Jamison Sheen
Journal 5
February 28, 2025
Today was all about water quality. We had no guests this week, but David did return from his trip so It was nice to have everyone in the Learning Center again. We did a mid-internship checkpoint, seeing if we felt our working knowledge of field biology and techniques were developing as expected. Everyone feels good about the progress made so far, and it’s evident that our triad of interns is driven and eager to learn.
I was especially excited about today because I’ll use any excuse to get into the water. Before we headed out today, however, we did our usual weekly recap of the weather, stream gauge, and game cam highlights. What’s interesting is that there was a River Otter spotted at Otter Pond, whereas when we were there searching for Otters last week we found a Beaver instead! Overall there was more activity on the game cameras this week, presumably because the weather is on an upward trend; today we had a high of 72°F.
We then had our discussion on a chapter from A Nature’s Best Hope. Here the author Douglas Tallamy draws us away from our anthropocentric view of “weeds” and describes the benefits that these plants provide to pollinators, which in turn has cascading effects on the ecosystems they’re a part of. While we define them as out of place or unsightly, it’s a purely subjective perspective of where these plants belong. I agree that many of these plants have a “marketing issue” as he calls it; having a common name with the term “weed” in it evokes negative emotions (e.g. horseweed or ragweed). If we were to refer to these plants by a different, more appealing name, then maybe homeowners and landscapers would be more inclined to plant the native species over the non-natives. I also appreciated how in the chapters we read, the author provided steps landowners can implement to create a more hospitable landscape to native species. When learning about conservation/restoration/etc. it often feels like we can’t do much to help. By narrowing down the scope of focus to a city or neighborhood level, we can feel much more in control of the power we have to make improvements.
After wrapping up the recap and discussion, Anna showed us how to calibrate the equipment we were going to be using today, the YSI meter. This tool measures dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and conductivity of the water. Once the readings were good, we put on some waders, packed up the equipment into the ATVs, and drove down to a section of Thompson Creek called Kayak Put-in. Since the YSI meter was calibrated, we put the probes in the stream first thing to start logging data. We just had to make sure they were fully submerged in the water without them digging into the bottom of the creek for an accurate reading. While the meter was collecting data, we headed downstream to learn how to use a FlowTracker, which measures the creek’s velocity – the speed at which water is flowing. Our first step was measuring the width of the creek, because we were to take measurements in one-foot increments across its entire width to get an accurate average.
Anna stood in the middle of the creek and invited us in to show us how to use the FlowTracker. Let me tell you, wearing waders makes experiencing the sensation of water quite interesting. Since your body senses it’s wet due to temperature differences, stepping into 50-something-degree water without actually getting water on you is an odd sensation. You’re technically dry but you don’t feel like it. After a minute you get accustomed to it, but that first step into the creek is confusing on the body.
I don’t remember the specific model of FlowTracker we were using, but it makes the job very easy. All we have to do is put in information like our site location, the depth of the part of the creek we’re sampling, and our position in the creek (left bank, open water, right bank). There’s a level we have to keep still as the instrument collects data for 30 seconds, and afterwards the meter calculates a few things including the velocity in ft/sec. Even though the creek wasn’t flowing fast, keeping that level still was deceivingly difficult since the water was pushing against the meter.
As we collect more data with each measurement, the instrument takes not only a velocity average, but it autocreates an Excel sheet that can be transferred to a computer. Since we were only practicing how to use the equipment, after each of us took a turn taking a measurement we went back to the bank and removed the tape measure spanning across the width of the creek. We took a look at the YSI meter to see what data it collected. The dissolved oxygen was 98%, the pH was a neutral 7.4, the temperature was 13.5°C/56.3°F, and the turbidity was quite low at 8.82 fnu (it can get up into the thousands, for a sense of comparison). All of these measurements help us determine water quality and, by extension, ecosystem health. The quality of water determines what kinds of organisms can live in it, and some species are especially sensitive to changes in water quality. They can help us determine impacts of land use change like urban development or agriculture on the waterways.
Our final task for the day was seeing if we could spot any mussels. Most likely we’d spot ones from the Elliptio genus, since they are native, fairly common, and were found here during the mussel survey conducted by DNR (which Anna was a part of!). Learning about water quality was an important precursor to this activity because it teaches us the importance of keeping water conditions suitable for native species, and especially those ones that may be endangered or at risk of becoming so, such as filter feeding mollusks.
