the glacier retreats. The northwest side of The Beehive was eroded by glacial abrasion. In this case, the glacier smashed directly into the northwest side of the knob. This force of pressure, coupled with the rocks embedded in the bottom of the glacier, smoothed and polished the bedrock like sandpaper on a piece of rough wood. This left behind a large face of smooth, rounded granite.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">The southeastern side of The Beehive, however, experienced erosion via glacial plucking. As the glacier polished the northwest side of the knob, it moved over the knob and slid down the southeastern side. As the ice slid down this side, frictional forces caused some of the ice at the very bottom to melt. This liquid water then entered into cracks and joints that were already present in the bedrock, were the water consequently refroze. Since water expands when it freezes, this resulted in large boulders cracking and breaking free of the knob. These boulders were then "plucked" up by the bottom of the glacier, where they were transported and dropped into the ocean or elsewhere. The resulting rock face was not highly smooth and polished, but was instead a steep cliff side with a jagged face. It's on this plucked side of The Beehive that the trail ascends.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoXByuZbhFJ6U24Q23GY6OGqS5Ji-JmhRnDIBasvmu_ZymcetuCgmw7Or_mc6LCWreB3IrTYf4hyphenhyphenYYvAJRDvYb7m6-4LV7jrdagPJBpxP_dM90elKjl84D_l9vGWaJf48s4mt5gHrolz0/s1600/DSC_0043-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photos of The Beehive Trail Maine" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoXByuZbhFJ6U24Q23GY6OGqS5Ji-JmhRnDIBasvmu_ZymcetuCgmw7Or_mc6LCWreB3IrTYf4hyphenhyphenYYvAJRDvYb7m6-4LV7jrdagPJBpxP_dM90elKjl84D_l9vGWaJf48s4mt5gHrolz0/s1600/DSC_0043-2.JPG" title="Photos of The Beehive Trail Maine" width="456" /></a></div>
The trail up to the summit starts out easy enough. The trailhead is at the bottom of a gully lined with granite boulders of various sizes<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—many of which were dropped there after being plucked off the knob by the glacier. This part is straightforward; one just has to watch their footing as they walk from rock to rock and keep an eye out for the blue blazes marking the trail.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQn8LiTcXlllJALIOLNEH0HwceGsxNOcQll9esoIDWClG-v-of9Yp2gJitbevfiw-b5tjmSqjyWi1n_yR4wo1JXrKTzaf4rgCrypj5Ih6Wtb3cznFzgNi41kQglE0JxQwmhDgHy3SbPr3d/s1600/DSC_0058-Edit-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Beehive Trail Mount Desert Island Maine" border="0" data-original-height="1121" data-original-width="1600" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQn8LiTcXlllJALIOLNEH0HwceGsxNOcQll9esoIDWClG-v-of9Yp2gJitbevfiw-b5tjmSqjyWi1n_yR4wo1JXrKTzaf4rgCrypj5Ih6Wtb3cznFzgNi41kQglE0JxQwmhDgHy3SbPr3d/s1600/DSC_0058-Edit-2.JPG" title="The Beehive Trail Mount Desert Island Maine" width="640" /></a></div>
The boulder field eventually ends at the base of the plucked side of the knob. This is where the scrambling begins. Scrambling is the type of hiking that is in between walking and technical rock climbing. Basically, it's walking up or down a rocky area that requires you to use your hands relatively often, but it still doesn't require technical gear like rope and carabiners. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fLiRZUleFV9piu1hdM4iSquv6VIGFzkdTcXng-2kQOjGlpfqNIJUD4RGEpVg7zKLa96nkIHLhAoLFUL1iQH05cuMmC2yNKJSMQAzlZQwChfYdZRWivxwkTfgw8jWv6mYZaoQ3UiA1sOe/s1600/DSC_0060-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Metal Rungs The Beehive Trail" border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="1600" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fLiRZUleFV9piu1hdM4iSquv6VIGFzkdTcXng-2kQOjGlpfqNIJUD4RGEpVg7zKLa96nkIHLhAoLFUL1iQH05cuMmC2yNKJSMQAzlZQwChfYdZRWivxwkTfgw8jWv6mYZaoQ3UiA1sOe/s1600/DSC_0060-Edit.JPG" title="Metal Rungs The Beehive Trail" width="640" /></a></div>
This is also the first part of the trail in which you encounter the metal rungs, which you will soon come to rely on. As with many of the steep, rocky trails in the national park system, metal rungs were added at some point along the trail for hikers to more safely navigate. In the case above, metal rungs were added so hikers could safely cross a gap in the rock face.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1txAJsGm0_FjK1hJp009pSqIayhQ1uT32wUuKIGSvhm72tA90gNWaED_hWbUDzsHt9QC5wTtZfqIkLrpNZ0xRwFyvAGTEoTxStO-DmmGs6FtGjNaVHQYKzUFIRDc1O_LDGwllCIqlVqAP/s1600/DSC_0062-Edit-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sand Beach Acadia National Park" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1txAJsGm0_FjK1hJp009pSqIayhQ1uT32wUuKIGSvhm72tA90gNWaED_hWbUDzsHt9QC5wTtZfqIkLrpNZ0xRwFyvAGTEoTxStO-DmmGs6FtGjNaVHQYKzUFIRDc1O_LDGwllCIqlVqAP/s1600/DSC_0062-Edit-2.JPG" title="Sand Beach Acadia National Park" width="640" /></a></div>
Rather quickly, you are rewarded with grand views of the southeastern side of Acadia National Park. Features like the Sand Beach come into view. Although sandy beaches are not rare in the world by any means, the Sand Beach in Acadia National Park is significant. Maine is not known for sandy beaches; in fact, of the 3,478 miles of shoreline found in Maine, there's only about 40 miles of sand-based shorelines (~1.15% of the total). The Sand Beach in Acadia National Park represents about 290 yards of that 40 or so miles, and the only sand-based beach you'll find on Mount Desert Island. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WvDN2Z51YkNDHmD1JO_I1NT-J2g8pCKGvIAjNFT1M3lqrzERQdp7HPKRJjuYPPL2YGfeOXcLdTkAKkFXOo6e-BHsUCZLwHnu8LFl7w-tv1fTKBLhWrgSPAsedVcXFfy7uENrsbJj14vS/s1600/DSC_0072-Edit-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Climbing The Beehive Trail" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WvDN2Z51YkNDHmD1JO_I1NT-J2g8pCKGvIAjNFT1M3lqrzERQdp7HPKRJjuYPPL2YGfeOXcLdTkAKkFXOo6e-BHsUCZLwHnu8LFl7w-tv1fTKBLhWrgSPAsedVcXFfy7uENrsbJj14vS/s1600/DSC_0072-Edit-2.JPG" title="Climbing The Beehive Trail" width="640" /></a></div>
While the trail gets higher and higher, and the views get better and better, the trail also becomes increasingly more climbing-based. The trail also becomes smaller, and gaps become more prevalent. At one point a short wooden bridge is required to cross a gap. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5BgpA-DeALcxTORc1qDCkPTBNXGWInW9066g9jjTsdmmWRmGJ1f5AtB1tBbU5xhePnFdcv3I0sbV6KmLsnKGnGuCxV6hJk3CzbMs1S9wxotWZ1_WIx3qKeKUwJmg2ByNAm6uSgeO4avY/s1600/DSC_0075-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Views from The Beehive Trail" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5BgpA-DeALcxTORc1qDCkPTBNXGWInW9066g9jjTsdmmWRmGJ1f5AtB1tBbU5xhePnFdcv3I0sbV6KmLsnKGnGuCxV6hJk3CzbMs1S9wxotWZ1_WIx3qKeKUwJmg2ByNAm6uSgeO4avY/s1600/DSC_0075-Edit.JPG" title="Views from The Beehive Trail" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your blogger embracing his inner mountain goat.</td></tr>
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Some sections of the trail are very narrow, like the one pictured above. Sure-footing, grippy shoes, and patience are a must.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7KXmnBrRtBL2MqxMs1bZCkCswJcYaVe6eAldLieVV7tbTHr9ItDznvjwJ0o0S66yK6-dLqTYLy5eiudRm4U80Cv4zHfuNVHynwmyC2WU_zN-opVqIIujgPiEPBPl2OWdenOtsvtqbYMX/s1600/DSC_0080-Edit-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Beehive Trail Maine" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7KXmnBrRtBL2MqxMs1bZCkCswJcYaVe6eAldLieVV7tbTHr9ItDznvjwJ0o0S66yK6-dLqTYLy5eiudRm4U80Cv4zHfuNVHynwmyC2WU_zN-opVqIIujgPiEPBPl2OWdenOtsvtqbYMX/s1600/DSC_0080-Edit-3.JPG" title="The Beehive Trail Maine" width="426" /></a></div>
About halfway up the trail, you reach an "Oh boy" section<span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc"><span class="ILfuVd yZ8quc">—at least it was for me. There is a relatively long, and <i>steep</i>, section of the trail that requires lots of climbing up metal rung after metal rung. And to make things more interesting, decades of use by hikers have worn smooth the parts of the granite along the trail, making them slippery. This last half of the trail is <i>extremely </i>reminiscent of the Angels Landing Trail in Utah's Zion National Park. I hiked up Angels Landing in the summer of 2016, and that trail is another example of scrambling up a steep rock face with the use of metal rungs and chains. (Check out my "<a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2016/09/hiking-angels-landing.html">Hiking Angels Landing</a>" post to see just what I'm talking about.)</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZb8FHjCGrnpSdzw51K02oHtKwNDQw_kDDi5F1P71vnuuneyKomeEd9HWR4ES_hFDIte9LJua7k4z1RQEWZxrZDnwnLiRKtW_eqvuhDY6LMxAWqLP6ahbsmJEzS6QO7hm7ivkJr_QCgV4b/s1600/DSC_0089-Edit-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hiking The Beehive Acadia National Park" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1119" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZb8FHjCGrnpSdzw51K02oHtKwNDQw_kDDi5F1P71vnuuneyKomeEd9HWR4ES_hFDIte9LJua7k4z1RQEWZxrZDnwnLiRKtW_eqvuhDY6LMxAWqLP6ahbsmJEzS6QO7hm7ivkJr_QCgV4b/s1600/DSC_0089-Edit-2.JPG" title="Hiking The Beehive Acadia National Park" width="446" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leah ascends part of the more steep sections of The Beehive Trail.</td></tr>
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Is the trail dangerous and hard to do? Yes and no. All hiking comes with risks. Although The Beehive Trail does have more risks involved than your average stroll through a city metro park, deaths and serious injuries are rare (but they do <a href="http://network.mainegenealogy.net/profiles/blogs/people-who-have-died-in-acadia-national-park">happen</a>.) The trail itself isn't that strenuous for an average hiker that is at least somewhat in shape and has full control over their extremities. Hiking up the trail and returning via the Bowl Trail (<b>it is not recommended that you descend the way you came up</b>) is only 2 miles, and there's only about a 450 foot elevation gain in total. That's not much at all in the hiking world. The biggest challenge hikers face is the fear factor. Afraid of heights? Well, this trail might not be for you. I've heard stories about hikers getting halfway up the trail, only to become frozen in fear. The only way out is up, though. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxHe8LtpfTlmFF62iDqOdxN7NifoN11MAtLlUm1LWNnHhC1EjaVSRtjcWaHDHGSdZVNOVcxYiPLNPWY6rRLwc2OeWPuoMOjeOvrvrU7lq23LdS4_oH_bIf2FQKJjffImT7CpGgnU6X2DV/s1600/DSC_0122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Beehive Summit Marker" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxHe8LtpfTlmFF62iDqOdxN7NifoN11MAtLlUm1LWNnHhC1EjaVSRtjcWaHDHGSdZVNOVcxYiPLNPWY6rRLwc2OeWPuoMOjeOvrvrU7lq23LdS4_oH_bIf2FQKJjffImT7CpGgnU6X2DV/s1600/DSC_0122.JPG" title="The Beehive Summit Marker" width="512" /></a></div>
If you don't mind heights and cliff sides, and you're willing to do a bit of non-technical climbing and scrambling, then you'll <i>love </i>this trail. It's absolutely beautiful, and it's been one of my favorite hikes that I've done east of the Mississippi River. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWjFbxmmzym54dpZ84xM0nLjOCv9Y5UEq9SFEtzDaa1NkzixCVNzQ4q3KLjzKJWssog4OTqgwdtg-EvrV6IJxKiYn7FgI-8xtCGhBAmj1HHI8psSGM3Cn1nJkiPP1frE04LlOuTT1T6Ki/s1600/DSC_0106-Edit-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kyle Brooks Nature Writer" border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1600" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWjFbxmmzym54dpZ84xM0nLjOCv9Y5UEq9SFEtzDaa1NkzixCVNzQ4q3KLjzKJWssog4OTqgwdtg-EvrV6IJxKiYn7FgI-8xtCGhBAmj1HHI8psSGM3Cn1nJkiPP1frE04LlOuTT1T6Ki/s1600/DSC_0106-Edit-2.JPG" title="Kyle Brooks Nature Writer" width="640" /></a></div>
Even though the summit is only at 520 feet above sea level, The Beehive sits on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, so the views are fantastic. You can see miles and miles of the ocean, Mount Desert Island, and the mainland. If you ever find yourself in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_East">Downeast </a>Maine, head over to Acadia National Park and hike The Beehive; you won't regret it!Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com11Acadia National Park, Maine, USA44.3385559 -68.273334618.816521400000003 -109.5819286 69.8605904 -26.9647406tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-28640773589624218922018-06-11T15:02:00.000-04:002018-06-11T15:02:23.257-04:00Update: Back in OhioHello Again Folks,<br />
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As I wrote back on March 24, <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2018/03/update-temporarily-living-in-maine.html">I had been living in Saco, Maine to work for The Ecology School</a> as an ecology educator for their spring term. Sadly, the amazing season came to an end on June 8. The good news is that I will be transitioning to a new job in a few days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsn7hu5Uu-SEHLjK1bOB5hinx7QODUMU0eTE4wnDvAzGEAG-vWgpMy6WARzWFKrCei9jD5Jbjn7Ys1no267sEeqhqlZ15npglzfMHLk5KT13G2nJfIz5q89ioRpL9kLTZRgNCRtVY1oOv/s1600/For+Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsn7hu5Uu-SEHLjK1bOB5hinx7QODUMU0eTE4wnDvAzGEAG-vWgpMy6WARzWFKrCei9jD5Jbjn7Ys1no267sEeqhqlZ15npglzfMHLk5KT13G2nJfIz5q89ioRpL9kLTZRgNCRtVY1oOv/s1600/For+Blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
For the next year, I will be working for the <a href="https://www.gyfoundation.org/">Greening Youth Foundation</a> as a public affairs intern specializing in photojournalism at Ohio's Wayne National Forest. As some of you might remember, I <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2017/08/wayne-national-forest-internship.html">previously worked at Wayne National Forest as a wildlife biology intern</a>. I'm very excited to be working at Wayne National Forest again, and I'm also extremely excited to be trying my hand out at photojournalism in a more professional sense (as I already have been doing so on an amateur level for years).<br />
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As such, I'll be living once again in southeastern Ohio, near the Athens area. I'll also have a lot more time for blogging, as working at an environmental education camp tends to suck up all your free time. In fact, I have several posts in the works as of now, so keep your eye out for them!Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-28517438717134701552018-03-24T12:18:00.001-04:002018-03-24T12:18:22.063-04:00Update: Temporarily Living in Maine!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhEsmil60pmJCMQ7wJ7R5H6_U92wRgK1VwpA0G3JNIeNPx451EWAeiaAA4fS98TI5JnPuIBVWXov-FRdqTFz6aCcfAzOP9bS766Cjkoa2ioy3yMbcwgqs6BLEvih9MRwbOXpm1pM_FNH_/s1600/IMG_20180322_121900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhEsmil60pmJCMQ7wJ7R5H6_U92wRgK1VwpA0G3JNIeNPx451EWAeiaAA4fS98TI5JnPuIBVWXov-FRdqTFz6aCcfAzOP9bS766Cjkoa2ioy3yMbcwgqs6BLEvih9MRwbOXpm1pM_FNH_/s1600/IMG_20180322_121900.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saco Bay Beach, Maine</td></tr>
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Hello all! I've got a quick life update. If you're a longtime reader of this blog, you might have noticed I haven't been posting as much recently. That's not due to me giving up on the blog or anything; instead, I've been incredibly busy and haven't been able to make the time to write. <br />
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Last weekend, I made the move from Athens, Ohio, to Saco, Maine. I will be working the spring season for <a href="http://www.theecologyschool.org/">The Ecology School</a> as an ecology educator. I love environmental education, and so I'm very excited for this opportunity. However, working at a residential science education camp is very time consuming, and I will be struggling to find the time to write blog posts at the pace I want. It also doesn't help that I don't have easy access to WiFi where I will be living. Because of this, any new posts will be made very sporadically until the end of the position (June 8th).<br />
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Thanks for reading!Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-13363415119436931102018-02-21T21:12:00.000-05:002018-03-01T18:30:07.540-05:00My 2017 Amphibian ReviewThis past week, temperatures in Ohio soared into the mid-60's, and rain soaked the ground. Although it was still a bit early, some of the salamanders and frogs across the southern half of the state decided they would attempt the journey from their overwintering territories to their vernal pools in hopes of breeding. Their attempts were premature—the weather soon dipped below freezing, and a snowstorm moved across the state—but it got me excited for springtime. To get me through the remaining days of winter, I've decided to put together two posts reflecting on some of the species of amphibians and reptiles I saw last year. I'll start with the amphibians, as they are the first of the "herps" to become active during the year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0AtYaCaib8RE6kVzRFPIveNFXsFNBrV-cre8ReoEI5NuQhtcUHbhzejz1PB5pdEtKD7s_87ZxeIKry2gKGhb85Iojx0_twwBM8FDTxUNrIGFDp0FMMKPqyayPmf5v2JkKicgGNVaAy7wJ/s1600/DSC_0011-Edit-Edit-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Spotted Salamander Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0AtYaCaib8RE6kVzRFPIveNFXsFNBrV-cre8ReoEI5NuQhtcUHbhzejz1PB5pdEtKD7s_87ZxeIKry2gKGhb85Iojx0_twwBM8FDTxUNrIGFDp0FMMKPqyayPmf5v2JkKicgGNVaAy7wJ/s1600/DSC_0011-Edit-Edit-Edit.JPG" title="Spotted Salamander Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
Every year, people from around the eastern US look forward to the annual salamander migration. Throughout the forests of the east in the early spring, several species of salamanders belonging to the family <a href="http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ambystomatidae/">Ambystomatidae</a> venture forth from their subterranean homes and migrate upwards of a mile overland to reach vernal pools and ponds to breed in. This event is triggered by the weather, and it typically occurs the first night in spring in which the soil is not frozen, the air temperature remains above 50 °F, and it is either raining or it had rained all day and the ground is still wet. In southeast Ohio, "the night" happens most often between mid-March and the beginning of April. But 2017 was an abnormal year; we experienced extremely wet and warm nights toward the end of January and throughout February. This triggered some, but not all, of the salamanders to migrate early, such as this Spotted Salamander (<i>Ambystoma maculatum</i>) which migrated to a vernal pool on the night of February 7th, 2017—over a whole month earlier than what it normally would. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzag6zNbg8Lj5uJe8V425nDS0npRDqaVmFLu5phXOQA8YM8oxsmgMYqMqpe0_ilB-U56Of3-tGAob-AQGoz2OBKHbh2vzIHFQ6eH-IKnRh_xqz36MCRhsmM0da5b5qnHDbrl_CMaQ6db7/s1600/DSC_0015-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jefferson Salamander Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzag6zNbg8Lj5uJe8V425nDS0npRDqaVmFLu5phXOQA8YM8oxsmgMYqMqpe0_ilB-U56Of3-tGAob-AQGoz2OBKHbh2vzIHFQ6eH-IKnRh_xqz36MCRhsmM0da5b5qnHDbrl_CMaQ6db7/s1600/DSC_0015-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" title="Jefferson Salamander Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
The Spotted Salamanders weren't the only migratory species to be out the night of Feb. 7, 2017. This Jefferson Salamander (<i>Ambystoma jeffersonianum</i>) was also making his way to a vernal pool. Migrating early, especially if a cold snap occurs right after, can be quite harmful for such migratory salamander species. Right after that night, people posted photos of vernal pools full of dead Jefferson Salamanders late last winter—they had frozen to death. Such instances will most likely increase in the future, as Ohio will face an increase in abnormal weather patterns due to climate change. <a href="https://www.geo.umass.edu/climate/stateClimateReports/OH_ClimateReport_CSRC.pdf">Ohio is predicted to experience higher winter and spring rainfalls and warmer winter and spring temperatures over the next 100 years</a>, and this will undoubtedly affect migratory salamanders.<br />
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Just how it will impact the salamanders is uncertain, but the end effect will more than likely be detrimental. Warmer temperatures and rainfall events earlier in the year will most likely trigger Ambystomatid salamanders to migrate earlier and breed earlier. In addition to the possibility of freezing to death due to the ever present threat of cold snaps in late winter, we could also possibly end up seeing an "out-of-sync cycles" effect, in which the salamander larvae are in the vernal pools, but their food might not be there. <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/canadas-birds-under-siege-climate-change/">We are already seeing this occur with various species of birds</a>. Migration in birds is relatively fixed and triggered by the amount of daylight. Their migration is supposed to be synchronized prior to the peak of mass insect activity so the nestlings will have abundant food available, but insect activity is happening earlier and earlier due to climate change. This is resulting in birds migrating to an area without that much food, and nesting success is decreasing because of it. Could we see such a problem arising with migratory salamanders? Although it’s too early to tell, it’s something herpetologists will be keeping tabs on over the years. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXAnpG4yqAYtM9lcT7FHzRgngs9_-WP9zUKoj-QlNYNtWhoC9WxiTn_WGMmk6k0m2hsjmuSuq80bGCAkTH6NSRTDSrYKkW6y7-TM3PTo3K5Fd2P4jw1P5KMTsfMkF8m3Ooqf9guHGrbIa/s1600/DSC_0006-Edit-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Northern Slimy Salamander Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1144" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXAnpG4yqAYtM9lcT7FHzRgngs9_-WP9zUKoj-QlNYNtWhoC9WxiTn_WGMmk6k0m2hsjmuSuq80bGCAkTH6NSRTDSrYKkW6y7-TM3PTo3K5Fd2P4jw1P5KMTsfMkF8m3Ooqf9guHGrbIa/s1600/DSC_0006-Edit-Edit.jpg" title="Northern Slimy Salamander Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
Not all salamanders migrate; in fact, the vast majority of species don't. For example, of the 24 species of salamanders which can be found in Ohio, only 7 migrate. The others are either fully/mostly terrestrial or fully aquatic, and they breed where they live. One of the more common terrestrial and non-migratory salamanders in the state is the Northern Slimy Salamander (<i>Plethodon glutinosus glutinosus</i>). This species can be found throughout the southern and eastern halves of Ohio. Their name stems from their defensive behavior; if a predator (or a curious human) messes with a Slimy Salamander, the salamander will excrete this incredibly sticky and glue-like secretion from its skin. It will then try to rub this secretion all over the potential threat, which will hopefully deter whatever that threat is. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkzvuolK59SG5hLWfNNllJTiXMeW-41sTMd_bl_SHIk_HyiMxOjjs23Rbf8qj9o8ZiqDPYPWEpe9sUu1UcLKt16xbmyYT71A3uhMgibnaKMPrHg7LKGRWg4aOJH908q5mUzUMuW90WrPL/s1600/DSC_0023-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Red Salamander Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1600" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkzvuolK59SG5hLWfNNllJTiXMeW-41sTMd_bl_SHIk_HyiMxOjjs23Rbf8qj9o8ZiqDPYPWEpe9sUu1UcLKt16xbmyYT71A3uhMgibnaKMPrHg7LKGRWg4aOJH908q5mUzUMuW90WrPL/s1600/DSC_0023-Edit-2.jpg" title="Red Salamander Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
One of my absolute favorite salamanders to see is the Red Salamander (<i>Pseudotriton ruber</i>). This species is a large one, with adult individuals coming in at 5-7 inches in length! The Red Salamander can be found throughout the eastern half of Ohio, where it spends its time either hiding under rocks and logs alongside forested brooks and springs, or within the water itself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMGlV_2KApVs6j5xKYUzYi77LV317RZxLg3_0EPnM7TuIBb2-hzmQwJL5V8XWkvt4Mqsp_QZ3Emz4-6P3gvahoL_WHkcn1Fe652WuydtpijhpEUHYG7vGdeporm-OsgeyB4XDmZwsayyq/s1600/Mullerian.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Red Eft Red Salamander Mullerian Mimicry" border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="1011" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMGlV_2KApVs6j5xKYUzYi77LV317RZxLg3_0EPnM7TuIBb2-hzmQwJL5V8XWkvt4Mqsp_QZ3Emz4-6P3gvahoL_WHkcn1Fe652WuydtpijhpEUHYG7vGdeporm-OsgeyB4XDmZwsayyq/s1600/Mullerian.PNG" title="Red Eft Red Salamander Mullerian Mimicry" width="640" /></a></div>
You might be wondering why it would benefit a salamander to be so vividly colored. Wouldn't a large red and black salamander scream "EAT ME" to predators? Well, it's actually the opposite! Bright coloration can be a sign of toxicity. Such conspicuous coloration/patterning is called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aposematism">aposematic coloration</a>, which is more commonly known as a warning coloration. The Red Salamander, for example, has a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0041010181901148">toxin located throughout its skin</a> which makes it poisonous to potential predators. As a result, the species evolved aposematic coloration to warn predators that messing with them is probably a bad idea. But there's something more complex going on than just simple aposematism. Several salamanders in the eastern US have evolved a similar red/orange coloration with black dots, and it seems to be a case of mimicry. Take, for example, Red Salamanders, Mud Salamanders, and the Red Eft stage of the Eastern Newt. All three of these species are toxic, and they have all converged on a similar red/orange coloration with black dots. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=HaaFlUw4goIC&pg=PA251&lpg=PA251&dq=red+salamander+red+eft+mullerian+mimicry&source=bl&ots=qMiy4pw14i&sig=HxJpTodN1OK8O_NkvzRFz5nzb64&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjp6d2b1Z7ZAhXPmVkKHTztAyIQ6AEIkwEwDQ#v=onepage&q=red%20salamander%20red%20eft%20mullerian%20mimicry&f=false">This is a case of Mullerian mimicry</a>, in which two or more toxic species converged on a similar appearance. The evolutionary idea behind Mullerian mimicry is that predators will only have to learn to associate one type of coloration with danger, despite there being 2+ toxic species in question. Mullerian mimicry benefits both the toxic species—which are more likely to be recognized as dangerous—and the predators—which are more likely to recognize the danger.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPHZen50Cg68C-XzGfL9GJqKal2IBiDV0p61c2dL8qucMs4N3hSxszwemHczWp8EzQy4HyFB0t_475Qnnaiy1ul12_Zoe242ebQw5VJIM3h64V3U-myj0pX2TMCllCNgeONhR8FlvF_C5/s1600/DSC_0006-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Long-Tailed Salamander Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1600" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPHZen50Cg68C-XzGfL9GJqKal2IBiDV0p61c2dL8qucMs4N3hSxszwemHczWp8EzQy4HyFB0t_475Qnnaiy1ul12_Zoe242ebQw5VJIM3h64V3U-myj0pX2TMCllCNgeONhR8FlvF_C5/s640/DSC_0006-2.jpg" title="Long-Tailed Salamander Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
One last salamander! Meet the Long-Tailed Salamander (<i>Eurycea longicauda</i>). For years, this species had evaded me; and then 2017 happened. Not only did I see my lifer early in the summer, but I ended up seeing several more throughout the year, including 3 on one day! As the name implies, the Long-Tailed Salamander has an extremely long tail relative to its body; in fact, the tail typically accounts for around 60% of its total body length. They're a strikingly beautiful species, but it can take some searching to see one. The Long-Tailed Salamander can be found throughout southern and eastern Ohio, where they typically inhabit limestone or shale-based streams, caves, and springs. While the adults are terrestrial, the larvae are fully aquatic, and so the adults typically live close to appropriate aquatic habitats. In such appropriate locales—typically alongside streams or nearby seeps and springs—they spend their day foraging underneath rocks and logs. The individual pictured above was found in Adams County, where it was living under a limestone rock by a stream with a limestone bed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAubFe2uCEgtVw5mey2LNr0n1DrjkN7RWmh-NUSC8CQ5IIcGPUaEwjLIsXidG7EtTBH0AbJsO9Iur6GyDPszgRto4gUkLO1ttd2wjd_f_HCGfPcKl7KsvaDhUBdAk24PMKihNseKM4IRE/s1600/DSC_0006-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eastern Spadefoot Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPAubFe2uCEgtVw5mey2LNr0n1DrjkN7RWmh-NUSC8CQ5IIcGPUaEwjLIsXidG7EtTBH0AbJsO9Iur6GyDPszgRto4gUkLO1ttd2wjd_f_HCGfPcKl7KsvaDhUBdAk24PMKihNseKM4IRE/s1600/DSC_0006-Edit-2.jpg" title="Eastern Spadefoot Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
It wouldn't be a post on amphibians without mentioning frogs, so I'll end on with the most exciting amphibian species that I saw in 2017. This is the Eastern Spadefoot (<i>Scaphiopus holbrookii</i>). The Eastern Spadefoot is a notoriously hard species to see in Ohio for two reasons: their rarity and their <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/life-history-evolution-68245673">life history</a>. Regarding its rarity, the Eastern Spadefoot is listed as Endangered in the state of Ohio. Although it's hard to find exact information on their current range in Ohio—different organizations don't seem to agree on which counties have and don’t have populations, and just how many of those populations are extinct and extant—it can be safely said that this species has only ever been found in a handful of counties. Of those recorded populations, many have died out over the past century due to a variety of reasons, both known and unknown. ODNR reports that only 5 distinct populations of the Eastern Spadefoot remain in Ohio, and no one really knows how how many individuals are in each of these populations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Mt9RF-1TPwLSkTL7ZLd3XO73OQTubMnZ0EmU7zNSyIOTdsWFuHVNdt6Y2kmzB6zhv1VNM63XLEPvdpK-f6ogMjJ_AmSQqlZW7qaIwlb8jHmN-ULuQlBz1RiEEcPhUy9YQ48IyYg5zTf7/s1600/DSC_0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Scaphiopus holbrookii Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Mt9RF-1TPwLSkTL7ZLd3XO73OQTubMnZ0EmU7zNSyIOTdsWFuHVNdt6Y2kmzB6zhv1VNM63XLEPvdpK-f6ogMjJ_AmSQqlZW7qaIwlb8jHmN-ULuQlBz1RiEEcPhUy9YQ48IyYg5zTf7/s1600/DSC_0014.jpg" title="Scaphiopus holbrookii Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
Regarding its life history, the Eastern Spadefoot has a lifestyle that makes it rather difficult to go look for, even if you know <i>exactly </i>where a population is. The Eastern Spadefoot is an explosive breeder that's more akin to frogs inhabiting the desert southwest. For nearly the entirety of the year, this frog stays underground, where it lives in burrows in sandy areas adjacent to a few rivers in southeastern Ohio. When they're underground, they're essentially impossible to detect. They only emerge to breed, and breeding is triggered by very specific weather conditions. If there is a torrential rain event of 2+ inches of rain within a 24-hour period between the months of March and September, dozens and dozens of individuals might venture forth from their subterranean homes come nightfall to breed in the ephemeral pools the heavy rainfall created. The individuals pictured in this post were found on a visit to a known location in Athens County (all locations are kept secret to prevent unnecessary strain on the population) after nearly 2.3 inches of rain fell over the course of one and a half days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GEH7lEo1iGGfFpqeqFXabp8hvDdNH1lg6HvRAE1kVPJzQoopWiptryMqGAZnx9ae7q9cTyR2weLZVnRoH04_DPjuzzixIlVCEszyixQsrMaerKJF7REOyt6cJ9gTgPkdrDvBshTh-xR8/s1600/DSC_0024-Edit-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eastern Spadefoot Burrowing " border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GEH7lEo1iGGfFpqeqFXabp8hvDdNH1lg6HvRAE1kVPJzQoopWiptryMqGAZnx9ae7q9cTyR2weLZVnRoH04_DPjuzzixIlVCEszyixQsrMaerKJF7REOyt6cJ9gTgPkdrDvBshTh-xR8/s1600/DSC_0024-Edit-Edit.jpg" title="Eastern Spadefoot Burrowing " width="640" /></a></div>
Eastern Spadefoots are strange. They look strange, they <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5Et8IABWfs">sound strange</a>, and they have a strange life history for a frog species that lives in the eastern US. The unusual name of "spadefoot" comes from a darkly-colored, hardened spur on their back legs that they use like a spade to help them dig into loose, sandy soil. With use of this specialized "tool," a Spadefoot can easily—and quickly—burrow into the soil, like the individual above. I couldn't get a photo of the spade (because the Eastern Spadefoot is endangered, it is illegal to touch the animal), but here is a link that will show you what I'm talking about: <a href="http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/eastern-spadefoot/naturalhistory-spadefoot/naturalhistory-images/image-2.jpg">Spadefoot spade</a>.<br />
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In a few days (or a couple weeks) I'll be posting the second installment covering some of my favorite reptiles from 2017, so keep your eye out for that post! Thanks for reading!Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com0Ohio, USA40.4172871 -82.90712300000001334.2262786 -93.2342715 46.608295600000005 -72.57997450000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-32564901787568429282018-01-21T16:27:00.000-05:002018-01-21T16:27:28.580-05:00An Assortment of BeetlesFor as long as I can remember, I've loved arthropods. Arthropods come in so many different shapes, sizes, and colors, and even one group can exhibit an incredible amount of variation. One has to look no further than the beetles to see this in action. Beetles are insects that belong to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_(biology)">order</a> Coleoptera, and there are <i>a ton</i> of beetle species out there. An inconceivable amount really. Just how many beetle species do we know about? There are currently 400,000 described species of beetles in the world, which accounts for around <b>25% of all the described species on Earth.</b> For comparison, there are only about 5,400 described species of mammals in the world, and only about 10,000 described species of birds in the world. And that 400,000 number only accounts for the <i>described</i> species of beetles, which means the individual species some scientist has officially described as a species separate from the others. That number isn't including all the species we currently don't know about. <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/112/24/7519.full.pdf">Some scientists have estimated</a> that there might be a total of 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 beetle species in the world, meaning there are hundreds of thousands of species out there waiting to be discovered and described!<br />
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Beetles exhibit a tremendous variety in both appearance and lifestyle. Some are all black, while others can resemble a rainbow. Some are carnivorous, while others are herbivorous, while even some others are omnivorous. Some are solitary, while others are relatively social. Some beetles provide parental care, and some navigate their landscape <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/05/12/the-humble-dung-beetle-has-a-fantastic-way-of-navigating-the-world/?utm_term=.442759c1ef04">using the stars</a>. Much of the allure of beetles lies in the sheer diversity regarding every part of their biology.<br />
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Despite the variety in form and function of beetles, I've never really spent too much time looking at their world. I have, however, collected many pictures of beetles over the past 5 years, and so I've finally decided to dive in and write up a post on a few of those species. This post is organized by family, so let's jump in to one of the more speciose families.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Carabidae</b></span></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YCuYkphKSraYZVlIGnm8zCfkTaoFogFeONx8d0q3S0zpDcpDaKli0G6vDzj1zHEJOeMWx0NsBXSpFjdymKVzDFb6ih4Iy7H23q3kQQy27ivVy02gVBF-Gne6d5R9fiRX0OdE8hr8dZH1/s1600/Chlaenius+aestivus+Redone.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chlaenius aestivus" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YCuYkphKSraYZVlIGnm8zCfkTaoFogFeONx8d0q3S0zpDcpDaKli0G6vDzj1zHEJOeMWx0NsBXSpFjdymKVzDFb6ih4Iy7H23q3kQQy27ivVy02gVBF-Gne6d5R9fiRX0OdE8hr8dZH1/s1600/Chlaenius+aestivus+Redone.JPG" title="Chlaenius aestivus" width="640" /></a></div>
The family Carabidae<span class="_Tgc _s8w">—whose members are commonly called</span> the ground beetles<span class="_Tgc _s8w">—</span>is incredibly diverse, with over 40,000 described species. Many of the Carabids are darkly colored, but a good number are colorful and metallic. One such example is the species pictured above, <i>Chlaenius aestivus</i>. Because there are so many species of beetles in the world, many of them do not have common names, instead only having a <a href="http://animaldiversity.org/animal_names/scientific_name/">scientific name</a>. <i>Chlaenius aestivus</i><span class="_Tgc _s8w">—</span>as well as many of the other species included in this post<span class="_Tgc _s8w">—</span>does not have a species-specific common name, but the collective common name for members of the genus <i>Chlaenius</i> is "metallic ground beetle." The name is rather fitting, isn't it?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49MP6c3LrWQH1B-uGFjTKDd_7o2_vz5FTpKyQHiPgg5sBoCQvgN2n1NtXQXXVG_8heQHf4p7c7bqYPKXnVIkjLnNVbihh6IL2nss5J65fvqdX5tyP9EniGRGu-3Qqxzpeie3V743Fk6Eh/s1600/Cicindelidia+rufiventris.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eastern Red-Bellied Tiger Beetle, Cicindela rufiventris" border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49MP6c3LrWQH1B-uGFjTKDd_7o2_vz5FTpKyQHiPgg5sBoCQvgN2n1NtXQXXVG_8heQHf4p7c7bqYPKXnVIkjLnNVbihh6IL2nss5J65fvqdX5tyP9EniGRGu-3Qqxzpeie3V743Fk6Eh/s1600/Cicindelidia+rufiventris.JPG" title="Eastern Red-Bellied Tiger Beetle, Cicindela rufiventris" width="640" /></a></div>
My favorite group within the family Carabidae<span class="_Tgc _s8w">—</span>and the beetles as a whole<span class="_Tgc _s8w">—</span>are the tiger beetles. Although there are over 2,600 species of tiger beetles described in the world, the US and Canada is home to only about 117 species. The most recognizable species in Ohio is without a doubt the vibrantly-green <a href="https://bugguide.net/node/view/605">Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle</a>, but I want to talk about two other species. First up is the Eastern Red-Bellied Tiger Beetle, <i>Cicindela rufiventris</i>. I came across this individual <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2015/09/spiranthes-orchids-at-blue-jay-barrens.html">while visiting Steve Willson's Blue Jay Barrens</a> in Adams County, Ohio. As a side note, Steve operates a fantastic blog on the nature and management of the cedar barrens on his property. You can read his blog at <a href="https://bluejaybarrens.blogspot.com/">Blue Jay Barrens!</a> As with many other tiger beetles, the Eastern Red-Bellied Tiger Beetle prefers sunny openings in forests which can occur along ridgetops, near rock outcrops, and in recently disturbed areas. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjp6YGAg1i-BciNNuSry-JbtDXzBkKRGNfj652kyluZMLQzRT6GjXxxeDdbwJMn1T1viVmf8Jy2YWAlrbVrIW_2E0gzfC7SMiM9JkgWF1310fcZMJPEPLp9LdramX7E7iFvAuYzN9wOkF/s1600/Cylindera+unipunctata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="One-Spotted Tiger Beetle, Cylindera unipunctata" border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjp6YGAg1i-BciNNuSry-JbtDXzBkKRGNfj652kyluZMLQzRT6GjXxxeDdbwJMn1T1viVmf8Jy2YWAlrbVrIW_2E0gzfC7SMiM9JkgWF1310fcZMJPEPLp9LdramX7E7iFvAuYzN9wOkF/s1600/Cylindera+unipunctata.jpg" title="One-Spotted Tiger Beetle, Cylindera unipunctata" width="640" /></a></div>
Another tiger beetle which calls Ohio home is the One-Spotted Tiger Beetle, <i>Cylindera unipunctata</i>. I found this individual after it came to the lights during a <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2017/06/mothing-at-clear-creek-showy.html">mothing night at Clear Creek Metro Park</a> in southeast-central Ohio. When it comes to the world of arthropods, tiger beetles are fearsome predators. They are lightning-fast, and the fastest species<span class="_Tgc _s8w">—<i>Cicindela hudsoni</i></span><span class="_Tgc _s8w">—</span>can reach speeds up to 5.5 miles per hour. Proportionally, if humans could run that fast, we would be running at speeds around 225 miles per hour! In addition to their speed and agility, they also have large, formidable jaws that can easily clamp onto a prey item, such as other beetles, small flies, and a host of other arthropods.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Pyrochroidae</b></span></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVIbSpqe_DH41PpRTilXt9O3xGu87g6qlQxElTTzpPgcm02tYhrkjsE1MF2aYL6nGF3n6EBvL0e6-o1mF5Z-Q7Lp0nTtceuFLw4rXU-mY1a9JqQKvGx8m0sAfpd96A_BDZshYvjmdQ-zL/s1600/Neopyrochroa+flabellata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Neopyrochroa flabellata" border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVIbSpqe_DH41PpRTilXt9O3xGu87g6qlQxElTTzpPgcm02tYhrkjsE1MF2aYL6nGF3n6EBvL0e6-o1mF5Z-Q7Lp0nTtceuFLw4rXU-mY1a9JqQKvGx8m0sAfpd96A_BDZshYvjmdQ-zL/s1600/Neopyrochroa+flabellata.jpg" title="Neopyrochroa flabellata" width="640" /></a></div>
This orange and black beetle is <i>Neopyrochroa flabellata</i>, one of the flame-colored beetles of the family Pyrochroidae. Contrary to what one might assume, the reproductive habits of insects can be much more complex than "find a live individual of the opposite sex and mate." And <i>N. flabellata</i> has a rather fascinating love life. Many animals love to eat eggs; eggs are little bundles of protein and nutrients which don't fight back. Normally, at least. When female <i>N. flabellata</i>'s lay their eggs, they cover the eggs in a protective compound called cantharidin. Cantharidin is a blistering compound that causes burns when applied to the skin of an animal, and can poison an animal in large enough doses. As such, covering your eggs in cantharidin would ensure that no one else messes with them. The problem is, <i>N. flabellata</i> can't make their own cantharidin.<br />
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So how does the female get it for her eggs? Well that's where the males come in! The job of the male is to find and consume enough cantharidin, and then approach the female. Upon approaching a female, a mating ritual will ensue. The two beetles will face each other, head to head. The male will begin to secrete part of his cantharidin reserve from a special gland found on his head, and the female will use her antennae to sense whether the male does indeed have any cantharidin, and if so, does he have enough. If he lacks it all together, he will almost surely be rejected. If he has some, but not a lot, he runs the risk of being rejected as well. If the female thinks he male has enough, she will then signal that she is willing to mate. During the mating process, the male transfers his cantharidin to the female, who will then coat her eggs with it.<br />
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Where does the male get the cantharidin, you might be wondering? That's a good question, and there's some uncertainty when it comes to the answer. Cantharidin is a rare substance in nature, and only two groups of beetles<span class="_Tgc _s8w">—</span>the blister beetles of Meloidae and the false blister beetles of Oedemeridae<span class="_Tgc _s8w">—</span>can synthesize it themselves. It is currently <i>assumed </i>that male <i>N. flabellata</i> individuals will seek out blister beetles and either kill and eat parts of their body to accumulate the cantharidin, or that they scavenge on dead blister beetles to get the cantharidin. There's a few issues with this premise, as <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/93/13/6499.full.pdf">Thomas Eisner et al. points out in their 1996 paper on the subject</a>. First, it hasn't been recorded that <i>N. flabellata</i> feeds on adult insects, such as the blister beetle. Second, blister beetles and false blister beetles rarely occupy the same habitats that <i>N. flabellata</i> occupies. And lastly, it seems unlikely that there are enough blister beetles out there to satisfy the need of <i>N. flabellata </i>individuals. The question of the source of the canthardidin highlights the lack of often basic information we have on so many of our arthropod species.<br />
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><b>Lucanidae</b></b></span><b> </b></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8dktE6CbXrCKjNUYdfBqlK9JPW-ivAdn4XffVQUg-6RllM4rGoJ8a8ohocHxwr80yGVIgTB8WkF2UOE7jmxhanY8sL1PJlEBomH5unTpBuUW3ozJ4pe-ihPYlZaq_oj2pC1xtgoyTOoK/s1600/Ceruchus+piceus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ceruchus piceus" border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8dktE6CbXrCKjNUYdfBqlK9JPW-ivAdn4XffVQUg-6RllM4rGoJ8a8ohocHxwr80yGVIgTB8WkF2UOE7jmxhanY8sL1PJlEBomH5unTpBuUW3ozJ4pe-ihPYlZaq_oj2pC1xtgoyTOoK/s1600/Ceruchus+piceus.JPG" title="Ceruchus piceus" width="640" /></a></div>
As I mentioned with the previous beetle, we are lacking a lot of the "basic" facts when it comes to most of the arthropods on Earth. Take, for example, the beetle above. This is a <i>Ceruchus piceus</i>. There isn't a lot that's known about <i>Ceruchus piceus</i>, especially when it comes to random interesting facts. It is worth pointing out that the individual pictured is a male, as can be told by its large mandibles. This species belongs to the family Lucanidae, which is commonly known as the stag beetles. As male deer have a part of their body enlarged to attract females and fend off other males, so too do male beetles of the family Lucanidae. Male deer have antlers, but male stag beetles have large mandibles. These mandibles are used to attract females, fight other males, and defend themselves from potential predators. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Scarabaeidae</b></span> </h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDkmnJ3PeXvthNPgrMvwx4kdShbjuVetQnYhvGxJVYKBELPRLdkda12L9F0-ABSpOANTmYR1l0ZfQb7jtaC32DWTsUN82rJUbOr2LFhgs_gWeGBWJOhmKlMLV22FlJB2W-Wva-HmTP-ih/s1600/Grapevine+Beetle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grapevine Beetle, Pelidnota punctata" border="0" data-original-height="1423" data-original-width="1423" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDkmnJ3PeXvthNPgrMvwx4kdShbjuVetQnYhvGxJVYKBELPRLdkda12L9F0-ABSpOANTmYR1l0ZfQb7jtaC32DWTsUN82rJUbOr2LFhgs_gWeGBWJOhmKlMLV22FlJB2W-Wva-HmTP-ih/s1600/Grapevine+Beetle.JPG" title="Grapevine Beetle, Pelidnota punctata" width="640" /></a></div>
It wouldn't be a post about beetles without throwing in one of the scarab beetles. A few scarab beetles<span class="_Tgc _s8w">—which are simply beetles of the family Scarabaeidae</span><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">—are well-known to humans. <a href="https://bugguide.net/node/view/3477">May Beetles</a> (AKA June Bugs), <a href="https://bugguide.net/node/view/29926">Green Fig Beetles</a>, and dung beetles are all different types of familiar scarab beetles. But my favorite scarab beetle is one of the lesser-known species. Meet the Grapevine Beetle, <i>Pelidnota punctata</i>. The Grapevine Beetle is a large and relatively common species across the eastern US, but one that not many are familiar with. That is unless you happen to be a moth-er, as Grapevine Beetles love to come to mercury vapor lights. As the name suggests, the adults of this species feed on the various species of wild and domesticated grapes found throughout the eastern US. Despite this, the Grapevine Beetle is not considered a significant pest species. </span></span><br />
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Chrysomelidae</b></span></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLayJeaY9731bshy3b0Yq6RrStL7zxPVXimL-l14flhJwyhPqCBRPQDyDjP8nDP76m1EiX72Lk1tMvJABzlsAd8DSDgmNmJmv561bHsMigMQIqg88ZUCakcnutwiekkSOMd6iL-GZ63uXu/s1600/Labidomera+clivicollis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Milkweed Leaf Beetle, Labidomera clivicollis" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLayJeaY9731bshy3b0Yq6RrStL7zxPVXimL-l14flhJwyhPqCBRPQDyDjP8nDP76m1EiX72Lk1tMvJABzlsAd8DSDgmNmJmv561bHsMigMQIqg88ZUCakcnutwiekkSOMd6iL-GZ63uXu/s1600/Labidomera+clivicollis.jpg" title="Milkweed Leaf Beetle, Labidomera clivicollis" width="640" /></a></div>
In my opinion, one of the most under-rated families of beetles is Chrysomelidae. Chrysomelids<span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">—more commonly known as the leaf beetles</span></span><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">—are beetles that feed exclusively on plants. Generally speaking, they are relatively small, round, and oftentimes colorful. Take, for example, the Milkweed Leaf Beetle, <i>Labidomera clivicollis</i>. As the name implies, this species feeds on various milkweed species, especially Swamp Milkweed, <i>Asclepias incarnata</i>. Like the Monarch butterfly and other insects which feed on milkweed, the Milkweed Leaf Beetle sequesters the cardenolide toxins found within the plant for defense. And as with the Monarch, the Milkweed Leaf Beetle has a colorful and contrasting orange and black coloration to warn predators of its poisonous nature. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cerambycidae</span> </b></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIqWtZSW8fQ7eoeLZ54iuRghrIKLIrPGRr5Qdnv_eS3JHnjA9FOccGSZf-eJ98AO0PxkewkG6X6F_FU3OZzWbxkhNgiekiDMi-zJJ0KuxcGvZlhyphenhyphen4qGjzu-0ouhvl8M_w530a5OBNrvcG/s1600/Eutrichillus+biguttatus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eutrichillus biguttatus" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOIqWtZSW8fQ7eoeLZ54iuRghrIKLIrPGRr5Qdnv_eS3JHnjA9FOccGSZf-eJ98AO0PxkewkG6X6F_FU3OZzWbxkhNgiekiDMi-zJJ0KuxcGvZlhyphenhyphen4qGjzu-0ouhvl8M_w530a5OBNrvcG/s1600/Eutrichillus+biguttatus.jpg" title="Eutrichillus biguttatus" width="640" /></a></div>
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Beetles in the family Cerambycidae<span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"> are almost always attention grabbers. Species of this family are collectively called long-horned beetles</span></span><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">—and often for obvious reason</span></span></span><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">s. As the <i>Eutrichillus biguttatus</i> individual pictured highlights, the Cerambycids typically</span></span></span></span><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">—</span></span></span><a href="https://bugguide.net/node/view/14523/bgpage">although not always</a></span></span></span></span><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">—</span></span></span>have long antennae that are normally as long as their body. Sometimes, such as with <i>E. biguttatus</i>, the antennae are much longer than their bodies. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><br /></span></span></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpA4zXvznRCxTLW4O8pAZwVMbIVsivfQNDfRkY1A3LvWYobCwSnePFT7QLsYmu2bnvyGWyfQIVTGQlaMI2KrIZP4yG8vMOBN6Mg1cGqp9x4l5g_Xyu5FizHkXSQf0AIbiKJNApB3K5psh1/s1600/Saperda+tridentata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Elm Borer, Saperda tridentata" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpA4zXvznRCxTLW4O8pAZwVMbIVsivfQNDfRkY1A3LvWYobCwSnePFT7QLsYmu2bnvyGWyfQIVTGQlaMI2KrIZP4yG8vMOBN6Mg1cGqp9x4l5g_Xyu5FizHkXSQf0AIbiKJNApB3K5psh1/s1600/Saperda+tridentata.jpg" title="Elm Borer, Saperda tridentata" width="640" /></a></div>
Although some of the long-horned beetles are subdued in color for camouflage, others can be fantastically colored. Take the Elm Borer, <i>Saperda tridentata</i>, for example, with its flame-colored oranges contrasting with its deep black. Long-horned beetles often get a bad rap among us humans, as many of their feeding habits result in them being labelled pests. Generally speaking, the larvae of long-horned beetles feed on wood. Depending on the long-horned species in question, this wood can be dead wood or<span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">—as in the case of the Elm Borer</span></span></span><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">—</span></span></span>live wood. For the species whose larvae feed on live trees, an infestation can result in the direct or indirect death of the tree. Of course, this might upset some people when the tree in the yard dies, but all is part of the natural balance within a forest (except, as I should point out, when it comes to non-native invasive long-horn beetle species. Such invasive species can cause significant harm). The native Elm Borers, for instance, almost always choose <a href="https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19410501084">weak, broken, or sickly elm trees</a> to lay their eggs in. Healthy elm trees are apparently left alone. With such a lifestyle, Elm Borers are actually inadvertently culling sickly elm trees from the forest while leaving the healthy individuals to proliferate. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Silphidae</b></span> </h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQnJSdKxBfpD2jlhrHqhhoEnkaedbxTGRnRmw6Wlfd5j0uXlIj16BkVbVpGYgV-VO7r8gBQ1gU5XsC0e4PY6Gt0mKT6JjRfit9_ne6GWRKkL0IfvSuQB79_s42dUqx7G5utKkdoCGRAIy/s1600/American+Burying+Beetle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Burying Beetle, Nicrophorus americanus" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQnJSdKxBfpD2jlhrHqhhoEnkaedbxTGRnRmw6Wlfd5j0uXlIj16BkVbVpGYgV-VO7r8gBQ1gU5XsC0e4PY6Gt0mKT6JjRfit9_ne6GWRKkL0IfvSuQB79_s42dUqx7G5utKkdoCGRAIy/s1600/American+Burying+Beetle.jpg" title="American Burying Beetle, Nicrophorus americanus" width="640" /></a></div>
The most exciting beetle I've seen my entire life has been<span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">—without a doubt</span></span></span><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">—the American Burying Beetle, </span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><i>Nicrophorus americanus</i>. The American Burying Beetle is a federally endangered species which has all but disappeared from its range across the eastern and central US. I learned about it years ago, and never thought I would get to see one because of how rare it is. However, I was lucky enough to visit <a href="https://thewilds.columbuszoo.org/">The Wilds</a> this past summer and help with a reintroduction of over 200 captive raised individuals. Not only did I get to see American Burying Beetles, but I also got to hold some! I have an entire post up on the strange life cycle of the American Burying Beetle, some of the most current thoughts as to cause of the decline of the species, and the reintroduction efforts by The Wilds. <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2017/06/american-burying-beetle.html">You can find that post right here at this link</a>!</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjV0-lij1MBdyJJWPzwjkb2qktUKrBK24Rpmne33kJlVKum2W72-Ql1jxuI89IKVel0IWfYxiGGIS9jpnhzAxzqU_LygkC2qdjgs4HQOIEjGGJXhgs97CH8DijkL5KyR64flxROJbPM3Yg/s1600/Nicrophorus+pustulatus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nicrophorus pustulatus" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjV0-lij1MBdyJJWPzwjkb2qktUKrBK24Rpmne33kJlVKum2W72-Ql1jxuI89IKVel0IWfYxiGGIS9jpnhzAxzqU_LygkC2qdjgs4HQOIEjGGJXhgs97CH8DijkL5KyR64flxROJbPM3Yg/s1600/Nicrophorus+pustulatus.JPG" title="Nicrophorus pustulatus" width="640" /></a></div>
Typically, I end my blog posts with the species I was most-excited to see, but not this one. Today, I will end with a species who has evolved a lifestyle unlike all of its cousins. Meet <i>Nicrophorus pustulatus</i>, another member of the burying beetle family. Like the previous American Burying Beetle, almost all burying beetles (genus <i>Nicrophorus</i>) follow the same general reproductive pattern: First, they find a carcass of some sort, then they bury that carcass within a chamber underground, then they modify the carcass into a meatball covered in anti-fungal anal secretions, and then they feed parts of that carcass to their young, which they laid in a chamber right above the carcass-ball. But not <i>N. pustulatus</i>. This species has evolved a rather remarkable alternative lifestyle. <i>Nicrophorus pustulatus </i>is a parasitoid of snake eggs. A parasitoid is a specific kind of parasite that actually ends up killing its host. Parasitoids are extremely common in the invertebrate world, but they all utilize other invertebrate as hosts. <i>Nicrophorus pustulatus</i> is the only invertebrate parasitoid currently known of <i>in the world</i> whose host is a vertebrate!<br />
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In the early 2000's, a team of scientists kept noticing that the Black Rat Snake nests they were finding regularly contained both adult and larval <i>N. pustulatus</i> individuals. Within these nests<span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">—</span></span></span>which often contained many separate clutches of eggs as these snakes regularly nest communally<span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w">—many of the eggs had been obvious consumed. When the team of scientists looked into this phenomenon, they realized that no one had ever documented </span></span></span><i>N. pustulatus</i> burying carcasses before in nature, and they began questioning whether there was something unusual going on. They soon found that if you raise <i>N. pustulatus</i> individuals in the lab, and give them a dead mouse, they will bury that mouse, but they seemingly didn't do so in nature. A few studies later (<a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/11956860.2000.11682609">the original in 2000</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17956400">a confirmation in 2007</a>), and it can safely be said that <i>N. pustulatus</i> is indeed a parasitoid of snake eggs, a wholly new and remarkable phenomenon in the natural world! <br />
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Last fall, I purchased a macro lens with the intent to take more detailed photos of various arthropods, and hopefully I will take many more photos of beetles. If I do, you'll surely see some more posts on this diverse group! Thanks for reading!Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com0Ohio, USA40.4172871 -82.90712300000001334.2262786 -93.2342715 46.608295600000005 -72.57997450000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-45970892517132433582018-01-10T18:08:00.002-05:002018-01-10T20:22:55.574-05:00Longleaf Pines Forests and Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxfKm44hx6YMj1ygABbpWWIzYS4L8sXdW5oJlZ2aGkDxjGultfr-FfP6LPyXSitLR6KEq470XgIirgf35PGItbYZX0RA3GjWMzsdXuZYr-OHj0uTpiGByhgh5-b7Vt8oMkFmFSV9CJZns/s1600/Longleaf+Pine+Savanna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Longleaf Pine Forest" border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxfKm44hx6YMj1ygABbpWWIzYS4L8sXdW5oJlZ2aGkDxjGultfr-FfP6LPyXSitLR6KEq470XgIirgf35PGItbYZX0RA3GjWMzsdXuZYr-OHj0uTpiGByhgh5-b7Vt8oMkFmFSV9CJZns/s1600/Longleaf+Pine+Savanna.jpg" title="Longleaf Pine Forest" width="640" /></a></div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:200%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
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Let me throw some statistics at
you. Prior to the European colonization of the United States, there was an
estimated 90,000,000 acres of Longleaf Pine forest in the southeastern US. This
Longleaf Pine forest ecosystem covered most of the Atlantic Coastal Plain from
Virginia to Texas. Nowadays, of those 90 million acres, only 3,400,000 remain.
<b>That's only a whopping 4% of what it used to be.</b> Of those 3.4 million remaining
acres, only approximately 12,000 acres can be considered <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">old growth</i> Longleaf Pine forests. That's a mere 0.4% of the
remaining 4%.</div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSON66tOgw-jhTQ4VIeiJO2kvJrxP7CzAu1P0_Z3YzKCJudVy9sHmGAQQ0Sz2XRVrERX38uSoA9xHgBac9o0R7UaOCxsg1X-pSbjxdCky-d1AYJUWHy-GlDiMxOOS_Sa5T01510SVVN8I6/s1600/lit_map_website_full_range.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="North Carolina Longleaf Coalition" border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSON66tOgw-jhTQ4VIeiJO2kvJrxP7CzAu1P0_Z3YzKCJudVy9sHmGAQQ0Sz2XRVrERX38uSoA9xHgBac9o0R7UaOCxsg1X-pSbjxdCky-d1AYJUWHy-GlDiMxOOS_Sa5T01510SVVN8I6/s1600/lit_map_website_full_range.jpg" title="North Carolina Longleaf Coalition" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of the Longleaf Pine forest historical range. Map courtesy of the <a href="http://www.nclongleaf.org/llPineForests.html">North Carolina Longleaf Coalition</a>. </td></tr>
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As one might guess, the nearly
wholesale destruction of the Longleaf Pine forest ecosystem had an incredibly
negative impact on many of the animals which called this ecosystem home. Although
some of the animals that lived in Longleaf Pine forests also lived in other
ecosystems—say, for example, White-Tailed Deer and the Common Raccoon—many
others were dependent on this ecosystem. And as the ecosystem became
endangered, so did many of the animal species that were intrinsically tied to
the ecosystem. Such animals include the Gopher Tortoise, Indigo Snake, and—most
famously—the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5LAY5GQPb26zJxj3AiKcEW0dAdJqMGB9mwQRDHt_aAZwnHeIT7vSjCRYf978gklI32cec0iuq31A2FexcmimF8oq8yAs8fHSb_3tVtYmelNIQkfnxS8Bbyg1-AJ1PcgdbnHAmfRpd1Ad/s1600/Santee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Santee Coastal Reserve Wildlife Management Area" border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5LAY5GQPb26zJxj3AiKcEW0dAdJqMGB9mwQRDHt_aAZwnHeIT7vSjCRYf978gklI32cec0iuq31A2FexcmimF8oq8yAs8fHSb_3tVtYmelNIQkfnxS8Bbyg1-AJ1PcgdbnHAmfRpd1Ad/s1600/Santee.jpg" title="Santee Coastal Reserve Wildlife Management Area" width="640" /></a></div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
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Back in October of 2017, I
ventured to the Santee Coastal Reserve Wildlife Management Area in Charleston
County, South Carolina. This 24,000-acre wildlife management area (WMA)
contains an assortment of different habitats, including salt marshes,
freshwater swamps, barrier islands, and an extensive old growth Longleaf Pine
forest. The Santee Coastal Reserve WMA was officially established in 1974, but
the forest is much older. Prior to the acquisition of the land by the state of
South Carolina, the forest and surrounding lands were privately owned. For the
majority of the 1900’s, the land belonged to a hunting club, which managed the
land for various game species, especially waterfowl. The natural stand of
Longleaf Pine forest pictured above was essentially left alone, and it is now well
over 100 years old. Presently, visitors to the Santee Coastal Reserve can drive
the dirt roads that wind through the Longleaf Pine forest, hike along old rice
plantation dykes that crisscross a salt marsh, or meander down a boardwalk that
snakes its way into a Bald-Cypress swamp.<br />
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXAc8Kzbj99V9fz-_UJwNlJI6l2TpJv-h-81lP0iAO_mvZOEJsHoBu2WIJrNu9glnUQFNFv1lLNMMHEVKri4r_ND0oz-KZaAoRE33yR4WdMxCRiFVVvyIzZaHqtkwnusDCKg8WKWEYWj8/s1600/Longleaf+Needle+Length.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Longleaf Pine needle length" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXAc8Kzbj99V9fz-_UJwNlJI6l2TpJv-h-81lP0iAO_mvZOEJsHoBu2WIJrNu9glnUQFNFv1lLNMMHEVKri4r_ND0oz-KZaAoRE33yR4WdMxCRiFVVvyIzZaHqtkwnusDCKg8WKWEYWj8/s1600/Longleaf+Needle+Length.jpg" title="Longleaf Pine needle length" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 16-inch long needle.</td></tr>
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<br />
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Before we talk about the
Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers that call Santee Coastal Reserve home, let's talk
about the Longleaf Pine forest. As the name suggests, a Longleaf Pine forest is
a forest in which the dominant tree is the Longleaf Pine (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pinus palustris</i>). The Longleaf Pine is named as such due to the
incredible length of its needles, which can reach up to almost 18 inches!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIB8w2gk1ZTl90v-GIveLpkYrhcAw8pnOrAFCqv_Ns_PAR8MHjTHRrD-MpaMHzOToTofGc27vrMhjRJgPiyD6T5wS-J3iFQTzKh2AGRt-IAhf3vN9vaLMjhOa3KC95uw1PGoDTXN1xz3VF/s1600/Grass+Stage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Longleaf Pine grass stage" border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIB8w2gk1ZTl90v-GIveLpkYrhcAw8pnOrAFCqv_Ns_PAR8MHjTHRrD-MpaMHzOToTofGc27vrMhjRJgPiyD6T5wS-J3iFQTzKh2AGRt-IAhf3vN9vaLMjhOa3KC95uw1PGoDTXN1xz3VF/s1600/Grass+Stage.jpg" title="Longleaf Pine grass stage" width="640" /></a> </div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
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The Longleaf Pine doesn't grow
like a "typical" tree. When you think about the life cycle of a
typical tree—say a White Oak or Sweetgum—the seed will sprout a sapling. That
sapling will look like a miniature version of the adult tree—with fewer leaves
and the like. That sapling will then grow in both girth and height, and more branches
and leaves will be added. But Longleaf Pines go about growing a bit differently.
When a seed sprouts, the resulting individual doesn't look like a tiny tree,
but instead looks something more akin to a sedge or clump of grass. In fact,
this part of the Longleaf Pine's life is called the "grass stage,"
and the individual pictured above is one such example. Longleaf Pines will stay
in this grass stage for 1 to 12 years. During this period, they really don't
grow upward. They instead focus on growing an extensive root system. <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvHYNwmG59eyXJCQrCImY3NzVhGlKomqOmYb1g_w7uCzm4epx_BaKVCXBsSe8yo0Xaa8PsEiGiTeJnBngbyBRjUZkMDHIn7sDbanOvCHBv5k31U5TaCWCDZENakmGtIQ3pR9dXOLDRtgvu/s1600/Sapling.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Longleaf Pine bottlebrush stage" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1172" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvHYNwmG59eyXJCQrCImY3NzVhGlKomqOmYb1g_w7uCzm4epx_BaKVCXBsSe8yo0Xaa8PsEiGiTeJnBngbyBRjUZkMDHIn7sDbanOvCHBv5k31U5TaCWCDZENakmGtIQ3pR9dXOLDRtgvu/s1600/Sapling.jpg" title="Longleaf Pine bottlebrush stage" width="468" /></a></div>
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After the grass stage, the individual
will quickly shoot up a few feet, but will still not grow any branches. This
stage is called the bottlebrush stage, and the individual pictured above is in
this stage. After a few more years in this stage, the individual will begin
growing taller and will finally start growing branches. Only at this point will
the individual be considered a sapling.</div>
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Around the age of 30 or so, the
tree will begin producing pine cones, which are huge compared to most of the
pine cones this Ohioan is used to seeing. Earlier I mentioned how the Longleaf
Pine forest ecosystem nearly all but disappeared from the landscape. There are two
main reasons for this. First and foremost, many a Longleaf Pine found its fate
in the form of an axe or saw in the 1700's and 1800's. The Longleaf Pine can
grow upward of 150 feet tall, and nearly 4 feet in diameter, making it especially
attractive to the early American logging industry. An unbelievable number of
Longleaf Pine stands were clearcut, and instead of replanting these stands with
more Longleaf Pines, loggers and landowners mostly replanted the land with
Loblolly Pines, which grow much faster. This faster growing rate meant a faster
turnaround in profits for loggers. Most of the forests which were once
dominated by Longleaf Pines are now dominated by Loblolly Pines, and those
forests will remain that way unless someone steps in and properly manages the
forest.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNowCZqmI6rhmuQ5OkNO9zhmhL2ZKWYyyVIbg_Wyh-NKfsHRcCXXU4vjWOy3E7CkVbRvB6-0GnjmQLpXQJxHXqQLdwFLfs-mF01CqOfyFXy9C4kj7QCJeSX6aUkgt990W4n2k3IA_-Kjt5/s1600/Fire+Evidence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Longleaf Pine forest fire" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNowCZqmI6rhmuQ5OkNO9zhmhL2ZKWYyyVIbg_Wyh-NKfsHRcCXXU4vjWOy3E7CkVbRvB6-0GnjmQLpXQJxHXqQLdwFLfs-mF01CqOfyFXy9C4kj7QCJeSX6aUkgt990W4n2k3IA_-Kjt5/s1600/Fire+Evidence.jpg" title="Longleaf Pine forest fire" width="640" /></a></div>
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The second reason for the decline
and destruction of Longleaf Pine forests lies in the cultural push for fire
suppression. Forest fires are a natural feature in nearly all the forests types
throughout the US, although they vary in the rate of incidence. Some forest types,
such as the eastern deciduous forest ecosystem, will experience a forest fire
every 100-400 years on average. Other types of forests experience natural forest
fires very often; the Longleaf Pine forest ecosystem historically experienced
natural forest fires every 2 to 3 years. These natural wild fires were started
by lightning, but—as I discussed in my <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-ion-swamp.html">previous post about the I'OnSwamp</a>—Native Americans and even early European colonists exacerbated this
natural rate by utilizing forest fires as a tool for altering the landscape.
However, by the late 1800's and early 1900's, a cultural shift occurred in the
US. Forest fires of any type, whether natural or set by humans, were considered
dangerous and unnatural. Forest fires were suppressed as best they could be,
and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokey_Bear">a bear dressed in human clothes</a> hammered into the impressionable minds of American
children that only they could prevent forest fires.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The problem is, most forested
ecosystems are meant to burn in some form or another. The Longleaf Pine forest
ecosystem must burn for its existence to continue. If all fires are suppressed,
the plants in the undergrowth of a Longleaf Pine forest will begin to grow up,
and eventually other tree species will crowd out and ultimately replace the
Longleaf Pines. As it turns out, Longleaf Pine trees are nearly fire resistant,
whereas other plants in this region are not as resistant to fire. In a Longleaf
Pine forest's natural state, with fires occurring every 2-3 years, the Longleaf
Pines will remain strong and healthy while other bushes and trees are repeatedly
burned back. The Longleaf Pine can only maintain its grip in this ecosystem
with fire being a common occurrence. Thankfully, we have come to realize that
forest fires are a necessary component in many ecosystems, and many of the
remaining Longleaf Pine forests are actively managed with low-intensity
prescribed burns every few years.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrTvnlwWZW1rYYmGo_YfqFO1Ot2a2uavTbRvFKj01USYcyB2_sOG-hiAhtDSq2nFWtkeJfXq8fcftbjqeJjfwlYneZpZQteuYltEZGGdrQmunLlfTNofUkYAxerx23EMNDX1Pp6bMoARn/s1600/Red-Cockaded.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Red-Cockaded Woodpecker and Longleaf Pine Forests" border="0" data-original-height="1179" data-original-width="1179" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrTvnlwWZW1rYYmGo_YfqFO1Ot2a2uavTbRvFKj01USYcyB2_sOG-hiAhtDSq2nFWtkeJfXq8fcftbjqeJjfwlYneZpZQteuYltEZGGdrQmunLlfTNofUkYAxerx23EMNDX1Pp6bMoARn/s1600/Red-Cockaded.JPG" title="Red-Cockaded Woodpecker and Longleaf Pine Forests" width="640" /></a></div>
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The quality of a given Longleaf
Pine forest is of utmost importance for many of the animals and plants which
call it home. Take, for example, the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker. The Red-Cockaded
Woodpecker is a Federally Endangered species, and there are only an estimated
15,000 individuals left in the world. The disappearance of this species is tied
directly to the disappearance of the Longleaf Pine forest from across the
southeastern US. The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker relies almost exclusively on the
Longleaf Pine nesting. And not any Longleaf Pine will do; no, the Red-Cockaded
Woodpecker needs relatively old Longleaf Pines. When Longleaf Pines reach about
60 or so years old, a fungus will often infect the tree and cause Red Heart Rot.
With this fungal disease, the heartwood of the Longleaf Pine will soften. Only
in the softened heartwood of an infected Longleaf Pine tree can a Red-Cockaded
Woodpecker build its nesting cavity, as it is otherwise too hard for the
woodpecker to carve.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DfwKT2C1u61B2uNkyDxPotdXfVExBR4TBFzKk1D0-7x6jXiSDodc8BIUa2wcVLU-Eol2bE08rbFDiklUQd6vaj0FlDkhcgdiqsP3wf3G0JkgIB72oqnbnqFDa3qr6kV4zYgJzusii10K/s1600/White+Bands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Red-Cockaded Woodpecker White Tree Band" border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DfwKT2C1u61B2uNkyDxPotdXfVExBR4TBFzKk1D0-7x6jXiSDodc8BIUa2wcVLU-Eol2bE08rbFDiklUQd6vaj0FlDkhcgdiqsP3wf3G0JkgIB72oqnbnqFDa3qr6kV4zYgJzusii10K/s1600/White+Bands.jpg" title="Red-Cockaded Woodpecker White Tree Band" width="640" /></a></div>
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Not unexpectedly, Red-Cockaded
Woodpeckers used to be common throughout the original 90 million acres of
Longleaf Pine forest, with an estimated 2-4+ million individuals total at the
time of European colonization. And, also not unexpectedly, their numbers
plummeted as the Longleaf Pine forest was cut down and converted in the 1700's to
1900's. When the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker was officially added to the Endangered
Species List in 1979 (5 years after the Endangered Species Act was created),
there were less than 10,000 individuals remaining, which was less than 1% of
their historical population. Intensive conservation efforts were put in place
to save the species. States started restoring and actively managing Longleaf
Pine forests to expand available habitat for the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker.
Officials began surveying forests for individuals and marking active nesting or
foraging trees with white bands, so active "clusters" of Red-Cockaded
Woodpeckers could be monitored year to year. These bands also allowed public
and private landowners to know which trees to not cut down or tamper with.
Officials also began creating artificial nest cavities in younger trees that
Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers could not carve into, allowing them to nest more
readily in forests that might not be "up to par" when it comes to the
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<br /></div>
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Thankfully due to these intensive
conservation efforts, the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker population has been
recovering. A 2016 survey estimated the total population to be around 15,000
individuals and growing. And although their numbers are increasing, they are still listed as Federally Endangered, and probably will be for some time. The greatest threat to the individuals nowadays is
continued habitat fragmentation and weather events. A large hurricane, for
example, could wipe out nesting-age trees and individual woodpeckers
themselves. When Hurricane Hugo made landfall in South Carolina in the fall of
1989, the winds toppled <a href="https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/jfo/v065n02/p0221-p0223.pdf">87% of all the trees containing active Red-Cockaded Woodpecker cavities</a> in Francis Marion National Forest, which then held the
largest population of the species. With a population already highly fragmented,
such events can easily knock out entire local populations or harm them enough
to where they are no longer viable. Isolated and fragmented populations are
much more at risk of extinction than highly connected and broadly spaced populations.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLl_sUhAjyExJzgbzllv4mvuE1HMiJIUrs7-meOvIEBny6lv6EZInKfa8_gHsGJgD8w3LKfO21_3fCH-hN0bDy6J8jdlokpZnowGO1Gz5HeuGiHzFTQ7Xj1tHgKPyIh5V3uvElM5xozjsr/s1600/Red-Cockaded+Foraging.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Santee Coastal Reserve" border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="1573" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLl_sUhAjyExJzgbzllv4mvuE1HMiJIUrs7-meOvIEBny6lv6EZInKfa8_gHsGJgD8w3LKfO21_3fCH-hN0bDy6J8jdlokpZnowGO1Gz5HeuGiHzFTQ7Xj1tHgKPyIh5V3uvElM5xozjsr/s1600/Red-Cockaded+Foraging.JPG" title="Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Santee Coastal Reserve" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"><span class="_Tgc _s8w"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
The continued population growth
of the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker is a welcomed sight. These little woodpeckers
are considered "keystone species.” A keystone species is a species that
interacts with its environment in a way that either regulates or has a
significant impact on many of the other species within that same environment.
