From the Field - Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary

Instead of Science FICTION...

This Friday evening will be our second movie night at Mariton.  We are featuring two videos from Dr. Ron Goor and the folks at NatureFlix Productions.  These are educational videos, but are also entertaining to watch.  (You probably won't be screaming, "Don't go down in the basement!")

"How Birds Eat" will be shown first.  It looks at physical adaptations (bills, feet, etc.) as well as behavioral adaptations that help birds find food.  It features some wonderful wildlife photography.

Following a break, we will watch "Insect Defense".  A great companion to the first film, "Insect Defense" demonstrates different ways that insects have evolved to avoid becoming food.  This film stars some intriguing looking insects that were made for the camera.

Each film is about 30 minutes long.  We will start at 8:00 p.m. on Friday.  If you plan to attend, please call Mariton at 610-258-6574.  We will have popcorn and lemonade and want to plan accordingly. 

Heavy Snow

Have you shoveled any of your Valentine's Day snow?  Did you think to yourself, "Boy, I must be getting old, this feels like a ton."  Well, that's what I thought with the first couple of shovels that I moved.  Then I remembered that there was several hours of sleet and freezing rain sandwiched between those layers of snow.  So, that 4" of snow had a lot more moisture in it than you would think.

When all the snow and ice in my rain gauge melted, I had 1.36" of water.  By itself, that would be a large rain event.  Under the right conditions, that could have yielded over a foot of snow.  (Of course, that would be light fluffy snow.)

Okay, I am getting old, but this makes me feel better.  That much precipitation on a 12" X 18" shovel weighs just under 11 pounds.  Scoop 100 shovels and you have moved 1/2 ton.  It makes me feel old just thinking about it.  So, don't try to shovel all the way down to the sidewalk.  Take the snow off in small slices, either horizontally or vertically.

Igloos

The snow from the Valentine's Day storm is easy to cut into blocks.  We received snow and then sleet and freezing rain, followed by more snow.  The sleet and rain holds everything together, as you will discover when you try to shovel it. 

Anyway, it is perfect snow for making igloos.  As a kid, we would make wonderful snow forts with this kind of snow.  (It was worthless for snowmen or snowball fights.)  We would make a snow knife out of 1/4" plywood, or a scrap of aluminum siding.  Then we would lay a snow block wall, just like a masonry wall.  After we had a wall to block the wind, we would start the other walls and tie them all together.  Shoulder height was a good place to stop.

We didn't have the skill or patience to arch our walls inward, like you would with an igloo.  In hindsight, that was probably a good thing.  (At least, we are all still alive.)  Instead, we would scrounge for wood scraps, or even cut pine boughs to make our roof.  We would end up with a cozy little clubhouse.  It was a good place to rest after tromping around the woods and fields.  Of course that was in the "good old days" when parents had to drag kids indoors kicking and screaming.  So, we had little shelters and leantos scattered around the countryside.  That way, we could stay outside when it was dangerously cold.

Building an igloo or snow fort with your kids is a great family project.  You can do it in your backyard.  You can do it in the evening, after work and dinner.  A plastic tarp will make a quick roof.  Then throw a tarp, or old rug on the ground.  Once you have your shelter built, the whole family can squeeze inside and listen to the wind howl outside.  Bring a candle or flashlight for light.  Now that's entertainment.

Parking Lot Cleared

Yesterday, I put off plowing the snow until the sleet and snow had stopped.  Because of the road conditions, I really didn't expect anyone to be driving to Mariton.  So, I had the luxury of being able to wait.  I knew that the sleet and freezing rain would turn the driveway and parking lot into a skating rink.  Since a couple inches of snow fell before the sleet and freezing rain started, I preferred to let the snow absorb all of that moisture and then remove it one time. 

It paid off, the snow peeled off fairly easily once I got started.  Even though we only had a few inches of snow, it was very heavy because of all the wet precipitation.

So, the parking lot is open.  The local roads seem to be in pretty good condition.  There is about an inch of powder on a firm crust.  It should be ideal for cross country skis.  Snow shoes would be fine, but with the crust it is almost as easy walking without them. 

Congratulations Officer Kreider !

I read that the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) named Bradley Kreider as Pennsylvania's wildlife law enforcement officer of the year.  Brad is the Wildlife Conservation Officer (WCO) for Northampton County.  He works for the PA Game Commission, the agency which manages mammals and birds in the Commonwealth.

Brad is a great officer.  He is also a wonderful educator.  Brad has done programs at our Annual Picnic, with mostly adults.  He has also worked many times with our Day Camps and the kids.  His ability to connect with every age group is remarkable.  His enthusiasm for his job and wildlife is infectious.  He is also respected by his peers.  When I have talked to WCOs from other counties and mentioned that I know Brad, the reaction is always positive.  "He really knows how to communicate," is a common response.

One year, Brad was scheduled to do a program for Day camp.  He showed up that morning towing a big green culvert trap behind his truck.  Brad had captured a 350 pound male bear near Blue Mountain the night before, as part of the bear research project.  He was nice enough to bring it to Day Camp for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  After he tranquilized the bear, we pulled it out of the trap.  Then Brad demonstrated how he collects information for the study (things like weight, a tooth for aging, etc.).  The children were then allowed to touch the sleeping bear wearing rubber gloves (for the bear's protection).  After the program, Brad released the bear back into the wild, where he had captured it.  It is an experience that I will never forget.  It had a big impact on the children also.

Being named Pennsylvania's Officer of the Year makes Brad eligible for the national title given by the NWTF at their annual convention later this month.  In my opinion, WCOs don't receive this kind of recognition nearly enough.  Brad is certainly deserving.

So, congratulations Officer Kreider.  Thanks for your hard work.  Your dedication.  And your willingness to share your enthusiasm with others.   

Stewarship Assistant Positon

Natural Lands Trust has a job opening for a Stewardship Assistant.  You can view the full job description by clicking on this link(http://www.natlands.org/categories/subcategory.asp?fldSubCategoryId=42).  The Stewardship Assistant would be working at Mariton one or two days each week, and working the rest of the week at other preserves near Doylestown and Ambler.

Until recently, Mariton was without a Stewardship Assistant.  In the fall, Joe Vinton was promoted to  Preserve Manager of Hildacy Farm, and Rebbecca Shields Moose left to pursue another career.  While I missed the extra help, their leaving came at a time when I was able to get by.

Sean Quinn is now working at Mariton a couple days a month.  Sean was an intern at Crow's Nest Preserve, before moving up to the Stewardship Assistant position for northern Chester County.  Sean presently spreads his time between 5 Preserves, because of the vacant position.

The Stewardship Assistant is a good entry point to Natural Lands Trust.  Right now, about one third of our Preserve Managers started with NLT as Stewardship Assistants.  Besides doing rewarding work in the conservation field, you get exposed to the different Preserves and equipment.  Let's face it, the Stewardship staff has been doing this for a long time, so a Stewardship Assistant has access to almost 200 years of collective wisdom and experience in land management.  Additionally, since different Preserve Managers also coordinate information on what's new in invasives, wildlife management, restoration, etc., the Stewardship Assistant learns cutting edge techniques, as well as the tried and true.

If you, or someone you know, would be interested in the position, I encourage you to contact Gary Gimbert (who began his career with NLT as a Stewardship Assistant).