Adventures at Canaan Valley!
By: Emily Langer
Serving with the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
To say life in Canaan Valley was an adventure would be an understatement. The longer I am here, the more I believe that your service year is what you make of it. The opportunities with Canaan Valley and AFNHA have seemed endless.
Northern Slimy Salamander
I am fortunate enough to be serving with the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in their biology department. Day 1 on site, we dove head first into field work beginning occupancy surveys for the threatened Cheat Mountain Salamander. Sometimes the best way of learning, is by doing and so I was eager to get my hands dirty. Being in the field can often be challenging, messy work but it is also some of the most rewarding. We certainly earned a good rest after hiking miles up the mountains and through the forested terrains in search of these small creatures.
Soon, long days turned into long nights as we set out to capture a new species, the American Woodcock. These silly looking birds migrate at night, so mist nets were set up at sunset and the search began at nightfall to capture and fit a few individuals with GPS trackers to gain a better understanding of their migration patterns. It was a race against the clock as we tried to capture these elusive birds before they began their trek south for the winter months. In the end, we captured only one female but the experience was certainly memorable.
The weather in Canaan Valley can sometimes pose a challenge, but we don’t let it slow us down. Sometimes, we simply need to find creative ways to get the job done. When the first snow fell in Canaan, data still had to be collected from the weather loggers that were scattered throughout the valley. This data is important for the Cheat Mountain Salamander research that is ongoing, so we strapped on some snowshoes and headed up the mountain trails. Other times, skis proved to be more suited when surveying trails.
AFNHA AmeriCorps members Hannah and Emily survey refuge trails
While there is still so much in store with spring ahead of us, I have already gained skills that I will carry with me for the rest of my career and have met some amazing people along the way. I am especially excited for the spring when we will be studying vernal pools and continuing salamander surveys. My project will also be in full swing where I will be studying the Canaan Valley white-tailed deer population and the effects of chronic wasting disease. I am looking forward to the adventures that the rest of the year has in store in beautiful Canaan Valley!
Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge
