My Work Here is Complete!

The QR Trail is installed, its video tutorial is uploaded, and my time as the Manassas LEAF intern has come to an end.

I’d like to take a moment to reflect on this summer’s lessons, and to thank everyone who made this internship so tremendous.

Head to the Conway Robinson State Forest to check out my QR Trail!

Thanks to Adam, I know how to make a QR code (or, at the very least, how to get magical computer software to make a QR code).

Thanks to Terry Lasher, I can drive a bulldozer–the fastest and most rewarding way to destroy dozens of invasive plants!

Thanks to Blake, I can tell a hickory from an ash from a walnut from tree of heaven (which all look the same), and understand how to not rub poison ivy all over your face.

Thanks to Allie’s patient teachings, I can now distinguish the “falling ping pong ball” call of the field sparrow from the “paired note” song of the indigo bunting…and know every lyric to every Iggy song .

Thanks to Courtney, I better understand streams, dating trees, and the importance of flawless choreography.

As with any job, there are moments that really challenge your dedication. Can you consistently wake up before dawn? Can you bravely face the disease ridden ticks stalking you from the fields? Can you tolerate one more cut from the never-ending green briar? However, the people here at the Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Manassas National Battlefield Park, and the Virginia Department of Forestry made every day, regardless of its trials, a truly wonderful experience.

I hope my readers have as much fun reading this blog as I had writing it. And if you learned something in the process? All the better!

And lastly, to any potential interns: apply for this job ASAP! You’d be crazy not to want to work with these folks.

Sending my best from the Battlefield!

Sincerely,

 Caitlin Verdu

It’s A Hard Knock Life

On Monday, our crew of YCC’s performed at the NPS Youth Summit talent show at Wolf Trap. They did a fantastic job!

I collaborated with my coworkers at the Battlefield to create a musical skit that describes the trials and tribulations of field work. Our youth crew, none of whom had any theater experience at all, absolutely ROCKED IT! We won awards for Best Props and Best Costumes, but anyone who sees this video will agree that this skit cannot be beat. These kids won Best in Show in our hearts!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ3J0xMTiPc&list=UUQLH36T5AF62x0EEj5Ub1FA

Laser Beams and Walking Through Streams

When you work in natural resource conservation you get to play with some pretty awesome toys. Last week, that meant shooting lasers. LASERS!

That is to say, I assisted the Battlefield begin a stream monitoring project to gauge the overall health of their waterways.

Why is this necessary?

Increasing urban development in Northern Virginia replaces fields and forests with industrial surfaces like asphalt and concrete. These surfaces are impermeable, which means that water cannot penetrate them. When it rains, water flows quickly over impermeable areas instead of being absorbed directly into the ground. The flow continues until the water finds an escape route.

In urban areas, stormwater drains provide an exit for the liquid. Since industrial pipes don’t mesh with the NPS’s treasured Civil War vistas, the Battlefield handles rainwater the old-fashioned way: through streams.

The idea is that water falling on the Park is either absorbed by the soil or flows downhill until it joins a stream. However, these streams are receiving more water than they can handle.

As the land surrounding the Battlefield is developed and loses its ability to absorb water, flow to the Park increases. Flooding and stream erosion result as the waterways are overwhelmed with liquid. 

How exactly do you monitor a stream?

Not even the daunting grassland could keep the YCC from enjoying their work!

The first step in our stream monitoring project is to map our stream features.

There are four primary components: riffles, runs, pools, and glides (in that order). Riffles are the shallowest sections, pools are the deepest, and runs and glides connect them.

This is where the lasers come in.

YCC adjust the measuring stick and its sensor to coordinate with the laser.

Aided by our lovely Youth Conservation Corps crew, we place a leveled tripod with a laser up on the stream bank. Then a wader-clad group wades to each feature holding a giant measuring stick with a sensor on top. They extend the measuring stick straight up into the air. When the laser from the tripod hits the sensor, the sensor beeps, and we take a reading.

We are recording a number of measurements for each feature. We locate the beginning, middle, end, and deepest spot of each riffle, run, pool, and glide. Our vertical measurements are paired with horizontal readings, so that we know how long each feature is. Once we accumulate all of this data, we’ll plug it into a computer in order to digitally recreate the stream.

The YCC and I ponder the intricacies of our laser measure.

So what have we learned? (Check again in five years)

My apologies to those of you who were looking for a clean resolution. This study will continue at the Battlefield long after I leave. Because erosion is a long-term process, we need years of data collection to fully understand how the stream is changing.

Think of our study as observing a garden. If you were to walk into a garden and look around, you would see what’s there at that particular moment. If there are dormant seeds waiting to thrive, or a pest that’s slowly eating the roots of the begonias, you wouldn’t notice. In order to witness these changes, you have to come back time and time again.

However, I’ve learned several important points through my week of stream monitoring.

1) Always call “dibs” on the chest-waders, because you never know how deep the stream is.

2) Make sure you are wearing the high-tech red Robo-Cop sunglasses while working with the laser. Your eyes will thank you.

3) And lastly, supervising six youths in a stream riddled with rocks, poison ivy, stinging insects, and holes is a nerve-wracking experience. It’s great fun, but man is it stressful.

We’ve Launched!

I am very pleased to announce that the Manassas LEAF program has launched a brand new website! Check it out at: http://manaleaf.weebly.com/

On this site you will find information on the LEAF program, a link to this blog, and an extended version of my QR trail. Take a couple minutes to look around–I think you’ll find it informative and entertaining. Enjoy!

Digitalizing Nature

Love going outside? Love your phone too? Then have I got a treat for you: I have been designing a QR trail to run through the Conway!

