Monthly Snake Cover-Board Check -- August 2011

Eastern Garter Snake basking on Osmunda Ferns.
photo by James Fischer

(l to r) Madeline Bove, Twan Leenders, and Becca Solnit peeling
through the Snake Cover-Board Pile at Apple Hill Lower Field.
photo by James Fischer

Twan Leenders, CT Audubon Society Conservation Biologist, joined us yesterday to see our Snake Cover-board Monitoring program.  It was great having Twan because he offered us all kinds of advice about how can improve and modify the program.   It also gave us an opportunity to show him unique parts of the property that we conserve.  We encountered 3 species: 8 Eastern Garter Snakes, 3 Northern Redbelly Snake, and 1 Eastern Milk Snake.  We check all of the 12 cover-board piles on the property between 12:30 p.m. through 15:10 p.m. EST.  Madeline Bove, Ryan Gannon, and Becca Solnit were also present, which begins to explain why this session was so efficient, because we had so many hands and eyes present that searching for the snakes.

Introducing More of Our Summer Volunteers

Ryan Gannon

Ryan is a senior this year at Litchfield High School and has helped the program in a variety of capacities.  Ryan helped us with last year's Crayfish Survey and continues to help us with this project again this year, as well as with several other projects.  Ryan has turned into an ace crayfish rustler and is able to call out a field identification standing in shoulder deep water.  When he is not helping us, you will commonly see him running on White Memorial's trails training for the various cross country races that he runs in the area.

Madeline Bove

Madeline is a self-starter who is helping White Memorial Museum as well as the Research Program.  Although Madeline is fairly new to volunteering for White Memorial, she has been around attending the Education Programs.  She is great with multitasking.  Madeline can ring up a purchase at the cash register, run outside to capture Cerceris Wasps, and be back at the museum answering visitors questions, while smiling and asking if there is anything else she can do.  We look forward to having Madeline around because she brings a great deal of energy and enthusiasm with her.  She loves school, especially science courses, and is a sophomore at Litchfield High School.

Amanda Downey

Amanda attends the Agriculture Education Program at Region #7 High School, in Winsted, CT.  Amanda has was showing off her skills and abilities while we were bushwhacking through the Five Ponds area on the The White Memorial Foundation Property.  She was following the GPS to locate the salt-laden stakes used for the Porcupine Survey.  Amanda was climbing up cliffs and traversing every valley while focusing her attention to find the next stake.  Amanda was a real trooper and demonstrated that she has true grit.  We are looking forward to having her around White Memorial.