Autumn Field Surveys
While the field season never completely ends, projects shift and our attention will soon be focused on other seasonally appropriate surveys during the upcoming cooler months. As the temperatures continue to drop as well as the leaves, our stream work surveying for the elusive Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) is winding down. This week we got out to take more samples and carry out more rock lift surveys. So far we have found that the stream we have been working in has a good number of Mudpuppies (Necturus maculosus) and has a lot of interesting macroinvertebrates, all of...
Read MoreCCWA Gala
In case you missed the competition for the 2015 Pennsylvania River of the Year, Conewango Creek was the big winner, and the Conewango Creek Watershed Association has been doing a number of great programs to promote the winning waterway. To conclude their events, on October 22nd they will be hosting their River of the Year Gala and will have none other than Robin Foster, University of Buffalo PhD candidate and our favorite stream partner, speaking about the Eastern Hellbender, an elusive resident to the region’s rivers and tributaries. This will not be an event to miss! For more details...
Read MoreUnderwater Rock
While surveying for Eastern Hellbenders, we sometimes utilize technology to get a better view of potential crevices that might be used as an entrance point for the salamander to get under a rock. Using a waterproof camera, I snapped this shot to see how far back the opening went and if any hellbender faces were poking out of the darkness. Although it didn’t seem to be a long enough crevice for a hellbender to use, it still turned out to be an interesting view! Elyse Henshaw Conservation Technician
Read MoreHellbender Surveys Continue
While the summer season is winding down, our survey work certainly isn’t! As stream conditions allow, we will continue surveying for the elusive Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) in the French Creek watershed and beyond. Working closely with the University of Buffalo and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, we have found habitats within the area that may support hellbenders. Test results and hands-on surveys will reveal whether these sites may support a viable population, so we have our fingers crossed and will share more details soon!
Read MoreChasing Hellbenders
It’s a beautiful sunny morning when I join biologists, students and techs from the University of Buffalo and NYS DEC to evaluate a stream for a particularly unique species of amphibian. We dawn our waders and lug our equipment to the water’s edge. The water is still relatively cool and is rolling over the rocky bottom of the river in which we enter. With nets in hand and special poles used to lift large rocks, we begin to evaluate the stream bottom for suitable places a secretive salamander might live. As we find a massive rock along the river floor, we surround it as it is...
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