A QR Code is a bar-code that you can scan with a smart phone app (both iPhones and Androids have several free QR readers available). Then your phone will pull up that code’s content, or link you to a website.

For example, here’s a QR code that links to this blog:

My QR trail is designed to explain the Conway and the Battlefield’s land management practices to the public. Essentially, it’s bite sized science communication. There are nine stops in total, featuring the wildlife of the Conway and the Battlefield, deer management, forest harvesting, and ecological succession among other topics. It’s my hope that visitors to the forest will learn a little about the natural environment they enjoy so much.

Here’s a sneak peak at what’s to come:

Ecological Succession: Remember how the English came to the New World in waves? Not everyone arrived at the same time: first came the pioneers, then the tradesmen, and later the general populace. The same happens with plants! Those who excel in open spaces colonize first and gradually other species join in.

If you’re not in the Manassas region, don’t worry! I’m about to publish a website that contains in-depth explanations of the trail topics along with some great pictures. I’ll let you all know when the website and trail are finalized.Stay tuned!

We Found One!

I am thrilled to report that Allie and I heard a Northern Bobwhite this morning!

He was hiding in Park grassland right beside the VDOT field of power lines. I would have thought these massive metal structures would be detrimental to wildlife, but apparently VDOT does a tremendous job of spreading wildflower seeds over their land, so major props to them! It feels FANTASTIC to finally find this bird. Allie and I have spent nearly 70 hours surveying, and this is the first important discovery of the season. Hopefully, there will be many more to come! Allie took this picture last year, but I’m hoping to see these birds in the field soon!

Bummed About the Ash?

Not all hope is lost: this tufted titmouse would like to remind you that healthy and diverse ecosystems are the best prepared to adapt to these kinds of disasters!

 

Kiss Your Ash Goodbye

We’re under attack!

An invasive beetle called the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is taking over our forests and wreaking havoc on our ash trees. Unlike our native borers, this Asian import has gotten out of control. It’s already killed tens of millions of ash trees, and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down.  Since this topic is more serious than some of the others, I’ve decided to lighten it up with some tree jokes. Hopefully that will offset some of your tree-grief.

What kind of tree can fit in your hand? A palm tree!

How can you identify EAB?

Cross your fingers you never see this bug!

The adult beetle is about half an inch long and a bright metallic green. However, if you have EAB in your trees you may not ever actually see the insect. Fortunately, there are simpler ways to identify an infestation. Symptoms include:

• Losing leaves in the top third of the canopy
• Sprouting in unusual places like the roots or trunk
• Splitting bark
• Increased woodpecker activity (they may be the only ones who actually like EAB!)
• You may find tiny D-shaped holes where the adults have emerged, but often the bark is too furrowed to see them

Alas, many of these symptoms can also be caused by other non-EAB issues. The one sure-fire way to identify EAB is to peel back part of the bark and look for “galleries”, or narrow serpentine tracks where a borer has eaten its way through the tree.

These galleries are a pretty reliable indicator of EAB

What did the tree do when its bank closed? It started a new branch!

What can we do about it?

This is the worst part: once a tree is noticeably infected it’s pretty much a goner. Likely, your best bet is to cut the tree down so that it doesn’t spread to neighboring ash.

The USDA has gone so far as to impose ash quarantine areas to try to contain the pest. It seems our best bet to save our trees is to prevent the EAB from spreading any further. You can help by following the principle of “Buy Local, Burn Local.” This means you should never transport lumber or firewood–not for camping, not to a friend’s house, not ever! The EAB (along with other destructive pests) can live in dead or decaying wood before moving onto live trees.

Additionally, it’s a good idea to consult your local Cooperative Extension Agency or Forestry Department as they can confirm an EAB diagnosis and fully explain your treatment options.

And as always, learning more about these issues is an important step towards finding a solution. Ignorance may be bliss, but knowledge is infinitely more powerful!

How do trees get on the internet? They log in!

Another Day, Another Bird

Last week we concluded our Henslow’s Sparrow Surveys. Despite our best efforts, we never saw or heard the bird. Disappointed but not defeated, we’re onto our next bird survey: The Bobwhite Quail. This bird (pictured below), is downright adorable. Its whole body rocks as it cheerfully sings it’s name: “bob-bob-WHITE!” 

How cute is this quail?!

From what I understand, the Park released several quail a couple years back, hoping to establish a stable population. Our surveys will give us an idea of if we are succeeding.

Allie Sloop: SCA Intern, Bird Expert, Early Morning Enthusiast

Our survey technique is a little different this time around. Instead of walking from point to point (as we did for the Henslow’s), we now have the luxury of driving to each point. Then we clamber up into the back of our truck and listen for 10 minutes. Allie, with her vastly superior birding skills, notes all of the birds she hears while I listen intently for the Bobwhite. We didn’t find the quail this morning, but I’m hopeful it will make an appearance. Fingers crossed!

“To A Monarch B…

“To A Monarch Butterfly”
You who go through the day
like a wingèd tiger
burning as you fly
tell me what supernatural life
is painted on your wings
so that after this life
I may see you in my night

That’s a poem by Homero Aridjis, a prolific Mexican environmentalist who has worked to save the monarch butterflies, blue whales, and sea turtles from destruction in his country.

In honor of National Pollinator Week, think about planting butterfly-friendly flowers in your garden. There are dozens out there that are both beautiful and preferred by pollinators: milkweed is my favorite, but joe pye weed, sunflowers, goldenrod, asters, marigolds and dozens of others provide fantastic nectar sources.