Fun in the Field

So it seems my resolution of trying to post every week has degenerated to the point where I post once a month! Oh well, it is better than nothing I suppose.
We have been trying for several weeks to schedule our annual department field/collecting trip but it seemed every time we set a date the weather thwarted us. Firstly there were monsoon level thunderstorms, then there was excessive heat which our team member who harks from Alaska couldn't quite face, then there were various vacations to work round but finally, rather like the proverbial herding of cats we managed to all get together on the same day.



The primary objective of the day was to collect some more native fish species to replenish our tanks, on display in the 'Riverworks' exhibit. This is most successfully done using a seine net to scoop the fish gently out without injuring them and then selecting the species we need from the net before releasing the rest.


Another activity that I always encourage is the gathering of crayfish. There is a very aggressive invasive species throughout Illinois called the Rusty Crayfish which is out-competing many native species. We scoop up as many of these as we can because we have lots of aquatic turtles in our collections who like nothing more than hunting and eating crayfish! Boy did they get a big treat - a whole bucketload!



I have been particularly lucky to have some really fantastic interns this year so it's always a great pleasure to be able to give them the treat of a day out in the field. And as you can see they were extremely enthusiastic about joining in with whatever was going on.


Here is Alex proving that chest waders are optional!


And also proving that 'girls rock!!' Because Amy didn't feel the need for them either :)


So who the ones wearing the waders? Our two male interns!!! YOU GO GIRLS!!
It wasn't all water though. We did get the chance to see some beautiful butterflies mud-puddling along the shores of the river.


These are Giant Swallowtails Papilio cresphontes
and this is a Red-spotted Purple Limenitis arthemis astyanax


A little less flamboyant but no less beautiful is this Hackberry Emperor Asterocampa celtis. Drove me crazy trying to get it to stay still enough for a photo though.


And of course, the damselflies were not to be ignored either.


Another highlight of the day? I finally got to 'christen' my new wellies on their first ever field trip :)


What a great day. We all came home hot, sweaty, muddy, tired and happy. What more could we ask for?


Photo Credits - CJT

DEPARTMENT FIELD TRIP

Usually in the summer we have a three day camping trip together as a Department, which we combine with collecting specimens to replenish our living collections. Unfortunately this year, everyone's schedules were so crazy that we were never able to find a three day gap that suited all of us. I sent a couple of my staff out on a one day collecting trip, mainly to collect native fish species for our Riverworks Exhibit but that was about all we had done in the way of getting out in the field.
Last week we finally managed to get our entire Department together for a quick trip to Indiana Dunes State Park. As if to continue the theme from last years trips, the day started with dark skies, thunder, lightening and heavy rain. We all studied the weather sites closely and determined that at the time we had planned to arrive in Indiana, the rain would have just about stopped. So we loaded into several vehicles and headed out.


One of the local rangers had kindly agreed to meet up with us and give us a tour of an environmentally sensitive area which is usually not open to the public, Pinhook Bog. Indiana’s only true bog it is a special geologic feature of this region. The Bog is a glacial kettle. At the end of the Wisconsin Glacial epoch, (14,000-15,000 ybp) a large chunk of ice remained buried at this location as the ice retreated northward. When the ice melted, the clay soil sealed the basins. The runoff from higher ground around the bog is the only water source. There are not streams or groundwater inflow or outflow. Evaporation from the open water and plants is the only loss of moisture. A bog is different than swamps, marshes or ponds because of this limited exchange of water. The water in the bog is stagnant, acidic, and nutrient-poor.


The outstanding feature of Pinhook Bog is the tree covered mat of sphagnum moss. Sphagnum moss is a stringy, delicate moss of a light-green color. The mat floats on top of the water and can become three to six feet thick, yet it can have a pocket of a few inches in the middle. As the mat thickens, larger and larger plants take root and grow. Under the mat a peat bed develops. The acidic water slows the decay of the sphagnum moss and other plants. In its current state the plants that are growing there have to be tolerant of an acidic environment, like the magnificent Pitcher Plant.


Although it was a little late in the season for orchids there were still a number of Orange-fringed Orchids in bloom and their characteristic shapes and delicate blooms were very appealing.


There was also an occasional Touch-me-not or Jewelweed peeping out from amongst the foliage. Called Touch-me-not because when the seed capsule is ripe, the slightest touch will cause it to eject it's seeds.


There were very few signs of vertebrate life, except for us but this one Green Frog did hang around long enough for me to grab a quick photo.


After having walked around the bog we headed out through some dense woodland and it was then that I began to realise just how much rain we have had in recent weeks. Apart from the obvious, copious quantities of mud, there were so many fungi of every shape, size and colour.




