Notes from the Field
Subject: Forest Carnivore Study Update
From: Roger Christopherson - Wildlife Biologist
Hi all,
Just wanted to briefly update you on the progress of the forest carnivore
project. During the past two weeks we have successfully installed 20
remote cameras distributed evenly in three major zones of the park complex.
These zones include the Ross Lake area, the Hwy 20 corridor, and the
Stehekin Valley. We intend to leave each of the 20 cameras in place
for a 28-day sampling period. At the end of the first 28-day sampling
period we will move each camera to a new site for another 28-day sampling
period. So far, field logistics have gone very smoothly, radio communication
has been working well, troubleshooting situations have been consistently
solved, weather conditions have been amazingly favorable, cooperation
across other divisions and with volunteers has been commendable, and
team morale is high! All this has helped to keep us on schedule.
For the next two weeks we'll be going back to each camera station in
the same order in which they were installed and check to make sure they
are functioning properly, change batteries and film as needed, re-scent
the station, and download data from the camera sensor. This should be
interesting as I'm sure there will be a plethora of troubleshooting
situations to deal with. More importantly, we'll be able to tell if
we're getting some activity at the site by the number of events on the
sensor and the number of photos taken by the camera. We won't be able
to discern what sort of activity until we extract and develop the film.
Interestingly, we have observed signs of bobcat, pine marten, coyote
and cougar near some of the sites.
Much of the success of this project so far is owed to those who have
assisted with logistics, whether it be radio dispatch, boat use,
snowmachine and vehicle support, use of a snow sled for hauling gear,
remote cabin use including cooking fuel and wood caches, and of course
the
dedication and enthusiasm of my crew and volunteers doing the ground
work.
Thank you very much and may the trend continue!!
Cheers,
Roger