In the case of the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, upward of 27 other vertebrate
species, and many arthropod species, utilize old Red-Cockaded Woodpecker nest
cavities in some form or another. Many of these species—including Eastern
Bluebirds, Brown-Headed Nuthatches, and Wood Ducks—require such cavities to
breed, but are unable to create the cavities themselves. Such species rely on
the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker to create suitable cavities, and the extinction of
the species would have a cascading effect on many other species within the
Longleaf Pine forest ecosystem.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
If you want to see a Red-Cockaded
Woodpecker species yourself, one of the best places to visit is the Santee
Coastal Reserve WMA. Not only is this WMA renowned for birding in general, but
the <a href="https://www.carolinabirdclub.org/sites/SC/santeecoastal.html">Carolina Bird Club claims</a> that “Many birders have gotten their lifer
Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and Bachman's Sparrows” in the old-growth Longleaf
Pine forest within the preserve. Regardless if you’re a birder, a herper, a botanist,
or just someone who enjoys nature, a visit to Santee Coastal Reserve is not one
you’ll regret. </div>
Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com1210 Santee Gun Club Rd, McClellanville, SC 29458, USA33.1477594 -79.3962566000000157.625724899999998 -120.70485060000001 58.6697939 -38.087662600000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-28780924828883514582017-11-25T13:19:00.003-05:002017-11-25T13:20:43.906-05:00The I'On Swamp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcq4k7awzAmAwBeDduvkQppPSTLMvXFLennAWZh_T47XNb6AX5vLQra6dnB-KEllhyO533yIxdVKNL1zaIA9N6fvfv0Es75kYPpwHRPZWa_66kY5J_hwnCACOi17948cAgLC1f0GD4E57K/s1600/Map+of+I%2527On+Swamp.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I'On Swamp Map" border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="1186" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcq4k7awzAmAwBeDduvkQppPSTLMvXFLennAWZh_T47XNb6AX5vLQra6dnB-KEllhyO533yIxdVKNL1zaIA9N6fvfv0Es75kYPpwHRPZWa_66kY5J_hwnCACOi17948cAgLC1f0GD4E57K/s1600/Map+of+I%2527On+Swamp.png" title="I'On Swamp Map" width="640" /></a></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->Nestled away in the southern
reaches of South Carolina’s Francis Marion National Forest lies a swamp with a long
and storied history. This forested wetland—the I’On Swamp—lies on the upper
reaches of the Wando River, a tributary to the Cooper River and ultimately the
Charleston Bay. I visited the I’On Swamp back in October with the intent to
hike a short interpretive trail, look for some reptiles, and otherwise see an
area I had often heard about. The I’On Swamp is truly an alluring site with a fascinating
history with regard to geology, biology, and human history. When I tried to learn
more about the history and nature of this swamp, I quickly learned that there
are many bits and pieces of information scattered across the internet, but it
was hard to find a more encompassing article on the swamp. With this post, I
hope to weave together these bits and pieces into a story on how humans
utilized and modified the I'On Swamp throughout history, and how this utilization and modification impacted three now-extinct
species of birds which used to inhabit the swamp.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Geological Setting</span></h2>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
The story of the I’On Swamp begins long ago when a
series of complex geological processes took place that ultimately led to the
formation of this southern freshwater swamp. Due to both uplifting forces in eastern North America and periodic sea level rises and falls driven by glacial cycles, the Atlantic Ocean <a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1206/html/implications3.html">receded from the coast of what is now South Carolina</a> in a series of “steps”. Each time the ocean receded from the then-current coast of South Carolina, <span class="_Tgc"></span>a new
shoreline and a new barrier island system were consequently formed. As this new shoreline
and new barrier island system were formed, the previous shoreline and barrier island
system would be left high and dry on the mainland. This step-like process led to the creation of a series of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">scarps</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">terrace</i>s. Essentially, a scarp is a narrow, but long, hill formed from
the old sand dune system that was present on what used to be the barrier island
system, while a terrace is a flat, slightly sloping area behind the scarp that
used to be both the back half of the barrier island as well as the shallow marshes
and/or lagoons behind the island.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-87xA5_XqGJeJZeon-QsLA30QglN08xSge5ZD18sqpE7cKJW3-5hCEZbZjcntoeCTWiU_oJWDVfpERj1x7eB-d8kemFM5WFJXi4b5piBBIGNoVdZH-6fVRuwwn5Ra5Roh3vIX9NxlUbMG/s1600/Scarps+and+Terraces+with+I%2527On+Added.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="I'On Swamp Geology" border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="1089" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-87xA5_XqGJeJZeon-QsLA30QglN08xSge5ZD18sqpE7cKJW3-5hCEZbZjcntoeCTWiU_oJWDVfpERj1x7eB-d8kemFM5WFJXi4b5piBBIGNoVdZH-6fVRuwwn5Ra5Roh3vIX9NxlUbMG/s1600/Scarps+and+Terraces+with+I%2527On+Added.png" title="I'On Swamp Geology" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figured modified from "<a href="http://www.dnr.sc.gov/geology/images/poster-WD-GSA-03-06_Red.pdf">Revision of the Pleistocene Dorchester and Summerville Scarps, the inland limits of the Penholoway Terrace, central South Carolina,</a>" by W.R. Doar and Ralph Willoughby (South Carolina DNR Geological Survey).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of these step-like coastal recessions occurred around 85,000 years ago. This specific recession formed the Mount Pleasant
Scarp and the Princess Anne Terrace, and these formations bring us to the
geological context for the I’On Swamp. Because the Atlantic Ocean receded in a
step-like pattern along the South Carolina coast, a series of repeating scarp-terrace-scarp-terrace-scarp
formation were created. Subsequently, each low-lying terrace was bound on its east and west sides by a higher scarp. (If
you want to really dive into this topic, I suggest reading “<a href="http://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3656&context=gradschool_theses">Geneticstratigraphy and geochronology of last interglacial shorelines on the central coast of South Carolina</a>" by Russell Willis) In the case of the Princess Anne Terrace, to the west was the Awendaw Scarp
and to the east was the Mount Pleasant Scarp, both of which were higher in
elevation than the terrace itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of the resulting U-shaped depression, water
collected in the Princess Anne Terrace, forming a wetland. After the last ice
age ended, and the temperatures in the area warmed, plants and animals that are
characteristic of a southern freshwater swamp emigrated into this wetland, forming
the original primeval I’On Swamp. This swamp went on to form the headwaters of the
Wando River, which drains the southern half of the Princess Anne Terrace. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Human History and Land Use</span></h2>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwcc0k0M2R0yIsJOHve0NGCDQq3sj7IfRK7XKmwe-xCWWWavlAhGdIr9h2xT0vGcx9KB22jrEFySTI-FYB7ZK5t5J09eTOXBcYLRg38QpP5_OmzbUtoH3oyaBgxt5W4qQMurRsFRbghgW/s1600/Alligator+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Alligator South Carolina Lowcountry" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwcc0k0M2R0yIsJOHve0NGCDQq3sj7IfRK7XKmwe-xCWWWavlAhGdIr9h2xT0vGcx9KB22jrEFySTI-FYB7ZK5t5J09eTOXBcYLRg38QpP5_OmzbUtoH3oyaBgxt5W4qQMurRsFRbghgW/s1600/Alligator+Resized.jpg" title="American Alligator South Carolina Lowcountry" width="640" /></a></div>
For the majority of the past several thousand
years, this area had been a mature swamp forest. Swamps are a type of wetland
which are dominated by trees <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> are
either permanently or seasonally flooded. Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers, American
Alligators, River Otters, and a whole host of other animals lived throughout
this old-growth swamp. The area was not devoid of humans, however. In fact,
Native Americans first began inhabiting South Carolina around 9,000 to 10,000 years
ago. Around 3,500 years ago, tribes began to form more permanent settlements
along the coast of South Carolina right near the I’On Swamp, which is itself
only about five miles from the Atlantic Ocean. It is important to note that
these native peoples <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">did</i> impact and
modify the land, including the I’On Swamp. The idea of Native Americans “living
alongside the land” is a <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110321134617.htm">bit of a misconception</a>. We now know that <a href="http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~alcoze/for398/class/pristinemyth.html">Native Americans did indeed alter the land to benefit them</a>, just not as on a
large-scale manner as people do nowadays. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
The greatest environmental impact from the Native
Americans in this region stemmed from their use of fire. Natural wildfires—ones
started through lightning strikes—historically occurred frequently throughout
the Lowcountry of South Carolina, with many habitats in the Lowcountry being
dependent on such wildfires. Some habitats, such as Longleaf Pine savannas,
experienced natural fires as often as 1-5 years. Swamps like the I’On Swamp,
however, experienced natural fires once every 25-100 years. In addition to the natural
wildfires which occurred throughout the Lowcountry, many fires were also started by the Native Americans living in the region. These native peoples made <a href="https://www.na.fs.fed.us/fire_poster/nativeamer.htm">ample use of low-intensity burns</a> to both open
the understory for easier to travel and make the areas more conducive
for hunting, among other reasons. There is no doubt that low-intensity fires started by the native
peoples impacted the I’On Swamp prior to European settlement.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
European exploration of the South
Carolina coastal areas began in the 1500’s, but it wasn’t until the mid-1600’s
that European settlers emigrated to the region in significant numbers. In 1670,
British settlers established a city called Charles Town only 20 miles southwest
of the I’On Swamp. Charles Town<span class="tgc">—</span>which we now know as
Charleston<span class="tgc">—</span>rapidly grew. This rapid growth led to other
colonists moving out from Charleston to settle the surrounding land. The area immediately around the I’On
Swamp itself began to be earnestly settled in the 1690’s. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
It was around this time that the
economy of coastal South Carolina began transitioning from one dominated by fur
trading to one dominated by rice cultivation. From 1700-1860, rice was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the</i> crop to grow in coastal South
Carolina. Rice cultivation became the dominant force that impacted the I’On and
other nearby swamps during this period, and the effects can still be seen
today. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_6FiBQB1E6C0fl9SK0EHGuCLBnwzhtdwgG0bzKjrr7dtluJAbyMy37-l462EchaaJOE8VWh1WxOrrP40VGKBOuc9DNVLkFn4dBamyptIdo01pgI_HbwlioubVL_ldc_AMGnyqqdPTNuS/s1600/Sabal+minor+resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img alt="I'On Swamp Francis Marion National Forest" border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_6FiBQB1E6C0fl9SK0EHGuCLBnwzhtdwgG0bzKjrr7dtluJAbyMy37-l462EchaaJOE8VWh1WxOrrP40VGKBOuc9DNVLkFn4dBamyptIdo01pgI_HbwlioubVL_ldc_AMGnyqqdPTNuS/s1600/Sabal+minor+resized.jpg" title="I'On Swamp Francis Marion National Forest" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Before I dive into how rice cultivation
changed the landscape of the I’On Swamp, I want to briefly talk about rice cultivation
in the Carolinas. While researching articles for this topic, I relied heavily
on <a href="http://history.cofc.edu/about/faculty-and-staff/smith-hayden.php">Dr. Hayden Smith</a>’s Ph.D dissertation entitled “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rich Swamps and Rice Grounds: The Specialization of Inland Rice Culture
in the South Carolina Lowcountry, 1670-1861</i>.” This dissertation was fascinating
to read, and is very approachable for those (like me) without any real
background knowledge in the topic. If you’re interested in this sort of historical subject,
I highly recommend reading the piece, which you can find <a href="https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/smith_hayden_r_201212_phd.pdf">at this link</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
There are two main types of
domesticated rice in the world<span class="tgc">—Asian Rice (</span><span class="st"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oryza sativa</i>)</span><span class="tgc"> and African Rice </span>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oryza
glaberrima</i>)<span class="tgc">. The rice we eat today are cultivars of Asian
Rice, but the rice that was grown in the colonial United States was <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2007/11/american-rice-out-africa">most likely a cultivar of African Rice</a>, specifically a cultivar called Carolina Gold. African Rice was originally
brought to the Carolina colonies by European explorers and traders that
traveled to Africa. When rice cultivation in the Carolinas began expanding in the early to mid 1700's, the colonists started to utilize enslaved peoples from Africa to work the
rice fields. There were two main reasons for this. First, the colonists needed
more people for labor, and African slaves were sadly a horrific way to satisfy this
need. Second, many of these enslaved peoples came from the Senegambia and
Sierra Leone regions of West Africa. The peoples of West Africa had been
practicing rice cultivation for nearly 2,000 years, and during this time they
had developed a very efficient method for growing the rice using dikes and
flooded fields. Enslaved African peoples brought with them this knowledge of
rice cultivation, which was then implemented in the Carolina Lowcountry. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc">There were two
main methods of rice cultivation in the Carolina Lowcountry—tidal rice
cultivation and inland rice cultivation. As the name suggests, tidal rice
cultivation relied on the tides, which moved water in and out of impounded rice
fields near the ocean via canals. Inland rice cultivation, on the other hand, relied on
gravity. Inland rice plantations utilized the principle that water flows
downhill from higher elevations to lower elevations. Due to the location of the
I’On Swamp, tides were not a factor in the movement of water. Consequently,
plantations in the I’On Swamp utilized the inland rice cultivation method.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLLhBpxe6VMI-ZsJ75sYRMVSae5Bf4xUI1UCca9Xs0cX8MpKdZX59m0BwtPnFHoFSkV48qcrNV3s-SxWJqirD1ZW5rDT01lZ7p3rJGRNe-tTPW4EbA1ekMS-cd4qS_QpVAgpaDeMwzZph/s1600/Wythewood+Canal+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wythewood Plantation I'On Swamp" border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1600" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLLhBpxe6VMI-ZsJ75sYRMVSae5Bf4xUI1UCca9Xs0cX8MpKdZX59m0BwtPnFHoFSkV48qcrNV3s-SxWJqirD1ZW5rDT01lZ7p3rJGRNe-tTPW4EbA1ekMS-cd4qS_QpVAgpaDeMwzZph/s1600/Wythewood+Canal+Resized.jpg" title="Wythewood Plantation I'On Swamp" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 200+ year old Wythewood Plantation canal along the I'On Swamp Interpretive Trail.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="tgc">Here is a very
brief overview of how the inland rice cultivation process worked in the swamps
of the Carolina Lowcountry. The enslaved peoples would first clear the land of
trees and shrubs by using fire, axes, and saws. After the land was clear, they would then build elaborate
earthen dikes that channeled and controlled the water found within the swamp. A
reservoir would first be created at the highest elevations within an area
(which might have been only a mere 3-6 feet higher than the “low” parts of the
surrounding swamp). Impounded fields where the rice would grow would then be
created at the middle or lower elevations. Finally, canals and channels would
be created to connect the reservoir to the rice fields, and the rice
fields to the natural creeks and rivers throughout the swampland. At each point
where one section met another, a <a href="http://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/rice-trunks/">rice trunk</a>—which are essentially watertight
gates/valves—would be installed that could either be opened or closed. If the
rice fields needed to be flooded, they would open rice trunks on the reservoir
dam and allow the water to flow downhill through channels and into the rice
fields. If the rice fields needed to be drained, rice trunks at the lowest
points of the fields would be opened, allowing the water to flow out of the
fields and into channels leading to a creek or river. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
As you can see, changing a mature
swamp to a rice plantation alters not only the vegetation of a swamp, but the
entire landscape as well. This level of landscape modification would wreak
havoc on the ecology of an area like the I’On Swamp. Some animals or plants
undoubtedly benefited due to the change from dense swamp forest to a more open
marshland<span class="tgc">—say, for example, some species of migrating
shorebirds or waterfowl—but the overall impact was negative for the majority of
the species that were originally present.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
The peripheries of the I’On Swamp
experienced development for rice cultivation as early as the 1750’s, if not a bit earlier. At this
time, the swamp was known as the Wappetaw Swamp. “Wappetaw” was a Sewee Indian
term meaning “Sweet Water,” and was a name that tribe had given the swamp. From
the 1790’s to the 1810’s, more and more plantations popped up in the area, many
of which were pushing further and further into the swamp. At the same time,
several of the richer plantation owners in the area began buying out some of the
smaller plantations to consolidate land. They did this to both expand their
rice production and<span class="_Tgc">—</span>perhaps most importantly<span class="_Tgc">—</span>gain more thorough control of
the water for their fields.<br />
<br />
As this consolidation occurred, a few “big name”
plantations that controlled thousands of acres formed. These were the Fairlawn
Plantation in the southern portion of the swamp, the Wythewood Plantation in
the northwestern portion, and the Clayfield Plantation in the eastern portion.
The early owner of the Clayfield Plantation was Jacob Bond I’On, which is where
the current name for the swamp stems from. From what I could gather, most
people called this swamp the Wappetaw Swamp during the 1700’s and 1800’s, and
the name didn’t transition to the I’On Swamp until the 1900’s. As an interesting aside, this part of the Lowcountry spoke non-rhotic English in the 1700's and early 1800's, meaning that people born and raised in this region did not pronounce the "R" sound in words. Jacob Bond I'On's last name is actually a modification of the name "Iron." This name was modified to reflect how people were pronouncing the name, and the spelling stuck, both with the I'On family, but also the I'On Swamp.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6_wQgiY1AWHBB34TgWQOuz438ZemmdfkCxWUWohY-0PGCNgubhDqAlcQwC6koEoqzQ8i1eOjqjmi7m4KFYkeDG2Boakd0yyVWM8EEBWriOHgcjXcTtcLHDBtu5ENxGoEP_9I7QQgcpd-/s1600/Rice+Dike+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rice Dikes I'On Swamp" border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6_wQgiY1AWHBB34TgWQOuz438ZemmdfkCxWUWohY-0PGCNgubhDqAlcQwC6koEoqzQ8i1eOjqjmi7m4KFYkeDG2Boakd0yyVWM8EEBWriOHgcjXcTtcLHDBtu5ENxGoEP_9I7QQgcpd-/s1600/Rice+Dike+Resized.jpg" title="Rice Dikes I'On Swamp" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Wythewood Plantation rice dike (the "trail" running through the right side of the photo).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
By the mid 1800’s, essentially
all of the I’On Swamp had been modified for rice cultivation. However, that
isn’t to say that all the land had been turned into rice fields. There were probably still
pockets of young, secondary growth swamp forest in places that had originally
been logged in order build canals and dikes, but that were not ultimately used
as a rice field. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, the rice industry in the
south collapsed. Essentially all the commercial rice cultivation in the I’On
Swamp ceased by 1870. Although commercial production ceased after the Civil
War, subsistence rice production by now-freed African Americans continued in
small tracts around the I’On Swamp for the next 30 years, most prominently in
what had been the Wythewood Plantation<span class="tgc">—</span>a plantation
which will come into play later on in this story. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
The forest began to regrow in any
part of the swamp which were not being used for subsistence farming during this
post-Civil War period. Hardwood trees characteristic of southern bottomland forests<span class="tgc">—various oaks, tupelos, Sweetgum, etc.—began recolonizing the
abandoned fields and dikes. By 1900, essentially all of the I’On Swamp was </span>reforested
by a young, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_forest">secondary growth forest</a>. This extensive tract of hardwood trees was
quickly noticed by a booming southeastern timber industry. Between 1900 and 1910, a
large timber company bought most of the old plantation lands in the I'On Swamp. By 1920-1925,
this company had <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clearcutting">clear-cut</a> nearly all the trees throughout<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>the I’On Swamp. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4sIfGReLYXHsTKlFrL7jSFR8vm2IsXjjFWzzlYMRLCMvCnS_McYvIbYcNw-LRuHja_6dY8aIaXvinCdtfGHU2_XZ-xbe6qFqFfB3I7jd-rS-r7yWLm9xBmy-qHlWNWy6mdvlYFGirmGD/s1600/Young+Forest+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="I'On Swamp Nature" border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4sIfGReLYXHsTKlFrL7jSFR8vm2IsXjjFWzzlYMRLCMvCnS_McYvIbYcNw-LRuHja_6dY8aIaXvinCdtfGHU2_XZ-xbe6qFqFfB3I7jd-rS-r7yWLm9xBmy-qHlWNWy6mdvlYFGirmGD/s1600/Young+Forest+Resized.jpg" title="I'On Swamp Nature" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Various hardwood species regrowing in the I'On Swamp. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After timber companies clear-cut the
I’On Swamp and nearby swamps such as the Wambaw and Hellhole Swamps, the land
“lost its value,” at least in the eyes of the timber companies. The government,
however, saw some promise, and the Department of the Interior began purchasing these
tracts of land starting in the late 1920’s. These newly-purchased lands became the foundation for
<a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/scnfs">Francis Marion National Forest</a>, which was formally established in 1936.
Nowadays, the majority of the coastal land between Charleston and Georgetown is
part of this national forest, and that includes most of the I’On Swamp itself.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
For the rest of this post, I want
to focus on the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, Carolina Parakeet, and the Bachman’s
Warbler. These three species<span class="tgc">—all of which</span> are now
extinct<span class="tgc">—</span>used to inhabit swamps throughout the
southeastern United States, including the I’On Swamp itself. Sadly, most of the
swamps in the southeastern United States have been heavily modified or
completely destroyed by humans over the past 300 years, and these actions have
either directly or indirectly led to the extinction of these three bird
species. I want to explore how human land use of the I’On Swamp over time
impacted these three birds, and how and why they became extirpated (locally
extinct) in the I’On Swamp.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ivory-Billed Woodpecker</b></span></h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzFBF-QvrnbgP6WMlHZn53sDsSadOn2y0w5jkfJeDyDWCfPC5mhinB4o1gEgpVmnSeU6XtUKajQQGYJgne9dBliuZ8tg-_P32Fv3TaGryvZlBRhXoS5VYOTppYRZTz3s8X-EkP-U_1FFh/s1600/Houghton_MS_Am_21_%252831%2529_-_John_James_Audubon%252C_ivory_billed_woodpecker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers I'On Swamp" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1349" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzFBF-QvrnbgP6WMlHZn53sDsSadOn2y0w5jkfJeDyDWCfPC5mhinB4o1gEgpVmnSeU6XtUKajQQGYJgne9dBliuZ8tg-_P32Fv3TaGryvZlBRhXoS5VYOTppYRZTz3s8X-EkP-U_1FFh/s1600/Houghton_MS_Am_21_%252831%2529_-_John_James_Audubon%252C_ivory_billed_woodpecker.jpg" title="Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers I'On Swamp" width="538" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John James Audubon Letters and Drawings, 1805-1892, MS Am 21 (31), Houghton Library, Harvard University</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I’ll begin with the Ivory-Billed
Woodpecker, as this was the first species to become extirpated in the I’On
Swamp. The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker required mature bottomland swamps, a habitat
that used to exist in large tracts across much of the southeast. In the 1800’s,
especially after the Civil War, the majority of these virgin swamps were either
logged, drained, or in some other way modified. With the destruction of the
Ivory-Billed Woodpecker’s habitat, the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker’s populations
followed.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
The Ivory-Billed was known to be
common throughout the swamps in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, and they most
certainly inhabited the I’On Swamp for hundreds, if not several thousands, of
years. Their time in the I’On Swamp probably came to an end between 1750 and 1770
when the swamp experienced the first wave of logging and modification to make
way for rice fields. From historical and contemporary accounts that I’ve read on
the plantations of the I’On Swamp, there were a few sections of the swamp
forest that remained relatively unscathed during this early agricultural time.
It’s possible that these tracts could have harbored a few individuals into the
mid 1800’s, but these tracts were most likely too small for a population of
Ivory-Bills to sustain itself.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpHAt8ZJBq4t5XizUJpnMxA9U2XgDFjG_ndwg-Yql-xQYKSuEZck4forh2VspgbpkTgqkJpkIBl_Vnl1ClGCEcOh_bmwX__ijOygGEY6nXdUN4EfHQg6u9Z_Aykn6bLvg7N4ZhntyIT6h/s1600/Greater+Area+with+Swamp+Names.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Map of swamps in Francis Marion National Forest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1356" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpHAt8ZJBq4t5XizUJpnMxA9U2XgDFjG_ndwg-Yql-xQYKSuEZck4forh2VspgbpkTgqkJpkIBl_Vnl1ClGCEcOh_bmwX__ijOygGEY6nXdUN4EfHQg6u9Z_Aykn6bLvg7N4ZhntyIT6h/s1600/Greater+Area+with+Swamp+Names.png" title="Map of swamps in Francis Marion National Forest" width="542" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Topographic map of eastern Francis Marion National Forest with the names of main swamps added in. For a greater geographical context, just past the bottom left hand corner is the Charleston, SC, area, and outside the top right corner is Georgetown, SC. This map was modified from a USGS Topographic Map.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The last confirmed Ivory-Billed
Woodpecker in South Carolina was observed in 1938 on Wadmacon Island. Wadmacon
Island is an island in the lower Santee Swamp (which runs along the Santee River), and is only a mere 20
miles north of the I’On Swamp. Although Ivory-Bills were without a doubt gone
by 1915 from the I’On Swamp itself (which, if you remember from earlier, was
completely clear-cut by this point), a few individuals did indeed remain in the greater
region in the few pockets of remaining mature bottomland swamps. The last
confirmed sighting in the United States occurred in 1944 in Louisiana. By the
late 1900’s, it was generally assumed the Ivory-Billed was extinct.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker,
however, recently jumped back into the public eye after a handful of credible,
but not 100% confirmed, sightings from Louisiana, Arkansas, and Florida came to
light in the early 2000’s. This raised the question as to whether the
Ivory-Billed was truly extinct, or if tiny populations remained in remote and
relatively untouched bottomland swamps around the Southeast. Sadly, even if the
Ivory-Billed Woodpecker is not truly extinct, and a few individuals are indeed
still alive in one or a handful of swamps around the Southeastern US, the
species is still <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_extinction">functionally extinct</a>. Any such
population—if one were to truly exist—would be too small to be viable over the
long term.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Carolina Parakeet</b></span></h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxwnIwUMWLV0rQj-Sckp0Axfvsndmklnf3J3EMqWr44F1-eYjx8uk7CfmV18z2S7iJ69zRt54kDsWxu5MdMEzj3b_r2z7RomNdYlNSOJgrR-Sp_DoYkS4_pFzhWXWl4-oKEMmQUPpTFg8/s1600/AudubonCarolinaParakeet2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Carolina Parakeets I'On Swamp" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="747" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxwnIwUMWLV0rQj-Sckp0Axfvsndmklnf3J3EMqWr44F1-eYjx8uk7CfmV18z2S7iJ69zRt54kDsWxu5MdMEzj3b_r2z7RomNdYlNSOJgrR-Sp_DoYkS4_pFzhWXWl4-oKEMmQUPpTFg8/s1600/AudubonCarolinaParakeet2.jpg" title="Carolina Parakeets I'On Swamp" width="466" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting by John James Audubon, 1825, New York Historical Society.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Carolina Parakeet was the
second species to become extirpated from the I’On Swamp. The Carolina Parakeet—the
only parrot species that was native to the Eastern US—was a denizen of mature
swamps and forested floodplains filled with either American Sycamores or
Bald-Cypresses. The Carolina Parakeet used to be quite common throughout the
appropriate habitat in the 1700’s, but their populations began plummeting in
the early 1800’s. The exact causes for the decline and ultimate extinction of
the Carolina Parakeet are still debated, but most agree it was probably a
combination of several factors. Habitat destruction via logging, unchecked hunting
to attain their colorful feathers, unchecked hunting by farmers who viewed them
as pests, and other factors all contributed to the decline and eventual demise
of the Carolina Parakeet. <br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Carolina Parakeets living in the
I’On Swamp probably began facing trouble in the late 1700’s, as the mature
Bald-Cypress trees—whose cavities they nested in—throughout the swamp were cleared to make way for the rice
plantation fields. When did they most likely disappear from the I’On Swamp?
Although I can’t find any specific reports of this species from the swamp, I
would say that the Carolina Parakeet was most likely extirpated from the I’On
Swamp by 1810-1840 based on two details. First, many naturalists noted that
Carolina Parakeet sightings were rarely made outside of Florida by the 1850’s,
which suggests that most of the populations in South Carolina were probably
gone by the early 1800’s. Second, most of the I’On Swamp was already intensely
farmed for rice by 1820-1830, which means that most, if not all, of the
appropriate Carolina Parakeet habitat was gone. No Carolina Parakeet habitat,
no Carolina Parakeets. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
By 1904, the last known wild
individual was observed—and promptly killed. The year 1918 saw the death of the
last captive individual. By 1939, the species was declared officially extinct,
although tantalizing reports of Carolina Parakeets trickled in from Florida,
Georgia and South Carolina between 1930 and 1960. The Santee Swamp was
one site of such reports, with a handful of unconfirmed sightings of Carolina
Parakeets inhabiting the dense, relatively untouched swamp were made throughout
the 1930’s. If you remember, this is the same swamp which harbored Ivory-Billed
Woodpeckers into the 1930’s, and is only 20 miles north of the I’On Swamp as
well. Several credible people, such as bird wardens hired by the National
Audubon Society, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=PG85DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA229&lpg=PA229&dq=warren+shokes+santee+river+carolina+parakeet&source=bl&ots=WZExAkwepd&sig=JmlNoQnLOj3aoQRNEw5MCHaeBfQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiQzPa6p8vXAhUH92MKHQTkDs0Q6AEISTAK#v=onepage&q=warren%20shokes%20santee%20river%20carolina%20parakeet&f=false">reported seeing Carolina Parakeets in the Santee Swamp</a>,
including on Wadmacon Island (the same island where the last confirmed
Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in South Carolina was observed).
Although these sightings were never confirmed, the existence of a small,
remnant population of Carolina Parakeets existing into the 1930’s in the Santee
Swamp seems plausible. Despite such thoughts, they are certainly extinct
now. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bachman’s Warbler</b></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1R_tGH2ogCZNkvvNcj0SyOPIAtp09flgvFKJkBaJw3P7ifoXNmjaPJ6gfR3uQitWN4jgojw3aeMEYkV6cQguC-z8-r6BR6rDhqU7HoyCsyLBWQPzqLoyIHtbr6zeaCZxDJLcwbH56Vhns/s1600/Bachman%2527s+Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bachman's Warbler I'On Swamp" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1392" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1R_tGH2ogCZNkvvNcj0SyOPIAtp09flgvFKJkBaJw3P7ifoXNmjaPJ6gfR3uQitWN4jgojw3aeMEYkV6cQguC-z8-r6BR6rDhqU7HoyCsyLBWQPzqLoyIHtbr6zeaCZxDJLcwbH56Vhns/s1600/Bachman%2527s+Cropped.jpg" title="Bachman's Warbler I'On Swamp" width="556" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting by John James Audubon, 1833, Reynolda House: Museum of American Art.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The final species I want to
discuss is perhaps the reason why the I’On Swamp is famous in the world of
birders and naturalists. The I’On Swamp was the last known refuge for the
Bachman’s Warbler. The Bachman’s (Pronounced “Back-Man’s”) Warbler was a small
migrant songbird which bred in swamps throughout the Southeastern
United States and overwintered in Cuba. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
The Bachman’s Warbler was always a
mysterious and hard-to-find species. It was first described by John James
Audubon in 1833 when an individual was discovered in South Carolina. Over the
next few decades, more individuals were recorded in other southern states, but the
species seemingly disappeared from South Carolina. The Bachman’s Warbler was
rediscovered in South Carolina by Arthur T. Wayne, a Victorian ornithologist,
in 1901. The individual that Wayne found had been inhabiting the remnants of
the Fairlawn Plantation, one of the old rice plantations found on the southern
end of the I’On Swamp. As an aside, Arthur T. Wayne lived an absolutely
fascinating life filled with ornithological endeavors. I highly recommend
reading this <a href="https://www.carolinabirdclub.org/chat/issues/1986/v50n4arthurtwayne.pdf">short, 6-page biography on the man</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Wayne, who lived in the
Charleston area, began systematically searching for more Bachman’s Warblers in the
I’On Swamp, specifically throughout the old Fairlawn Plantation property. In
1906 he found two nests, providing evidence that the warbler did indeed breed in the I’On
Swamp, and didn’t just use the swamp as a migration stopover. Over the next
several years, he found many more individuals and nests. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
As I said, the Bachman’s Warbler
was always hard to find, and its ecology is rather misunderstood. There have
been no actual studies ever done on this species prior to its extinction.
Everything we know comes from naturalists in the 1800’s and early 1900’s who
thankfully recorded bits and pieces of information on the species—whether it was the habitat one
was found in, or the behavior of an individual, or what have you. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
The last confirmed sighting of a
Bachman’s Warbler was in 1988, and the species is almost certainly extinct. The cause for the
extinction of the species has been subject to debate, and several hypotheses have
been put forth about “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the cause</i>.” Nearly
everyone agrees the Bachman’s Warbler went extinct due to habitat destruction,
but no one knows what type of habitat the warbler exactly required. The Bachman’s
Warbler vanished before any thorough studies of its habitat requirements could
be conducted. The little habitat information we do have is confusing and
contradictory, which further complicates matters. For example, some naturalists
found the Bachman’s Warblers in mature swamp forests; others found it in young,
successional swamp forests. If habitat destruction was the killer of the
Bachman’s Warbler, what specific habitat feature was destroyed that the Bachman’s
Warbler relied on?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Although Bachman’s Warblers had
been recorded in mature swamp forests, it seems unlikely that they depended on
such a habitat like the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker did. Between 1948 and 1953,
there were many Bachman’s Warblers observed throughout the I’On Swamp, which—if
you remember—was all but a young, secondary-growth swamp forest at that time
after the period of intense logging between 1900-1920. The prevalence of the
Bachman’s Warbler in the I’On Swamp when it was a young, secondary-growth swamp
forest has made some scientists hypothesize that the species relied on
disturbed, successional areas within swamps, similar to how the Blue-Winged
Warbler and Prairie Warbler rely on similarly disturbed, successional areas
within forests. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyl4OTHK4vLpslO5zou2LxOrluZp6WRq4OL2xqLhJsszIelQDITDWm26FUCMJIrT2xB0LM60V57ny1evXN26hDrk6j8HKvKRnGsWqtnmXdm6iC2uqwDcgTT3AGD90L-qnsLaniDP6kIDY/s1600/Palmetto+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="I'On Swamp history" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyl4OTHK4vLpslO5zou2LxOrluZp6WRq4OL2xqLhJsszIelQDITDWm26FUCMJIrT2xB0LM60V57ny1evXN26hDrk6j8HKvKRnGsWqtnmXdm6iC2uqwDcgTT3AGD90L-qnsLaniDP6kIDY/s1600/Palmetto+Resized.jpg" title="I'On Swamp history" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drier areas within the I'On Swamp—like the area pictured above—would have been the site of extensive Giant Cane "canebrakes." Nowadays, such extensive canebrakes have vanished.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The apparent fact that Bachman’s
Warblers could be found in both mature <i>and </i>successional swamp forests suggests
that there was some other habitat component or feature that they relied on, and
not simply the age of the forest. In 1986, J.V. Remsen Jr. published an <a href="http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/1986AukBachman.pdf">article in the Auk that argued the Bachman’s Warbler was actually a bamboo specialist</a>.
Throughout the Southeastern US there’s a species of bamboo called Giant Cane (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Arundinaria gigantea</i>). Giant Cane used
to be extremely prevalent throughout the swamps of the southeast, many times
forming near-impenetrable understories called "canebrakes" which would go on for miles in swamps. Over the most recent 300 years, <a href="http://www.wec.ufl.edu/faculty/pgagnon/Gagnon%20et%20al%202007%20FOR%20ECOL%20MGT%20(Cane%20&%20wind).pdf">approximately 98% of these canebrakes</a> were cut down or otherwise destroyed, as they proved a barrier to farmers and
travelers. Sadly, Giant Cane is a finicky, slow-growing plant with a low
reproduction rate, and the remaining individuals have been unable to fully recolonize the sites of former canebrakes. Although you can still find Giant Cane today, as well as
dense canebrakes, these are nowhere near as dense and extensive as they
once were.</div>
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What does that have to with the
Bachman’s Warbler? As it turns out, most of the notes that naturalists recorded
on the habitat of the Bachman’s Warbler mentioned the presence of Giant Cane.
This is even more prevalent when reading descriptions of where nests were
found; nearly all of them mention the nests being either in Giant Cane plants, or
being in the same vicinity of Giant Cane. Many of their nests even contained
leaves from Giant Cane. This suggests that the Bachman’s Warbler might have been
a bamboo specialist, a niche that many birds across the world utilize. If this
is true, then it makes sense that the Bachman’s Warbler disappeared as the
Giant Cane canebrakes became less and less extensive throughout the Southeast.</div>
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Is the decline of Giant Cane the
sole reason for the extinction of the Bachman’s Warbler? Probably not. Although
it might be the <i>main </i>contributor to the destruction of the species, other
factors probably exacerbated the decline. The destruction of swamps across the
southeast, the destruction of their wintering habitats in Cuba, and potentially
unknown factors might have all helped drive the Bachman’s Warbler to
extinction. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The I’On Swamp Today </span></b></h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymPn7RJ2IRDTARwJLDlC85PRkvv4V2oLb5Wtw10ldg2BfeHARdRTBIIcTdx0zgCtxmREq5LlD9yQtCnQDobRvoRBLqYWO4Lv_AkVW2rjcgdsxyVS0_WBBAlhQL-6tXBbVPMhMIZ8jp_8B/s1600/IMG_20171021_132422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I'On Swamp Interpretive Trail Francis Marion National Forest" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1236" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymPn7RJ2IRDTARwJLDlC85PRkvv4V2oLb5Wtw10ldg2BfeHARdRTBIIcTdx0zgCtxmREq5LlD9yQtCnQDobRvoRBLqYWO4Lv_AkVW2rjcgdsxyVS0_WBBAlhQL-6tXBbVPMhMIZ8jp_8B/s1600/IMG_20171021_132422.JPG" title="I'On Swamp Interpretive Trail Francis Marion National Forest" width="494" /></a></div>
Visiting the I’On Swamp today can
be a difficult endeavor. The swamp is large, and only a few gravel and dirt roads
allow access. Only one trail exists in the whole of the swamp. That trail<span class="tgc">—the 2.5 mile I’On Swamp Interpretive Trail—is part of the Francis
Marion National Forest trail system. </span>The I’On Swamp Interpretive Trail
offers the easiest way for visitors to get “into” the swamp, but<span class="tgc">—</span>at only 2.5 miles<span class="tgc">—</span>it allows visitors a tiny glimpse of the swamp. Short of bushwhacking
through the swamp, the trail is the best choice visitors have to see the swamp.
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Nearly the entirety of the I’On
Swamp Interpretive Trail runs atop ancient dikes that once belonged to the
Wythewood Plantation, one of the main rice plantations that used to call the
swamp home. As you walk along the nearly 300-year-old dikes, you can’t help but
marvel at the engineering feat they represent. At the same time, you can’t help
but feel an overwhelming sorrow when you realize that enslaved peoples from
Africa were the ones who toiled away to make these extensive dikes. The colonial and
early American rice industry was the second most dangerous industry for
enslaved peoples to find themselves part of, second only to the sugar cane
industry. Between the harsh owners, never-ending work, the oppressive heat of
the Carolina Lowcountry, rampant diseases, and dangerous wildlife, being a rice
plantation slave was an absolutely brutal, and many times short, affair.
Injuries and deaths were commonplace. The mortality rate of enslaved peoples
working on rice plantations is mind-numbing to consider. At some rice plantations,
almost 90% of children died before they reached 16 years old. Many adults did
not make it past 30. The profit margins on rice were so high that an enslaved
person only had to work for one season for the owner to make back the cost of
the slave, so slaves were viewed as a highly dispensable commodity. Although
this mentality seems unfathomable today, it was sadly common throughout the
Lowcountry in the 1700’s and 1800’s. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoLybVNYX036JApy4JRXOnYjPhxlXEVsdGsq_LI38KNbJUF3rqaUIGpdi1GW_fErLuWbIT7qPyP5Dhd8_kY8_9lkDvJKiWwwh73FDgs5iOUkDLd06wee5Wb1PH-rAmPTbpM_d5rxYMJRL/s1600/Trail+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I'On Swamp Interpretive Trail South Carolina" border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwoLybVNYX036JApy4JRXOnYjPhxlXEVsdGsq_LI38KNbJUF3rqaUIGpdi1GW_fErLuWbIT7qPyP5Dhd8_kY8_9lkDvJKiWwwh73FDgs5iOUkDLd06wee5Wb1PH-rAmPTbpM_d5rxYMJRL/s1600/Trail+Resized.jpg" title="I'On Swamp Interpretive Trail South Carolina" width="640" /></a></div>
Today the I’On Swamp looks like a very
young, secondary growth swamp forest. When Hurricane Hugo slammed South Carolina in 1989, the winds knocked down essentially all of the trees in the eastern section of Francis Marion NF, including the I'On Swamp. Consequently, most of the I'On Swamp's forest is only 28 years old. Despite the young age, the forest is still impressive. Dwarf Palmettos cover the ground. Red Maples and Black
Tupelos take hold in the drier areas. Bald-Cypresses dot the wetter areas,
where their knees jut up through the shallow, tannin-stained water. Alligators
bask along the banks of the ancient dikes, and River Otters swim through the
canals. The place <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">feels</i> natural on
the surface<span class="tgc">, but—while it is still natural to a certain extent,
true—the I’On Swamp is scarred. Animals which should call the swamp home are
forever gone. Plants which should be easily found throughout the swamp are
uncommon and nowhere near as extensive as they used to be. The water flows in
unnatural channels and canals, separated by earthen banks that shouldn’t be
there. The landscape has been forever changed, and a sorrow hangs in the air—not
only because the land will never be as it once was, but also because so many
lives were unnecessarily lost here.</span></div>
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Despite the scars<span class="tgc">, the I’On Swamp is nevertheless a
fascinating place. Go visit the swamp if you’re in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Walk along the
ancient rice field dikes as you travel through the swamp forest. Look for
animals and plants, and enjoy the landscape. But while you do, don’t forget to
take a few moments to reflect on all the history bound up in this swamp. </span></div>
Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com3I'on Swamp Rd, Awendaw, SC 29429, USA32.9991653 -79.68006530000002432.945895300000004 -79.760746300000022 33.0524353 -79.599384300000025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-66515554568057664222017-10-16T17:52:00.000-04:002017-10-19T17:10:11.326-04:00A Few Birds From Huntington Beach State ParkTwo weeks ago I had a break from work and decided to head to Huntington Beach State Park, SC, only a short two hours away. Huntington Beach State Park is a phenomenal and well-known birding (and tourist) location along the Atlantic Coast of South Carolina. The park features a long (typically busy) beach and extensive salt marsh and lagoon nestled behind the beach dunes. While birding around the park, I was able to grab a few photos of some of the hundreds and hundreds of birds taking up residence throughout the park that day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAyavLZMkCLX6t9hKDsHwrBEJmN_0e7jtL_14HFqU7E7hiYcQhKaHVDZX5q5uGEgMU-IscBGCDg3aU9ps7peygh1hIpvBxJxQjTpCAl-ucHh6DLYrbpYvTOTeR44EE8girmCAKFjd_Vhp/s1600/DSC_0234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sanderling Huntington Beach State Park" border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="1536" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAyavLZMkCLX6t9hKDsHwrBEJmN_0e7jtL_14HFqU7E7hiYcQhKaHVDZX5q5uGEgMU-IscBGCDg3aU9ps7peygh1hIpvBxJxQjTpCAl-ucHh6DLYrbpYvTOTeR44EE8girmCAKFjd_Vhp/s1600/DSC_0234.JPG" title="Sanderling Huntington Beach State Park" width="640" /></a></div>
I first ventured out to the beach, which was rather dead at the time. Other than Laughing Gulls and Brown Pelicans, the little sandpiper pictured above was the only bird patrolling the beach. This is the Sanderling, an incredibly common shorebird found along the beaches of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf Coasts during the winter. A small, but massively charismatic shorebird, the Sanderling is well known for its wave-chasing foraging. When the leftovers of a wave begin to recede after hitting the beach, individuals or flocks of Sanderlings will run out onto the freshly-exposed sand and probe for any sort of invertebrate that the wave either uncovered or left stranded on the sand. As the next wave comes rushing in, the Sanderling will quickly dart away from the water. This running back and forth as the waves come in and out is rather entertaining to watch. And just a random fun fact: The Sanderling recently garnered non-birder fame after being the focus of the <a href="http://www.audubon.org/news/a-behind-scenes-look-pixars-new-short-film-piper">Pixar Animation short "Piper,"</a> which debuted in 2016 before Finding Dory 2. Although the short strays from the biology a tad for artistic sake, it's a beautifully animated, and fun, short film. Here's a link to watch the 6-minute short: "<a href="https://vimeo.com/192224626">Piper</a>"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2orqa4hF7f9Q0cwQ6xjJp_5treO5eoLMVN3IO4KBjqxHGqg_-5t85z2ljyIrjk_fHxBHwuJaUiWvabiv4nVN8MiknpYUaj65Rr71SWhdvRKB5aXrs_2dfCJZmPfJ5W3DMNOYsXjJwnlT/s1600/DSC_0292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Great Egret South Carolina" border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2orqa4hF7f9Q0cwQ6xjJp_5treO5eoLMVN3IO4KBjqxHGqg_-5t85z2ljyIrjk_fHxBHwuJaUiWvabiv4nVN8MiknpYUaj65Rr71SWhdvRKB5aXrs_2dfCJZmPfJ5W3DMNOYsXjJwnlT/s1600/DSC_0292.JPG" title="Great Egret South Carolina" width="640" /></a></div>
I left the beach and headed to the salt marsh, and the bird diversity instantly picked up. Patrolling the low-tide waters in the salt marsh were several wading birds, including this Great Egret. The Great Egret is a common species throughout much of the east, especially along the coast. <span class="_Tgc">Like other wading birds, the Great Egret is never found far from water, whether it be salt marshes, rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, or the like. The Great Egret is the largest of the egrets</span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc">—an "egret" is nothing more than a common name given to herons which happen to be white</span></span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc">—</span></span></span>in the United States. Standing at over 3 feet tall, the Great Egret is also the second tallest of the herons in the US, only second to the Great Blue Heron. </span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssfdaC1FltZzVk9Ig36zyjKRBJ4fxtitH2ZfQSw3F2EM1F_gJqUY9OqfKGgZZpNA-MqG1-Sfv0W5Skr7ZW1rNUk-IDBH3dWQsD18hmguwyKXfvoJ33H4kiLYv3MZ_t_gzjGmGPImNRQvt/s1600/DSC_0278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Great Egret Neck" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1236" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssfdaC1FltZzVk9Ig36zyjKRBJ4fxtitH2ZfQSw3F2EM1F_gJqUY9OqfKGgZZpNA-MqG1-Sfv0W5Skr7ZW1rNUk-IDBH3dWQsD18hmguwyKXfvoJ33H4kiLYv3MZ_t_gzjGmGPImNRQvt/s1600/DSC_0278.JPG" title="Great Egret Neck" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Great Egret stretches out his neck to get a better view of the water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fish are the preferred food for the Great Egret. The lanky Great Egret spends most of its time slowly and carefully moving through the water, looking for fish swimming about. When a potential meal is spotted, the Great Egret will pull its long neck back into a compacted "S" shape and take aim. Their long neck essentially acts as a spring. When the egret is ready, it will shoot its neck and beak forward into the water, spearing the fish. Once the fish is speared, the Great Egret will deftly maneuver the fish with its beak in order to swallow it whole. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2mcDAr7Y3UOMMeQEAUicw_0CAJA9WnGVewDZHeNJawuhiWiJc4q6gc_Mw4FPZJs0irph9y_1Lh_LbXgxC74oINLHa540rJjsnvQTtgPUWif2kvn-Pz9Y3jBximLh15DUeaEMeTuJ5av5/s1600/DSC_0307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Double-Crested Cormorant" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1281" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2mcDAr7Y3UOMMeQEAUicw_0CAJA9WnGVewDZHeNJawuhiWiJc4q6gc_Mw4FPZJs0irph9y_1Lh_LbXgxC74oINLHa540rJjsnvQTtgPUWif2kvn-Pz9Y3jBximLh15DUeaEMeTuJ5av5/s1600/DSC_0307.JPG" title="Double-Crested Cormorant" width="512" /></a></div>
Hanging out on a mudflat near the Great Egret were several Double-Crested Cormorants. The Double-Crested Cormorant can be found throughout pretty much all of the US at some point during the year, and the coast of South Carolina is one of their overwintering grounds. The Double-Crested Cormorant is another fish-eating and water-loving bird. Like other cormorants, the Double-Crested Cormorant is a diving bird, and they typically dive to depths up to 25 feet in order find, chase, and catch fish. You might also see individuals of this species sitting somewhere with their wings spread as they face the Sun. They do this in order to dry their feathers after a dive. Unlike most water-dwelling birds, the structure of a cormorant's feathers make it to where they do not shed water. This is an adaptation which allows cormorants to more easily dive, but it comes at a cost. After a Double-Crested Cormorant dives, its feathers are <i>soaked</i>. Dripping wet feathers make it hard to fly, so the cormorant is forced to stand in the Sun and let its feathers air dry if it wants to fly to another location.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLblCt_P2sOtpKP2AAMoRvsQa-1Dd5AJBoUImMzTaIcCSFRFyPNdGWt2CFAGhjYn2GRoH4p9R5a3XUHeu0PICNqN-1AqWgyVEN1_rCSnO7qiQ_0TwOy3o3NKMrIjJjgW4BX-oHVnamjbv/s1600/DSC_0257-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Birding at Huntington Beach State Park" border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZLblCt_P2sOtpKP2AAMoRvsQa-1Dd5AJBoUImMzTaIcCSFRFyPNdGWt2CFAGhjYn2GRoH4p9R5a3XUHeu0PICNqN-1AqWgyVEN1_rCSnO7qiQ_0TwOy3o3NKMrIjJjgW4BX-oHVnamjbv/s1600/DSC_0257-2.JPG" title="Birding at Huntington Beach State Park" width="640" /></a></div>
The highlight of the day was a much-awaited lifer, the Roseate Spoonbill (two of which are pictured in the foreground). I'll get to the Spoonbills in a moment. First, let's talk about that bald-faced bird in the back. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsM7kcODWDW8b3G3mUfZ1lcDZQT76rgjj_Yu7YQhiuBGjOxTwwgE1TYaN1GXQXMFYZX3RUbSUHQALLL0djJTDI5sHvvNXxVs5RsvkOZnnlx61WabceFOoanstG4dNwHViyXJbXPZ5NSPR_/s1600/DSC_0246-Edit+Sharpened.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wood Stork Huntington Beach State Park" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsM7kcODWDW8b3G3mUfZ1lcDZQT76rgjj_Yu7YQhiuBGjOxTwwgE1TYaN1GXQXMFYZX3RUbSUHQALLL0djJTDI5sHvvNXxVs5RsvkOZnnlx61WabceFOoanstG4dNwHViyXJbXPZ5NSPR_/s1600/DSC_0246-Edit+Sharpened.jpg" title="Wood Stork Huntington Beach State Park" width="512" /></a></div>
Meet the Wood Stork. The Wood Stork is a resident of the marshes and swamps of the Gulf Coast and southern Atlantic Coasts here in the US, but is also found throughout Central and South America. Although you wouldn't guess it when visiting Huntington Beach State Park<span class="_Tgc">—where there can be hundreds and hundreds of Wood Storks</span><span class="_Tgc"> at a time—the Wood Stork is actually Federally Threatened in the United States. Habitat degradation, invasive species, disruptions to the historical food web, and other factors led to the decrease of the population here in the United States during the 1900's. Originally listed as Federally Endangered, Wood Stork populations have been on a slight rebound over the past decade or so, prompting the listing to be moved down to "Threatened" in 2014. A good sign for now, but the species is by no means out of trouble.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_r_FX3SQMSatCI2MPt3wKujE0D3swBgyxyKLK2JdN03cWlZ69JEYs9C6KSTIXtTrt7sf_vTOZgEUvvfQgMGuPQet5h2DeRFEgB1pJrhubogBFSXTGMxRLwdW49GsLS6ttRXNA-vgGvc6l/s1600/DSC_0275-Edit-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Roseate Spoonbill Huntington Beach State Park" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_r_FX3SQMSatCI2MPt3wKujE0D3swBgyxyKLK2JdN03cWlZ69JEYs9C6KSTIXtTrt7sf_vTOZgEUvvfQgMGuPQet5h2DeRFEgB1pJrhubogBFSXTGMxRLwdW49GsLS6ttRXNA-vgGvc6l/s1600/DSC_0275-Edit-Edit.JPG" title="Roseate Spoonbill Huntington Beach State Park" width="512" /></a></div>
As I mentioned, the highlight of the day personally were the Roseate Spoonbills. I've been wanting to see this strange wader ever since I was a young kid flipping through my Sibley's field guide, and I finally got my chance! As becomes quite obvious upon seeing one, their name stems from their pinkish color and their spatulate bill. They owe their pinkish color to their diet, much in the way flamingos do. Roseate Spoonbills feed on shrimp and other organisms which contain a type of pigment called Canthaxanthin. This pigment is reddish-pink in color. As a Roseate Spoonbill consumes more and more Canthaxanthin, it sequesters the pigment in its feathers, giving its plumage a pink coloration. This also means that the intensity of pink and the exact hue can is different from individual to individual, and location to location, depending on the available food and the individual's specific diet. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7byVjZWI_-ecdurpqGK0lXSHusF1mioWxefMN6IvOjHhqBH7c7i9S33Kw0LooM2ZPx3H9x7QEqczsWJRUEjelKVBefHRAAYfInFNvXakA7k-yUXsxiCGm45fkkwDlGTaE7gz-v4iIKYo_/s1600/DSC_0273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Roseate Spoonbill Foraging" border="0" data-original-height="1573" data-original-width="1258" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7byVjZWI_-ecdurpqGK0lXSHusF1mioWxefMN6IvOjHhqBH7c7i9S33Kw0LooM2ZPx3H9x7QEqczsWJRUEjelKVBefHRAAYfInFNvXakA7k-yUXsxiCGm45fkkwDlGTaE7gz-v4iIKYo_/s1600/DSC_0273.JPG" title="Roseate Spoonbill Foraging" width="510" /></a></div>
Of course, the most attention-grabbing feature of the Roseate Spoonbill is its spatulate, i.e. spoon-like, bill. The widened-tip of their bill is actually a foraging adaptation. When the Roseate Spoonbill feeds, it waves its bill back and forth through the water with its mouth slightly open. The widened tip of the bill allows the Spoonbill to better grab onto various prey items<span class="_Tgc">—fish, crustaceans, worms, etc.</span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc">—as the beak offers more surface area. Imagine that you had to catch an insect that was moving around quickly. Would you rather use two chopsticks to catch the insect, or two large spatulas? The spatulas would be much more effective at grabbing the insect, for the same reason that the Spoonbill's beak is better than a sharp, pointed beak. <br /></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjUki9hWdbytB6vW_kqo2Vch9Y9tNdrK9WwmFKutPpOavoAM7IZXYAWBBE7vmH9iUdz5dG0PuiPTB9ChCVe3Phc9oKvo5q6_A6_6zuDpaLDWBYOGvLtKf22bkvmR7wo_Cpz_NXs-En16G/s1600/DSC_0294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Alligator Huntington Beach State Park" border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjUki9hWdbytB6vW_kqo2Vch9Y9tNdrK9WwmFKutPpOavoAM7IZXYAWBBE7vmH9iUdz5dG0PuiPTB9ChCVe3Phc9oKvo5q6_A6_6zuDpaLDWBYOGvLtKf22bkvmR7wo_Cpz_NXs-En16G/s1600/DSC_0294.JPG" title="American Alligator Huntington Beach State Park" width="640" /></a></div>
Of course, birds weren't the only reptilians (as birds are nothing more than an offshoot of dinosaurs) patrolling the waters for food. Huntington Beach State Park is also extremely well known for its American Alligator population, and I saw around a dozen that day either swimming in the lagoon or basking on the land. Several people regaled me with a story of earlier in the day, when a particularly large Alligator shut down traffic as it crossed the main road. Apparently this is a rather common occurrence at the park, and one that I would love to see!<br />
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My new job has kept me busy, and it's been difficult to find time to blog. I've got some more downtime this month, so hopefully I will be able to find time to photograph some things and pump out a few blog posts. Thanks for reading!Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com4Huntington Beach State Park, 16148 Ocean Hwy, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576, USA33.5156094 -79.0597786000000167.9935749000000023 -120.36837260000001 59.037643900000006 -37.751184600000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-44055097725121399142017-09-18T13:57:00.001-04:002017-09-18T13:57:37.082-04:00Blog Name Change and Update!Hello All,<br />
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I have some exciting news. <b>On September 23, 2017, I will be leaving Athens, Ohio, and moving down to South Carolina.</b> I have accepted a seasonal position as an outdoor education field instructor at Clemson University's Camp Bob Cooper.<br />
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As such, "Ohio Nature" will soon not make much sense as my blog name. If you have been a long-time follower of this blog, you might remember when I changed my URL from "www.ohionature.blogspot.com" to the current "<a href="http://www.kylefromohio.blogspot.com/">www.kylefromohio.blogspot.com</a>." As I mentioned in <a href="https://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2015/10/important-theres-new-url-for-this-blog.html">my 2015 post about the URL change</a>, that was done in preparation for the likely outcome that I would be leaving Ohio upon graduation. I chose to retain "Ohio Nature" as my blog name at that point because I was still living in Ohio and still writing about Ohio nature.<br /><br />Now the time has come that I won't be writing strictly about Ohio nature, and I felt the need to change my blog name to reflect this. <b>This blog will now be entitled "On the Subject of Nature." </b>I will still be blogging the same type of material, but now I won't be tied down to a geographic location. And although the specific places and species I will be covering will change as I move from seasonal job to seasonal job<span class="_Tgc">—and location to location</span><span class="_Tgc">—</span><b>the core mission of this blog will remain the same: highlight interesting subjects in nature and talk about the science and the issues surrounding them. </b><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16aAuGVjFvnJSpNO7t2mp4pSKUZtcutC5X3qqIVHuOTnL-DDfmnqAZ5twf4E9FZ0F5Tx6aitpnR_xfPkyeVbQoSQwf7nJw-9_SUXLCqlAJYMmw9FlSSmm2qD7SzrpAQjeOJzPlIOFghel/s1600/DSC_0138-Edit+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16aAuGVjFvnJSpNO7t2mp4pSKUZtcutC5X3qqIVHuOTnL-DDfmnqAZ5twf4E9FZ0F5Tx6aitpnR_xfPkyeVbQoSQwf7nJw-9_SUXLCqlAJYMmw9FlSSmm2qD7SzrpAQjeOJzPlIOFghel/s640/DSC_0138-Edit+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The full image of my new blog background. This is an abstract shot of blooming trees from A.W. Marion State Park in Central Ohio. </td></tr>
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In addition, I decided to change up the looks of this blog just a tiny bit. I changed the background image from an open source image from the Blogger library to a photo I personally took. I also slightly widened the text boxes, and increased the size of my post titles.<br />
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Finally, I want to thank everyone for reading and supporting this blog! I recently surpassed 150,000 page views, which is <i>way</i> more than I thought this blog would hit. Your continued readership pushes me to find more interesting subjects to talk about, take better photos, and write more compelling posts. <br />
Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-9610727466751387362017-09-10T19:48:00.000-04:002017-09-11T13:55:00.278-04:00Caterpillar ExtravaganzaThis past weekend I attended the third annual "Caterwauling for Caterpillars" night. Despite the strange name, this event is a yearly gathering of insect-loving Ohio University students who have one goal in mind: find cool caterpillars. Although the overall diversity wasn't too great this year, we still saw some interesting "cats," and I wanted to highlight a few of them here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsVPySoNmSepqcYCznNzFSoQR_5Jm5MlSbZc-WvFnuZLkY1CZ1Hsg45Or7gmhtS0ElrX8BG7FUldoMnowz_F4femf0C-PrYMiRI-iMwrEIs5EmFRkA9xb-8_IL8Rprj3QD9QoQDrsAh4H/s1600/Saddled+Prominent+Caterpillar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Saddled Prominent caterpillar (Heterocampa guttivitta) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsVPySoNmSepqcYCznNzFSoQR_5Jm5MlSbZc-WvFnuZLkY1CZ1Hsg45Or7gmhtS0ElrX8BG7FUldoMnowz_F4femf0C-PrYMiRI-iMwrEIs5EmFRkA9xb-8_IL8Rprj3QD9QoQDrsAh4H/s1600/Saddled+Prominent+Caterpillar.JPG" title="Saddled Prominent caterpillar (Heterocampa guttivitta) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
First up is the Saddled Prominent (<i>Heterocampa guttivitta</i>). This wide-ranging species is quite variable in appearance, and it took me awhile to figure out just what species of prominent (Family Notodontidae) this individual was. The main identifying features are the saddle on the top of the 3rd and 4th abdominal segments (the two segments which have the first and second prolegs), the white line running down the body near the back (subdorsal line), and the brown and white band on the head. The Saddled Prominent is a generalist when it comes to host plant preference. Unlike some caterpillar species which feed on only one or a few species of plants, the caterpillar of the Saddled Prominent feeds on pretty much any woody plants, including American Beech, birches, buckeyes, dogwood, hickories, maples, oaks, sumacs, and many other trees and shrubs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRhBirtD7Dom34dc70NDHiOtUfP_s8dNUqxbsrdutT_Vj_qW4nlgKipO_4NuvxRQrP14i0YWcFG0_1GeMsQce2mZ9cXyN07ZbCODh220Zgbsjv6cNj0c7vwNRM3o5yWdtTJDPdKj2nH98/s1600/Giant+Leopard+Moth+Caterpillar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar (Hypercompe scribonia) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1313" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRhBirtD7Dom34dc70NDHiOtUfP_s8dNUqxbsrdutT_Vj_qW4nlgKipO_4NuvxRQrP14i0YWcFG0_1GeMsQce2mZ9cXyN07ZbCODh220Zgbsjv6cNj0c7vwNRM3o5yWdtTJDPdKj2nH98/s1600/Giant+Leopard+Moth+Caterpillar.JPG" title="Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar (Hypercompe scribonia) Ohio" width="524" /></a></div>
A relatively common species in southeast Ohio<span class="_Tgc">—yet one that I always enjoy seeing</span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc">—is the Giant Leopard Moth (<i>Hypercompe scribonia</i>). Although you can't really tell from the photo, Giant Leopard Moth caterpillars are <i>large</i>. They're also extremely easy to identify; if you see a large black caterpillar covered in black bristles, with red rings where each abdominal segment meets, you've got yourself a Giant Leopard Moth. The caterpillars of this species feed only at night, spending most of the daylight hours hiding out on the forest floor. Although the black bristles (which are technically called "setae") look formidable, the Giant Leopard Moth does not actually sting. Instead, they will simply roll up into a ball if threatened and hope that they look scary enough for the threat to leave them alone. If you want to read about the adult Giant Leopard Moth, check out my previous post "<a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2017/06/mothing-at-clear-creek-showy.html">Mothing at Clear Creek: The Showy</a>."</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUhyh-uhQLX8VljPJXW45QB5EhDzEi5vfz-9401R4PzymubabcY2o6ZugKNeq0s0vBTP-gQW_-VmqJVY4qGCah9TL4awcfpT3_D-4cTI77b_Un70BTLuq61ytOHDfk8p12v_9eadadwsR/s1600/Agreeable+Tiger+Moth+Caterpillar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Agreeable Tiger Moth caterpillar (Spilosoma congrua) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="1600" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUhyh-uhQLX8VljPJXW45QB5EhDzEi5vfz-9401R4PzymubabcY2o6ZugKNeq0s0vBTP-gQW_-VmqJVY4qGCah9TL4awcfpT3_D-4cTI77b_Un70BTLuq61ytOHDfk8p12v_9eadadwsR/s1600/Agreeable+Tiger+Moth+Caterpillar.JPG" title="Agreeable Tiger Moth caterpillar (Spilosoma congrua) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
A few minutes after seeing the Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar, another strikingly-similar caterpillar crossed our paths. This is the caterpillar of the Agreeable Tiger Moth (<i>Spilosoma congrua</i>). Like many other species of insects, the Agreeable Tiger Moth is able to sequester toxins found in the plants that they eat in order to become toxic themselves. In the case of this species, these caterpillars sequester iridoid glycosides. Although the levels of iridoid glycosides aren't very dangerous to most potential predators of the Agreeable Tiger Moth, they do make the caterpillar taste pretty nasty, which would hopefully deter any predators from eating this species. Caterpillars of the Agreeable Tiger Moth come in two color morphs: one with colored rings, and one with red dots down the side of the body. Although I couldn't find any information about the two morphs, it would be interesting to see if there are any differences between the two<span class="_Tgc">—whether they occur in different geographic locations, or if they have differences in the iridoid glycoside sequestration, or the likes. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQp-2r4fz6Dh6g8TPLdeNjM2NsmAhpnkzbzzcEwaAggnrV1xUGZTzwPdIPuSRQNvYOIe3XCDltyLQMluIVhTp5SgwxoIuq_jebrG-p0oJ2MwfEzDzHhWt_UrUzv0Xgd-QasDcXSEOuILV/s1600/DSC_0061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Camouflaged stick mimic geometer caterpillar" border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQp-2r4fz6Dh6g8TPLdeNjM2NsmAhpnkzbzzcEwaAggnrV1xUGZTzwPdIPuSRQNvYOIe3XCDltyLQMluIVhTp5SgwxoIuq_jebrG-p0oJ2MwfEzDzHhWt_UrUzv0Xgd-QasDcXSEOuILV/s1600/DSC_0061.JPG" title="Camouflaged stick mimic geometer caterpillar" width="640" /></a></div>
By far the most abundant type of caterpillar of the night were the geometers. Geometers<span class="_Tgc">—better known as "inch worms"</span><span class="_Tgc">—are moths belonging to the family Geometridae. The geometer family is huge, with over 1,400 species in North America (and several hundred in Ohio alone). Identifying geometer caterpillars can be incredibly difficult, especially since many of them are incredibly camouflaged and lack much in the way of obvious identifying characteristics. Although I couldn't identify the one pictured above to species, it was my favorite geometer of the night. This caterpillar is a <i>perfect</i> twig mimic. I would have never seen him had I not had a UV flashlight. UV flashlights are indispensable tools when searching for caterpillars. Most "caterpillaring" occurs under the cover of night, when caterpillars are most active. It just so happens that most caterpillar species fluoresce when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. If you walk around the forest with a hand-held UV flashlight</span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc">—</span>which you can easily find on Amazon</span><span class="_Tgc">—the caterpillars will quite literally light up, making it much easier to find cryptic species. </span> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjRk93c4N211VGrPVm7a5tMbFm0ZkTdwcuIouVXDgXBQiofZSZO7-vqv6xI4ULx4SYDD3FhnJlCBH_UWFLo0tBnth89Kj5_pCp9rK2wVKWdq6x6hSM8n0TYm7i0b39SOrGb9LDtq-Qwje/s1600/Black-Waved+Flannel+Moth+Caterpillar+-+Early+Instar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Black-Waved Flannel Moth caterpillar (Lagoa crispata) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1241" data-original-width="1600" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjRk93c4N211VGrPVm7a5tMbFm0ZkTdwcuIouVXDgXBQiofZSZO7-vqv6xI4ULx4SYDD3FhnJlCBH_UWFLo0tBnth89Kj5_pCp9rK2wVKWdq6x6hSM8n0TYm7i0b39SOrGb9LDtq-Qwje/s1600/Black-Waved+Flannel+Moth+Caterpillar+-+Early+Instar.JPG" title="Black-Waved Flannel Moth caterpillar (Lagoa crispata) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
One of the most peculiar species of the night was the Black-Waved Flannel Moth (<i>Lagoa crispata</i>). The caterpillar of the Black-Waved Flannel Moth is rather ridiculous looking in my opinion, appearing like a frizzy toupée. But don't let its appearance fool you<span class="_Tgc">—flannel moth caterpillars are not one to mess with. This caterpillar has two lines of defense. First, all those long hairs you see are urticating setae, which are essentially bristles which can break off into your skin causing irritation (like dozens and dozens of tiny splinters). But hidden within the urticating setae is the second line of defense: short, venomous spines. Being stung by the caterpillar of any flannel moth species is not a pleasant experience, but the Black-Waved Flannel Moth is one of the least painful of the bunch (the Southern Flannel Moth,</span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="st"> <i>Megalopyge opercularis</i>,</span> wins the pain contest). </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIADwGmBeNPEm9gehcXvT4Zw4omOShAG7o_cjhLkr5Tq4xwpA9Q9MafP_lA9hNdZVyZ_tdtd6SA_TVmvFt_vSZOE3gYW_qmKZCLM_63dwmh8BhWvpS7bcDjj2MW3N6mom744htf_5oD29/s1600/Black+Waved+Flannel+for+Blog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Black-Waved Flannel Moth (Lagoa crispata) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1504" data-original-width="1600" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIADwGmBeNPEm9gehcXvT4Zw4omOShAG7o_cjhLkr5Tq4xwpA9Q9MafP_lA9hNdZVyZ_tdtd6SA_TVmvFt_vSZOE3gYW_qmKZCLM_63dwmh8BhWvpS7bcDjj2MW3N6mom744htf_5oD29/s1600/Black+Waved+Flannel+for+Blog.JPG" title="Black-Waved Flannel Moth (Lagoa crispata) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
I couldn't talk about the Black-Waved Flannel Moth without at least showing what an adult looks like. The adult Black-Waved Flannel Moth is one of the most fuzzy moths out there. Unlike the caterpillars, the adults are completely harmless. This individual was found in Ross County earlier in the summer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguI1spTv_P8PjtORn-lrpRDlIXulLEw8PmASfUmNgUFXBSM6UoGCD8whyphenhyphenakr1OaQPiZwZ6K6GF7hMRhCTCq1DhHS-fkbj7MwgQfw20HmnxKij08shcBpnfdnyZ4t70Z3lwRyHMYsMG7dJj/s1600/Jeweled+Tailed+Slug.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jeweled Tailed Slug (Packardia geminata) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguI1spTv_P8PjtORn-lrpRDlIXulLEw8PmASfUmNgUFXBSM6UoGCD8whyphenhyphenakr1OaQPiZwZ6K6GF7hMRhCTCq1DhHS-fkbj7MwgQfw20HmnxKij08shcBpnfdnyZ4t70Z3lwRyHMYsMG7dJj/s1600/Jeweled+Tailed+Slug.JPG" title="Jeweled Tailed Slug (Packardia geminata) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
The last three species I want to highlight are all slug caterpillars from the family Limacodidae. The "slugs" are almost always a favorite of anyone into Lepidopterans (moths and butterflies). Slug caterpillars are called such due to their rounded, slug-like appearance. They hug whatever surface they are clinging too, and move around in a manner more like a slug than a caterpillar. Some slugs<span class="_Tgc">—</span>like this Jeweled Tailed Slug (<i>Packardia geminata</i>)<span class="_Tgc">—can be rather dull in appearance. Others can be stunningly beautiful. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7oBNSSA53bBrWRlbvyOoaqXnPUbXhhPHm3Y1aiL4sPr7TuSCzxP7jXxrKKoknO8V5mkeNHSfxNSwKrk6Mdj8vL_z_PFg5_bZZvaa4u9fp87TNd7K0-NuDLBlqklv_PnKga9E3oA9ym-j/s1600/Nason%2527s+Slug.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nason's Slug (Natada nasoni) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7oBNSSA53bBrWRlbvyOoaqXnPUbXhhPHm3Y1aiL4sPr7TuSCzxP7jXxrKKoknO8V5mkeNHSfxNSwKrk6Mdj8vL_z_PFg5_bZZvaa4u9fp87TNd7K0-NuDLBlqklv_PnKga9E3oA9ym-j/s1600/Nason%2527s+Slug.JPG" title="Nason's Slug (Natada nasoni) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
Many slugs are tiny (quarter sized or less) and mostly green. However, many species are adorned with stinging hairs, such as this is Nason's Slug (<i>Natada nasoni</i>). The spines of the Nason's Slug are unique compared to many other slug caterpillars. These spines are actually retractable, and most of the time the caterpillar will only have the tips of the spines exposed. If the caterpillar feels threatened, it will extend its spines and hopefully scare the threat away. If not, the threat (whether it be a bird, human, or whatever) will receive a painful sting. This was a good species to find for the night, as the Nason's Slug is restricted to only the southern and southeastern portions of the state. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGipAinvRGrXPmbREXYm8ojQfoMn5-fEVK1B7h1wvpla7Y-rz9j9bSAlxqi4oPEZKilBIH0x-2OO8RJL8Sak5GUMZxWvjSDFz8eegXJ8KwcnHvIRGJw_5jWKexEH1VUkVc5Onu0NBVB8M/s1600/Saddleback+Side.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Saddleback caterpillar (Acharia stimulea)" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGipAinvRGrXPmbREXYm8ojQfoMn5-fEVK1B7h1wvpla7Y-rz9j9bSAlxqi4oPEZKilBIH0x-2OO8RJL8Sak5GUMZxWvjSDFz8eegXJ8KwcnHvIRGJw_5jWKexEH1VUkVc5Onu0NBVB8M/s1600/Saddleback+Side.JPG" title="Saddleback caterpillar (Acharia stimulea)" width="640" /></a></div>
The highlight of the night<span class="_Tgc">—at least in my opinion</span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc">—was this Saddleback caterpillar (</span></span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Xbe kno-fv"><i>Acharia stimulea</i>). The Saddleback is one of the most well-known slug caterpillars, and it's easy to see why. Even someone who doesn't care about insects would be hard-pressed to ignore one of these cats. As you can tell from the photo above, the common name for this species is due to the circular "saddle" on its back. But if any feature is grabbing your attention, it's most surely all the protruding appendages covered in spines. These spines pack quite a punch. Each spine is rigid, incredibly sharp, and most importantly hollow. At the base of each spine is a venom gland. If a spine comes in contact with exposed skin, it breaks off into the skin and begins releasing venom. The Saddleback's venom is both vesicating and hemolytic, meaning that it causes your skin to blister while also breaking down your red blood cells and damaging your tissue. A sting from one of these caterpillars will cause immediate localized pain (<a href="http://floraofohio.blogspot.com/">fellow blogger Andrew Gibson</a> likened it to "</span></span></span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Xbe kno-fv"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">burning knives"), and in extreme cases can also cause nausea, migraines, and a host of other symptoms. The effects of the venom can last upwards of 5 hours. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GodivO6ewCasxK0mr1Ga1HEUKrUdMZ8r2oWw4c943wPq7Wt8nioUi5xId0qSZgemO7LmuPNEBLzMyLNNaq8wl2cF6oWWw5dYBdRsMrzeaei6tXov6KqsXAScJKo5kr90iaac0knt3ryq/s1600/Saddleback+Face.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Saddleback caterpillar (Acharia stimulea) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1343" data-original-width="1600" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GodivO6ewCasxK0mr1Ga1HEUKrUdMZ8r2oWw4c943wPq7Wt8nioUi5xId0qSZgemO7LmuPNEBLzMyLNNaq8wl2cF6oWWw5dYBdRsMrzeaei6tXov6KqsXAScJKo5kr90iaac0knt3ryq/s1600/Saddleback+Face.JPG" title="Saddleback caterpillar (Acharia stimulea) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
On the front end of the Saddleback are two large white spots. These are thought to mimicking eyes. Fake eyes are common in insects<span class="_Tgc">—</span>especially in Lepidopterans<span class="_Tgc">—and these eye-spots serve to scare away potential predators by either startling the predators or conveying that the animal in question is dangerous. </span><br />
<br />
Like always, this year's Caterwauling for Caterpillars event was fantastic. If you want to read about some of the caterpillars from the first Caterwauling for Caterpillars night, please check out my post entitled "<a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2015/09/caterpillars-caterpillars-and-more.html">Caterpillars, Caterpillars, and More Caterpillars</a>." And if you are interested in seeing some caterpillars yourself, mid-September is the best time for that in Ohio! Get out and see what you can find!Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com0Athens, OH 45701, USA39.3292396 -82.10125540000001439.2309721 -82.262616900000012 39.4275071 -81.939893900000015tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-11242718504908869322017-08-30T20:35:00.000-04:002017-08-31T16:15:19.477-04:00The Trump Administration and the Environment — August 2017 Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgocOGeB6GANZ5ZZCJa9wtRH8BCqKy0mJN1WftyUx8tEW1m1SUrGamEUOjoDANstktQLF1L6y2GAe6SpNCFRFnBqGkPyYowJxlnvkNnhBAIAlnSrNBNrgtIH72Ie1Z9At3n2guoutygw-/s1600/DSC_0433-Edit-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Grand Canyon National Park in the Winter" border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1600" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgocOGeB6GANZ5ZZCJa9wtRH8BCqKy0mJN1WftyUx8tEW1m1SUrGamEUOjoDANstktQLF1L6y2GAe6SpNCFRFnBqGkPyYowJxlnvkNnhBAIAlnSrNBNrgtIH72Ie1Z9At3n2guoutygw-/s1600/DSC_0433-Edit-Edit-Edit-2.jpg" title="Grand Canyon National Park in the Winter" width="640" /></a></div>
Sixteen days into President
Trump’s term, I wrote an editorial entitled “<a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2017/02/follow-up-what-trump-presidency-has.html">What the Trump Presidency Has Meant for the Environment So Far.</a>”
We have now surpassed seven months with President Trump in office, and I want
to give yet another update on how his administration is handling environmental
matters. In my previous post, most of the material I covered had been only
ideas that the administration was considering implementing, or ideological
positions that the people President Trump had surrounded himself with held. Since
that post was published, the Trump Administration has enacted concerning and
downright damaging laws, overturned many beneficial laws and regulations
already in place, and began restricting and suppressing scientists and
scientific research in the government and beyond.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
This post will attempt to collect
and summarize some of the more damaging and harmful actions taken by the Trump
Administration so far with regard to the environment. I want to once again
stress that although my blog does not normally venture into the political
realm, the environment <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">does not</i> exist
within a vacuum. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The actions taken by
politicians have a tremendous effect on the environment.</b> When concerned
with the environment, one cannot help but find themselves concerned with
politics as well.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
I will be examining the
following:</div>
<br />
<ol>
<li>President Trump's opinions and ideals about the environment, and his direct actions.</li>
<li><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->Ryan Zinke and his actions at the Department of the Interior.</li>
<li>Scott Pruitt and his actions at the Environmental Protection Agency.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>President Trump</b></span></h2>
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<br /></div>
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I’ll begin with President Trump
and some “big picture” material. Back in May, President Trump proposed his
budget for the fiscal year that begins on October 1, 2017 and lasts until
September 30, 2018. Before I highlight some of the relevant sections of the
budget, I want to note that this is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">proposed</i>
budget. The president proposes a budget, and then Congress either passes the
budget as is or alters parts of it and then passes the altered budget. Congress
has not begun this process of altering or voting on the proposed budget yet,
and as such the budget will most likely change (possibly dramatically) before
it becomes law. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Regardless, the proposed
budget gives us citizens an insight into what President Trump and his administration
considers important and what they consider unnecessary.</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
This <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/budget/fy2018/budget.pdf">proposed budget</a> includes dramatic cuts to many environmentally-oriented projects and sectors in
the federal government. Here are just a few highlights:</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>A proposed 31% cut in funding for the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This proposed cut involves removing over
3,200 jobs in the EPA, gutting the funding for the EPA enforcement office
(which ensures corporations are following federal environmental regulations),
ending programs aimed at cleaning the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay, and a
whole lot more. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/05/22/epa-remains-top-target-with-trump-administration-proposing-31-percent-budget-cut/?utm_term=.030da0ce8a39">Source</a>)
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>It would cut funding for the Department of
Energy, primarily cutting funding for the DOE’s Office of Science which funds
research on climate change, biology, and the environment. (<a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/05/what-s-trump-s-2018-budget-request-science">Source</a>)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>It would cut funding for the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, most notably to their weather satellite program
which helps meteorologists more accurately predict the weather. (<a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/05/what-s-trump-s-2018-budget-request-science">Source</a>)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>It would cut $3.1 billion in funding for the
National Science Foundation, which helps fund research projects at universities
and research facilities all across the United States. This would result in many
graduate students and professors being unable to carry out their research. (<a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/05/what-s-trump-s-2018-budget-request-science">Source</a>)</li>
</ul>
<br />
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As the proposed budget shows,
President Trump does not care much for scientific research and protecting the
environment. President Trump’s disregard for the environment was further
underscored with his decision to pull the United States out of the Paris
Climate Accord. The Paris Climate Accord is an international agreement that
aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to stymie the rate of
anthropogenic climate change. This agreement was originally signed by <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">195 countries</b>, including the United
States. The only countries to not sign the agreement were Syria (due to their
preoccupation with the Syrian Civil War) and Nicaragua (who thought the
agreement did not go far enough). (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/05/31/why-nicaragua-and-syria-didnt-join-the-paris-climate-accord/">Source</a>)
However, President Trump announced in early June that the United States would
be pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord, an unprecedented move that was
harshly criticized across the world. (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/climate/trump-paris-climate-agreement.html">Source</a>)
The Paris Climate Accord did not come without concerns, but the vast majority of
the world agreed it was a move in the right direction. </div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwOCxHxFkn5kXBQ8UHl2672V-sF9Gad6UxB6DKKEfDF2Fq5XNiucVs40wjeIk79vxih2yI7hZqH3m6ogB67FYdqBg99lYprmMueFADzCswhvmiORwus7PR_fJp3CwhlBApuQOS7vTHQGT/s1600/Chinese+Hoax.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Donald Trump's Chinese Hoax Tweet" border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="756" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwOCxHxFkn5kXBQ8UHl2672V-sF9Gad6UxB6DKKEfDF2Fq5XNiucVs40wjeIk79vxih2yI7hZqH3m6ogB67FYdqBg99lYprmMueFADzCswhvmiORwus7PR_fJp3CwhlBApuQOS7vTHQGT/s1600/Chinese+Hoax.PNG" title="Donald Trump's Chinese Hoax Tweet" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A screen capture of this tweet: <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/265895292191248385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
President Trump claimed that the
Paris Climate Accord placed unfair environmental standards and regulations on
the businesses in the United States, harming the economy here in the United
States. (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/01/climate/trump-paris-climate-agreement.html?mcubz=0">Source</a>)
The problem is, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">letting climate change
go unchecked will result in more of a negative economic impact than the
economic costs associated with attempting to lessen the effects of climate
change.</b> Estimating the overall economic impacts of climate change is
difficult, but most studies find that the long term (i.e. over the course of
100 years) effects will be harmful to the economy. (<a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jep.23.2.29">Source</a>
) Interestingly, the sections of the United States which voted heavily for
Trump, such as the southeast, are often the sections which are predicted to
experience the worst economic effects from climate change. (<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/29/534896130/mapping-the-potential-economic-effects-of-climate-change">Source</a>)
In addition to the economic effects of climate change, the Pentagon considers
climate change to pose a significant threat to the security of the United
States. (<a href="https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/Newsroom/Reports%20and%20Pubs/Implications_for_US_National_Security_of_Anticipated_Climate_Change.pdf">Source</a>)
Despite all of this, President Trump does not acknowledge climate change as a
threat to our economy, security of our nation, or even as real threat itself. (<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/31/politics/trump-paris-climate-decision-pentagon/index.html">Source</a>)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">President Trump has famously, and repeatedly,
claimed that anthropogenic climate change is not real</b>, even going as far as
to claim climate change was “<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/265895292191248385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">created by and for the Chinese.</a>” (<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/08/politics/trump-global-warming/index.html">Source</a>) </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
President Trump is doing more
than refusing to take actions to slow the effects of climate change. He is
proposing actions that would actually exacerbate the effects of climate change.
