Headed by James G. Kooser and R. J. Garono, a total of 17 collectors met at
Old Woman Creek in preparation for this years' data collection. After lunch
and a quick tour of the area we were briefed at the visitors center on the up-comming
week . The main topic of conversation at supper was "How best to collect
leeches". At this time, Ralph holds the record with two. At 6:00 we traveled
to Sheldon's Marsh for a demonstration on setting a trap. A total of 7 traps
were set. At Winous Point we set 1 marsh side and 1 lake side. O.W.Creek has
1 beach, 1 up-land, and 1 low-land. Sheldon's Marsh has 1 up-land and 1 low-land.
The only notable problem was
one team found themselves without the indispensable duct tape. A quick trip
back to base was necessary. The marsh at Winous point was rather deep, with
the underlying peat unstable and quite gaseous. The dike hadn't been trimmed,
and the path threatened to remove the undercarriage from Ralphs' rental car,
on numerous occasions. Bed-time snack was a fresh, crunchy turnip. This met
with a varied reactions.
This morning started at 5:45 with a quick breakfast an we were
all off to retrieve our traps. Boy was I in trouble and didn't
even know it. Matt and I were elected to venture out into the
marsh at Winous Point Shooting Club to bring in the lighted bucket.
Soon I found myself mired nearly hip-deep in black goo, physically
unable to maintain the required forward momentum, I was becoming
stuck, and still sinking. Necessity (fear) is the mother of invention.
Close to panic, I knew something had to change, and it was up
to me. Frantically I climbed to the muck surface and in extreme
relief was able to easily ooze along on my knees to our trap.
Apparently the extra surface area gave added buoyancy, so moving
along the subsurface we successfully retrieved our precious data.
Back at base camp most of us were initiated into the art of bug
sorting. This is slightly interesting, then tedious. Once in a
while someone has a discovery and everyone gets energized. Bill
took a plant crew out that didn't return till nearly 3:00. They
seemed to have had a good time. Apparently I did well to finish
one of the jars of sample because I was honored that evening with
a brilliant T shirt and a distinctive rubber ant, courtesy of
Annie's Kayak, a major sponsor of our little project. While supper
preparation was under way, Ryan, myself, and Jim went over to
Old Woman Creek up-land site to run a transit line to collect
data on the local plant life. In the evening we had a discussion
focusing on what plants we learned, who knew the answer to the
challenge question of the day posted by Jim earlier that morning.
Playing UNO as we sipped ginseng tea was the perfect wrap-up for
an eventful day.
This morning started about like yesterday only this time I got to venture
out in the canoe across Old Woman's Creek. Watching the sunrise bring the soft
yellow lotus blossoms to life was a moment to be savored for years to come.
Silently the
Heron watched as we glided through the early shadows in anticipation of our
lighted bug traps. Paddling across the open water we aimed for the railroad
trestle and the watery trails leading to the marsh edge. As we dipped quietly
across the water, a granddaddy frog chugged his greetings. Jubilation reigned
as we saw the light. Success once again! Circling back around, we threaded our
way into the midst of the lotus. Cat bird cries accented our second success.
Back to shore and on with the day. More bug counting? Yes! Lets see what we've
found.
Much was accomplished as numerous heads bent dutifully over their trays of volunteers. Ralph was seen cringing in the kitchen as part of his group attempted to pour some sample together. Moments later tweezers were employed to retrieve whatever possible, as quickly as possible. I would nominate Auggie for an award in bug picking. So far he has relentlessly pursued finishing his bottles even when his peers come and go, take breaks, wander off, do ANYTHING. He and Ayesha put the rest of us to shame.
Jim was excited as he reported seeing three eagles (2 adult, 1 young) when he and Ayesha set the evening traps on OWC. He reported finishing OWC upland and running 2 transects on the forest borderland.
Richard headed some testing on pH levels, patiently explaining procedure,
why? questions, and how this all ties together. Everyone contributed one way
or another, as these were done with the various water samples we collected in
the morning. At noon we had a picnic/group picture session out on the back lawn.
Conversation was light, the food was good, and the weather was perfect. Bets
were made on what the pH level is in the area. These guesses ranged from 3-8.5.
