This is a picture of the Chadakoin River before all of yesterday’s formidable gusts blew away much of our fall foliage here in Jamestown. Yep, the leaves are leaving. What makes me shake my head is how low the water level has been lately as our precipitation has fallen back to near average or below after a very wet summer. We sure could have used these conditions for Spiny Softshell Turtle work the rest of the year when they were more active, nesting and basking in strong numbers. The weather shapes all of the life around us in both positive and negative ways. This is also why active field work and research needs to be conducted over multiple years whether you are studying a specific species or attempting to find all the life you can. A single year at a given location is almost a random snapshot in time and a poor one at that.
Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