President Trump wants to increase the rate of fossil fuel extraction in the
United States, including ending the supposed “war on coal.” (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/08/23/as-trump-ranted-and-rambled-in-phoenix-his-crowd-slowly-thinned/">Source</a>)
The problem is, there is no “war on coal.” Coal mining did not begin dying due
to environmental regulations, but instead began dying due to market factors.
The automation of the coal mining process, the waning market demand for coal,
and the rise of cheaper coal alternatives (such as cheap natural gas) has
killed coal. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/11/04/heres-why-central-appalachias-coal-industry-is-dying/">Source</a>)
Coal is not coming back because the changing times have rendered it unwanted
and ineffective. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">President Trump’s failure to act on climate change is just one example
of him failing to plan for the long term, instead only focusing on short term
gains at the expense of long term stability and growth for the United States
and the world.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYthVfhj7WJsfGritnX-Qddh0uS9NM0bqU5PQmSoyJvPyMVAV3reYU7HNpYEjeP5ZQltnPWX7aeA7nwRFxnTuzMOOHIseOK8HclzoOwxX7kEr8fEoEV4ej5r0AJix2DtG-UpdGYuo7FWz/s1600/Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Montezuma Pass Huachuca Mountains Arizona" border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGYthVfhj7WJsfGritnX-Qddh0uS9NM0bqU5PQmSoyJvPyMVAV3reYU7HNpYEjeP5ZQltnPWX7aeA7nwRFxnTuzMOOHIseOK8HclzoOwxX7kEr8fEoEV4ej5r0AJix2DtG-UpdGYuo7FWz/s1600/Border.jpg" title="Montezuma Pass Huachuca Mountains Arizona" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down at the United States - Mexico border (in the valley) from the Huachuca Mountains in Arizona.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
In addition to actions that would
harm the environment on a large scale, President Trump is also taking actions
which would cause irreparable harm to the environment on a finer, smaller scale.
For example, President Trump’s proposed border wall would permanently damage
the wildlife and habitats along the border. A concrete border wall would
interrupt animal migration routes, increase desert flooding, and fragment wildlife
and plant populations and sensitive habitats. (<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/02/17/514356130/the-environmental-consequences-of-a-wall-on-the-u-s-mexico-border">Source</a>)
Normally, projects like this would require an intensive environmental impact
assessment, but the Trump administration plans to instead exploit a loophole
that would allow the government to bypass environmental laws aimed at mitigating
negative impacts. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-energy-202/2017/08/02/the-energy-202-trump-to-waive-environmental-rules-to-construct-border-wall/5980d6c030fb045fdaef1061/?utm_term=.b25ef7a36172">Source</a>
) If the border wall is funded in the end, this bypassing of environmental laws
would allow the Trump administration to go ahead with the project without
knowing how the wall would impact the environment, and how to best mitigate
those impacts.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
The proposed border wall would
also directly impact recreation along the border, taking away recreational
opportunities from the public and consequently drying up the revenue that such
recreation brings to local economies. For example, the border wall is currently
planned to travel through the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in Texas,
which is often considered the “crown jewel” of the national wildlife refuge
system and is a top international birding destination due to the rarities it
attracts. This current plan would result in the border wall completely ending
public access to Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. The national wildlife
refuge currently draws 165,000 visitors a year and brings in $463 million a
year for the local economy, and the border wall would end this visitation and
the money it brings. (<a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-texas-border-wall-20170717-story.html">Source</a>)
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUR7it-mkxjw1f35CgatnLBxDZ98VeeGrx4QHm8Qsyb4di75l-u0odrz8vAIlWn-nuthYHCRvi_mZKy1HtHQix6wFiID8Mf3UI15cVIICVSPZF-Z0U2MgQbWyhnMZI_BQJrwsigf1YEBA/s1600/DSC_0996-Edit-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rocky Mountain National Park" border="0" data-original-height="1015" data-original-width="1600" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUR7it-mkxjw1f35CgatnLBxDZ98VeeGrx4QHm8Qsyb4di75l-u0odrz8vAIlWn-nuthYHCRvi_mZKy1HtHQix6wFiID8Mf3UI15cVIICVSPZF-Z0U2MgQbWyhnMZI_BQJrwsigf1YEBA/s1600/DSC_0996-Edit-Edit.jpg" title="Rocky Mountain National Park" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">National Parks<span class="_Tgc">—like Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park</span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc">—could find themselves closed down for an unknown period of time if the government shuts down over funding for President Trump's border wall.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
The fight for the border wall
could also harm environmental recreation across the nation, not just along the border.
On August 22, 2017, President Trump threatened to allow the government to shut
down if Congress didn’t allot funding for the border wall when it came time to
approve the fiscal year budget. (<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-team-escalates-threats-shutdown-government-n795506">Source</a>)
If this government shut down occurs, the national parks (among other areas) in
the United States will shut down too. (<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/24/what-happens-in-a-government-shutdown/100838716/">Source</a>)
National park visitation generates over $32 billion a year, and many small
communities near national parks are dependent on visitation to the parks. (<a href="https://www.npca.org/articles/1195-national-park-visitation-generated-32-billion-for-national-economy-in-2015">Source</a>).
If the government shuts down for even a few days, this will dry up some of the
money flowing into these local economies, harming many communities. The last
time the federal government shut down, the National Park Service lost $450,000 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a day</i> in revenue and the national
economy suffered a $2.4 billion loss in travel spending. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/federal-eye/wp/2013/10/18/how-much-did-the-shutdown-cost-the-economy/">Source</a>)
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Is the environmental, recreational, and fiscal cost of a border wall
worth it? Not at all.</b> First, the number of illegal immigrants within the US
has been stable since 2009. (<a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/09/21/unauthorized-immigrant-population-stable-for-half-a-decade/">Source</a>)
Second, the vast majority of those currently in the US illegally did not come
by illegally crossing the border; instead, the vast majority did so simply by
overstaying their legally-obtained visa. (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/06/us/politics/undocumented-illegal-immigrants.html?mcubz=0">Source</a>)
Consequently, regardless of whether you think illegal immigration is a problem,
a border wall does not make logical sense to stop the flow, especially at all
the costs<span class="tgc">—from environmental to recreational to fiscal—that
such a wall would bring. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc">Overall,
President Trump’s actions and words have shown that he does not base his
actions on data and logic. This ideology was recently put into official words
by Scott Pruitt, President Trump’s appointed head administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt recently said in an interview that
science shouldn’t be used to “dictate policy.” (<a href="http://grist.org/briefly/scott-pruitt-doesnt-want-to-politicize-science/">Source</a>)
President Trump has also shown that he does not place any importance on
environmental stewardship. This is unacceptable for a president, or anyone in a
position of power for that matter.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="tgc">Ryan Zinke and the </span></b></span></h2>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="tgc">Department of the Interior</span></b></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc">The Department of
the Interior (DOI) is a federal department whose tasks include </span>managing
lands such as National Parks, National Monuments, and Bureau of Land Management
lands. The DOI also oversees the management of natural resources on those lands,
including who can access and extract those resources, and how they can extract
them. The DOI is currently overseen by Secretary Ryan Zinke.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaEXKouP-v1LVS86Nw79WhY8muPBCsaePgP2foTDpax1TrDCrJ75lad1VjgqR-bQVsXECb_Y3kCuLSvgDi7U6rTWk2wjICOs8BrOCs3Q9gs9ICLRmj8fndNcdqOrZZSI1iJtAFw7C6OUf/s1600/Grand+Staircase+Canyon+Country.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument" border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1600" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaEXKouP-v1LVS86Nw79WhY8muPBCsaePgP2foTDpax1TrDCrJ75lad1VjgqR-bQVsXECb_Y3kCuLSvgDi7U6rTWk2wjICOs8BrOCs3Q9gs9ICLRmj8fndNcdqOrZZSI1iJtAFw7C6OUf/s1600/Grand+Staircase+Canyon+Country.jpg" title="Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slickrock as far as the eye can see, with the Escalante River Canyon cutting through the middle. This section of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument might soon be cut from the monument.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Secretary Zinke entered the news
in late April when he announced that the Dept. of the Interior would be
launching a review of all the national monuments which had been created over
the past 20 years and were at least 100,000 acres in size. (<a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/apr/25/ryan-zinke-review-national-monuments-including-gra/">Source</a>)
The goal of this review was to decide whether any of the national monuments in
question should be reduced in size, or even completely eliminated. Unlike
National Parks, which are created by Congress, National Monuments are created
by presidential power as defined in the 1906 Antiquities Act. (<a href="https://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/anti1906.htm">Source</a>)
As I mentioned in <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2017/02/follow-up-what-trump-presidency-has.html">my previous post</a>,
there’s been a push from conservatives to get rid of federal public land,
either by ceding the land back to the states or by selling them off to private
entities. But public land offers many benefits to the citizens of the US,
including recreational opportunities, which in turn bolsters the economies of
small towns near the public lands. (<a href="https://outdoorindustry.org/pdf/OIA_OutdoorRecEconomyReport2012.pdf">Source</a>)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Most importantly, these public lands
protect many historically and ecologically significant areas of the United
States.</b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc">On August 24,
2017, the results of the national monuments review were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">somewhat</i> announced. Thankfully, no national monuments were
recommended for elimination. (</span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/24/politics/zinke-national-monument-review-no-eliminations/index.html">Source</a><span class="tgc">) However, it was recommended that the sizes of three national
monuments be reduced. (</span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/08/24/interior-secretary-recommends-trump-alter-a-handful-of-national-monuments-but-declines-to-reveal-which-ones/">Source</a><span class="tgc">) These three national monuments include Cascade-Siskiyou in Oregon,
Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah, and the recently-created Bears Ears in Utah.
By how much will these three national monuments be reduced? Well, we currently
don’t know; Zinke and the DOI hasn’t made the final review available to the
public. (</span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/24/politics/zinke-national-monument-review-no-eliminations/index.html">Source</a><span class="tgc">) This in itself raises questions; if the review was finalized (as it
had to be by August 24), then why wasn’t it released to the public? Why the
secrecy?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc">Regardless, the
recommended reductions will likely be significant in size. This is distressing
for many reasons. Bears Ears National Monument, for example, was designated by
President Obama in 2016 in order to protect over 100,000 Native American
archaeological sites, Native American holy land, and land that held ample
recreation opportunities. (</span><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/tribes-gear-up-for-major-legal-battle-with-trump-over-bears-ears-national-monument-f13373856882/">Source</a><span class="tgc">) This area of Utah had long been damaged by unchecked use; illegal
off-roading destroyed archaeological sites and damaged natural areas, looters
ransacked many of the archaeological sites in search of artifacts to illegally
sell, and unmanaged recreation in general degraded the land and archaeological
sites. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This area needed protection.</b>
By designating it as a national monument, law enforcement activity and land
management could be better organized and funded, offering a better, more
efficient way to protect all of the important features of the land while also
facilitating recreation in the area in a less impactful manner. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15TUcaGqh0mCwsVGtEnkIPeK2AS9A4QYtZ11Bb4E3Lvz6Kcrk-BBCvaj562lf7Tp9hlB7u7pHFZGI6c5Qsu1bhAVnICm3JmpL2SebMOW5fIecEbjCC9WkOqhrJSqDW_kUDku_G-2JkPO2/s1600/DSC_0872-Edit-Edit-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Grosvenor Arch Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15TUcaGqh0mCwsVGtEnkIPeK2AS9A4QYtZ11Bb4E3Lvz6Kcrk-BBCvaj562lf7Tp9hlB7u7pHFZGI6c5Qsu1bhAVnICm3JmpL2SebMOW5fIecEbjCC9WkOqhrJSqDW_kUDku_G-2JkPO2/s1600/DSC_0872-Edit-Edit-Edit.jpg" title="Grosvenor Arch Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grosvenor Arch in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Arizona. Grosvenor Arch is just one of the many places at risk of losing protection.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc"></span><span class="tgc">Hearing that
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was recommended for size reduction
was especially sad for me. In 2016, I spent several days exploring Grand
Staircase-Escalante. Although I only just scrapped the surface of the national
monument, I was blown away by the beauty and the history—both archaeological
and geological—of the area. It is something special, and it deserves to be
protected. Reducing the size of this American treasure would be nothing less
than a travesty. </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc">Reducing the size
of our public lands isn’t the only action Zinke and the DOI is taking or attempting
to take. Zinke is also directing the DOI to open up public lands for more
resource extraction, while simultaneously rolling back regulations intended to
protect public lands. For example, on July 25, 2017, Zinke officially proposed axing
a law on fracking that was intended to “</span>Ensure that wells are properly
constructed to protect water supplies, make certain that the fluids that flow
back to the surface as a result of hydraulic fracturing operations are managed
in an environmentally responsible way, and provide public disclosure of the
chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing fluids.” (<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/07/25/2017-15696/oil-and-gas-hydraulic-fracturing-on-federal-and-indian-lands-rescission-of-a-2015-rule">Source</a>)
Zinke claimed that this law imposed “burdensome reporting requirements and
other unjustified costs on the oil and gas industry.” (<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/07/25/2017-15696/oil-and-gas-hydraulic-fracturing-on-federal-and-indian-lands-rescission-of-a-2015-rule">Source</a>)
That’s right<span class="tgc">—the profit margins of the oil and gas energy is
more important in the eyes of the Trump Administration than ensuring that our
water supplies are safely protected. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc">Zinke has called
for increasing offshore drilling. (</span><a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/colorado/articles/2017-06-27/zinke-calls-for-fewer-barriers-to-development-on-public-land">Source</a><span class="tgc">) He has called for increasing coal mining operations on public
lands. (</span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/06/us/politics/under-trump-coal-mining-gets-new-life-on-us-lands.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur">Source</a><span class="tgc">) He has announced that the government will relax protection for the
declining Greater Sage Grouse, a species whose habitat is being destroyed by
land and energy development. And why is Zinke relaxing protection for the
Greater Sage Grouse? To lower the restrictions on energy development within
Greater Sage Grouse habitat, of course. (</span><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/7/ryan-zinke-relax-obama-era-rules-sage-grouse/">Source</a><span class="tgc">) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I’m not saying that we shouldn’t utilize
federal lands in any capacity for natural resource extraction.</b> Some natural
resource extractions can be beneficial both for economically and ecologically.
One such case involves strategic logging, which can create habitat for species that
require young forest habitats. For example, managing forests for oaks and
hickories (by logging other species) helps create habitat for the Cerulean
Warbler, a species that’s in severe decline. (</span><a href="https://www.athensnews.com/news/local/area-couple-works-to-regenerate-oak-and-hickory/article_a31c1d6e-e623-11e5-8023-cbf885332a45.html">Source</a><span class="tgc">) Another example is the <a href="http://www2.humboldt.edu/wildlife/faculty/johnson/forest/imageH1M.JPG">shelterwood cut</a>,</span><span class="tgc"> which can create successional growth habitats for declining bird
species like Prairie Warblers and Yellow-Breasted Chats. (</span><a href="https://senr.osu.edu/sites/senr/files/imce/files/news_items/ForestManagement_web.pdf">Source</a><span class="tgc">) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc">The problem comes
when we place an emphasis on extractions for resources that are either on their
way out, or push for extraction methods which are more damaging than beneficial
to a given area. Renewable energy is the future, and fossil fuels are the past.
Energy use from renewable sources is growing much faster than energy use from
fossil fuels. (</span><a href="http://time.com/4662116/renewable-energy-fossil-fuels-growth/">Source</a><span class="tgc">) Although the majority of the energy utilized in the US still comes
from fossil fuels, the writing is on the wall. The Trump administration needs
to recognize this and begin investing in the future, instead of trying to
prolong a dying giant.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc">In April, Zinke
said “I’m a Teddy Roosevelt guy! ... No one loves public land more than I do!” (<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/04/25/press-briefing-secretary-interior-ryan-zinke-executive-order-review">Source</a>)
Teddy Roosevelt would have quite a problem with Zinke’s statement. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Zinke’s actions have shown that he values
the oil and gas industry much more than the public lands he supposedly loves. </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc">What would Teddy
Roosevelt think? One has to look no further than his May 13, 1908 <a href="http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/site/c.elKSIdOWIiJ8H/b.8344385/k.114A/The_Conservationist.htm">speech at the Conference on the Conservation of Natural Resources</a></span><span class="tgc">: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“</b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">We have become great because of the lavish
use of our resources. But the time has come to inquire seriously what will
happen when our forests are gone, when the coal, the iron, the oil, and the gas
are exhausted, when the soils have still further impoverished and washed into
the streams, polluting the rivers, denuding the fields and obstructing
navigation.” </b><span class="tgc"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="tgc"><b>Scott Pruitt and the EPA</b></span></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) is a government agency whose mission is to protect both the environment
and American citizens from significant threats, such as pollution or the
effects of climate change. Sadly, the EPA under the Trump Administration has
been at the forefront of rolling back environmental regulations, disregarding
climate change education and action, and suppressing science and scientists.
This is no surprise, as Scott Pruitt was selected by President Trump to lead
the EPA. Pruitt<span class="tgc">—</span>who has sued the agency he now leads 14
times<span class="tgc">—</span>is striving to fundamentally break down any
positive environmental actions that the EPA has previously taken, or could
currently take. (<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3290872-Pruitt-v-EPA-a-Compilation-of-Oklahoma-14.html">Source</a>) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAH5mL35oTg2qTXR5Dw2gEZmirDJ0yJYv4c1ZqzXzvTypdn4IOMTwHRMZKd2FSFElaarWUebv4oYGEz2jLX-M41NSLgTEAcfIka9lQ3r10SS6QmTA7IlF2LVXR7-m4bJAgsm_FjqpfvxBh/s1600/Clean+Water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Lake Erie Storm at Sunset" border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAH5mL35oTg2qTXR5Dw2gEZmirDJ0yJYv4c1ZqzXzvTypdn4IOMTwHRMZKd2FSFElaarWUebv4oYGEz2jLX-M41NSLgTEAcfIka9lQ3r10SS6QmTA7IlF2LVXR7-m4bJAgsm_FjqpfvxBh/s1600/Clean+Water.jpg" title="Lake Erie Storm at Sunset" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Erie, a large body of navigable water that benefits from environmental regulations like the Clean Water Rule.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Let’s look at just three
regulations the EPA is in the process of rolling back. Pruitt proposed that the
EPA repeal the Clean Water Rule. (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/27/epa-clean-water-rule-drinking">Source</a><span class="MsoHyperlink">) </span>The Clean Water Rule was originally implemented to
protect “navigable” waterways from pollutants and other dangers. Pruitt is also
attempting to repeal a 2015 rule that regulated the amount of toxic metals
power plants could dump into waterways. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/04/13/trump-administration-halts-obama-era-rule-aimed-at-curbing-toxic-wastewater-from-coal-plants/">Source</a>
) This regulation was essentially aimed at limiting the amount of toxic metals<span class="tgc">—</span>such as mercury and arsenic<span class="tgc">—</span>that power
plants would routinely dump into rivers and other waterways when expelling
wastewater. When asked why the EPA was trying to repeal this rule, Pruitt said
“Some of our nation’s largest job producers have objected to this rule.” (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/04/13/trump-administration-halts-obama-era-rule-aimed-at-curbing-toxic-wastewater-from-coal-plants/">Source</a>)
Although this regulation would have surely strained the economic bottom line of
power plants, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the quality of our water
is much more important than profit margins.</b> As we saw with Zinke and the
DOI, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pruitt and the EPA are placing an
emphasis on the profits of corporations rather than the health and safety of us
citizens and our environment.</b> Lastly, Pruitt is directing the EPA to
rewrite the Clean Power Plan. (<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-28/clean-power-plan-suit-shelved-short-of-resolution-by-u-s-court">Source</a><span class="MsoHyperlink">)</span> The Clean Power Plan was initially created to aid
the US in its transition from climate-change inducing fossil fuels to
environmentally-friendly renewable energy sources by regulating carbon dioxide
emissions and promoting renewable energy sources. Not only would the Clean
Power Plan help lessen the effects of climate change by quickening the
transition from fossil fuel use to clean energy use, but it was also projected
to prevent 90,000 asthma attacks and 3,600 premature deaths <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a year</i>. (<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/04/politics/scientist-clean-power-plan-repeal-trump/index.html">Source</a>)
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">With
this action, Pruitt<span class="tgc">—and ultimately President Trump—shows us
that your health and livelihood mean nothing next to a corporation’s profit
margins.</span></b><span class="tgc"> </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
In addition to rolling back
important environmental regulations, Pruitt is actively purging scientists from
the EPA. Pruitt dismissed most of the EPA’s Board of Scientific Counselors,
which is a board made up of scientists who are very familiar with environmental
sciences. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/06/20/trump-administration-to-decline-to-renew-dozens-of-scientists-for-key-epa-advisory-board/">Source</a>
) This board is dedicated to addressing whether the EPA is acting on sound
scientific research. The fear, expressed by those who worked in the EPA, is
that Pruitt will now appoint industry lobbyists to the Board of Scientific
Counselors, instead of objective scientists. (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/07/us/politics/epa-dismisses-members-of-major-scientific-review-board.html?_r=0">Source</a>)
This fear was only strengthened when a memo that was circulating among Pruitt’s
upper-level team was made public. This memo included a list of climate change
deniers, with that list being labelled as “climate scientists.” (<a href="https://www.nature.com/news/fears-rise-for-us-climate-report-as-trump-officials-take-reins-1.22391">Source</a>)
This list, which was compiled by an outside climate change denier group called
the Heartland Institute (<a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/climate-change-skeptic-group-seeks-to-influence-200000-teachers/">Source</a>
and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/climate-skeptic-group-works-to-reverse-renewable-energy-mandates/2012/11/24/124faaa0-3517-11e2-9cfa-e41bac906cc9_story.html">Source</a>), is thought to be a list from which Pruitt will choose replacements for the
Board of Scientific Counselors and other such committees. If such people are
appointed, they will not have the goal of the EPA in mind and will only serve
to cause more damage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Arguably the most concerning of
Pruitt’s actions surround his continued denial and fundamental misunderstanding
of anthropogenic climate change. Anthropogenic climate change is the biggest
threat humanity is facing. Pruitt’s views on climate change are not only
flawed, but dangerous for the United States and the world. Initially, he denied
climate change was occurring. (<a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/article/435470/climate-change-attorneys-general-overstep-their-authority">Source</a>)
Then he changed that view and said that climate change was occurring, which
seemed a step in the right direction. (<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/18/politics/scott-pruitt-epa-hearing/">Source</a>)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then he took a step back and said that
humans are not at the root cause of climate change. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/01/18/bernie-sanders-to-scott-pruitt-why-is-the-climate-changing/">Source</a>)
And then, in March, he came out and said that he does not think carbon dioxide
is the main driver of the current climate change we are seeing (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/30/climate/scott-pruitt-climate-change-red-team.html">Source</a>).
This is all just wrong, and goes against decades of data-driven and rigorously
peer-reviewed scientific conclusions. The climate is changing right now, and
it’s due primarily to human actions, and the main driver is carbon dioxide which
is being released by human actions. (If you have questions or doubts about
climate change, please see the following helpful resources which will answer
any relevant questions: <a href="https://www.skepticalscience.com/argument.php">Resource 1</a> and <a href="https://grist.org/series/skeptics/">Resource 2</a>) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">It’s incredibly concerning that the
head of an agency who mission is to protect us and the environment refuses to
acknowledge the facts behind the biggest environmental threat we are facing.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Pruitt is charging ahead with willfully misguided
actions on climate change that are driven by his fundamentally flawed views
about the subject itself. For example, he is taking direct actions to remove
and censor pages about climate change on the EPA website. In late April, under
approval by Pruitt, the EPA removed the vast majority of its climate change
information. (<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/29/politics/epa-climate-change-website/index.html">Source</a>)
This action was coupled with a statement on the EPA website that claimed “[The
EPA is] currently updating our website to reflect EPA’s priorities under the
leadership of President Trump and Administrator Pruitt.” (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/04/28/epa-website-removes-climate-science-site-from-public-view-after-two-decades/">Source</a>)
This censorship about climate change has extended to other departments and agencies
in the federal government as well. Employees of the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA), for example, were directed to stop using the term “climate
change,” and instead use “weather extremes.” (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/07/usda-climate-change-language-censorship-emails">Source</a>)
The National Institute of Health’s website also underwent similar changes, with
parts of their website deleting references to “climate change.” (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/08/23/nih-unit-deletes-references-to-climate-change/">Source</a>)
</div>
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One of the most problematic
aspects of Pruitt’s actions at the EPA involves the extent<span class="tgc"> of</span>
all the changes. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Much of his actions
have been shrouded in secrecy to some capacity, rendering us citizens unaware
of the true extent of the damage he is creating, and just how far he has
dismantled the EPA.</b> (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/11/us/politics/scott-pruitt-epa.html">Source</a>)
It is obvious that Pruitt is trying to dismantle the EPA, and this should not
come as a surprise. Steve Bannon<span class="tgc">—President Trump’s former White
House Chief Strategist—</span>famously said in a speech that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pruitt and the other cabinet administrators
and secretaries “Were selected for a reason, and that is deconstruction.”</b> (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/top-wh-strategist-vows-a-daily-fight-for-deconstruction-of-the-administrative-state/2017/02/23/03f6b8da-f9ea-11e6-bf01-d47f8cf9b643_story.html">Source</a>)
Although we might not know the true extent of the damage that Pruitt will have
caused at the EPA until he leaves office, we at least know that it will be
alarmingly significant.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHm8Z33MYSPBYcu2hCfnhYeN5lLq4axLSe8O34AlZxANBgHUoGq3SL0QyyL7wDHFEGC-MvPFCHBfsT2FN47tElL9mpX_l9hRUX0KyJL04Chrsilf5P-OVAqSjBUEUUJUBLKrRSEOO0D154/s1600/Our+Environment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mustang Mountains, Arizona, at Dusk" border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="1600" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHm8Z33MYSPBYcu2hCfnhYeN5lLq4axLSe8O34AlZxANBgHUoGq3SL0QyyL7wDHFEGC-MvPFCHBfsT2FN47tElL9mpX_l9hRUX0KyJL04Chrsilf5P-OVAqSjBUEUUJUBLKrRSEOO0D154/s1600/Our+Environment.jpg" title="Mustang Mountains, Arizona, at Dusk" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Protecting <i>Our</i> Environment</b></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
The troubling times continue. We
are only 7 months into President Trump’s term, and the actions we have seen him
and his administration take have been overwhelmingly detrimental to the health
and future of our environment and our livelihood. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">These actions<span class="tgc">—especially the actions with regard to
climate change—will harm us and the environment for decades, if not centuries,
to come. </span></b><span class="tgc"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc">People are angry,
and for many this anger has led way to despair. We have to be sure to not fall
to this despair though—to not fall to defeatism and give up without a fight. We
cannot give up and simply throw in the towel when it comes to the fight for
protecting our environment. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc">President Trump
says he wants to “Make America Great Again.” His actions, however, have done
anything but that. The health of the environment directly affects the health
and well-being of you and I, and promoting the destruction of the environment
only worsens our future. And yet this is what we see President Trump and his administration
doing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">every day</i>. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">We must hold President Trump, his
Administration, and the Congress accountable. We must voice our opinions. We
must make a stand. </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc">Reach out to your
Congressional and State Representatives and Senators, regardless of their
political affiliation. Send emails, make phone calls, show up to their offices
and town halls. Attend peaceful protests. Pay attention to the news, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stay informed</i>. Get involved at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> levels of the government if you can,
especially the lower rungs. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">It is easier
to effect change from the bottom up than the top down.</b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span class="tgc">Don’t be silent.