For the shallower, more clear parts of the stream we could just look closely at the rocks, picking out any that looked like a mussel. They camouflage themselves well, because aside from some silvery-white coloring around where their beak is, they just look like a dark colored rock. For the deeper parts of the creek, we used an underwater viewing device called a bathyscope to search for mussels. It looks like a megaphone, but it essentially creates a tunnel of vision to the bottom of the creek. I didn’t find any shells or live mussels, but I did find shells of invasive Asian Clams (Corbicula fluminea), which pose a threat to the native bivalves by outcompeting them for resources.
I had called it at the beginning of our search, but I said if anyone were to spot a mussel, it’d be Danielle. She’s very observant; our second week here she found the American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) camouflaged among leaf litter, and today immediately upon arriving at Kayak Put-in she noticed White-tailed Deer tracks on the bank. Right as we were about to wrap up for the day, she plucked an Eastern Elliptio Mussel (Elliptio complanata) out from among rocks in a shallower portion of the creek. I’d say even finding a singular live one is considered a success. We felt that was a good place to end our activities for the day, so we made sure all the equipment we used for water quality sampling and mussel searching was secured in the ATVs, and we drove back to the Learning Center.
I discovered something about myself today. Even though I’m not very knowledgeable about the wide array of organisms that live in these freshwater systems, or have much luck in IDing them, I find myself drawn to learning more about water quality and how those organisms are a part of that, perhaps because I don’t know a lot about it. It’s ironic because I grew up in Charleston, maybe a 15 minute drive away from the Atlantic Ocean, and yet here in this little creek is where I start reigniting my interest for water. Out of all the water in the world, surface water makes up a miniscule percentage of it. For something to become so noticeable to me I needed to look at the most inconspicuous portion of it. I just find it funny is all.
Next week bodes well for my interest then, considering we’re going to learn about macroinvertebrate sampling. I’ll have to make sure I wear pants that won’t ride up in the waders next time.
Journal 4
February 21, 2025
We ended up doing things backwards today. We decided to head down to Inspiration Rock – an area of Thompson Creek – to meet Dr. Blair and the students before they finished up their winter fish survey. The original plan was to participate and learn how they conducted the survey by doing it, but since they were in the middle of their last section we just observed from up above on the creekside. Part of me was thankful that we didn’t have to be waist in the frigid creek water, but I was a bit disappointed I couldn’t test out the waders. The good news is that we learned quite a lot from just watching, and Dr. Blair explained everything to us afterwards. What we had watched them do was called seine netting. Basically a net is spread over a length of the creek, and some people upstream kick up sediment to disturb the fish towards the net, which captures them. Lifting up the net allows the water to fall through while keeping the fish in. Dr. Blair then transferred the fish into a bucket of water to later identify and count. We learned of the different species of fish they normally see in these parts, but also what was special about those present during the winter. The White Shiner (Notropis alborus) seemed to be the most abundant fish during this season’s survey, but they also observed some Blue Chubs (Nocomis leptocephalus), Darters, and Crayfish, which are a good indicator species for water health since they’re sensitive to pollutants. Apparently this is Dr. Blair’s first time coming out here to do a winter survey, so this data has quite exciting implications! I really enjoyed my time out with Dr. Blair and the students, even if it was quite chilly and breezy out. We helped load up their equipment and said our goodbyes before parting ways.
Since the Pony Club was using the Learning Center for today, we headed upstairs to the Mancave to carry out our weekly highlight reports. On the Game Cam highlights we spotted another Bobcat; this time it was a full body shot. We also saw a picture of the famous oe Paintjob. She has this identifiable white pigmentation on her torso that makes her easy to distinguish among other deer. Morgan told us that deer with this pigmentation don’t survive long as they are often born with spinal deformities. This in addition to being more eye-catching to predators renders them vulnerable targets, so the fact Paintjob has lived this long is a testament to her strength… and partially luck.
This week’s reading discussion revolved around an excerpt of A Sand County’s Almanac. Even though we found Leopold’s writing style to be a bit hard to follow, we found similarities in how he and Kimmerer approached nature writing as an art. I found his observation of nature not abiding by man’s arbitrary boundaries of space and time quite affecting.
While in the Mancave, we also touched base with Anna and Morgan on solidifying ideas for our research idea. I’ve officially settled on macroinvertebrates. The plan is to compare data from years past to present day, tracking changes and seeing if those indicator species can tell us how water quality has changed over time. With the sight of Crayfish today, I’m hopeful that the work on this Farm has resulted in positive changes to the water. We wrapped up in the Mancave and decided to head outside once more.
