This month I have been able to participate in the coolest field work! I spent two days conducting mussel surveys in northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana. The creek we were surveying had a large oil spill in the 1990’s, and the endangered white cat’s paw pearly mussel has not been present since. I have never worked with mussels before, and I didn’t know much about them going into this work. We formed a line across the stream and slowly moved upstream for 20 minute intervals while sifting through the sediment to search for mussels. Once the mussels were collected, we sorted them and tallied how many of each species were present. I learned a lot about the distinguishing features of different mussel species. While mussels and stream/river conservation are not subjects I am particularly drawn to, it was very interesting to get exposure to this type of work. I love working with people who are passionate about subjects that I am not familiar with. Even though I don’t see myself going into this work in the future, I am so grateful that there are so many passionate people out there who dedicate their time and energy to preserving our local stream health.
One of my favorite parts about conducting field work is that I get to see the most beautiful places. I joined the team at ONAPA (Ohio Natural Areas & Preserves Association) to survey the Northern Monkshood population at a nature preserve. This is an endangered flower species that grows on cliff sides. In order to measure these plants, we climbed up the steep edges of a hill and laid on our stomachs to reach the flowers. Thankfully, I am not afraid of heights. The view of the nature preserve from the cliff side was absolutely stunning! I also had the opportunity to help out with Lakeside daisy management. We removed plants from a quarry and transplanted them to a nearby nature preserve to increase population size as well as genetic diversity. It was a very long day, but it could not have been more beautiful.
I also had the chance to help out with a moth survey in northwest Ohio at the Kitty Todd nature preserve. We were searching for the Blazing star borer moth, which has a distinct Mohawk “haircut”. We went out after sunset and suspended a white sheet with bright lights in the middle of the field to attract the different moths in the area. From my other field work conducting weekly butterfly and moth surveys, I have grown very fond of Lepidoptera, and this work definitely fueled that passion. At this point, about half of the photos on my phone are just pictures of butterflies and moths, and I am not complaining. They’re just so cute! I am really enjoying my internship, and I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunities I have had because of it.