Since my last blog update I have had the pleasure of assisting with three different monitoring and research projects with the USFWS. I have worked with colleagues on the Duwamish Estuary, Issaquah Creek and the Hoh River. Participating in these projects as a STEP student has been a great opportunity for me to diversify my field experience.
My first field work opportunity with the USFWS was a habitat mapping event on the Duwamish Estuary, located in Seattle, Washington. This is a restoration monitoring project that focuses on two species of sedges - Lyngbye's sedge ( Carex lyngbyei) and Soft Stem Bulrush (Scirpus validus). I became familiar with the morphological features and life histories of these two sedges and it was my first experience collecting field data in an estuary.
The sampling events I assisted with at Issaquah Creek are part of the Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 8 project. Under the Watershed Planning Act (WA State - ESHB 2514), WRIA 8 is monitored to ensure that the best possible management practices are implemented to protect Washington’s water resources. Our USFWS sampling crew teamed up with King County employees to conduct habitat surveys and fish population surveys via electroshocking. This was a great example of how different agencies can work together to practice fisheries conservation.
I am currently focusing on the sampling events on the Hoh River and they have proved to be amazing adventures! I have learned new skills such as beach and herd seining, minnow trapping and surgically inserting PIT tags into juvenile salmonids (trout, whitefish and salmon). Some of this work included night sampling which was a new and exciting experience. For more information on this project, be sure to visit the Hoh River Project page on this site.
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