We seemed to be on a water kick today because our next stops revolved around ponds. We initially went over to the pond by Jackson Road (where we flew the drone on week 2) to see any evidence of the River Otter (Lutra canadensis) that’s spotted on the game camera nearby, but we had no luck. We only saw the desire path it made from the pond over to some trees where a small stream was.
Morgan and Anna then took us over to Otter Pond. It’s ironic because we didn’t find any River Otters, however I think Morgan said they used to live here but don’t currently, hence the name. We walked around the perimeter of the pond and saw evidence of eaver activity, however. The bases of some trunks looked stripped of their bark and were pointed instead of flat. On some other trees we saw holes bored into the trunks, presumably by Yellow-ellied Sapsuckers. They were almost aligned in rows, one hole bored next to another, running up and down the length of the tree almost to the ground. It seemed they had a favorite tree.
While observing the surrounding area of the pond for animals, we heard Smiley make her signature “I found a Possum!” bark coming from the other side of the water. We made our way what all the commotion was about, and we spotted her poking her nose around a Beaverden, which looks like someone put piles of sticks and branches together on the side of the riverbank. We tried to coax her away from the den, but she was very determined to find this Beaver. We eventually got her out of the water, but as we were all walking back towards the ATV, I saw ripples over the surface of the pond. I pointed to where the movement was coming from and I said “Is that it? Is that the Beaver?” Lo and behold, the very creature Smiley was rooting around for got scared off and was now swimming on the other side of the pond. Like excited little kids running towards the gates of Disney World, we trotted over to where we could get a better look. I asked Danielle if she had her binoculars on her, but they were in the ATV, so she quickly grabbed them from her bag and started taking a closer peek. She then offered the pair to me so I could get a good gander. Danielle has an amazing pair of binoculars that allows you to take pictures, so I snapped a few of it swimming across the surface for us.
We all must have been sitting there for 20 minutes as this Beaver swam around, giving us a thrilling performance paddling around the pond. Eventually it returned to its den after realizing it was safe from us, so we decided to wrap it up for the day and head back to the Learning Center.
I think this has been my favorite week so far. Even though I was bunched up in my hoodie the entire time from the 30-something-degree weather – with a breeze, might I add – we observed some fascinating things today, and I gained important knowledge in how to identify traces of certain animals even when we could not see them, in noticing how much life is happening even if what you see is from the past.
Journal 3
February 14, 2025
We started off with a customary recap of the weekly weather patterns, the Thompson stream gage, and game camera highlights. There was a rare sighting this week – a Bobcat! They’re known for putting their face quite close to the camera, possibly because it makes a noise when it turns on after detecting motion.
Our reading discussion was based on an excerpt from Robin Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass. Her storytelling is both informational yet enthralling, serving as an excellent model for us as aspiring nature writers. She’s a wonderful example of how to incorporate science and poetry together. I love her themes of reciprocity and responsibility towards nature in each tale.
Today’s main lesson was on wls, which species could be found on the property and what we can learn from their pellets. We needed some preliminary information before embarking on today’s journey, so Anna and Morgan presented us a slideshow. We learned the different species that could be found in the Piedmont, what their diets and habitats are like, as well as the rehabilitation story of Benny the Barn Owl found here on the property.
Primed with information on these avians, we headed out for the day. Our first stop before anything Owl-related was the reek. Although today was sunny with a light breeze, evidence of the rain was still present in Thompson Creek. Before we even arrived, you could hear the creek’s rushing water, a sign of its increased velocity. When we stepped near the edge, finally able to view the water, you would think we were at a different reek. Not only was the water level itself high, it was much more turbid. Just two weeks ago the water was clear enough to see the rocks at the bottom; now it looked as if a potter had thrown clay into it. It was amazing to see that just a few inches of rain could raise the water level from 10 to 14 feet high.
Now it was time to explore the property’s different areas for owl brooding. Morgan first drove us to Jumpshed, where we found evidence of a Barn Owl recently being there. Compared to the lighter pellets on the ground around it, there were a few darker colored ones still slightly wet from being regurgitated. Morgan noted that wls have not been spotted here for a while due to some work being done around the structures, but these pellets suggest they may be comfortable nesting here again. Hopefully come March or April during mating season we can see more than just their pellets.