Don’t be defeated. Don’t give up. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"To announce there must
be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president,
right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public" - Theodore Roosevelt</b><span class="tgc"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="tgc"></span>
</span></div>
</blockquote>
</div>
Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com0United States37.09024 -95.712891000000013-36.4162205 99.052733999999987 90 69.521483999999987tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-61899585277158837462017-08-24T13:09:00.001-04:002017-08-24T13:09:09.376-04:00Wayne National Forest Internship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4RrURvMLqbxmyQtSKid7Eaqf6uBjmw3hBDT8jx4vj2xhaJvpOtfY8nIudJExWGSUFvb2f3gHMi42vZIoZYNvi1xx7ptKRyJ9XlGEby-cRIasyhTKIuvP3Y3CTgHaA-T8_R2XOg21GFnT/s1600/Wayne+Sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wayne National Forest Headquarters" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4RrURvMLqbxmyQtSKid7Eaqf6uBjmw3hBDT8jx4vj2xhaJvpOtfY8nIudJExWGSUFvb2f3gHMi42vZIoZYNvi1xx7ptKRyJ9XlGEby-cRIasyhTKIuvP3Y3CTgHaA-T8_R2XOg21GFnT/s1600/Wayne+Sign.jpg" title="Wayne National Forest Headquarters" width="640" /></a></div>
This summer I had the opportunity to intern at Wayne National Forest, Ohio's only national forest. This internship was focused on wildlife biology, and was part of a larger joint venture between Ohio University and the United States Forest Service out of Wayne National Forest. The main project that I worked on was an environmental impact assessment for a proposed mountain bike trail system.<br />
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Beginning in early May, I and another wildlife intern from Ohio University were tasked with surveying the wildlife along an approximate 30 mile section of the proposed trail route. We found many interesting animals and plants over the course of the summer, including discovering two new populations of a state-endangered dragonfly and documenting the first-ever Brown Creeper breeding attempt in the southeastern portion of Ohio.<br />
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In addition to assisting with the wildlife portion of the environmental impact assessment, I was given the opportunity to do some guest blogging about my internship experience on the <a href="http://www.ohio-forum.com/"><b>Ohio University College of Arts and Sciences Forum</b></a>. I wanted to share the four posts that I wrote for the Arts and Sciences Forum on my personal blog for anyone that was interested in reading them. Simply click on the links on the titles of the posts below. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8ppjqrrizqsc2jlM-IcEV3NdKT0Zk9b84fnqkKaR-7ZDgWR-Paknlo2MLefsg4eJBhQG_4ypQNCvYQ7yjzK80KpscZrVWOZx4-3k0J_ocHEfOndWn8aoqLB8wlKWvYXF-B1eEsBer5jv/s1600/Blue+Corporal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blue Corporal Dragonfly Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1144" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8ppjqrrizqsc2jlM-IcEV3NdKT0Zk9b84fnqkKaR-7ZDgWR-Paknlo2MLefsg4eJBhQG_4ypQNCvYQ7yjzK80KpscZrVWOZx4-3k0J_ocHEfOndWn8aoqLB8wlKWvYXF-B1eEsBer5jv/s1600/Blue+Corporal.jpg" title="Blue Corporal Dragonfly Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">First Post: <b><a href="http://www.ohio-forum.com/2017/05/working-wayne-introduction/">Working on the Wayne | ‘I Wanted to Get My Boots Dirty’</a></b></span><br />
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This first post gives an introduction to the project I worked on, and goes over a few of the initial findings of note.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQs45G0EVKP7Urh1NDclv61CpkqTd1ZdOjIcgDAEGvvbIW3Talb_dltmIhT4g1gWuD0sct1kmibNF8X2AerwBku4eri9fcj3Poi75fOlJbNefVGBR-YS2wyZ2kwu7gfL3WU29Jo4pPyd6/s1600/Northern+Metalmark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Northern Metalmark " border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQs45G0EVKP7Urh1NDclv61CpkqTd1ZdOjIcgDAEGvvbIW3Talb_dltmIhT4g1gWuD0sct1kmibNF8X2AerwBku4eri9fcj3Poi75fOlJbNefVGBR-YS2wyZ2kwu7gfL3WU29Jo4pPyd6/s1600/Northern+Metalmark.jpg" title="Northern Metalmark " width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Second Post: <b><a href="http://www.ohio-forum.com/2017/06/working-wayne-awesome-arthropods-abound/">Working on the Wayne | Awesome Arthropods Abound</a></b></span><br />
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Arthropods are cool, and I saw many an awesome arthropod this summer. This post explores a few of the stand-out species, including the Camouflaged Looper, Luna Moth, and the rare Northern Metalmark (pictured above). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizINQ4d99A8cpQaZ1mg09I5kcM7uEa3JsIuWDydIE9W-HwmeEwebgKvPaTq_V8vNn7wC-zNTCzYVN0dEBdfvy-6cLXNyz2KqhM-qJNcehfGWgg55sGi5VcIR-r3jU3EaBcoloPvuqzA2uy/s1600/Northern+Copperhead+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Copperhead Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizINQ4d99A8cpQaZ1mg09I5kcM7uEa3JsIuWDydIE9W-HwmeEwebgKvPaTq_V8vNn7wC-zNTCzYVN0dEBdfvy-6cLXNyz2KqhM-qJNcehfGWgg55sGi5VcIR-r3jU3EaBcoloPvuqzA2uy/s1600/Northern+Copperhead+Resized.jpg" title="Copperhead Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Third Post: <b><a href="http://www.ohio-forum.com/2017/08/working-wayne-snazzy-snakes/">Working on the Wayne | Snazzy Snakes</a></b></span><br />
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What's cooler than arthropods? <i>Snakes</i>. This post goes over a few of the common snakes of southeastern Ohio, and attempts to dispel some of the common misconceptions about them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1_bCDQj-nn-M74nuw_az_Cgsb8_JetBt86be7EqnZOUvRqC7Yph2mZmTDTGicBByujFThJnOtjRmm7yxCpK_UXn8evVVngSE8muhN16aw48tXoxRpKAhyeo8VxR1axNG5wNoK80_6KBI/s1600/Brown+Creeper+at+Nest+Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Brown Creeper on Nest" border="0" data-original-height="1570" data-original-width="1600" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq1_bCDQj-nn-M74nuw_az_Cgsb8_JetBt86be7EqnZOUvRqC7Yph2mZmTDTGicBByujFThJnOtjRmm7yxCpK_UXn8evVVngSE8muhN16aw48tXoxRpKAhyeo8VxR1axNG5wNoK80_6KBI/s1600/Brown+Creeper+at+Nest+Cropped.jpg" title="Brown Creeper on Nest" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Fourth Post: <a href="http://www.ohio-forum.com/2017/08/working-wayne-ending-note/"><b>Working on the Wayne | An Ending Note</b></a></span><br />
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In my final post, I summarize the findings of the wildlife surveys, talk about the potential impacts of the trail, and offer a few musings on the importance of hands-on experiences in the field in addition to a classroom education. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86Vzbk1UF3DUV8wguaU22vjqi9r3dJIVy9f7i-Pva72n-NwZxf2XRzyUa-g6e5bObPg7fKY8Qj-A_whDgU9xWs9TRionJ5pSyQdajmTZkcPPJ-DIHwjmcEorxeZarga4QfvYvELO0_T4R/s1600/Point+Counts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kyle Brooks" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86Vzbk1UF3DUV8wguaU22vjqi9r3dJIVy9f7i-Pva72n-NwZxf2XRzyUa-g6e5bObPg7fKY8Qj-A_whDgU9xWs9TRionJ5pSyQdajmTZkcPPJ-DIHwjmcEorxeZarga4QfvYvELO0_T4R/s1600/Point+Counts.JPG" title="Kyle Brooks" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your blogger in his surveying gear. Yes, I had to wear a hard hat. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This internship was an amazing experience. Not only did I see amazing wildlife and plants, but I also learned a lot (which is really the main goal for any internship). The biggest takeaway for me, however, was that there is always something new to discover if you just take a walk in the woods and keep your eyes open. You never know what you might come across. <br />
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As for now, I am in the midst of searching for another job. Wish me luck, and thanks for reading!Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com0Wayne National Forest - Athens Ranger District - Athens Unit, Coal Township, OH 43766, USA39.5625695 -82.18736960000001114.040535000000002 -123.49596360000001 65.084604 -40.878775600000012tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-44651679677481308032017-08-22T17:45:00.005-04:002017-08-22T17:45:56.298-04:00Day Tripping to Adams CountyIf you have ever spent time with me, you probably know that I love Adams County in southern Ohio. Adams County has some of the most fantastic and unique nature in the state of Ohio. Last week I traveled to Adams County with two fellow naturalists from Ohio University<span class="_Tgc">—<a href="https://twitter.com/olbrooks">Olivia Brooks</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/alaynatokash">Alayna Tokash</a></span><span class="_Tgc">—in order to do some botanizing, herping, and birding. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYglYlLmDNOek4ey7x8K3Dp7cRMfuWG8oN0OY13qMYLF4IUvqY-WLTPZ8YyCFa8f_oKfeG93lqE6WpXtkMXYEZYHaTEes3dfxAJ_0ZQSlzCZSVzBgCnBGsIBRIqcRyw31j_NSH6dr9GRR4/s1600/DSC_0045-Edit-Edit-Edit-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lynx Prairie Preserve" border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYglYlLmDNOek4ey7x8K3Dp7cRMfuWG8oN0OY13qMYLF4IUvqY-WLTPZ8YyCFa8f_oKfeG93lqE6WpXtkMXYEZYHaTEes3dfxAJ_0ZQSlzCZSVzBgCnBGsIBRIqcRyw31j_NSH6dr9GRR4/s1600/DSC_0045-Edit-Edit-Edit-2.JPG" title="Lynx Prairie Preserve" width="640" /></a></div>
Out of the several places we traveled to, the favorite was Lynx Prairie. Lynx Prairie is a public preserve that is owned by The Nature Conservancy, and is a location I've written about extensively on this blog. To get a general overview about the nature and history of this famous preserve, check out this link: <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/search?q=lynx+prairie">Lynx Prairie Posts</a>. Lynx Prairie is a system of 10 xeric short grass prairies that are of varying sizes. There is a whole host of interesting and rare species that call these "pocket prairies" home, and so I wanted to share a few of the highlights from my most recent trip!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdjCKO_uaLsXt4B_PJUIGACZQiMx5rgFRQOxmszhfMfkahSsW_3jEm3qyQeKqMiR6wPFV9c6Ax2ItgOO19VWpl-Jjk-y_hiwQ5A74dycBIq5zaiJpyo-3t-EMIAI4-MVioZOcMAxj6gvf/s1600/Spiranthes+lacera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Slender Ladies'-Tresses Spiranthes lacera Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPdjCKO_uaLsXt4B_PJUIGACZQiMx5rgFRQOxmszhfMfkahSsW_3jEm3qyQeKqMiR6wPFV9c6Ax2ItgOO19VWpl-Jjk-y_hiwQ5A74dycBIq5zaiJpyo-3t-EMIAI4-MVioZOcMAxj6gvf/s1600/Spiranthes+lacera.jpg" title="Slender Ladies'-Tresses Spiranthes lacera Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
I'll begin with this inconspicuous flower. This is Slender Ladies'-Tresses (<i>Spiranthes lacera</i>). The ladies'-tresses is a group of orchids with a white inflorescence that typically inhabit prairies or prairie-like habitats. There are 9 species that can be found in Ohio, with 3 of those species being state-listed. The Slender Ladies'-Tresses is one of the <span id="goog_488985436"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/">more common<span id="goog_488985437"></span></a> of the <i>Spiranthes</i> species in Ohio. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixS3jysyS1DMaQ-kTPSO-CI4w5DmUv20uVXVwwMdc789R_-Cxyp7GDB1YCcBBVdHtufxLWRRTH_RCzEjuZ674JHsuyvNqrNpmEiTF1BS4owU_WOhyELYc17DamxoJHloSjYMj0FcYUoTKC/s1600/Spiranthes+lacera+zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Spiranthes lacera Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1473" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixS3jysyS1DMaQ-kTPSO-CI4w5DmUv20uVXVwwMdc789R_-Cxyp7GDB1YCcBBVdHtufxLWRRTH_RCzEjuZ674JHsuyvNqrNpmEiTF1BS4owU_WOhyELYc17DamxoJHloSjYMj0FcYUoTKC/s1600/Spiranthes+lacera+zoom.jpg" title="Spiranthes lacera Ohio" width="588" /></a></div>
The ladies'-tresses can be a difficult group to identify down to species. To identify a ladies'-tresses, you should first see if the flowers are arranged in a single-spiral (such as the Slender Ladies'-Tresses), or a double spiral (like the <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-gentian-and-orchid.html">Great Plains Ladies'-Tresses</a>). After that, you have to carefully inspect the flowers. There are several single-spiral species that can be found in Adams County, but the flowers of each species differ slightly. The Slender Ladies'-Tresses has a characteristic green labellum (or lip), which can be seen above. If you want to read about some of the other species of ladies'-tresses that can be found in the prairies in Adams County, check out my previous post: <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2015/09/spiranthes-orchids-at-blue-jay-barrens.html"><i>Spiranthes </i>Orchids at Blue Jay Barrens</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMQIXhXPpTZfnTVHUM6rA8BrQTrqYdhV4PV1xkz_7SMirgoXhsQ1xINiJ5KCaSd4VTMGguGvt0f1HDO9x4hdbbBQx8q_0HR_nqbsKbzttuAfyczmbrmFLTgMwWtaTFWSpapw78wt2ukrv/s1600/Manfreda+virginica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="False Aloe Manfreda virginica Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1255" data-original-width="1600" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMQIXhXPpTZfnTVHUM6rA8BrQTrqYdhV4PV1xkz_7SMirgoXhsQ1xINiJ5KCaSd4VTMGguGvt0f1HDO9x4hdbbBQx8q_0HR_nqbsKbzttuAfyczmbrmFLTgMwWtaTFWSpapw78wt2ukrv/s1600/Manfreda+virginica.jpg" title="False Aloe Manfreda virginica Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
The most exciting plant find of the day<span class="_Tgc">—and a lifer for yours truly</span><span class="_Tgc">—was the unassuming succulent pictured above. This is False Aloe (<i>Manfreda virginica</i>). Although common in the southern US, False Aloe is extremely rare in Ohio, where it can currently only be found in Adams and Highland Counties. False Aloe has an extremely interesting history in this part of the state. False Aloe thrives in dry prairie openings, which is currently a rare habitat in Ohio. But between 8,000 and 4,000 years ago, the world entered a very warm period called the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_climatic_optimum">Hypsithermal</a>. Ohio became very dry and hot, resulting in the prairies of the west extending into Ohio. False Aloe</span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc">—a plant of the south-central part of the United States</span></span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc">—</span></span>is thought to have invaded northward into these new Ohio prairies during this time, where it thrived. </span><br />
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<span class="_Tgc">When this hot, dry period ended around 4,000 years ago, the forests began to recolonize Ohio. False Aloe found itself suddenly restricted to the dry limestone barrens of southwest Ohio, which were already thousands of years old. Originally kept open during the last ice age by megafauna like the Mastodon, these barrens were now being kept open as a result of fires set by the early Native Americans in the region. False Aloe became the dominant plant in some of these limestone barrens, and one European settler from the early 1800's even made reference to an "agave desert" in the Adams County region. Once the European settlers killed and pushed the Native Americans out of this region, the human-set fires in the prairies and forests of this region ceased and became a thing of the past. </span><br />
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<span class="_Tgc">As the 1900's approached, the people living in this region allowed the forest</span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc">—</span></span></span>which had been all but clearcut in the mid 1800's</span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc">—</span></span></span>to come back. The remaining limestone barrens of Adams County that had not been developed or otherwise destroyed began experiencing the effects of natural succession. Red Cedars and Tuliptrees</span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc">—</span></span></span></span>which had previously been kept at bay by the fires the Native Americans had set for thousands of years</span><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc"><span class="_Tgc">—</span></span></span></span>began pushing their way into the barrens. As many of these barrens became forested, the False Aloe found itself dying out in Ohio. Nowadays this species is found in only a few of the protected barrens which are managed with prescribed burns. Sadly, a <a href="https://etd.ohiolink.edu/rws_etd/document/get/ohiou1059427141/inline">recent study</a> found that many of the remaining populations of False Aloe in Adams County are reproductively isolated and inbred. This will only lead to a further decrease in numbers over the next century, as the seeds of inbred False Aloe tend not to thrive. At its current state, the future of the False Aloe in Ohio seems rather grim... </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLrV0XHTvwEvv9NGsryCvQTFTQsVR85JVxxdoX6dEjfbyjv1nNCGoohX17dYNwv_UcHCAXKCI5Dgjxi9z16c3fOsr5r1JR7ZEzgd06naXjOucwV7ZSpTcSOFPblgenkGVqIgt5WubmXjC/s1600/Eastern+Fence+Lizard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eastern Fence Lizard Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLrV0XHTvwEvv9NGsryCvQTFTQsVR85JVxxdoX6dEjfbyjv1nNCGoohX17dYNwv_UcHCAXKCI5Dgjxi9z16c3fOsr5r1JR7ZEzgd06naXjOucwV7ZSpTcSOFPblgenkGVqIgt5WubmXjC/s1600/Eastern+Fence+Lizard.jpg" title="Eastern Fence Lizard Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
Moving aside from the doom and gloom to something more upbeat, here is a recently-hatched Eastern Fence Lizard (<span class="_Xbe kno-fv"><i>Sceloporus undulatus</i>) that Alayna found hiding under a loose rock. Learning that Ohio has lizards may come as a surprise to many, but Ohio is indeed home to 5 species </span>(Eastern Fence Lizard, Common Five-Lined Skink, Broad-Headed Skink, Little Brown Skink, and the non-native Common Wall Lizard). The Eastern Fence Lizard belongs to the genus <i>Sceloporus</i>, which are collectively known as the "spiny lizards." The Eastern Fence Lizard is the only spiny lizard that can be found in Ohio, where it inhabits the southern and southeastern portions of the state.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYMzLT8XwYkwWTnVrnzYgAc0D6LsoXgQoEd8fhyphenhyphenyj4S2FMNXUqTqQO5-mQYB1BViNGX7Uzm8t8lozGjKm8IcaDvf18NYczTgQOLePzsB-StvqQDRA8Qlnre_viHs-eu93NUa2-VpKh8Nw/s1600/Leezard+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Baby Eastern Fence Lizard" border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="1600" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYMzLT8XwYkwWTnVrnzYgAc0D6LsoXgQoEd8fhyphenhyphenyj4S2FMNXUqTqQO5-mQYB1BViNGX7Uzm8t8lozGjKm8IcaDvf18NYczTgQOLePzsB-StvqQDRA8Qlnre_viHs-eu93NUa2-VpKh8Nw/s1600/Leezard+Resized.jpg" title="Baby Eastern Fence Lizard" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/alaynatokash">Alayna Tokash</a> (Master's student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Ohio University) studies the tiny Eastern Fence Lizard as it perches on <a href="https://twitter.com/olbrooks">Olivia Brooks</a>'s (Undergraduate majoring in Wildlife and Conservation Biology at Ohio University) thumb.</td></tr>
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Eastern Fence Lizards begin mating as early as late April here in Ohio, and the first round of eggs begin hatching in June. The individual we found probably hatched out in either June or July. Although Eastern Fence Lizards can live 3-4+ years, most don't make it past their first year due to depredation or other such life-ending circumstances. Hopefully this individual makes it past the initial first year, as <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Henry_John-Alder/publication/248823402_Experimental_and_demographic_analyses_of_growth_rate_and_sexual_size_dimorphism_in_a_lizard_Sceloporus_undulatus/links/551dde320cf29dcabb035c2a.pdf">chances of survivorship greatly increases</a> in year two. If you want to see what a grown-up Eastern Fence Lizard looks like, take a peek back at my previous "<a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2014/04/eastern-fence-lizards.html">Eastern Fence Lizards</a>" post.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQyLpKCx53f0kO2kZcChNrcltzPPyxbNhSwT_92-mUNidlhb3mzoiqZjYBUzF_KToxgIsGOWAWrRFZoJnV4XqKDrsozNsPlNdviViHqxQT1o0Gh73k6D7FbdD9D4FqXy32VbPu6Nvl9Gi/s1600/Five-Lined+Skink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Baby Common Five-Lined Skink" border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQyLpKCx53f0kO2kZcChNrcltzPPyxbNhSwT_92-mUNidlhb3mzoiqZjYBUzF_KToxgIsGOWAWrRFZoJnV4XqKDrsozNsPlNdviViHqxQT1o0Gh73k6D7FbdD9D4FqXy32VbPu6Nvl9Gi/s1600/Five-Lined+Skink.jpg" title="Baby Common Five-Lined Skink" width="640" /></a></div>
Only an hour later, I came across another baby lizard that was hanging out in a patch of forest between two of the pocket prairies. This is a recently-hatched <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2015/06/five-lined-skink.html">Common Five-Lined Skink</a> (<span class="_Xbe kno-fv"><i>Plestiodon fasciatus</i>). The Five-Lined Skink is the most widespread and common lizard in Ohio, but isn't commonly seen due to its secretive nature. Five-Lined Skinks can be incredibly skittish, and they will often dart up a tree, under a log, or under the leaf litter upon seeing a human or other potential threat approach. The Five-Lined Skink, along with most other species of lizards, has another line of defense in addition to great evasion skills. The Five-Lined Skink is able to detach its tail in times of danger. If a predator gets too close, or if a predator grabs onto the skink's tail, the skink is able to willingly detach its tail at one of the several breakage points along the tail. </span><br />
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<span class="_Xbe kno-fv">When the tail becomes detached, it begins to wildly thrash about, which</span><span class="_Tgc">—if all goes according to plan</span><span class="_Tgc">—will surprise and distract the predator, giving enough time for the skink to run away. The Five-Lined Skink that I caught had already used this defense earlier in the summer, as can be told by the healing stub of a tail. Amazingly, Five-Lined Skinks, and other tail-dropping lizards, are able to regrow their tail over time. The catch: they aren't able to regrow the bones in the tail, and are only able to grow a rod of cartilage that takes the place of the bones.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHYhrhu9EfADcgKVN6AVlp7U6e8NHAP9HvurGy9aWm6Am_mOFPHrCd_-HNlysNSWsWZo-lkrLvD1yPYmIuRwsy0eyRQZxsZMD245PGXcRVVt9gqAlYVE-PnD8BCP8OltuSeJ__g6_Wto9/s1600/Skink+Face.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Common Five-Lined Skink Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHYhrhu9EfADcgKVN6AVlp7U6e8NHAP9HvurGy9aWm6Am_mOFPHrCd_-HNlysNSWsWZo-lkrLvD1yPYmIuRwsy0eyRQZxsZMD245PGXcRVVt9gqAlYVE-PnD8BCP8OltuSeJ__g6_Wto9/s1600/Skink+Face.JPG" title="Common Five-Lined Skink Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
Lynx Prairie is a great location for Five-Lined Skinks. The Five-Lined Skink exploits edge habitats, which are areas where two different types of habitats meet. They prefer edge habitats in which a forest meets some sort of disturbed open habitat, especially if such an area offers plenty of rock and log objects to bask on and to hide underneath. There are copious amounts of edge habitat at Lynx Prairie, offering plenty of appropriate areas for Five-Lined Skinks to inhabit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jco_rTh3WwVAR1yEwPw7B3wIuKzkkDY0thjvf_iPsUp0n6pP7593eBpQN_De6HAnb3BqZtM1zsSfeQIYUYRv3xtRN2tqsOdOUPChu3Q1x8i28kKyFyzMng_GtgN0dCK1o7mmWXpI0B1a/s1600/Long-Tailed+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Long-Tailed Salamander Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1282" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jco_rTh3WwVAR1yEwPw7B3wIuKzkkDY0thjvf_iPsUp0n6pP7593eBpQN_De6HAnb3BqZtM1zsSfeQIYUYRv3xtRN2tqsOdOUPChu3Q1x8i28kKyFyzMng_GtgN0dCK1o7mmWXpI0B1a/s1600/Long-Tailed+Resized.jpg" title="Long-Tailed Salamander Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
One of the most unexpected finds at Lynx occurred when Alayna flipped a small piece of wood. Underneath this tiny piece of wood were two Long-Tailed Salamanders (<span class="_Xbe kno-fv"><i>Eurycea longicauda</i>). The Long-Tailed Salamander was something of a nemesis species of mine for the longest time. They can be found throughout Ohio, except for the northwest quarter of the state. They can be relatively common in near streams in moist forests, but they tend to hide pretty well under rocks and logs, and in crevices in the ground. Despite looking for them for several years, the Long-Tailed Salamander evaded me</span><span class="_Xbe kno-fv"><span class="_Tgc">—until this year, that is</span>. This summer I've seen several Long-Tailed Salamanders, with these being number 3 and 4. As their name implies, the Long-Tailed Salamander has an abnormally long tail when compared to other Plethodontid (lungless) salamanders. In fact, a Long-Tailed Salamander's tail makes up approximately ~60% of its entire body length. </span><br />
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Visiting Lynx Prairie always makes for a fantastic day. However, this trip decided to give me two rather unpleasant surprises. Somehow while in the cedar barrens, I managed to pick up dozens and dozens of tick nymphs. In fact, I ended up pulling <i>87</i> tick nymphs off my body that day, and also got 40+ chigger bites as well. I guess that's the price you have to pay to see neat things? Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com2Edge of Appalachia Nature Preserve, 4274 Waggoner Riffle Rd, West Union, OH 45693, USA38.7488494 -83.46374300000002237.1669579 -86.045530000000028 40.330740899999995 -80.881956000000017tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-17516462155920476252017-06-29T15:47:00.000-04:002017-11-27T14:51:54.230-05:00The Ethics of Photographing Wildlife and Rare SpeciesWith good cameras now cheaper than ever, many people are becoming hobbyist photographers. Unfortunately, this has resulted in an increase of rather unethical, dangerous, and harmful behavior "for the sake of the shot." Oftentimes this sort of behavior stems from photographers not knowing the proper ethical guidelines for nature photography; other times it is simply due to photographers not caring.<br />
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Recently I've been seeing a lot of concerning photos being posted on Facebook, blogs, and other corners of the internet. I want to briefly go over what is "good" photographer etiquette, especially with regard to photographing rare plant or animal species, and wildlife photography in general. Not following such ethical guidelines puts wildlife, plants, and sensitive areas at risk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLnJSXiigRJ9VJjRTEnGfb_hTbqBkJYpdRPK1cQ32gJgVB-D8Q8IQ3BBBt2wgIL38lVH-23QQmnVGIQN-gTTtmzrsLznxbaOU0RfR3XzV-rvQ1NLN3mP_0LHKQdnTDmViyoTj4FNNwV4F/s1600/For+Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wildlife Photography Ethics" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLnJSXiigRJ9VJjRTEnGfb_hTbqBkJYpdRPK1cQ32gJgVB-D8Q8IQ3BBBt2wgIL38lVH-23QQmnVGIQN-gTTtmzrsLznxbaOU0RfR3XzV-rvQ1NLN3mP_0LHKQdnTDmViyoTj4FNNwV4F/s1600/For+Blog.jpg" title="Wildlife Photography Ethics" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Guidelines for Ethical Wildlife Photography:</span></h3>
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<b>1. The welfare of the animal is more important than your photo.</b><br />
People will often do horrible things for amazing photos. Take owl photography, for example. Last year in the Cleveland area there was a famous Eastern Screech Owl that roosted in the cavity of a dead tree. People reported photographers shaking and pounding on the tree in order to get the Screech Owl to stick his head out of the cavity, just so the photographer could get a photo. Don't be that person, <i>ever. </i>When photographing wildlife, the ultimate goal should be to actively minimize your impact on the animal's well-being. If you cannot minimize the impact to an acceptable level, then you should not try taking the photos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAxSgaqmGdvekaPeni6Eqyt1LvexQOOLoqkaB9WGEmXVT3nB3vpy1xURk0ZMq2AJ_8tlnsu8WFsKrUUORpkzeQz1jrXjNZyrtN9sMDNZfhIi6sQ8opsixuzDMbfGiuPYYQgTuwLjyieog/s1600/DSC_0215-Edit-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ethics of Photographing Owls" border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAxSgaqmGdvekaPeni6Eqyt1LvexQOOLoqkaB9WGEmXVT3nB3vpy1xURk0ZMq2AJ_8tlnsu8WFsKrUUORpkzeQz1jrXjNZyrtN9sMDNZfhIi6sQ8opsixuzDMbfGiuPYYQgTuwLjyieog/s1600/DSC_0215-Edit-Edit.JPG" title="Ethics of Photographing Owls" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A heavily-cropped photo of a Short-Eared Owl in Central Ohio. I was far enough away to where the owl was exhibiting normal hunting behavior.</td></tr>
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<b>2. Keep an appropriate distance away from the animal. If the animal appears stressed or tries to escape from you, you're too close. </b><br />
This happens a lot with rare birds. Photographers will try to approach a rare bird<span class="st">—</span>say, for example, a Snowy Owl<span class="st">—</span>to get the closest and most-detailed photo they can get. The problem is, they will oftentimes get too close, scare the bird, and the now-stressed bird will then be forced to escape the threat. This sort of stress is completely unnecessary. Another problem occurs when photographers get too close to an animal, which then prompts an attack. Take the bison of Yellowstone National Park: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/23/bison-selfies-are-a-bad-idea-tourist-gored-in-yellowstone-as-another-photo-goes-awry/">Every year tourists will get too close to one of the park's bison in an attempt to get a good photo</a>. This leads to several tourists being attacked by scared bison, who view the tourists as potential threats. Learn the signs of stress in animals, and always watch for those signs. If an animal stops doing what it was doing, looks at you, tries to walk away, or begins some kind of warning signal to you (like a White-Tailed Deer stomping their hoof), <i>move away that instant.</i> You are too close, and you need to back away and leave the animal alone.<br />
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<b>3. Never disturb nests or animals with young.</b><br />
There was a well known Great Horned Owl nest in Columbus several years ago. The same pair nested year after year in this one specific tree. Birders would go and view the nest from a safe distant each year, watching the pair raise generation after generation of new owls. One year, someone put a ladder up to the nest in order to get
close photos of the owl nestlings. The Great Horned Owls stopped nesting at that
location after that. Taking photos of nestlings or animals caring for their young is perfectly fine, <i>as long as you are doing so at a safe distance. </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwx_aT8LuYGDvPDuWZtuDOoKZjGxr06USo53KXZIXpSHu4kyxrZB51wohlOfGriTz7gDnaD0kNoP5PRWrAD5zaAcMFT6a0ialrDdsjGfaFF2REbF_ccs3C3IuhuVwn1dAI4LMw_0xSe2L/s1600/critique+Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Frog Riding Beetle Staged" border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwx_aT8LuYGDvPDuWZtuDOoKZjGxr06USo53KXZIXpSHu4kyxrZB51wohlOfGriTz7gDnaD0kNoP5PRWrAD5zaAcMFT6a0ialrDdsjGfaFF2REbF_ccs3C3IuhuVwn1dAI4LMw_0xSe2L/s1600/critique+Edit.jpg" title="Frog Riding Beetle Staged" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>4. When viewing photos from wildlife photographers, ask yourself if it looks like the photo was taken ethically.</b><br />
This last point is a bit different from the previous points, but is still important. When viewing photos from other people, ask yourself whether it looks like the photographer followed ethical guidelines. Unethical wildlife photography is a vicious circle. Good wildlife photography <i>is difficult</i>. Good, <i>and ethical</i>, wildlife photography is even harder. Sadly, this means that people take the easy way out by taking photos using harmful techniques. When these types of photos become famous, it normalizes the techniques used. Take the various famous and viral photos of frogs riding beetles, or "dancing," or otherwise doing seemingly entertaining things. These photos were not taken naturally, but instead were staged in ways that often resulted in injured, or dead, animals. For example, let's look at this viral photo of a tree frog riding a beetle. The frog's hand is twisted in an unnatural manner, and was probably tied up using fishing line, which was then edited out of the photo. The frog has his mouth open, which frogs do not do unless they are highly stressed. Finally, this is a situation which would never happen in real life. A frog simply would not get on top of a beetle in a position like this, which means the frog is most likely either tied or glued down to the beetle. To read more about such inhumane techniques, check these following links: <a href="https://petapixel.com/2015/03/05/a-frog-riding-a-beetle-is-this-a-real-wildlife-photo-or-a-bunch-of-bs/">Example</a>, <a href="https://petapixel.com/2013/08/20/photo-analysis-accuses-some-photogs-of-faking-cute-animal-images-in-cruel-ways/">Example 2</a>, <a href="http://animalnewyork.com/2013/the-sad-truth-behind-those-fantastic-frogs-photos/">Example 3</a>. When these types of photos go viral, it encourages other photographers to utilize similar techniques. <b>Don't feed bad behavior and help these types of photos go viral, as that only contributes to the continued use of such detrimental techniques. </b><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Guidelines for Ethical Photography of Rare Species:</span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMde25pgeF1jCz99sKk_owad2nE5im79Chc2CampVhChsWQirUDcCM31gqT3W5VFv-CvCSOAGlFSg2Gefi1KE41lywqMlKCe2I4XMoEK_jcir4Gx2x8MdKoqRiGoMUkz5qzXDPv2bCxD0y/s1600/For+Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ethics of Rare Species Photography" border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMde25pgeF1jCz99sKk_owad2nE5im79Chc2CampVhChsWQirUDcCM31gqT3W5VFv-CvCSOAGlFSg2Gefi1KE41lywqMlKCe2I4XMoEK_jcir4Gx2x8MdKoqRiGoMUkz5qzXDPv2bCxD0y/s1600/For+Blog.jpg" title="Ethics of Rare Species Photography" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Eastern Spadefoot, an Ohio state endangered species. This was taken at an undisclosed location in Athens County, Ohio.</td></tr>
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<b>1. Do <i>not</i> disclose where you took the photo or where you found the species.</b><br />
This is one of the most important rules in this entire post. When dealing with either a federally-listed or state-listed species, <i>you should never publicly share the location</i>. Why? Because people might go out to this area and harass the species, kill the species, or steal the species. This problem can be broken down into two groups: The unintentional sharing of locations, and the intentional sharing of locations.<br />
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Geo-tagged photos (where the exact GPS coordinates are embedded in a photo's metadata) are being used for poachers to track down and hunt endangered animals, <a href="https://petapixel.com/2014/05/05/geotagged-wildlife-photos-help-poachers-kill-endangered-animals/">like rhinos</a>. In this case of unintentional sharing, try to ensure that you remove location metadata from a photo before sharing it. Intentionally sharing the location of an endangered species to someone who asks (or just posting it without being asked) can also lead to people then going out to poach that species for the pet trade or other nefarious reasons. Take, for example, the <a href="http://www.hcn.org/issues/48.20/in-arizona-reptile-poaching-made-easy">poachers in Arizona finding out where Twin-Spotted Rattlesnakes</a> are by being friendly with those who mean well. Basically, if it's rare, <i>never give a more detailed location than county</i>, and you should not give a more detailed location than region or section of the state when dealing with some of the more at-risk or really endangered species. It's important to remember that although you may be well-meaning, not everyone else is. Don't put the species at more risk than it already is.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhh9juIyU5o-6d0OMpXVT4SVVNR8Pbdqymnq-tDE0bfnDAk-TSeNb5Uwqvtqe6TW5qDbMfkQiT7nU_54GzIeJcr0qTJiLQLLAvjWXGHHA278JgYi_xI9yuwM-AdCpNYRuBdT1S5SUXeIoX/s1600/For+Blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ethical Wildlife Photography" border="0" data-original-height="1314" data-original-width="1600" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhh9juIyU5o-6d0OMpXVT4SVVNR8Pbdqymnq-tDE0bfnDAk-TSeNb5Uwqvtqe6TW5qDbMfkQiT7nU_54GzIeJcr0qTJiLQLLAvjWXGHHA278JgYi_xI9yuwM-AdCpNYRuBdT1S5SUXeIoX/s1600/For+Blog.png" title="Ethical Wildlife Photography" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>3. Do <i>not </i>publish a photo with you holding or otherwise manipulating a state or federally listed animal.</b><br />
In the vast majority of cases, it is illegal to touch or hold any protected animal without the appropriate permits. Take for example the photo above. I'm holding a Kirtland's Snake, a threatened species in the state of Ohio. Under normal circumstances, I should have never picked this snake up, and I <i>definitely</i> should have never posted a photo of me holding it. I took this photo, however, when I was out with a wildlife biologist who was assisting with a research project on this species. There were permits involved, allowing those with permission to safely handle this species. If I had just stumbled across this snake on my own, I would have only taken photos of it <i>in situ</i>, meaning I would not have touched or otherwise moved the snake from the position I originally found it in. <br />
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<b>4. Never pick or remove part of a state or federally listed plant.</b><br />
This should be obvious, but it needs to be emphasized. Don't pick the flower of a rare species, or try to dig a plant up to transplant it in your garden. I see posts on Facebook groups all too often asking how to best transplant a wild plant they found. In most cases, this will simply lead to the person killing the plant on accident. Leave the plants alone. If you really want a specific plant for your garden, buy ethically-sourced seeds. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">General Outdoor Ethics:</span></h3>
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<b><span class="st">• </span>Practice Leave No Trace principles. </b><br />
Leave no Trace is a series of guidelines that attempt to minimize human impact when recreating in natural areas. There are seven main LNT principles: Plan ahead, travel and camp on durable surfaces, properly dispose of waste, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife, and be considerate of other visitors. To learn more about each principle, please visit the <a href="https://lnt.org/learn/7-principles">Leave No Trace website</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Parting Thoughts</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xq4aWok19JzohPBVy289PEu6z4RGrB1w_cQ0267Jo0U59oq-Z-BE5PlUd2RsV5Tl4vOJcYURPVzbQ1-mVQDe_Lmqm34xrCwHvH873p3j-zytk3xqFvskSiAqw-tWv4sU8DkyKNSey4eq/s1600/Alligator+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photographing wildlife and ethics" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xq4aWok19JzohPBVy289PEu6z4RGrB1w_cQ0267Jo0U59oq-Z-BE5PlUd2RsV5Tl4vOJcYURPVzbQ1-mVQDe_Lmqm34xrCwHvH873p3j-zytk3xqFvskSiAqw-tWv4sU8DkyKNSey4eq/s1600/Alligator+Resized.jpg" title="Photographing wildlife and ethics" width="640" /></a></div>
The next time you're out photographing wildlife, make sure you take a step back and look at the situation. Don't just think about how to properly take the photo, or how awesome the photo is going to be; ask yourself if you're taking the photo in a manner that minimizes your impact on the animal. When you get home and you excitedly go to share the photo on Facebook or Twitter or what have you, make sure you ask yourself <i>"What details should I add? What details should I leave out? Is this photo okay for me to post?"</i> You might have good intentions, but the welfare of the species in question is more important than likes, shares, or whatever. Try to ensure that you don't harm the future of the plant or animal. Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-37485161135183372632017-06-27T20:27:00.000-04:002017-06-28T21:48:51.078-04:00Mothing at Clear Creek: The Showy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On the night of June 17th, I traveled to Clear Creek Metro Park in Fairfield County, Ohio, to participate in a moth night. I talked about some of the <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2017/06/mothing-at-clear-creek-subtle.html"><b>drab and subtle moths of the night in my previous pos</b>t</a>, but now I want to take a moment to highlight some of the showy species. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxlL5xCgmGzSeU6uhvWwWocAklvKdwwazXUJZSgQzMypx5ISFwGkHjs0JBaUp-nuqTR5lTVEG20Myfk00vkQs2V1rAFXR9bSuDPqu3xBR268Ycqw3YEMhgT3ZMFwO7xfIk2fKk-sLIIlQ/s1600/Mothing+at+Clear+Creek+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mothing in Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxlL5xCgmGzSeU6uhvWwWocAklvKdwwazXUJZSgQzMypx5ISFwGkHjs0JBaUp-nuqTR5lTVEG20Myfk00vkQs2V1rAFXR9bSuDPqu3xBR268Ycqw3YEMhgT3ZMFwO7xfIk2fKk-sLIIlQ/s1600/Mothing+at+Clear+Creek+2.JPG" title="Mothing in Ohio" width="494" /></a></div>
