By Bela Petronka
Serving with Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Marking a red-backed salamander during a mark-recapture survey
My year at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge has been incredibly rewarding and something I will always remember fondly. I am very grateful for my time as an AmeriCorps member and I am lucky to have served at two different National Wildlife Refuges. Before I was placed at Canaan Valley NWR through AFNHA, I served at Erie National Wildlife Refuge for six months. That position provided me with a lot of basic knowledge about the Refuge system that allowed me to jump right in when I started at Canaan. I felt that I was able to learn more and really advance my skill set through my year-long position with AFNHA. I highly recommend AmeriCorps and AFNHA to anyone that is looking to get their foot in the door in the field of conservation and gain valuable experience. I have learned more than I could have imagined through my AmeriCorps positions.
The federally threatened Cheat Mountain salamander
One of my favorite things that I got to learn about this year was, of course, the elusive, federally threatened Cheat Mountain salamander! I had the privilege of being part of two types of Cheat Mountain salamander (CMS) surveys during my service year, along with restoration work to increase their habitat through red spruce plantings. Some of my favorite surveys were the CMS long-term monitoring surveys because I got to explore parts of the Refuge that not many people get to see and I saw lots of cool wildlife along the way! One of the more interesting things I learned during these surveys is that salamanders will climb trees in search of food! I found the Wehrle’s salamander pictured below climbing a tree about four feet off the ground.
I am incredibly thankful for all of the opportunities I received during my term, including going to the Northeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (NEPARC) conference in Connecticut. Through field trips and presentations, I learned a wealth of knowledge and made so many connections throughout the conference. I also co-presented a research poster there with my fellow AFNHA AmeriCorps, Amylynn. We used data collected through our CMS long-term monitoring surveys to evaluate comparative effectiveness of nighttime versus daytime surveys in detecting CMS. Overall, it was a great opportunity to learn, network, and develop my professional skills.
NEPARC Poster Session
As my time in Canaan Valley comes to an end, I am feeling very grateful for the experiences I had. “A little bit of Canada gone astray” is truly a beautiful place to live and serve. I look forward to using all of the knowledge and skills I gained to contribute to the field of conservation and the betterment of land and wildlife.
A Wehrle’s salamander climbing up a tree in search of food