Our next stop was the Fireworks Paddocks, which was near the area we flew the drone last week. This structure is where Benny was found in dire condition before he was sent off for rehabilitation. There were plenty of older pellets here as well as some fresh ones, too. Even though we hadn’t spotted a Owl just yet, the knowledge that they were here recently was exciting enough. It gave us a chance to develop a good skill: how to look for signs of an animal when they’re not present. Knowing their footprints, droppings, or other evidence they leave behind could prove useful in identifying which species utilize which on the property.
Our final destination for Owl spots was the Silos; here we had the chance of seeing them since game cameras caught a brood being raised here last mating season. As the group approached the building, our collective footsteps made quite a raucous noise. Like a dragon coming out of its lair, a beautiful white figure flew out of a hole near the roof and glided towards the pines some few hundred feet away. I felt bad that we had disturbed the bird, but how awesome is it to see a nocturnal creature take flight during the day time? That’s not something you witness often. Yet another surprise awaited inside the building. After each of us crouched and entered inside, we took turns looking up to see two piercing black eyes staring back down at us. I didn’t manage to capture a picture with my phone since the Owl was quite high up, but it felt more special knowing only my eyes could really capture its beauty.
All of us headed back outside onto the cart for one last, non-wl related, stop. On the other side of Thompson Creek, a bit downstream from where we started the day off, is a place called Lookout. This area – as one could guess – is a place of higher elevation with a view over some of the property. Accessing the lookout takes a bit of a drive and ducking under a few tree branches, but once you walk forward to where the ground just starts declining, you get a sense of how vast the property is. From Lookout what you mostly see is trees, and compared to the low-lying prairies where the grass offers no protection from the sun or wind, this area offers a shady haven from the elements. Now it’s evident how the rain can bring about such a change to the Creek. Even though the trees offer some protection, some sediment and runoff will make its way down to the water not even a hundred feet below.
We drove back towards the Learning Center and sat on the benches outside. Our last order of business for the day was dissecting owl pellets like the ones we saw today. Inside are the non-digestible remains of a Barn Owl’s meal – fur, bones, and feathers. We donned our PPE of gloves and masks and started carefully opening the tightly packed pellets. We were able to identify what most of the bones were, and we suspected what animals they were from. Since Barn Owls eat small mammals, the bones were similar across species with the biggest difference being size. We saw ribs, vertebrae, tibias, clavicles, scapulas, mandibles, pelvic bones, and skulls of prey such as ice, oles, oles, and/or hrews. The pellet that I took apart contained a nearly intact skull of a ird, though I’m not sure which kind. Based on the size, I would say it was a smaller ird like a Wren or a Meadowlark. Although I did an activity like this back in grade school, I had a greater sense of appreciation for the natural world and the interconnectedness of interactions between predator and prey. Rather than feeling sad for the animals whose bones I was pulling out of the pellets, I recognized their importance in keeping other species fed as part of the delicate and dynamic balance of life. Something seemingly “gross” like a pellet offers insight into the important processes that take place on the Farm.
We got a sneak peek as to what’s expected next week, and I’ve got one word for it: waders. Dr. Blair from Winthrop is expected to be here next week for a fish survey, so we may get to take part by dipping our boots in the water and learning how he does it. It may or may not involve some *shocking* techniques
Journal 2
February 7, 2025
We started off with checking the weekly weather report, the stream gage of Thompson Creek, and game camera highlights. Apparently this week was an active one for the possums, with almost 60 sightings! Another cool find was a couple of lack ultures (some of my favorite birds).
Then we had a short discussion about the reading for this week, which told historical accounts from European settlers who travelled in the Piedmont. They described it as a “savanna” with large areas of grasses and clear land. It was interesting to compare their observations with how the land is today in the Piedmont.
We wrapped up our talk and headed over to an open field near Jackson Road to start our first lesson in drone operation. Honestly, the hardest part of it was clipping on the blades before takeoff. I think everyone was a little nervous to try it out because the equipment is expensive, but I was brave enough to take it for a spin first. It turned out that flying the drone itself was relatively easy; it felt like video game controls. I was very impressed with just how high up it can go and the speed at which it can do so. I think Aiden managed to fly it up to almost 300ft, and by that point the drone looked like a little white dot in the sky. There was a slight breeze outside but it didn’t hinder anyone’s ability to fly it. In fact, the breeze was welcome because it was quite warm for this time of year, a temperate 70°F with clear blue skies.
I’m not sure how long we spent flying the drone, but eventually the battery drained and we had to bring our lesson to an end. Aside from being fun to fly, we gained an understanding about the usefulness of drones in field biology. Drones can be used to study wildlife, map vegetation, and monitor agricultural fields. Aerial shots can provide us with up-to-date imaging of landscape changes, allow us to survey large areas, and give us an ability to track wildlife from a safe distance. In the presentation given by Anna and Morgan during our first week, we got to see how the prairie drastically changed in a matter of a few weeks. This allows us to track larger-scale phenology patterns here on the property.
We then decided to trek the mile-long loop around Talton Branch, the small creek that runs into Thompson. The critters we found in these waters were some frog spawn, and of course frogs. They seemed to be adults, but they were only about the size of Aiden’s fingertip! After looking at the photos we all took, I came to the conclusion that this was probably a Northern Cricket Frog. Its size and where we found it – along with its grey-ish color and warty appearance – led me to believe this.
Anna also spotted a turtle shell which was a neat discovery. Even though weathering had washed the color away, it was presumably an Eastern Box Turtle based on the size and shape of the shell.
During our walk I realized just how much wild garlic there was growing around. After looking it up, it makes sense – it’s a perennial plant that primarily sprouts in the winter time. The reason I noticed is because in the wooded area on our hike, there were these suspiciously chive-shaped leaves sprouting from the ground, and among all the brown in the forest they stood out. I confirmed my suspicion by rubbing the leaf on my finger and smelling it. Sure enough, there was that familiar smell. After some research I concluded that what I found was indeed wild garlic, Allium vineale. Even though there are plants that look similar, the lookalikes don’t have that distinguishing garlicky smell to them. The fact that it’s considered a weed is so interesting to me because we purposefully go to a grocery store to purchase chives and garlic, but if they’re in our yard then suddenly we don’t want them anymore, even though they’re safe to forage and eat given they’re not harvested along a roadside or areas that have been sprayed with pesticides. Just some food for thought (pun intended).
After we finished up the loop, we hopped in the vehicles. On our way back to the Learning Center we crossed paths with Brad. My friends, the third time was not the charm. When asked how I was doing, I mixed up my catchphrases and said I was “born ready” instead of the proper response: “I’m swingin’ for the fence”. It’s okay, though, because even if I get caught off guard, I’ll still swing for the fence anyway… even if it’s a swing and a miss.
I’m excited for what next week has in store for us. Not only should it be cooler next week – which I’m a fan of – but Morgan and David are back with us, and as the saying goes “the more the merrier”.
Journal 1
January 31, 2025
First days are some of the most nerve wracking yet exhilarating days to exist. Information is being thrown at you a mile a minute but you sit there soaking it all in, pen and paper in hand trying to record everything you see and hear. You don’t want to miss anything. Today I was all ears.
I got to meet the two other interns today, Danielle and Aiden. I don’t feel out of place even though they already know one another from Wingate. I can tell I’m going to enjoy this journey with them. I hope they’ll teach me a bit about ornithology since they’re taking that class together.
We started off in the Learning Center with a short presentation from Anna and Morgan, then we began our tour of the Farm. I had been down to the creek before, but the light peeking through the trees made it look just as beautiful as last time I visited. Then we hopped on the cart and made our way down to the cemetery, learning about the history of the land.
I have to say my favorite part of the tour was the bit just past the cemetery – the open area by the Guardian statue. The cool breeze blowing over the grass with the soft light seeping through the clouds made for a calming atmosphere. Here David pointed out the meadowlarks who reside amongst the grass, and the screech of a Red-shouldered Hawk in the distance by the wooded area.
One of the videos we saw during the presentation was a drone shot of the prescribed burn did on the Farm so we checked out that area as well, though we didn’t stay long because a dog wasn’t in the mood for visitors. Even though the visit was short, we learned the importance of burns on prairie grasses. As a fan of disturbance ecology, I enjoyed the little lesson.
On the way to our next stop, we ran into Brad, so of course we shook his hand and he greeted us, instilling us with both fun life anecdotes and the famous “QSA” spiel. This acronym is a model to not only follow throughout our internship, but to keep with us as we go through life. Question everything, always have a Story to tell, and make sure you speak with Attitude and conviction, but never with arrogance.
When asked by Brad if we (the interns) were ready, I admit I didn’t get the hang of replying with “born ready”, but maybe the third time he asks will be the charm. After a chat with him and the rest of the gang, we made our way back to the Learning Center wrapped up our orientation.
The first day was a bit longer than I expected, but I didn’t mind a second of it. I left with high hopes for next week and an eagerness to start contributing to this amazing place.
