In May, two new members to TERG joined the crowd: Matteo Rizzuto and Travis Heckford. Matteo and Travis bring a wealth of knowledge in ecological systems to the team. Justin Strong joined TERG in January 2016.
We hit the ground running. Caffeinated and excited to start collecting data the field season began right away. The team spent the month of May exploring potential candidate sites around the Bonavista Peninsula and in the forests surrounding Terra Nova National Park (TNNP). Minus a few vehicular hick-ups they were off to a great start.
A big thank you to TNNP for providing us with assistance and letting us stay at the park cabins while we conduct our research in the area.
We hit the ground running. Caffeinated and excited to start collecting data the field season began right away. The team spent the month of May exploring potential candidate sites around the Bonavista Peninsula and in the forests surrounding Terra Nova National Park (TNNP). Minus a few vehicular hick-ups they were off to a great start.
A big thank you to TNNP for providing us with assistance and letting us stay at the park cabins while we conduct our research in the area.
The Snowshoe Hare population has been reportedly low the last couple years so we are hoping for a rebounding population this year. So far we have found lots of evidence in the field. One of the cues we look for when searching for potential research sites is the presence of hare pellets and this year browse on vegetation. <-- Spot the pellets? A number of other factors are included in site selection, such as forest type, forest age, site index, hare food sources, the presence of hare predators and others. |
Thank you to all the individuals who helped us find our research sites, they include staff at TNNP and the Provincial Gov't of NL for their GIS forest data and to Shawn Avery, Conservation Officer, for his wealth of local knowledge.
Now that we have our research sites the real work begins. Hare trapping and vegetation assessments are currently underway. This work will continue for the rest of summer and into the fall for trapping.
Now that we have our research sites the real work begins. Hare trapping and vegetation assessments are currently underway. This work will continue for the rest of summer and into the fall for trapping.
Some of the creatures we have recently seen in the field:
Stay tuned! Signing off for now.
Travis Heckford
Travis Heckford