Having left the Bog, we headed to a nearby picnic area to have some lunch. Vincent, our department culinary expert was in charge of getting us all fed and in spite of the fact that somehow none of us had remembered to pack cooking utensils (!) A solution was found and soon we were all fed.


Even the picnic area had it's own crop of fungus but don't worry, we weren't tempted to add them to the menu!


One little visitor who spent a long time hanging around was this pretty little Hackberry Butterfly.


Our boss had gone all out on the treats! We had a choice of chocolate, red velvet or vanilla! This is the real outdoor life!!!!


Before we all fell asleep from a sugar coma from the cup cakes, we decided that another walk to explore some more of the local habitat would be a good idea. By now I was on a mission - fungus hunting!



It is a fascinating life form because it really does come in a seemingly endless array of forms.



There were a lot of Stink Bugs around too but I totally failed to get a clear picture despite numerous attempts (and one or two swear words thrown in for good measure.)


After we were done with the dark, dampness of the woodland, our last stop was the shore of Lake Michigan so that some of us could roll up our trousers and wade in the water.
It wouldn't be strictly true to say that we didn't collect anything on this trip (apart from the obligatory mosquito bites of course.) I made sure that no one left the beach without carrying at least a couple of nice flat stones with them as they always come in useful when we are setting up habitats for our animals at the Museum.


All too soon it was time to head back into the city but it was lovely to have spent the day outside, and the best part of all? It didn't rain on us!!


Photo Credits - CJT

RAINED OUT (AGAIN!)

Last weekend we went on our annual department field trip. This is partly an opportunity for us to bond as a group (we work in two different locations so these opportunities are rare) and also, importantly, an occasion for collecting various specimens for the live collections at the Museum.


So here we are setting off to do some trespassing er I mean, collecting! We also had a first in that we had a canine member of the group. Speckles was a delight and extremely well behaved except for when she had a face-off with a turkey!
Our first port of call was the Vermilion River to do some seine fishing and some dip netting.


Here is Jamie leading the team out to do some seine netting. An amusing technique to observe from the shore.


Two people hold the net taught and slightly angled while the rest of the team start a crazy, splashing, soft shoe shuffle towards the net. In theory driving the fish in front of them.


Then at the last minute the net is scooped up to trap the fish. We have several tanks of native fish species on display at the Museum and this is how we keep them stocked.


Meanwhile back along the shore Amber was doing some dip netting. This can often be very productive as there are all sorts of cool aquatic invertebrates and larvae hiding out amongst the tree roots.


Like this ferocious looking Hellgrammite Corydalus cornutus who's fearsome jaws you want to avoid at all costs!


There are often good pickings to be had on the waters edge too as various creatures seek out moisture


One of the more impressive being this Ichneumon Wasp. This is not a great photo but the two huge appendages that can be seen curling round either side are actually the wasps ovipositors!


A personal favourite of mine was this Big eyed Toad Bug Gelastocoris oculatus that was hopping around at the waters edge.


All kinds of neat stuff to keep us biology geeks happy!
After we were done at the Vermilion River we headed off to Starved Rock State Park to pitch our tents and get settled in for the evening. Vincent cooked us a delicious meal and we all ate far too much! When we had gotten over our gluttony we went out after dark to collect some amphibians. We managed to get an American Toad, two Gray Treefrogs and a Cricket Frog, all of which will be coming back with us to make their homes at the Museum. When we got back from the amphibian collecting trip Doug had set up his black light and there was plenty to see on it.




I thought this was the adult form of the hellgrammite, a Dobson Fly but not being an entomologist I always like to double check my photos with Bug Guide and it was a good job I did because this is actually a Spring Fishfly Chauliodes rasticornis (shows what I know!!)


And this bizarre looking creature is a Giant Casemaker Caddisfly Ptilostomis spp.


And while we are on the subject of bizarre, this has got to be natures version of a fighter jet design. A Dark-spotted Palthis Palthis angulalis


There were also several of these Sexton Beetles Nicrophorus orbicolis They eat carrion and also provide it for their larvae. When they find a small dead animal they slowly excavate the soil from underneath it so that it gradually disappears underground.


I suppose for some blacklighting is the stuff of nightmares but we all slept very soundly that night.
Unfortunately early in the morning the rain arrived and that pretty much put an end to our collecting. Before heading back to Chicago one day early, we did take a short hike around Starved Rock and got some great views of the Illinois River



It was a rather damp, humid hike but it certainly was nice to be out of the city.


We made one more stop on our way to do some more seine fishing at a nearby stream which proved very fruitful. Vincent tried to keep his feet dry but by this stage it was rather a lost cause!


So we packed our soggy selves into several cars and headed back into the city, leaving severe thunderstorms, seventy mile an hour winds and one inch diameter hail behind us!


Photo Credits - CJT