Summer Blog Postings || Monday, June 11, 2007

For my summer job this summer, I am working at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont as a teacher intern for the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), a project sponsored by Discover Life in America, that aims to identify all species in the GSMNP. As part of my internship, I am to make a presentation next fall, and it seems to me that the best way for me to keep up with the information is going to be to post a daily blog. So... here goes.

Pre-Father's Day || Sunday, June 10, 2007

Due to limited stock and a good sale, my father's day present from my loving wifey and young uns came a week early. See photos from its innaugural float here (Chilhowee lake up to the mouth of Abram's Creek). ... ok... the pics are MIA... I'll look later.

Water Mites || June 10, 2007

Yesterday we took the family up to Tremont for a citizen science workshop on water mites. If this sounds like an unknown topic to you, it probably should as there are only 5 biologists in North America doing research on these mites. These lovely critters can be found in basically any body of water, but are about the size of a speck of sand. We had a great time first collecting samples from the Middle Prong of Little River and then sucking water mites out of a dish with pipettes. Jodie, in particular, is quite the budding water mite specialist. Anyway, some of the pictures from the workshop can be found below:

 

• Chilhowee lake to where Abrams Creek empties into the lake.

Date: 6-10-2007
Sam & Andy

 

• Chilhowee lake up to Chilogatee Branch

Date: 6-3-2007
Canoeists: Bailey, David, Andy

Kyker Bottoms || Saturday, June 02, 2007

Kyker Bottoms: We took the day to explore Kyker Bottoms Wildlife Management Area near the Blount/Loudon line off of Garland Rd.

Mt Camerrer

 

• Route: Day 1: Low Gap Trail (.4) to Lower Mt Camerrer trail and Campsite 35 (3.1). 2:15 pm to 3:45 pm.
  Day 2: Campsite 35 to AT (4.1) 7:20-9:10 am; AT to Camerrer Lookout (2.9) 9:10-11; Lookout to Cosby Campground (5.6) 11:35-2.
  
• Total Mileage: 16.1
  
• Highlights: Timber Rattler & turkey on Lower Mt Camerrer; salamanders at campsite 35; Lookout atop Mt Camerrer, Chainsaw Graves's tampon flavoring; hot fudge cake, game on,

Date: 5-27-2007 to 5-28-2007
Hikers: Aaron, Dave, Jeff,  Sam, Andy

Mt Cammerer May 27-28, 2007

 

• Route: Bote Mtn Trail to West Prong Trail (1.2), West Prong Trail to Tremont (2.7) and back
  Spruce Flats Falls Trail (2 miles roundtrip)
  
• Total Mileage: 9.8
• Time Table: Bote Mtn to Tremont-- 7:05-8:15; Tremont to Bote Mtn-- 2:15-3:10
  
• Highlights: Shadowing Tremont program/geology hike

Date: 5-19-2007
Hikers: Andy

Unsolicited Braggadocio || Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Watch WBIR Channel 10 News on Tuesdays in July to see my smiling face as Educator of the Week! I'll post a more precise date and time as it is revealed to me.