Weather plays an important part when it comes to mothing. As a general rule, moths like warm and dark nights. The darker and warmer the night, the more moths you will see. Luckily, the night was not only in the mid 70's, but was also pitch black. No Moon was out, and clouds covered the sky. The amount of moths flying and visiting the mothing sheets was incredible, as the photo above shows. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMqdC3s_bYByDCuZg6wA55kwblph6Fl0o0OFuKpihjfnVD8ShQDmQOwpja3I1pBDM9kUsyI6OmuqXlQ5FxjT1iSAbreomwi8zJ-3sNzylkhCJC_-8iOwnRn30gTegdmv1-BlRj4HHRUEC/s1600/Io+Moth+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Io Moth (Automeris io) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1014" data-original-width="1600" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMqdC3s_bYByDCuZg6wA55kwblph6Fl0o0OFuKpihjfnVD8ShQDmQOwpja3I1pBDM9kUsyI6OmuqXlQ5FxjT1iSAbreomwi8zJ-3sNzylkhCJC_-8iOwnRn30gTegdmv1-BlRj4HHRUEC/s1600/Io+Moth+2.JPG" title="Io Moth (Automeris io) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
I'll begin with the Io Moth (<i>Automeris io</i>). The Io Moth is a stunning species in the Saturniidae family, the same family the contains other knockout species like the <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2015/05/luna-moth.html">Luna Moth</a>, <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2015/05/cecropia-moth.html">Cecropia Moth</a>, and the <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2015/08/imperial-moth.html">Imperial Moth</a>. The Io Moth is a relatively common moth across the entirety of Ohio, and over a dozen visited the sheets during the course of the night. As you have probably noticed, the wings of the Io Moth have two large eye spots. These eye spots serve to ward off predators. The Io Moth typically sits with its wings closed. If a potential predators comes near, the Io Moth will open its wings and flash its eye spots. If everything goes according to plan, the surprised predator should back off, giving the Io Moth time to escape.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uis21GYe8hum3r7HBXW-PML7oDHuD3NOPScWL78hWJXDnWSW_SyDfDXRPZI9pjtsFeLF9yGxn3Iyg8nx66SM8hX9GsUmoTH4gZG3Khf8cMtKP8uB_A792eop2O9AZe-ssR6s1ldgoXeU/s1600/Scarlet+Winged+Lichen+Moth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Painted Lichen Moth (Hypoprepia fucosa) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uis21GYe8hum3r7HBXW-PML7oDHuD3NOPScWL78hWJXDnWSW_SyDfDXRPZI9pjtsFeLF9yGxn3Iyg8nx66SM8hX9GsUmoTH4gZG3Khf8cMtKP8uB_A792eop2O9AZe-ssR6s1ldgoXeU/s1600/Scarlet+Winged+Lichen+Moth.JPG" title="Painted Lichen Moth (Hypoprepia fucosa) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
Moths have a diverse array of anti-predator defense mechanisms, and not all are based on appearances. Take the Painted Lichen Moth (<i>Hypoprepia fucosa</i>), for example. This species, along with many other related tiger moths (subfamily Arctiinae), has another line of defense. When the Painted Lichen Moth flies at night, they are at risk of being eaten by various bat species. The Painted Lichen Moth is semi-toxic though, and relatively unpalatable to bats. The problem is, bats won't be able to see the red-orange-black warning coloration of the moth at night. So how does the moth let bats know not to try to eat it? They click! When a bat is in the area making its own clicking noises for echolocation, the Painted Lichen Moth will hear the bat and begin clicking in defense. This lets the bat know that this moth isn't a good meal, and the bat will hopefully leave the moth alone.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWH1-2sgu9VnDt7J2UpUS1Wm1JGYxIrFMSdzfP6C4Wy6GlxFCqmp5I1BS5hr8ktg-xM0C0yGCoUuwv9jaqLD8LhihUnnOuFOqnfpZL_ltyvWgzY-ySIOe9qFH3mpWCm-RKvnEkh4eYD1w/s1600/Orange+Headed+Epicallima.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Orange-Headed Epicallima (Epicallima argenticinctella) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1553" data-original-width="1553" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWH1-2sgu9VnDt7J2UpUS1Wm1JGYxIrFMSdzfP6C4Wy6GlxFCqmp5I1BS5hr8ktg-xM0C0yGCoUuwv9jaqLD8LhihUnnOuFOqnfpZL_ltyvWgzY-ySIOe9qFH3mpWCm-RKvnEkh4eYD1w/s1600/Orange+Headed+Epicallima.JPG" title="Orange-Headed Epicallima (Epicallima argenticinctella) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
This tiny moth is the Orange-Headed Epicallima (<i>Epicallima argenticinctella</i>). This species inhabits deciduous forests, where the caterpillars feed on elm trees. The Orange-Headed Epicallima is what is commonly known as a micro-moth. "Micro-moth" is general name given to tiny moths. There is no strict definition of a micro-moth, but most people seem to consider moths that are 1/2 inch long or smaller as a micro-moth. Identifying micro-moths is oftentimes a difficult process, but the Orange-Headed Epicallima is one of the more easily-identifiable species. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97XYSNdaR9leSyzYhvaTd_mIVDW4vW5N6ZSo5d8qf366LjD6Gs_3KPbJWaGcrezPS1PcB1UkkklYYqvkMBqw3vDcjT6lgUo1GnO_GEaut_islK8vtcGHBQMDeUz4k_7FbC-362jrQnhRk/s1600/Labyrinth+Moth+-+2772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Labyrinth Moth (Phaecasiophora niveiguttana) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97XYSNdaR9leSyzYhvaTd_mIVDW4vW5N6ZSo5d8qf366LjD6Gs_3KPbJWaGcrezPS1PcB1UkkklYYqvkMBqw3vDcjT6lgUo1GnO_GEaut_islK8vtcGHBQMDeUz4k_7FbC-362jrQnhRk/s1600/Labyrinth+Moth+-+2772.JPG" title="Labyrinth Moth (Phaecasiophora niveiguttana) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
Another showy micro-moth of the night was the Labyrinth Moth (<i>Phaecasiophora niveiguttana</i>). The caterpillars of this species feed on the mid-story tree species Sassafras and Witch Hazel. This moth gave me quite the headache, and this frustration underscores a problem with arthropod field guides. I must have flipped through the <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-Field-Northeastern-America-Guides/dp/0547238487">Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America</a></b> a good 5-7 times while trying to identify this moth, but I simply couldn't find it. I posted a photo of it on the Facebook group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/502729049753761/">Mothing Ohio</a> to see if someone could help. Within a few minutes a member ID'ed it for me, and I soon realized why I couldn't find it in the guide<span class="st">—it wasn't in there! When it comes to arthropods, there are tens of thousands of species. There are over 11,000 species of moths alone in North America! A field guide can not simply contain every single species with numbers like these, even if that guide only focuses on one group of arthropods in one section of the continent like the Peterson Guide does. Choices have to be made on what to include and what to exclude, and the authors of the Peterson Field Guide to Moths only included "1,500 of the most common or most eye-catching moths in" Northeastern North America. Luckily, the internet fills in these field guide gaps, and Facebook groups or sites like <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740">BugGuide </a>will help you out!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZe6uM6R2zW_655nyGmkOirtohLFwvV6N9EolTCZLVBScEITZt1N5lN9F6_wmxWokq41M2YutSagX6dQMgMJJgwKngs29Dz-BVljIEsHzfAhipCkIpGhEAR32TyvPDIZAOThQHgWTMG9J_/s1600/Giant+Leopard+Moth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZe6uM6R2zW_655nyGmkOirtohLFwvV6N9EolTCZLVBScEITZt1N5lN9F6_wmxWokq41M2YutSagX6dQMgMJJgwKngs29Dz-BVljIEsHzfAhipCkIpGhEAR32TyvPDIZAOThQHgWTMG9J_/s1600/Giant+Leopard+Moth.JPG" title="Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
When I was a young kid, this was the first moth that I learned the name of. This is the Giant Leopard Moth (<i>Hypercompe scribonia</i>). The Giant Leopard Moth, along with the Polyphemus Moth, were my two "spark moths." A spark animal is the colloquial term for a species that inspires a curiosity or admiration of a given group of animals in a person. The individual pictured above is actually a female Giant Leopard Moth, as can be told by the loss of wing scales on the ends of the wings. When Giant Leopard Moths mate, the male and female will stay attached for 24 or more hours. During this long-lasting session of mating, the male will position his wings over the female's. This results in the male accidentally rubbing off the female's wing scales, leading to an appearance like this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-hF9nVHzFoZcCsqsXc9bilnzHJGUnitMx1BFXocclqdaKTa2K-hQeI9SnS88jU49QApAXR8_JLZa-glmaXMEQehRikg0OhD94uKOQOLvoI9lnm4A-u3UC56pS3_rzo8XB4RTuQHskKEJ/s1600/The+Neighbor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Neighbor (Haploa contigua) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-hF9nVHzFoZcCsqsXc9bilnzHJGUnitMx1BFXocclqdaKTa2K-hQeI9SnS88jU49QApAXR8_JLZa-glmaXMEQehRikg0OhD94uKOQOLvoI9lnm4A-u3UC56pS3_rzo8XB4RTuQHskKEJ/s1600/The+Neighbor.JPG" title="The Neighbor (Haploa contigua) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
Staying with black and white moths for a moment, here's The Neighbor (<i>Haploa contigua</i>). Moths have the best names, don't they? The Neighbor belongs to a group of tiger moths in the genus <i>Haploa</i>, which are often referred to as the haploa moths. haploa moths all have various black lines set against white wings, and identification involves carefully studying the patterns of those black lines. To see the diversity of wing patterns in the haploa moths, check out this <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/205/bgpage">BugGuide link</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxdk38q1KOhpaYyEFHD0nGhady9hMwvy-TeMI_RGM1bNgF1OgrjCr17hgO-y3MIz6y5wrQusVqs_R3pVukBgk6SeHoF91NLVG-9z1-VQM2zqtboSLl5F1YKWALnuYVlUaPpz_1PBURE9X/s1600/Beautiful+Wood+Nymph.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beautiful Wood Nymph (Eudryas grata) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxdk38q1KOhpaYyEFHD0nGhady9hMwvy-TeMI_RGM1bNgF1OgrjCr17hgO-y3MIz6y5wrQusVqs_R3pVukBgk6SeHoF91NLVG-9z1-VQM2zqtboSLl5F1YKWALnuYVlUaPpz_1PBURE9X/s1600/Beautiful+Wood+Nymph.JPG" title="Beautiful Wood Nymph (Eudryas grata) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
This is the Beautiful Wood Nymph (<i>Eudryas grata</i>). The Beautiful Wood Nymph is just one of several moth species which are hypothesized to be mimicking bird droppings. Imagine you're a small predator making your way through the forest in search of a meal. If this moth was just sitting on a leaf out in the open, you would probably be quick to dismiss it as some unsavory bird feces. You would move on in search of some actual tasty food, and the Beautiful Wood Nymph would live another day. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7i17YUhqkKXzBY0SV8pl6P5NnlvgTker0QTJQF8K9F0a9PaD7J9-iGQV4YE61iTmvVrv6VuS57gHT3fYFDn9xTVBGjA44DPve3UewiXWSYAeHtnqfWVlGYC3GS63ype2mNxRCAMoucAHT/s1600/Dark-banded+Geometer+-+7214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dark-Banded Geometer (Ecliptopera atricolorata)" border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7i17YUhqkKXzBY0SV8pl6P5NnlvgTker0QTJQF8K9F0a9PaD7J9-iGQV4YE61iTmvVrv6VuS57gHT3fYFDn9xTVBGjA44DPve3UewiXWSYAeHtnqfWVlGYC3GS63ype2mNxRCAMoucAHT/s1600/Dark-banded+Geometer+-+7214.JPG" title="Dark-Banded Geometer (Ecliptopera atricolorata)" width="640" /></a></div>
This stunning moth is the Dark-Banded Geometer (<i>Ecliptopera atricolorata</i>). For many, this was moth highlight of the night. This is another relatively uncommon species that is missing from the Peterson Field Guide to Moths. Typically when I write a post like this, I try to find at least one neat fact to share for each species. The problem is, I can barely find any information on this species. I did, however, find a quote about this moth from the famous Lepidopterist and naturalist William Jacob Holland in his 1903 book entitled <b>The Moth Book. </b>Holland writes that the Dark-Banded Geometer is "One of the most beautiful of the geometrid moths found in the Atlantic States." There you have it: the Dark-Banded Geometer, always a show stopper. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWhDfLpki82XLZjkr3D_TPHXk7RCN6h_bCqXJ9OdORQIvLqbVsrQzuGg_PE0ZqYVDfkJFSxVXgywCT1YWMc8ZfFDnLi8_FObou6d2dbx1pnPHfrA2kCVHJkppG3PMgPkYZuQwPC_OY5xB/s1600/Polyphemus+Moth+Size.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus) Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1488" data-original-width="1600" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjWhDfLpki82XLZjkr3D_TPHXk7RCN6h_bCqXJ9OdORQIvLqbVsrQzuGg_PE0ZqYVDfkJFSxVXgywCT1YWMc8ZfFDnLi8_FObou6d2dbx1pnPHfrA2kCVHJkppG3PMgPkYZuQwPC_OY5xB/s1600/Polyphemus+Moth+Size.JPG" title="Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'll end with the very last moth of the night. This gigantic beauty is the Polyphemus Moth (<i>Antheraea polyphemus</i>). Due to Columbus Metro Park rules, the moth night had to officially end at midnight. The night, however, did not end there. After shutting down the mothing sheets, many of the moth-ers traveled down the road to a gas station that straddles the intersection of Clear Creek Road and US Route 33. Why travel to a gas station, you might ask? Well, there are bright lights, and these lights attract moths. We might not have been able to moth in Clear Creek Metro Park at that point, but we could still moth at a gas station! <b>And yes, I realize how absolutely ridiculous this must sound to those of you not into moths. </b>As I mentioned earlier in this post, the Polyphemus was one of my spark moths, and you can probably see why. This thing is <i>huge</i>. Just to give you an idea of size, my hand is about 8 inches long. This Polyphemus moth has about a 6 inch wingspan, making it one of the largest moth species in Ohio. It's hard not to stop and take a closer look at this moth, even for those who might hate insects. <br />
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That wraps up my two-part series on some of the moths of Clear Creek Metro Park. Once again, the first part can be found at this link: <b><a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2017/06/mothing-at-clear-creek-subtle.html">Mothing at Clear Creek: The Subtle</a></b>. Thanks for reading!Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com0Clear Creek Metro Park, 185, Clear Creek Rd, Rockbridge, OH 43149, United States39.597597 -82.55572599999999314.0755625 -123.86431999999999 65.1196315 -41.247131999999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-49609332935107309372017-06-24T16:30:00.000-04:002017-07-14T16:06:24.351-04:00Mothing at Clear Creek: The SubtleLast weekend I had the pleasure of attending a moth night at Clear Creek Metro Park. The attendees saw a lot of moths over the course of the night, and I wanted to highlight a few species in particular. I'll be doing so in two posts; this post will focus on some of the more drab and subtle moth species of the night, while the next post will focus on the more showy and colorful moth species of the night!<br /><br /><b>EDIT: <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2017/06/mothing-at-clear-creek-showy.html">Click on this link to see the second post covering the showy moths of the night.</a></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5I76EtdsqGGkn9plviJEwSOFbAgtpQZiHZFfkxtGiGZiE4dLBmAmT9mnO3rvGYeeul7zWhOm1vGANt8ocEWRfc6Wg4MHpTICjsd1lb3ovS6nIowjKcnUYlOop7WpuWo5G8uqsQIJqayXq/s1600/Mothing+at+Clear+Creek.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mothing in Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5I76EtdsqGGkn9plviJEwSOFbAgtpQZiHZFfkxtGiGZiE4dLBmAmT9mnO3rvGYeeul7zWhOm1vGANt8ocEWRfc6Wg4MHpTICjsd1lb3ovS6nIowjKcnUYlOop7WpuWo5G8uqsQIJqayXq/s1600/Mothing+at+Clear+Creek.JPG" title="Mothing in Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
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Moth nights are fun. The activity of mothing<span class="st">—a hobby involving the pursuit of moth diversity</span><span class="st">—centers primarily around moth sheets, like the ones pictured above. Moth sheets in themselves are nothing special; they're just plain white bed sheets. The magic lies in the lighting. Although normal household lights will attract moths here and there, you really need to use one of two types of special lights to really attract the moths. UV lights and mercury vapor lights are the weapon of choice here, with mercury vapor lights being the best of the best. This moth night at Clear Creek consisted of 4 mothing sheets set up throughout one section of the park. Several dozens of various moth species visited each sheet over the night, so let's jump right into some of the more drab and subtle species of the night!</span> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpMzIu-8j98JlXlGuyeQzR59KHIANIuUV-RjDYkmQtkvvGtAhMcB-RDqEgqbXeflmoo9L9XQF0Yj27Q38Yrvx1roDbjnwFHFYLLG9JQFbQYXI2g0VljH9SE1rNiL62WfTPI2PSdLmnWNM/s1600/Common+Lytrosis+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Common Lytrosis (Lytrosis unitaria)" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpMzIu-8j98JlXlGuyeQzR59KHIANIuUV-RjDYkmQtkvvGtAhMcB-RDqEgqbXeflmoo9L9XQF0Yj27Q38Yrvx1roDbjnwFHFYLLG9JQFbQYXI2g0VljH9SE1rNiL62WfTPI2PSdLmnWNM/s1600/Common+Lytrosis+1.JPG" title="Common Lytrosis (Lytrosis unitaria)" width="640" /></a></div>
First up is the Common Lytrosis (<i>Lytrosis unitaria</i>). The Common Lytrosis is a rather large moth, coming in with around a 3 inch wingspan. I think this is a perfect species to start out with. If it were to fly by you, you might simply dismiss it as a big brown moth. But upon closer inspection, you would see all the minute and intricate details present in the wings. We humans tend to like the showy, eye-grabbing things in life, and we often skip over things that don't instantly grab our attention. But if you start taking a closer look at those "boring" things, you will soon find that they aren't so boring after all. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuewXube_Rjm8mp9c9KlzQcIezhyphenhyphenzmRL42kahhfCB3KBD6NDRCIG0darud3saD2d3-yiD8bd0IXRGcgrjNjLlvs9AM3vqmEOidEGdNebcnmaYOdv5kqMoJVkdLEOBlG_VeyZfSCzI1Kw7/s1600/Barred+Granite.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Barred Granite (Speranza subcessaria)" border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTuewXube_Rjm8mp9c9KlzQcIezhyphenhyphenzmRL42kahhfCB3KBD6NDRCIG0darud3saD2d3-yiD8bd0IXRGcgrjNjLlvs9AM3vqmEOidEGdNebcnmaYOdv5kqMoJVkdLEOBlG_VeyZfSCzI1Kw7/s1600/Barred+Granite.JPG" title="Barred Granite (Speranza subcessaria)" width="640" /></a></div>
Mothing is like looking at abstract art. With abstract art, the appeal lies <i>not </i>within some straightforward meaning that the elements of the artwork create, but instead lies within the elements of the artwork themselves<span class="st">—</span>the colors and the contrast, the changing patterns across the canvas, the lines that take you on a journey through the artwork. The appeal of mothing, at least in my opinion, is the same. It's just fun to look closely at each species and see how all the colors, patterns, and lines interact with each other, and how that changes from species to species. This moth is called the Barred Granite (<i>Speranza subcessaria</i>), and its dark patches set among a pale gray background is a great example of contrasting elements. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRposALXFICGVjAVWHf3pqC0q7guDtaIxfsAMR9sLiIAUJVx0FQ35R8En3NJn0sS9hzn8EDnABBYPpbw4-NBRiJ5Vf5wgJYClJfWX1my9UGtuF2GDehvhs3g7oSLSpfOjtgymaK-1S-nXD/s1600/Hemlock+Angle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hemlock Angle (Macaria fissinotata)" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRposALXFICGVjAVWHf3pqC0q7guDtaIxfsAMR9sLiIAUJVx0FQ35R8En3NJn0sS9hzn8EDnABBYPpbw4-NBRiJ5Vf5wgJYClJfWX1my9UGtuF2GDehvhs3g7oSLSpfOjtgymaK-1S-nXD/s1600/Hemlock+Angle.JPG" title="Hemlock Angle (Macaria fissinotata)" width="640" /></a></div>
One of the most enjoyable parts of mothing lies in the process of identification. This is the Hemlock Angle (<i>Macaria fissinotata</i>). At first glance, it looks almost identical to the previous Barred Granite, but closer inspection reveals differences in patterning. When I go mothing, I take photos of everything I see. I then spend the next week or so trying to identify each species from the comfort of my home. I use the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-Field-Northeastern-America-Guides/dp/0547238487">Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America</a> for this part. Identifying moths can be super frustrating, but in a fun way. Identifying these drab moths involves a lot of flipping from page to page through the Peterson Guide. Over and over. Again and again. Eventually you find the species you're looking for (but not always). As the name of this species implies, the larvae feed on Eastern Hemlock and occasionally Basalm Fir. Clear Creek Metro Park has a big population of Eastern Hemlocks, so it's no surprise that the Hemlock Angle is there!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VRfF8hB1KUGB58l7TzLk-ziglieT-W41ETNX2jfDTO3_vtWyJLJdhXxwImw6FqIKlEKIr-ArAFtqgv-IwB3xBTUYvA5SwDIVJ7UnrXAoB5zJk8I3yPikUvf_DWiLum2vXR9DA3p4FHNk/s1600/Pale+Metanema+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pale Metanema (Metanema inatomaria)" border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="1600" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0VRfF8hB1KUGB58l7TzLk-ziglieT-W41ETNX2jfDTO3_vtWyJLJdhXxwImw6FqIKlEKIr-ArAFtqgv-IwB3xBTUYvA5SwDIVJ7UnrXAoB5zJk8I3yPikUvf_DWiLum2vXR9DA3p4FHNk/s1600/Pale+Metanema+2.JPG" title="Pale Metanema (Metanema inatomaria)" width="640" /></a></div>
When I first saw this moth, I thought it was some species of emerald (subfamily Geometrinae), but it's actually the Pale Metanema (<i>Metanema inatomaria</i>) in the subfamily Ennomina. The caterpillar of the Pale Metanema uses various poplar species, and occasionally willows, as a host. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7skgaL6UO3EZyKgANdGXpIWa05dirgibU2of4WjWU2UsPiW6SbQEsYyyUt1vm2pOzASGRcpolZZaDjUp8XisXy9HoQTrCMxtx0_hU4mAmQoow5dGchx_uVeAqCuZ83gB3ZNmHq0QvvOyj/s1600/Bog+Lygropia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bog Lygropia (Lygropia rivulalis)" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7skgaL6UO3EZyKgANdGXpIWa05dirgibU2of4WjWU2UsPiW6SbQEsYyyUt1vm2pOzASGRcpolZZaDjUp8XisXy9HoQTrCMxtx0_hU4mAmQoow5dGchx_uVeAqCuZ83gB3ZNmHq0QvvOyj/s1600/Bog+Lygropia.JPG" title="Bog Lygropia (Lygropia rivulalis)" width="640" /></a></div>
This is a Bog Lygropia (<i>Lygropia rivulalis</i>). When it comes to most moths, we really don't know much information about their natural history. With most species, we at least know what types of plants the caterpillars feed on. With the Bog Lygropia, we don't even know <i>that</i>. In fact, from what I can tell we don't even know what the caterpillar looks like! There's so much fundamental information we're missing when it comes to the dark side of Lepidoptera. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7ycngPfg6qZ8M_G71p9xGgdIYXKDroFpVGAfiq6X1jWRUirYaBe4W_LA3RUdoDLFn4CPxac6t840Xzt60pUeTOGJocDgWDWAOeXLyX7jt2h0k9i4fMQPDB101wq4Uk0nzojirGG9qpJT/s1600/The+Beggar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Beggar (Eubaphe mendica)" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7ycngPfg6qZ8M_G71p9xGgdIYXKDroFpVGAfiq6X1jWRUirYaBe4W_LA3RUdoDLFn4CPxac6t840Xzt60pUeTOGJocDgWDWAOeXLyX7jt2h0k9i4fMQPDB101wq4Uk0nzojirGG9qpJT/s1600/The+Beggar.JPG" title="The Beggar (Eubaphe mendica)" width="640" /></a></div>
This is The Beggar (<i>Eubaphe mendica</i>), a rather common sight at mothing sheets. The common names of moths are strange. For decades, there were no common names. When people began "getting into" moths, those who made guides decided that they needed common names in addition to the scientific names. To solve this problem, they simply began making names up! Some common names were based off the scientific names. For example, the Bog Lygropia is called such because its scientific name is <i>Lygropia rivulalis </i>and it prefers wet and boggy areas. Other names are not as straightforward, and The Beggar is one such example. No one is exactly sure why it's call that, but the speculation is that whoever named it thought the dark patches on the wings looked like the holes in a stereotypical beggar's clothes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KLatoIxP9y_ryXPpbNeuu7s8ocUu6OZZcATXDKTuWd_hfIdWEb_ABHM6wmyaHBmNQOb1Rdkv4TAlgfQMev4oYdfm-ioQ3Mjbhpt6_7eQVBe4xpnS_pyyx7oLt17xsY9u88Jx9QMB-wzh/s1600/For+Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Adult Woolly Bear" border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="1600" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KLatoIxP9y_ryXPpbNeuu7s8ocUu6OZZcATXDKTuWd_hfIdWEb_ABHM6wmyaHBmNQOb1Rdkv4TAlgfQMev4oYdfm-ioQ3Mjbhpt6_7eQVBe4xpnS_pyyx7oLt17xsY9u88Jx9QMB-wzh/s640/For+Blog.jpg" title="Adult Woolly Bear" width="640" /></a></div>
Next up is the Isabella Tiger Moth, which you probably better know as the Woolly Bear (<i>Pyrrharctia isabella</i>). A single individual visited the mothing sheet that night, and it happened to be a very worn individual that had lost a lot of its patterning. Luckily, there isn't much else that looks like an adult Isabella Tiger Moth. If you've ever wondered what the Woolly Bear turns into after metamorphosis, now you know! Side note: If you want to learn about some more "fuzzy" caterpillars, check out my previous post <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2013/10/caterpillars-of-fuzzy-variety.html">"Caterpillars of the Fuzzy Variety."</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMF9krOzxUYrYHZZMrF8U80lDguw5sh2bqHEI2gvTYKtJ_DHdXyPWjAD7kU6pd8Za-y4JhAR0kmX4alBZ91KsIP6XjHtfLoBUfrVeSiBn_p0XOVwzbm71mnkEdg1hRJ8tYFi4BWJllpVW3/s1600/Arched+Hooktip.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Arched Hooktip (Drepana arcuata)" border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMF9krOzxUYrYHZZMrF8U80lDguw5sh2bqHEI2gvTYKtJ_DHdXyPWjAD7kU6pd8Za-y4JhAR0kmX4alBZ91KsIP6XjHtfLoBUfrVeSiBn_p0XOVwzbm71mnkEdg1hRJ8tYFi4BWJllpVW3/s1600/Arched+Hooktip.JPG" title="Arched Hooktip (Drepana arcuata)" width="640" /></a></div>
I'll end this post with the Arched Hooktip (<i>Drepana arcuata)</i>. The adults are your typical moth; the caterpillars, however, are unique. During the Arched Hooktip's caterpillar stage, the caterpillars like to be with other caterpillars of the same species. How do they find other caterpillars? They drum! One caterpillar will roll a leaf up, tighten it down with silk, and then crawl inside this new home. Once inside, the caterpillar will begin making vibrations by dragging parts of its anal segments against the leaf, drumming with its mouthparts, and performing a series of other actions. The resulting vibrations are a signal to any nearby Arched Hooktip caterpillars to come over and hang out in the new leaf shelter and eat together. This communicative behavior is super interesting, and very unique among the moths (at least from what we currently know). If you want to read more, here is a link to the original study: <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00265-017-2280-x">Invitation by vibration: recruitment to feeding shelters in social caterpillars</a><br />
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That's it for this post! I'll have the next post covering some of the showy moths up in a few days. Thanks for reading!<br /><br /><b>EDIT: <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2017/06/mothing-at-clear-creek-showy.html">Click on this link to see the second post covering the showy moths of the night.</a></b>Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com2Clear Creek Metro Park, 185, Clear Creek Rd, Rockbridge, OH 43149, United States39.597597 -82.55572599999999314.0755625 -123.86431999999999 65.1196315 -41.247131999999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-601294026698236002017-06-01T16:38:00.002-04:002017-06-01T16:38:34.971-04:00American Burying Beetle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxXra_IRsq-RK1x1zN6bUaFEzStheaDZ3QcgaCA735d2Q4nbwp4RYTBrl-lV0KSzSywtc5O5nVhJXZsXX5y9-aWc2B68bXpB5SrnpWx3HHNPihyphenhyphenz2LFakSDwmh7YK-WPxvvZYHcGzcJW6/s1600/Wilds+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Wilds Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="881" data-original-width="1600" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxXra_IRsq-RK1x1zN6bUaFEzStheaDZ3QcgaCA735d2Q4nbwp4RYTBrl-lV0KSzSywtc5O5nVhJXZsXX5y9-aWc2B68bXpB5SrnpWx3HHNPihyphenhyphenz2LFakSDwmh7YK-WPxvvZYHcGzcJW6/s1600/Wilds+Resized.jpg" title="The Wilds Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
This past Friday I ventured up to <a href="https://thewilds.columbuszoo.org/">The Wilds</a> in Muskingum County, Ohio, with the wildlife biologist for the Wayne National Forest and another wildlife intern for the National Forest. The Wilds is a fantastic wildlife conservation center that is known for offering open air bus tours through pastures containing rhinos, giraffes, Sichuan Takins, and a whole host of other exotic and endangered species. Our trip wasn't for these large and well-known species, though. Our trip was for a beetle... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRS6rNT8q7v4ck21mZ7yIwOlM39eJ6q5GVi9wwTvJIVZrp-gFNd8R-v3YNUIZs63pshQYUIFBvWnW5DaFvhdAi3LW0lwc5ojVo2G5IUyN8P9X4bmzrPoZV3BywD1-WFC3dbKZD1VebIqwF/s1600/DSC_0166-Edit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Burying Beetle in Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRS6rNT8q7v4ck21mZ7yIwOlM39eJ6q5GVi9wwTvJIVZrp-gFNd8R-v3YNUIZs63pshQYUIFBvWnW5DaFvhdAi3LW0lwc5ojVo2G5IUyN8P9X4bmzrPoZV3BywD1-WFC3dbKZD1VebIqwF/s1600/DSC_0166-Edit.JPG" title="American Burying Beetle in Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
Meet the American Burying Beetle (<i>Nicrophorus americanus</i>). This 1.5 inch long orange and black insect is a very special species. It once ranged all across the eastern United States, from the Great Plains to the Atlantic Coast. However, over the course of the 20th Century the American Burying Beetle all but disappeared from the world. Population after population began dying out, prompting the government to list this species as Federally Endangered in 1989. The reason for the decline and near-extinction of the American Burying Beetle has been a mystery for decades, as no one has been able to unequivocally pin down the exact cause. Regardless of the reason why, the American Burying Beetle was in dire trouble. Zoos and other conservation centers around the United States began collecting what little natural populations remained in the northern Great Plains and other scattered regions in order to create captive breeding populations.<br />
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This brings us to The Wilds, which began captive breeding its own population of American Burying Beetles in 2007. Every year the conservationists at The Wilds take a portion of their captive population and reintroduces those beetles back into the wild at a location on their property. I was able to participate in the 2017 "Planting of the Beetles" and document the process.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUHR-w068WmYtP7BQXZMtuLrFH_pmwTybW0Lp3-FI0J1pxV6dh7ObPl-DjzDIv9XA-ZC7v5fCek85HkYTS0w9rf-SnvtdaeHNIif6wjzMdXcTpFEBZNYpo4hM7WA_Hl5hZxue5FLgfQe5/s1600/DSC_0113-Edit-2+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Burying Beetle Reintroduction" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUHR-w068WmYtP7BQXZMtuLrFH_pmwTybW0Lp3-FI0J1pxV6dh7ObPl-DjzDIv9XA-ZC7v5fCek85HkYTS0w9rf-SnvtdaeHNIif6wjzMdXcTpFEBZNYpo4hM7WA_Hl5hZxue5FLgfQe5/s1600/DSC_0113-Edit-2+Resized.jpg" title="American Burying Beetle Reintroduction" width="512" /></a></div>
The American Burying Beetle has a rather interesting and unusual reproductive method. A pair will search for a fresh animal carcass<span class="st">—typically something between the size of a mouse and a pigeon</span><span class="st">. Upon finding a suitable carcass, the pair will begin to bury it to a typical depth of 4-10 inches. Once buried, the beetles will alter the shape of the carcass and add chemical secretions to it which will slow down the rate of decomposition. After this, the female will lay eggs in a separate chamber above the carcass. After the eggs hatch, both the male and female will use the carcass to feed the larvae. Once the larvae are ready to pupate, the parents will leave the nest. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF80NkK04dLyzlQ7VNjE_WToUCziIVansh2rz7AOU6MTGVwHVZU41LI5TDYKUf_kaHDC5cM6o2m9NZeDgxrtSIIyov1cCRLHH5hYFfVw6LIKfWdLd73ULMHY8nh89oazf0QgTTJN79WfYO/s1600/DSC_0104-Edit-3+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Burying Beetle Reintroduction Efforts" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1100" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF80NkK04dLyzlQ7VNjE_WToUCziIVansh2rz7AOU6MTGVwHVZU41LI5TDYKUf_kaHDC5cM6o2m9NZeDgxrtSIIyov1cCRLHH5hYFfVw6LIKfWdLd73ULMHY8nh89oazf0QgTTJN79WfYO/s1600/DSC_0104-Edit-3+Resized.jpg" title="American Burying Beetle Reintroduction Efforts" width="438" /></a></div>
<span class="st">The whole point
of this reintroduction day is for us humans to do all the hard work for the beetles about to be reintroduced. About two dozen volunteers from various agencies and
organizations ventured into the forest and began digging lots of holes</span><span class="st">—110 to be exact.</span> Once the holes were dug, each was then "seeded" with a dead rat. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROAvIg9AqIrdYgf6TAduYaEO22eIZEKZKhcEMBEHvFpDngUK7r4ZlQl4sh7MxWS5mxkfLRewD1DK6KueoCyI2CI3b3DOru2IO0oCKoynvCmfkHYcWCxUIwYeGTao6pZNraNUDQecRzOOj/s1600/DSC_0145-Edit-Edit+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dan Beetem Director of Animal Management for The Wilds" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROAvIg9AqIrdYgf6TAduYaEO22eIZEKZKhcEMBEHvFpDngUK7r4ZlQl4sh7MxWS5mxkfLRewD1DK6KueoCyI2CI3b3DOru2IO0oCKoynvCmfkHYcWCxUIwYeGTao6pZNraNUDQecRzOOj/s1600/DSC_0145-Edit-Edit+Resized.jpg" title="Dan Beetem Director of Animal Management for The Wilds" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan Beetem, the Director of Animal Management for The Wilds, examines a pair of American Burying Beetles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After each hole was dug and seeded with a rat, the fun part began. Two coolers were stocked with dozens and dozens of tiny plastic containers, each containing a male and female beetle, with a few containing some "single" females. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheK5M3QhQnblvsvcZfkM14Gr5MCi3yQS2PrD65BvLzYp-_73mbKND5Ql4cit1YoD4NiLb7VzYm1rahXh7YledGaYXFhDxPG_vkKyO26HKShJfc9aaymYes8wOiRwCaGp8zX_YYwPbebja8/s1600/DSC_0190-Edit+Resized+with+no+Watermark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Burying Beetle Conservation" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1325" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheK5M3QhQnblvsvcZfkM14Gr5MCi3yQS2PrD65BvLzYp-_73mbKND5Ql4cit1YoD4NiLb7VzYm1rahXh7YledGaYXFhDxPG_vkKyO26HKShJfc9aaymYes8wOiRwCaGp8zX_YYwPbebja8/s1600/DSC_0190-Edit+Resized+with+no+Watermark.jpg" title="American Burying Beetle Conservation" width="530" /></a></div>
The volunteers would grab a container, pick an available hole, and then carefully add the pair of beetles into the hole. By completing the first half of the beetles' work, the conservationists aim to give this new population a leg up. The hope is that the beetle pair will realize that there is an appropriate food source that's already buried, and will then decide to mate with each other and give rise to the next generation. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPU7ZjzN9QYBHTG9LP6EBzAB0KDCgDnzh82-d8-u-9LKr7pv3IC94K0Qd3xG42zRgU2PVO5l1vtpJpvReJrKe8eRX2ly2X5I-BYYSnxQNjmePvOdqA2hUJV7aWO-jYV9Tilvr56Pt7C4-/s1600/DSC_0178-Edit-Edit-Edit+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Burying Beetle Nicrophorus americanus" border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPU7ZjzN9QYBHTG9LP6EBzAB0KDCgDnzh82-d8-u-9LKr7pv3IC94K0Qd3xG42zRgU2PVO5l1vtpJpvReJrKe8eRX2ly2X5I-BYYSnxQNjmePvOdqA2hUJV7aWO-jYV9Tilvr56Pt7C4-/s1600/DSC_0178-Edit-Edit-Edit+Resized.jpg" title="American Burying Beetle Nicrophorus americanus" width="640" /></a></div>
I first learned about the American Burying Beetle several years ago, and I've wanted to see one since then. I honestly thought I would never get to see one, but then I found myself getting to hold one. Moments like these<span class="st">—interacting with such a special creature on such a personal level—are what captivate and inspire me. These are the moments I hoped to experience when I chose to venture down the wildlife biology path.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-j4THE0-6bzwNm_ReXOMz4do0E83Ue8qY8WBseyGQj86WfKbWTTYWwE-A1vm1phWipggl7BoMUH_EJ8efyikpJPRewnXMcH9AHsyz1ZdLhn4OIxKKJwPs5_fJDOnZ093AEOmtDm7paSH/s1600/DSC_0251-Edit-Edit+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Burying Beetle Reproduction" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-j4THE0-6bzwNm_ReXOMz4do0E83Ue8qY8WBseyGQj86WfKbWTTYWwE-A1vm1phWipggl7BoMUH_EJ8efyikpJPRewnXMcH9AHsyz1ZdLhn4OIxKKJwPs5_fJDOnZ093AEOmtDm7paSH/s1600/DSC_0251-Edit-Edit+Resized.jpg" title="American Burying Beetle Reproduction" width="640" /></a></div>
When it comes to Ohio, there are several other organizations that have either previously reintroduced, or are continuing to reintroduce, populations of American Burying Beetles across the state. Whether these efforts have been successful in establishing a self-sustaining population is yet to be seen, however. An American Burying Beetle only lives for a year. For a self-sustaining population to be created, enough of the reintroduced individuals have to mate and lay eggs. Enough of these eggs must hatch and enough of the larvae must be adequately cared for. Enough of these larvae must then successfully pupate and overwinter. Enough of these overwintering individuals must then emerge, find a mate, find a carcass, and successfully reproduce. There are many steps in which something can go wrong, and most times all traces of a given reintroduced population vanish by the next summer. Take for example the efforts by the Cincinnati Zoo. Between 2013 and 2016, the Cincinnati Zoo released a total 748 adults into a park. These 748 adults were estimated to have produced a total of 2349 larvae. Each year, zoo workers would attempt to find any new adults in the area which were from last year's efforts. They only ever found 2 adults. It's possible that many new adults survived and then simply dispersed to other areas and were consequently never captured. It's also possible that most of the reproductive efforts failed at some point. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxagyhHo_CIboAX1c6wv8IhWwe5tl1OkOZHs6CFhlIejtfpDd0ZA0gmCMyOIoBmItaEJmVmkZzBpOyXVYXkNc2vTZPfvLlPfAxxXvh2kwylOrfU0Q4OKbKh3v6mIcuie2f-TJ2BswN5k5/s1600/DSC_0204-Edit-Edit-Edit-2+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Reintroduction of the American Burying Beetle at The Wilds" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxagyhHo_CIboAX1c6wv8IhWwe5tl1OkOZHs6CFhlIejtfpDd0ZA0gmCMyOIoBmItaEJmVmkZzBpOyXVYXkNc2vTZPfvLlPfAxxXvh2kwylOrfU0Q4OKbKh3v6mIcuie2f-TJ2BswN5k5/s1600/DSC_0204-Edit-Edit-Edit-2+Resized.jpg" title="Reintroduction of the American Burying Beetle at The Wilds" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan Beetem, the Director of Animal Management for The Wilds, looks on the American Burying Beetles' new homes with optimism.</td></tr>
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You might be thinking that it seems like we're fighting a losing battle when it comes to reestablishing the American Burying Beetle. Maybe that's true; there have been more losses in the world of wildlife conservation than there have been successes. But when it comes down to it, the species is still extant. There is still a chance. Conservationists will continue their struggle to help this species survive. I hope to see a day where self-sustaining populations of the American Burying Beetle dot the landscape they once inhabited. It's too early to say whether this dream is realistic or not, but I will remain hopeful.<br />
<br />Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com1The Wilds, 14000 International Rd, Cumberland, OH 43732, USA39.82948 -81.73302414.307445499999996 -123.041618 65.3515145 -40.42443tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-84100605186362420782017-05-29T17:34:00.002-04:002017-05-29T19:16:53.628-04:00To Take a Photo: A Frog's Photoshoot Today I'm going to do something a bit different from my usual posts. My friend and fellow lab-mate <a href="https://twitter.com/cthomp1809">Cassie Thompson</a> is working on a research project involving Wood Frogs and American Toads. This project involved raising hundreds of tadpoles of both the Wood Frog and American Toad. Those tadpoles recently metamorphosed into tiny adults. Cassie wanted some photos of these tiny adults, so she asked me if I was interested in having a little photo shoot with them. I was thrilled to do so, and I went about capturing some high-quality photos that she could use in presentations and outreach. A few of my other friends were interested in how the final product came to be, so I decided to create this blog post to outline my post-processing workflow. This post will follow a single photo from its capture, through its editing, and to its finalized version.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ74VgfbhU8ka0jMyfP7HG4yJk81wCxyzs74Jvl_Pddr81Q1ForOfqSuFttyDhuLfO4XrpavRXxJpLQgKNBv3p7LiUehb-ZL4yWe_Erb0mwx5HxLxr2Yw-kb4i78qADMnrgfqPOFpZPyRC/s1600/Final+Resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wood Frog Photo" border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ74VgfbhU8ka0jMyfP7HG4yJk81wCxyzs74Jvl_Pddr81Q1ForOfqSuFttyDhuLfO4XrpavRXxJpLQgKNBv3p7LiUehb-ZL4yWe_Erb0mwx5HxLxr2Yw-kb4i78qADMnrgfqPOFpZPyRC/s1600/Final+Resized.JPG" title="Wood Frog Photo" width="640" /></a></div>
Let's start with the final product. This is a recently-metamorphosed Wood Frog (<span class="_Xbe kno-fv"><i>Lithobates sylvaticus</i>) sitting on a penny. When taking this photo, I knew I wanted a completely clean, white background, and I knew I wanted something in the photo for size reference. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmlhWg7MZhgNT1D5bZ1SVP3dG8kpyugNlZ1qngBvGKoor4s83NiWPmPeCnUvAt_6CG3cpggyqFXVcZkMkMX691ofQwS4rorzPgbp1l4r2IYST5rZQnuy6h08Oi-7jHOG2dTOv03ZxRbdP/s1600/Setup+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Frog Macro Photography" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmlhWg7MZhgNT1D5bZ1SVP3dG8kpyugNlZ1qngBvGKoor4s83NiWPmPeCnUvAt_6CG3cpggyqFXVcZkMkMX691ofQwS4rorzPgbp1l4r2IYST5rZQnuy6h08Oi-7jHOG2dTOv03ZxRbdP/s1600/Setup+Resized.jpg" title="Frog Macro Photography" width="480" /></a></div>
To achieve that look, I created this super simple setup. I used a white piece of computer paper for the backdrop, and I propped this paper up so it would curl upward. For my camera setup, I used a Nikon D5100 DSLR, an 85mm Nikon macro lens, and a Nikon SB-700 external flash. I then mounted my camera and flash on a tripod to allow for easier control. I shoot all of my photos in manual mode, meaning I select what settings the camera will use to expose a photo. I also shoot all of my photos in the RAW format, which I will talk about later. For this photo, I set my aperture to f/20, my shutter speed to 1/200th of a second, my ISO to 125, and my external flash to 1/8th power. In addition, I had Cassie hold up a small reflector on the right side of the backdrop. This reflector allowed some of the flash's light to be reflected back toward the frog from the side, ensuring that the frog's stomach was not underexposed. Finally, and most importantly, I placed the frog on the penny and shot the photo. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2137DKDH20x_Ngo0vJ3MgiiJ_eETR5RiGoGKK17nCJEGlUEQo1RS1ct627CacABReX-M-SEtXIOexi219UmT1jO3SscjTdGfYhpGj1RFUTVshBdAOAAbVR2XKnLzAxIg7xsKWdKVMBCFT/s1600/Raw+Resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Editing RAW Photos" border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2137DKDH20x_Ngo0vJ3MgiiJ_eETR5RiGoGKK17nCJEGlUEQo1RS1ct627CacABReX-M-SEtXIOexi219UmT1jO3SscjTdGfYhpGj1RFUTVshBdAOAAbVR2XKnLzAxIg7xsKWdKVMBCFT/s1600/Raw+Resized.jpg" title="Editing RAW Photos" width="640" /></a></div>
This was the RAW photo straight out of the camera. At this point in time, no post-processing had been done. As you can see, the overall temperature is rather cool (meaning there is a blue tint), and the subject is rather small and dull. This is to be expected. As I mentioned earlier, I shoot using the RAW format. Generally speaking, RAW photos tend to be dull and flat.<br />
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So why shoot in RAW? The benefit of shooting RAW lies in the flexibility of this file type. The RAW format records <i>a lot</i> of detailed color data, which is what you want. The downside is that the straight-RAW photo is almost always dull and flat; the data is there, but it is "compressed." This means that a RAW photo must be edited to bring out the colors and details that are already present in the file's coding, but just subdued. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rW5UiggpW-ArIaUvfRRMfqYn1mrmPS5t1XjYPa-0TPNkPVk3Q733PEjUOB7-4Aw0bpyaD9-JxEWgv3ZaUSsND2DM8DlwqD7n9G_IJy4F6CRlokLEYrEchPE5Tvu5bGnw_7Ejmgu9jaf8/s1600/Step+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Using Lightroom to edit RAW photos" border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="1254" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rW5UiggpW-ArIaUvfRRMfqYn1mrmPS5t1XjYPa-0TPNkPVk3Q733PEjUOB7-4Aw0bpyaD9-JxEWgv3ZaUSsND2DM8DlwqD7n9G_IJy4F6CRlokLEYrEchPE5Tvu5bGnw_7Ejmgu9jaf8/s1600/Step+1.PNG" title="Using Lightroom to edit RAW photos" width="640" /></a></div>
We now have the RAW photo, so next we have to begin editing it. For this part, I use Adobe Lightroom. First I remove the chromatic aberration in the photo. Then I crop the photo to get rid of any excess space. Finally, I begin to do whole-photo edits to the exposure. For this part, I first changed the temperature of the photo by making it warmer, as it was initially too cool (i.e. too "blue"). Then I decreased the highlights, brought the shadows up a bit, and then increased the saturation and vibrancy a tad. For my final edit at this stage, I increased the whites a great deal. By increasing the whites, the white paper backdrop began to lose detail. I didn't want the viewer to look at the background and be able to tell it is a piece of paper. I want the focus to be on the frog and the penny, not the background.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBiNMP8_m6urBX6T0ivA4jP4hVLRWTfH8zVjZQp-M1XmJgMb-zReIk1jRyN3T_65iChA-9sM2Ng07kFTWX6Jp1mjlRqR4UUgwrxbU5iDt-zEq2JNa_wmC4777mMzcHRI4Z8TsSJx6BbPg/s1600/Step+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Spot Editing Photos" border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="1294" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBiNMP8_m6urBX6T0ivA4jP4hVLRWTfH8zVjZQp-M1XmJgMb-zReIk1jRyN3T_65iChA-9sM2Ng07kFTWX6Jp1mjlRqR4UUgwrxbU5iDt-zEq2JNa_wmC4777mMzcHRI4Z8TsSJx6BbPg/s1600/Step+2.PNG" title="Spot Editing Photos" width="640" /></a></div>
Next began the spot editing portion. When shooting amphibians with a flash, their moist skin tends to result in blown out areas. In an attempt to remedy this, I used Lightroom's brush feature to go in and highlight the overexposed or blown out areas of the face, which you can see in the photo above. I then decreased the highlights, shadows, and overall exposure of this highlighted area to recover some of the details that would otherwise be lost. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRi2Ks-X0ZASPv5zuPX-LZfTD66GrZZWffAHA02UF-U7M8AOffGaAXIWsAahi8chJLNvhk_TjhJh3c1SChJgPzeCcRn0HbBrhfl8Fe0ptt_lTp41BL7Ie3u2fjNJ_11AKkngklGsjUca9p/s1600/Step+3+DFine+then+Bump+up+Whites+again+by+35+and+lower+contrast+by+10.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DFine Google Nik Collection " border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1599" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRi2Ks-X0ZASPv5zuPX-LZfTD66GrZZWffAHA02UF-U7M8AOffGaAXIWsAahi8chJLNvhk_TjhJh3c1SChJgPzeCcRn0HbBrhfl8Fe0ptt_lTp41BL7Ie3u2fjNJ_11AKkngklGsjUca9p/s1600/Step+3+DFine+then+Bump+up+Whites+again+by+35+and+lower+contrast+by+10.PNG" title="DFine Google Nik Collection " width="640" /></a></div>
After this was done, I began using another post-processing program called the Google Nik Collection. Nik is a powerful program that used to cost nearly $200, but Google recently bought it and made it free to use! If you are interested in downloading it, check out this link: <a href="https://www.google.com/nikcollection/">Nik Collection</a>. I use it as a plugin for Lightroom. The first Nik plugin I use in my workflow is called Dfine. Dfine is a very useful plugin which "intelligently" smooths out unwanted grain and noise in the photo by automatically analyzing and spot-editing the noise. It's a super useful plugin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghr0b8_E7L7L1W4QwX7W8hJyVXZ_XRGnuttOOo5iGFb8qEXzNsGK4zwJ2-UDtJoFst4k7jxEfvvtG8hcF9b_Z-9XN5-s3Kfw_V_iMSyXL41h_NipjoGokyghZFgoDOpJDwqxV00TC8Ns3E/s1600/Step+4+Add+De+Structure+Control+Points.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Using Control Points in Viveza" border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1274" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghr0b8_E7L7L1W4QwX7W8hJyVXZ_XRGnuttOOo5iGFb8qEXzNsGK4zwJ2-UDtJoFst4k7jxEfvvtG8hcF9b_Z-9XN5-s3Kfw_V_iMSyXL41h_NipjoGokyghZFgoDOpJDwqxV00TC8Ns3E/s1600/Step+4+Add+De+Structure+Control+Points.PNG" title="Using Control Points in Viveza" width="640" /></a></div>
Next I use another Nik plugin called Viveza. This program allows you to do more whole-and-spot editing. Like I said before, I wanted to lose all detail in the background and have it only exist as a white color. To work toward this goal, I added nearly 20 "control points" to the background using Viveza. Viveza has this awesome setting where you can view where your control points are exactly altering the photo. If you look at the photo above, you can see that some areas are super dark, while other areas are super white. Portions that a control point will greatly influence and alter will show up white, while portions that a given control point won't alter will be black. As you can see, the background is white, while the frog is black. That's exactly what I wanted for now. I then turn this informational view off and decrease the "Structure" setting in Viveza. The Structure setting can either bring out or strip away fine details in a photo. By decreasing the structure in the background, I'm washing away any remaining detail of the paper I used.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiV9goBOOQVjmHMxLm5SM8i9knKtFvrkSwdRYA-pDx0bPtNVK1tqyV6FYgTr9xlHlVXYAkkGj9Dzbzq2wOYRKR-Knm1qr3dkK0hDGTtkyYO-m63pYrDXe1VwLYLKQsCLeZeEtkBTAahb0l/s1600/Step+5+Add+Structure+Control+Points+to+the+frog.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Using Control Points in Nik" border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1279" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiV9goBOOQVjmHMxLm5SM8i9knKtFvrkSwdRYA-pDx0bPtNVK1tqyV6FYgTr9xlHlVXYAkkGj9Dzbzq2wOYRKR-Knm1qr3dkK0hDGTtkyYO-m63pYrDXe1VwLYLKQsCLeZeEtkBTAahb0l/s1600/Step+5+Add+Structure+Control+Points+to+the+frog.PNG" title="Using Control Points in Nik" width="640" /></a></div>
Then I do the exact opposite with the frog. I want the fine details of the frog to show up crisp and clean. To do this, I add several control points to the frog, using the helpful informational display to ensure that I'm only going to affect the frog and not the background. After making sure the frog is covered adequately, I switch off this informational display and increase the structure of the frog. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrHiVH-VXHJtaxeZRGkkHSz0HsSOvXZd44Iy0WLQSp6NckZLplEC12Cs07LsK629hZzxSPtVUijZMjmji7hB9iP7vCaB0ktlLzG77H4WA5fD9lAfjXPmPRPh4K_9EnTjJS2MsqOP2W0pV/s1600/Step+6+Edit+Eye.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Problems with Amphibian Photography" border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1313" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrHiVH-VXHJtaxeZRGkkHSz0HsSOvXZd44Iy0WLQSp6NckZLplEC12Cs07LsK629hZzxSPtVUijZMjmji7hB9iP7vCaB0ktlLzG77H4WA5fD9lAfjXPmPRPh4K_9EnTjJS2MsqOP2W0pV/s1600/Step+6+Edit+Eye.PNG" title="Problems with Amphibian Photography" width="640" /></a></div>
I save the photo file from Viveza and then open it back up in Lightroom. By this stage, I'm almost done with post-processing and all that remains are any trouble areas that I missed up to this point. I noticed that my flash reflected oddly in the bottom half of the frog's eye, giving it a gray wash in the bottom half that stood out in an unattractive manner. I used Lightroom's brush feature to try and tackle this problem. I applied a total of 3 separate brush areas to the eye, each with a different set of edits. My goal was to get rid of the gray wash that covered the bottom half of the eye. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTKUr4tRLTge4UVZ27-YRHXpfuj_Equ4qFF9RxN1ZR9_FzGaBAHpeLJ2OSDcAV-NNjfnGTSHVwLfeDXWtzef3ZEgaJhJXWTkf3BpjYIzManXs3ZhvVNawR79tBNPbSmo41GxdK4XyKbPY/s1600/Eye+Editing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="1600" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTKUr4tRLTge4UVZ27-YRHXpfuj_Equ4qFF9RxN1ZR9_FzGaBAHpeLJ2OSDcAV-NNjfnGTSHVwLfeDXWtzef3ZEgaJhJXWTkf3BpjYIzManXs3ZhvVNawR79tBNPbSmo41GxdK4XyKbPY/s1600/Eye+Editing.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before (left) and after (right).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
By using a combination of darkening the shadows, increasing the clarity, decreasing the highlights, and decreasing the brightness of the problem area, I was able to get rid of the gray wash that was a byproduct of my flash. Now the eye looked normal! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYd92WITllHev0INmCHO3xHRsZnAycicJoFOFLNp4NqEl8RRaVublFei0TyEHhgCcvqFNPo94VZCxtj5SDcau6ydAhyIePeEw9V3j1-yUnkAWjbLmK-jLvSSRUmC0BfM7Z6SjrCiCX_iZb/s1600/Final+Resized.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lithobates sylvaticus Photo" border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYd92WITllHev0INmCHO3xHRsZnAycicJoFOFLNp4NqEl8RRaVublFei0TyEHhgCcvqFNPo94VZCxtj5SDcau6ydAhyIePeEw9V3j1-yUnkAWjbLmK-jLvSSRUmC0BfM7Z6SjrCiCX_iZb/s1600/Final+Resized.JPG" title="Lithobates sylvaticus Photo" width="640" /></a></div>
And finally, after about 20 minutes of editing, the final product was nearing completion. The only remaining steps were to export the file to a JPEG format, apply some slight sharpening to the entire photo, and add a watermark. And with that, the photo is done.<br />
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Taking a photo is only half the battle in photography. Post-processing is an integral step in creating a finalized product that the photographer is happy about. The world of post-processing is complicated, however, with an array of programs available and nearly unlimited stylistic choices and tools to utilize. Hopefully this post gave you a window into <i>my personal</i> workflow. Although the details vary from photo to photo, and case to case, the overall process I explained in this post is how most of my photos are generally post-processed. Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com0Athens, OH 45701, USA39.324358 -82.10138889999996113.802323499999996 -123.40998289999996 64.8463925 -40.792794899999961tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-45693643234224233972017-05-14T19:20:00.001-04:002017-05-15T17:41:09.989-04:00Some Magnificent Moths<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Moths: the drab and boring cousins of butterflies? I think not! In fact, thousands and thousands of people around the world are beginning to fall in love with moths. Mothing<span class="st">—a </span>new hobby in the same vein as birding and herping<span class="st">—is breaking into the mainstream. Well, mainstream as nature-centered hobbies go at least. Mothing is essentially the appreciation and seeking of moth diversity, especially with the use of "light traps." Why do people find moths interesting? Although I can't speak for everyone, I'm interested by the sheer diversity of species, colors, and patterns of moths. Just to give some perspective, there are about 130-140 species of butterflies in Ohio, with about 725 species of butterflies that are in the US and Canada. Now what about moths? Ohio alone has over 1,000 species of moths. If you combine all the species of moths in the US and Canada, that number jumps to over 10,000! This diversity is incredible!</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgZg-n324dqUHNkT1YNOjg3DdRz6PJSbsKpFrLtYOx9-Wq6FBSg8inFBgXftwnzDiu_1iR5HP0Tn4zQMDjyC-FYiFnVaf0fSQWaydmOjsUPpg46qGKP_jYJXNO6-u0eHgcTfRQihnxc_I/s1600/Moth+Faces+2+with+Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Moth Faces" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgZg-n324dqUHNkT1YNOjg3DdRz6PJSbsKpFrLtYOx9-Wq6FBSg8inFBgXftwnzDiu_1iR5HP0Tn4zQMDjyC-FYiFnVaf0fSQWaydmOjsUPpg46qGKP_jYJXNO6-u0eHgcTfRQihnxc_I/s1600/Moth+Faces+2+with+Border.jpg" title="Moth Faces" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love moth faces.</td></tr>
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<span class="st">Two weeks ago I was down in Shawnee State Forest for the Ohio Ornithological Society's Warblers and Wildflowers Weekend, where I was assisting as a guide. On Friday and Saturday night of the event, when darkness fell, fellow guide Jeremy Dominguez set up his custom-built moth light trap. Although moths can be easily enough encountered, light traps are an incredibly effective way to draw in scores of moths. Jeremy uses a strong mercury vapor light (the most effective at drawing in moths) to attract any nearby moths. He strings up a white sheet next to the light to allow the moths a place to rest, which also gives the moth-ers a place to easily view the moths. The moths in this post are a few of the more eye-catching species that came to this trap.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlHpYx2qgOSeAG3xsTYX9pyohwlKJBQnnu87ePwP-SNHLOfjC1xZleqbn39FYEP9t9AR91Yuk-VR9nljWKm175KH-6AIwCj7JypW7a4MmvKvtupdG3fV9Zc2m1IQGXwC2TNa_pKjsrK2f/s1600/Azalea+Sphinx.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Azalea Sphinx (Darapsa choerilus)" border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYlHpYx2qgOSeAG3xsTYX9pyohwlKJBQnnu87ePwP-SNHLOfjC1xZleqbn39FYEP9t9AR91Yuk-VR9nljWKm175KH-6AIwCj7JypW7a4MmvKvtupdG3fV9Zc2m1IQGXwC2TNa_pKjsrK2f/s1600/Azalea+Sphinx.JPG" title="Azalea Sphinx (Darapsa choerilus)" width="640" /></a></div>
I'll start with the Azalea Sphinx (<i>Darapsa choerilus</i>). The sphinx moths are all attention-grabbers due to either their size, colors, or both. The Azalea Sphinx is a medium-sized sphinx moth<span class="st">—</span><span class="st"></span>which is on the larger size compared to most moths<span class="st">—</span>with a rich chestnut color and pinkish hues. Many times the common name of a moth will reflect its preferred host plant (which is the type of plant the caterpillar will feed on), and the Azalea Moth is a great example. The caterpillars of this species will feed on various azalea species (genus <i>Rhododendron</i>), but will also feed on Black Gum and various <i>Viburnum</i> species.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmvaIv8YNOOW8-ihBDeFjMYw9QP_qIDXJp7CdvurwVgK1E3kwlNRpn0w0WlkPUQhbeHLDYrxsy8a3jU2CO6mwghTDOeSRYDayuDzMcKdtqitS6PojW9weLEMS1QY_J7cHROPin5CASv0k/s1600/The+Hebrew.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hebrew (Polygrammate hebraeicum)" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmvaIv8YNOOW8-ihBDeFjMYw9QP_qIDXJp7CdvurwVgK1E3kwlNRpn0w0WlkPUQhbeHLDYrxsy8a3jU2CO6mwghTDOeSRYDayuDzMcKdtqitS6PojW9weLEMS1QY_J7cHROPin5CASv0k/s1600/The+Hebrew.JPG" title="Hebrew (Polygrammate hebraeicum)" width="640" /></a></div>
This inch-long black and white beauty is the Hebrew (<i>Polygrammate hebraeicum</i>). The name stems from the black markings on its wings, which resemble the characters of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_alphabet">Hebrew Alphabet</a>. The host plant of the Hebrew is the Black Gum, a species of tree. When it comes to host plant specificity, moths can be broken into 2 general groups. There are moths who have two or more host plant species, and then there are moths who only utilize a single specific plant species as their host plant. With the Hebrew falling into the latter group, this moth can only be found wherever there are populations of Black Gum. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mouxlkW5wEOWLIyA8uYVzQ57BnMzMXSjCkThGfgE3Uthp5BDFUJi0reYws4DmVwfxNQjJz_hwmeFcEdNs9zL8F9I5yMv533HAP_kH6nHnET5XT6gAI09EEEMk2VJidlYQwxb8ckVGEE7/s1600/Oak+Beauty.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Oak Beauty (Phaeoura quernaria)" border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mouxlkW5wEOWLIyA8uYVzQ57BnMzMXSjCkThGfgE3Uthp5BDFUJi0reYws4DmVwfxNQjJz_hwmeFcEdNs9zL8F9I5yMv533HAP_kH6nHnET5XT6gAI09EEEMk2VJidlYQwxb8ckVGEE7/s1600/Oak+Beauty.JPG" title="Oak Beauty (Phaeoura quernaria)" width="640" /></a></div>
Next up is the Oak Beauty (<i>Phaeoura quernaria</i>). Due to the sheer diversity of moths in Ohio, identification can be difficult. Unique looking moths, like the previous two, can be relatively easy to identify. When you come across a more "stereotypical" moth, with a camouflaged appearance, identification becomes more difficult. You begin relying on the shapes of lines on the wing, presence or absence of any dots or otherwise characteristic features, colors, wing shape, etc. And then you get moths like the Oak Beauty, which are "variable." With variable moths, the exact colors, lines, patterning, etc. can vary from individual to individual, making identification even harder. The Oak Beauty can be ID'ed by its overall charcoal color and the presence of 2 wavy black lines across the wings with a varying amount of white associated with these black lines. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9sqB_2g4tJGGtcFgbtN7pFyDAq5VHQNOGWBSAdkSXa-GVyadQtJmTPYdwDrLGutidQzwXtFfGwbhUKVZFsKeu4E9Y0P0MoTVn8LuHxZOtQCMNVPesw9g9HJtMkNgFy5q51zuVATVddhc/s1600/Maple+Caloptilia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maple Caloptilia (Caloptilia bimaculatella)" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9sqB_2g4tJGGtcFgbtN7pFyDAq5VHQNOGWBSAdkSXa-GVyadQtJmTPYdwDrLGutidQzwXtFfGwbhUKVZFsKeu4E9Y0P0MoTVn8LuHxZOtQCMNVPesw9g9HJtMkNgFy5q51zuVATVddhc/s1600/Maple+Caloptilia.JPG" title="Maple Caloptilia (Caloptilia bimaculatella)" width="640" /></a></div>
When you're dealing with such a diverse group of animals, you're going to run into a variety of body forms. A group of moths with a rather unique body form are the leaf blotch miner moths (what a name!). These micro-moths often prop themselves up using their forelegs, such as the individual pictured above. This specific species is the Maple Caloptilia (<i>Caloptilia bimaculatella</i>), which can be identified by the presence of two creamy-white triangles on either side of its wings..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6t8JzkhOr4QAWZaojsPsNg_5ckoyrFECtWWmsTDrhyx7bUtpTrbiOP3shUczBj5f02fTkucfQBj3mAb5deCe82NyfwjikCiNanZ49poTX1Vzpx9CfRTcjkWcYTKxq0RdhF0GpqcuxacjU/s1600/Unknown+Plume+Moth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Plume Moth Ohio" border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6t8JzkhOr4QAWZaojsPsNg_5ckoyrFECtWWmsTDrhyx7bUtpTrbiOP3shUczBj5f02fTkucfQBj3mAb5deCe82NyfwjikCiNanZ49poTX1Vzpx9CfRTcjkWcYTKxq0RdhF0GpqcuxacjU/s1600/Unknown+Plume+Moth.JPG" title="Plume Moth Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
Another group of moths with a unique body form are the plume moths. A moth can instantly be identified as a type of plume moth (family Pterophoridae) by its T-shaped body. At rest, a plume moth will roll up its modified wings, giving it this T-shape appearance. Plume moths are very difficult to identify down to species, with most cases requiring careful dissection. Suffice to say, I have no idea what species that the pictured plume moth is!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKVBHch0-4IEHSSnCdsDeJ0Wxum5vz5EIZLjkz89CutGdZVTXRgJ6ShrS7TZ1CUBknQlT6aq16UT8IoDLNfdO94K3_iY0FmHz_R0XNOwnH85ewyYvbdk0U7dTy92QTs1IKvXn4A4wUBp2/s1600/White-Fringed+Emerald.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="White-Fringed Emerald (Nemoria mimosaria)" border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKVBHch0-4IEHSSnCdsDeJ0Wxum5vz5EIZLjkz89CutGdZVTXRgJ6ShrS7TZ1CUBknQlT6aq16UT8IoDLNfdO94K3_iY0FmHz_R0XNOwnH85ewyYvbdk0U7dTy92QTs1IKvXn4A4wUBp2/s1600/White-Fringed+Emerald.JPG" title="White-Fringed Emerald (Nemoria mimosaria)" width="640" /></a></div>
A group of moths I am always delighted to see are the emeralds. The emeralds are all mostly pale green moths with lines of various other colors. This individual is a White-Fringed Emerald (<i>Nemoria mimosaria</i>). The emeralds belong to the incredibly diverse and speciose family of moths called the geometers (Geometridae). You might better know the geometers as the inch-worms. In fact, this is why the family is named Geometridae. Geometridae is based off of the Latin word "geometra," which translates to "Earth measurer." As the caterpillars of the Geometridae moths inch-along, they could be said to be "measuring" the Earth.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJ5Ssqqil01kRkdULAbR7BhLb3g-ZLN_5uxs2s_9_ZHQlBOyQzb9HsNl6kuygqpQBhU7hWs16oZALoNfyOrfiVy6LIZHTZdmRRxMKrBjKR3-gcoFw31di079Urh0_CRZ6DB5NblWYWn4I/s1600/Rosy+Maple+Moth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) Ohio" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJ5Ssqqil01kRkdULAbR7BhLb3g-ZLN_5uxs2s_9_ZHQlBOyQzb9HsNl6kuygqpQBhU7hWs16oZALoNfyOrfiVy6LIZHTZdmRRxMKrBjKR3-gcoFw31di079Urh0_CRZ6DB5NblWYWn4I/s1600/Rosy+Maple+Moth.JPG" title="Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
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My favorite moth of all time is this magnificent beauty, the Rosy Maple Moth (<i>Dryocampa rubicunda</i>). Moths don't get much better than this, in my opinion. Luckily, the Rosy Maple Moth is pretty common in Ohio. The Rosy Maple belongs to the Saturniidae family of moths, also known as the giant silkworm and royal moths. This family holds most of the large, stunning moths people are familiar with, such as the Luna Moth, <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2015/05/cecropia-moth.html">Cecropia Moth</a>, and <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2015/08/imperial-moth.html">Imperial Moth</a>. But not all the Saturniids are large; the Rosy Maple Moth is only about two inches long and an inch wide<span class="st">—small by Saturniid standards. Like other Saturniid moths, the adult Rosy Maple Moth has no mouthparts. It does all of its feeding during its caterpillar phase. The sole purpose of an adult upon emergence from the pupal stage is to find a mate, reproduce, and then wait for death. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3YYJ3Hx6vaspQG5pBDtPw2PJFjJa8g40U9Jd9bwFvQl9e2_SyLuVo3UPs_yv0rke8hBz7mpQPhWJpYq59QdYE9jgypf1h_r9cMBHl4dRRZXkS-rvwgZg9zUWg4kp8DsWzuz_hxMsiPrh/s1600/Luna+Moth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Luna Moth Ohio" border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3YYJ3Hx6vaspQG5pBDtPw2PJFjJa8g40U9Jd9bwFvQl9e2_SyLuVo3UPs_yv0rke8hBz7mpQPhWJpYq59QdYE9jgypf1h_r9cMBHl4dRRZXkS-rvwgZg9zUWg4kp8DsWzuz_hxMsiPrh/s1600/Luna+Moth.JPG" title="Luna Moth Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
I'll end this post with the star of the weekend<span class="st">—</span>well, at least when it comes to moths. As you might recognize, this is a Luna Moth (<span class="_Xbe kno-fv"><i>Actias luna</i>). The Luna Moth, a large moth in the Saturniidae family, is always one of the highlights of any mothing event when they make an appearance. This individual flew in just before the sheet was closed down for the night. If you want to learn more about the Luna Moth, click on <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2015/05/luna-moth.html">this link</a> for a post that's all about Lunas!</span><br />
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Are you interested in moths? Do you live in the northeastern portion of the United States? If so, I highly recommend getting the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Peterson-Field-Northeastern-America-Guides/dp/0547238487"><b>Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America</b></a>! This is a must have field guide for anyone trying to identify moths in Ohio and the surrounding states. Thanks for reading!Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com0Shawnee State Park, Shawnee State Forest Headquarters, 4404 OH-125, West Portsmouth, OH 45663, USA38.7406021 -83.19646209999996213.218567599999997 -124.50505609999996 64.2626366 -41.887868099999963tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-7289192210485466812017-05-07T16:10:00.001-04:002017-05-15T17:41:01.148-04:00The Virginia RailIt's spring migration right now in the bird world. Many species across many different groups of birds are moving from their southern overwintering grounds to their northern breeding grounds. One such species is the Virginia Rail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieggI9Q4cqmQmwLIaaEtAkj6ac5Iu1y9rH_PapwjwUDALj20ujOWLFRRZlxZwRVLVcH80af9TiylzTMa3yqZdCudMgDDNWqHQ9ZfEZxSa3jq4JmSTRYtMJuo5UUBtc5dQQzv4HbhqpFxG/s1600/Virginia+Rail+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Virginia Rail Ohio" border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieggI9Q4cqmQmwLIaaEtAkj6ac5Iu1y9rH_PapwjwUDALj20ujOWLFRRZlxZwRVLVcH80af9TiylzTMa3yqZdCudMgDDNWqHQ9ZfEZxSa3jq4JmSTRYtMJuo5UUBtc5dQQzv4HbhqpFxG/s1600/Virginia+Rail+%25284%2529.JPG" title="Virginia Rail Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
A few days ago I found myself in my hometown of Circleville, in Pickaway County, Ohio. I decided to head to the Mary Virginia Crites Hannan Park, a local city-owned park. This park has a small marsh with some open water, and last year I had found Soras in the marsh (which you can read about <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2016/05/sora.html">at this link!</a>). This marsh had only recently been built when the city purchased the land a few years ago, and I was curious if Soras were utilizing this marsh every year, or if last year had just been a random occurrence. As I walked up to the wood deck which overlooks the marsh, I took out my phone and played the call of a Sora to see if one would call back from the reeds. Instead of a Sora calling back, a curious Virginia Rail ran straight out of the reeds. I will admit, I was <i>not</i> expecting that to happen!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFLjXknTYZX6dpQWWsFnR9vRs21IDiF8EHUmEgE1U9W8AAUryHdpH2k0Eug89yWol9LKdW96qMvTBVhTBDdZrxQcBVmZDdFt_AmqzDRSCULU2a1JVgW6VzI7x1G35q-jAdG6WuTx0RnCH/s1600/Virginia+Rail+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Virginia Rail Central Ohio" border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFLjXknTYZX6dpQWWsFnR9vRs21IDiF8EHUmEgE1U9W8AAUryHdpH2k0Eug89yWol9LKdW96qMvTBVhTBDdZrxQcBVmZDdFt_AmqzDRSCULU2a1JVgW6VzI7x1G35q-jAdG6WuTx0RnCH/s1600/Virginia+Rail+%25286%2529.JPG" title="Virginia Rail Central Ohio" width="640" /></a></div>
The Virginia Rail is secretive species of rail, a group of marsh-loving birds who are known for being shy and hard to see. The Virginia Rail is a wide-ranging species, which can essentially be found across the lower 48 states in appropriate habitat at some point during the year. Generally speaking, they overwinter along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts of the US, and breed throughout the west and the northern portion of the eastern US.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2thXs81FXQSYHkXiohFARMrSXj_LZ6ekQzf7pA19Fl9IIjpuxdhz4E5HvGttDnsNcof-TLX8GAnYa4fxmqKq_p6l6ltuO9T808lrPRFD9ZYgUjUb-9IaFqD-qytVnqIKXqjXzivgH5Cb/s1600/Virginia+Rail+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Virginia Rail Habitat" border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2thXs81FXQSYHkXiohFARMrSXj_LZ6ekQzf7pA19Fl9IIjpuxdhz4E5HvGttDnsNcof-TLX8GAnYa4fxmqKq_p6l6ltuO9T808lrPRFD9ZYgUjUb-9IaFqD-qytVnqIKXqjXzivgH5Cb/s1600/Virginia+Rail+%25285%2529.JPG" title="Virginia Rail Habitat" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you spot the rail?</td></tr>
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The Virginia Rail is a wetland-dependent species. They mostly inhabit freshwater marshes, but occasionally can be found in saltwater or brackish marshes, mostly during the winter months. They require emergent vegetation for shelter. The browns, tans, and grays of the Virginia Rail's plumage allow it to essentially disappear among the grasses, sedges, and cattails that grow in the shallow areas of marshes. When rails feel threatened, they will often simply freeze among the cover they are currently hiding in. When a rail freezes in a stand of dense reeds or grasses, it can be nearly impossible to see the rail unless you already had eyes on it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_0Gw5o7z9QSqxWezSwlpGDy03mdfFuPISrNi8MtfTdRX_mpyAjw22bnVJVETc8OAns2L3FHNVCv1KYBmbvkc357vNiy6dtH6nDhwOTHe0i9yFHYFCFxf4kjWDmEr52FoXXjRc0qZ4AD3/s1600/Virginia+Rail+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Virginia Rails" border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_0Gw5o7z9QSqxWezSwlpGDy03mdfFuPISrNi8MtfTdRX_mpyAjw22bnVJVETc8OAns2L3FHNVCv1KYBmbvkc357vNiy6dtH6nDhwOTHe0i9yFHYFCFxf4kjWDmEr52FoXXjRc0qZ4AD3/s1600/Virginia+Rail+%25283%2529.JPG" title="Virginia Rails" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cautious Virginia Rail looks to the sky to scan for any potential aerial predators.</td></tr>
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There are 5 species of rail that can be found in Ohio (I'm excluding the Common and Purple Gallinules and the American Coot from this number; although these 3 species are in the rail family Rallidae, they aren't what most birders think of when they think of rails). Of those 5 species, the Sora is the most common and the Yellow Rail is the rarest. The Virginia Rail is the second most common species of rail in Ohio, and one of the 3 species which regularly breed in the state (the other 2 are the Sora and King Rail). How widespread and abundant are Virginia Rails in Ohio? No one really knows. Rails are super secretive, and this makes estimating populations difficult. The vast majority of them probably go unnoticed. If you check the reports of Virginia Rails on eBird, you will notice that the vast majority of reports are centered around urban areas. Does this mean that rails love urban areas? No; urban areas simply have a higher concentration of birders. More birders in an area means more eyes to find secretive species like Virginia Rails. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_8L_wbm99NNcNjtH82tttcUIp9af9BfoMyi5qrcdZOUQTQB02P2WJVSExGVnRk9hRhkyPyWBOa7eVwEh0TF1jtfgm0CcV1d7vXKy_bwcH8gaO091J0poNYKxCQx2xoR2RxrEhSzcLbTs/s1600/Virginia+Rail+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Virginia Rail Pickaway County" border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_8L_wbm99NNcNjtH82tttcUIp9af9BfoMyi5qrcdZOUQTQB02P2WJVSExGVnRk9hRhkyPyWBOa7eVwEh0TF1jtfgm0CcV1d7vXKy_bwcH8gaO091J0poNYKxCQx2xoR2RxrEhSzcLbTs/s1600/Virginia+Rail+%25282%2529.JPG" title="Virginia Rail Pickaway County" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Virginia Rail is an omnivore, but they focus mostly on arthropods. Like other water-tied birds with long beaks, the Virginia Rail will probe into the mud in an attempt to find various arthropods. They also feed on arthropods that are either on the surface of the water or the ground, such as spiders and beetles. The individual pictured above was actually foraging farther from the water than I thought it would. When I took this picture, the rail was foraging about 10 feet from the water's edge. There were at least 2 Virginia Rails present in this marsh, along with at least 2 Soras, and they seemed to have established trails for them to move between foraging areas. They would feed in an area of dense grasses before darting quickly along an obvious narrow trail devoid of plants to another dense foraging area. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7b0YLMVwLKY2w7D6QfaLhq1xsJ965gMEh1uvDhq26T7dyrfLu-Sym166xvSrdF6mU5EDXmre-sRe-ME5EEKZ_A4W_nURW71nwKTzksxz09NQnNpeTWSIVOkFKKT5EBaGpQzSJvaH0JFex/s1600/Virginia+Rail+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Virginia Rail" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7b0YLMVwLKY2w7D6QfaLhq1xsJ965gMEh1uvDhq26T7dyrfLu-Sym166xvSrdF6mU5EDXmre-sRe-ME5EEKZ_A4W_nURW71nwKTzksxz09NQnNpeTWSIVOkFKKT5EBaGpQzSJvaH0JFex/s1600/Virginia+Rail+%25281%2529.JPG" title="Virginia Rail" width="640" /></a></div>
As I mentioned in <a href="http://kylefromohio.blogspot.com/2016/05/sora.html">my Sora post last year</a>, I absolutely love rails. For one, they're adorable. But I'm also drawn to the fact they are secretive and difficult to find and see. As a birder, it's always rewarding to find a rail species of any kind in a marsh, and even more rewarding to actually lay eyes on one. I'm really hoping that the two Virginia Rails in this Pickaway County marsh decide to breed here, but they might also simply be migrating through to a more northerly location. The creation of this marsh (and the surrounding prairie they planted) by the city of Circleville has turned out to be a wonderful action. This marsh and the open water in the center has proven to be a migration stopover for many species, including Virginia Rails, Soras, Pied-Billed Grebes, Horned Grebes, Blue-Winged Teals, and many other species. The surrounding planted prairie has attracted species such as the Savannah Sparrow and the declining Henslow's Sparrow. This prairie and marsh only make up half of the Mary Virginia Crites Hannan Park, however. The other half is a well-established wet forest. This forest attracts many migrating songbirds and is a great place to bird in the spring and fall.<br />
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Do you love rails too? If so, I highly recommend following Dr. Auriel Fournier on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/RallidaeRule">@RallidaeRule</a>). She is an ornithologist conducting research on rails. If you aren't interested in rails yet, you will be once you follow her!<br />
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Thanks for reading! Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com0Mary Virginia Crites Hannan Park, OH-188, Circleville, OH 43113, USA39.6256729 -82.91048590000002614.103638399999998 -124.21907990000003 65.1477074 -41.601891900000027tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899832350110727540.post-31901092979046558132017-05-06T15:04:00.003-04:002017-05-06T15:04:49.144-04:00Graduation!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRU5TBmtLfaUWQKrVLxjJ4X_hbbWTSaFDhxXH4pIGouCi8U6EyItYJFiINip3Bu_aQpdEBh_mCB-Km8631XREMghVR2LzKAYPkpOps8GD-ZFj6MU3IesqLYAIjw3xN09a8EcOI9YAdFCR/s1600/Osprey+and+I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRU5TBmtLfaUWQKrVLxjJ4X_hbbWTSaFDhxXH4pIGouCi8U6EyItYJFiINip3Bu_aQpdEBh_mCB-Km8631XREMghVR2LzKAYPkpOps8GD-ZFj6MU3IesqLYAIjw3xN09a8EcOI9YAdFCR/s640/Osprey+and+I.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rehabilitated Osprey on Poplar Island, Maryland.</td></tr>
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Every so often, especially when there's a big change in my life, I like to give a brief update. This is such a time. <br />
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On Thursday, April 27, I graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor of science degree in wildlife and conservation biology. These past four years at Ohio University were filled with absolutely amazing experiences. Thanks to my education, I have traveled more than I have ever traveled before, and to places I had never imagined I would.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvu6de6eoGl7igLo4jB0nzmDs85ujJUg0TFtrkPGzvdeZA5NxSnHVAuy_IwfpxDEMVjoYrsfWtNNIBDFD8R9khzdchTxe66HRSSoQpVGX_hxFHRwF3rtftJq0muqRNeX2c1Y2A3e0z3rx9/s1600/Sonoran+Toad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvu6de6eoGl7igLo4jB0nzmDs85ujJUg0TFtrkPGzvdeZA5NxSnHVAuy_IwfpxDEMVjoYrsfWtNNIBDFD8R9khzdchTxe66HRSSoQpVGX_hxFHRwF3rtftJq0muqRNeX2c1Y2A3e0z3rx9/s640/Sonoran+Toad.JPG" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sonoran Desert Toad, Sabino Canyon, Arizona</td></tr>
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One of the best perks of majoring in wildlife and conservation biology was<span class="_Tgc">—</span>by far<span class="_Tgc">—</span>getting to see and interact with an incredible variety of animals. I have been lucky enough to see many more species than I dreamed to.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDQdQxBNR1tugWfQ583LJf0DY34Y2vmWjgxU0noGUaTBLuy89Ugxcj36_D21iyS7cicXBFX68VPqJ20c3X6eUc4CDLXe25BRiWbgtXWKgl5t6PWc7QN8BHDc4qKpojtcZrEppbElV9fy1/s1600/10993425_10152710257884537_5496187765337089785_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDQdQxBNR1tugWfQ583LJf0DY34Y2vmWjgxU0noGUaTBLuy89Ugxcj36_D21iyS7cicXBFX68VPqJ20c3X6eUc4CDLXe25BRiWbgtXWKgl5t6PWc7QN8BHDc4qKpojtcZrEppbElV9fy1/s640/10993425_10152710257884537_5496187765337089785_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olivia Brooks (L), Alayna Tokash (C), and me (R) looking for Great Horned Owls in a snow squall. We were successful!</td></tr>
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I also met many amazing people while at OU and beyond, and they have all helped me grow as a budding biologist, naturalist, and person.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_mdH6DknREbiq4j_KHFMngCmURKFmDIuerCtNtrhFTlrxGo5YwRgZMlNVVRxn2WjeU1yIJDWHX2p5qY2li3rZD2TmoHDxvIFZjSmBppj1HIniKoplQjdeSY7G-3ZgJW0LIA2P-8Qw_oJ/s1600/Wayne_National_Forest_Welcome_Entrance_Sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_mdH6DknREbiq4j_KHFMngCmURKFmDIuerCtNtrhFTlrxGo5YwRgZMlNVVRxn2WjeU1yIJDWHX2p5qY2li3rZD2TmoHDxvIFZjSmBppj1HIniKoplQjdeSY7G-3ZgJW0LIA2P-8Qw_oJ/s640/Wayne_National_Forest_Welcome_Entrance_Sign.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Chase Rokitt (Wikimedia Commons Contributor).</td></tr>
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What's next? I will be working at Wayne National Forest for 12 weeks, starting on Monday. I will be surveying wildlife along a proposed mountain bike trail as part of the required environmental impact assessment. After that job ends in August, who knows! I am hoping to find an environmental education job somewhere, so if anyone knows of a place looking to hire a naturalist, I'll be available!<br /><br />
As always, I'll continue to post on this blog. I've been a little quiet recently, as the past semester has been incredibly hectic and time consuming. Hopefully with college done for now, I will have more free time to take photos and write blog posts!<br />
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And finally, thanks to all the readers of this blog. Your continued support pushes me to learn more and find cooler things to write about. Kyle Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13687959565355455807noreply@blogger.com3