Towards the end on the day, break time was called, so we all headed down to
the beach. Once again it surprised us. The sand was burning hot, the neighbors
were fishing, and the shore was lined with about 10 yachts, people all over
the water around the boats, and some walrus-type guy with a rat of a dog came
all the way across our beach to the bushes so the mutt could leave an unwanted
specimen. We discussed doing the same for them. There was mild disappointment
when the beast swam back to its boat safely without encountering any of the
local carp population. 
Supper
was left-overs and they were delicious. Maybe we were all very hungry. Trap
retrieval time found me at Sheldons' Marsh wading through the muck. Robin was
real cute in the waist waders as she attempted to fasten the battery to the
bucket. Duct tape is wonderful stuff. This trip onto the goo wasn't nearly as
frightening as before, but I did have trouble keeping track of the alcohol jar.
It kept trying to float away through the Spatter Dock. Ralph was in charge of
human relations. This involves repeatedly telling all the people that stop to
stare, why we are there.
Tonight Joe and Jen came to visit. Party time! Just before we left the group was presented with a wonderful surprise. Group T shirts with a Caddis Fly motif, an itinerary printed on the back, and in case someone doesn't know what we are - our shirts will tell them. "Colleagues Attempting to Discern the Distribution of Insect Societies". So, everyone attired in our new shirts, went out for a night on the town. Our search for beer took us on a caravan through Huron we ended up at TGI Friday's. Waiting time for a table was out of the question so we crashed the bar area and took over a closed deck.
Pitchers of beer, mixed drinks, and a couple pops for the youngsters
and we were a happy bunch. Ayesha was her usual energetic self,
so when challenged to climb to the roof of the restaurant - she
did. We all promised to wave if she made it. So of course we hid
as soon as she was out of sight. Terri, Ryan and Valerie disappeared
intermittently, but did reappear with Ryan wearing balloons on
his cowboy hat. Interesting.
This is to be our last morning at OWC dormitory. Everyone is moving rather
slowly, so after packing, I ran down for last look at the sunrise. It was well
worth the effort. The burning, red-orange ball spread crimson across the water's
surface as the inevitable gulls practiced their swooping. Their harsh cries,
mingling with the slapping waves, seemed to reach a crescendo as the pinks and
yellows emerged with the passing time. Time to go, this is to be a very busy
morning. Breakfast done, a skeleton crew went to collect the last traps. The
rest of us were dedicated to finishing picking the bug samples. Everything had
to be wrapped up for our estimated departure time of 11:00. Unfortunately, by
the time we did the inside packing, cleaning, data filing, equipment packing
and cleaning, it was time for an early lunch. Now the biggest chore was to pack
the vehicles. Mission impossible. The entire crew plus the management team was
amazed as every nook and cranny filled seemingly to capacity and they still
kept adding a little bit more. Jim and Barb Kooser took Jeanne south to Columbus
to sample Betsch Fen, which is a natural wetland and Bill Mitsch's created wetlands
at Ohio State University. At 12:30 the rest of us drove east along the coast
to Geneva State Park. 
Here
we got 2 nicely wooded campsites within walking distance of Lake Erie. Although
we made a major project out of setting up the canopy, camp was established in
short order. A quick supper of roasted corn, hot dogs and veggie burgers. Now
we get to the most important part of the day: setting 2 new traps at Arcola
Creek, 2 at Morgan Swamp, and 1 at Geneva State Park. One tape measure was lost
and we still haven't found a missing brand new thermometer that disappeared
the first time out of it's box. Free time in the evening let us explore the
beach, then roast marshmallow and s'mores over the campfire. Hot showers were
available and greatly appreciated. Ryan gave an interesting narrative of his
last trip into Old Womans Creek. Apparently he and Richard were collecting the
final traps when the mutant marsh mosquitoes organized their troops for a final
attack. Ryan, always obliging and polite, removed his shirt. The men were lucky
to make it out alive. Well, the time was getting late, so into our sleeping
bags we went. Cicadas calling and leaves rustling overhead lulled some of us
into a peaceful sleep. Others weren't so lucky. Ralph and Robin reported wild
animals growling and sniffing around their tents. Morning speculation involving
skunks was strengthened by a trail of bagels leading into the woods.
News from the Columbus troop: by Jeanne
Jim and Barb Kooser and I arrived in Columbus around 3:30 and visited Ohio
State University and Rite Aid (and promptly cleaned them out of alcohol). Then
traps were set out at Betsch Fen, a highly pristine preserve with little more
than deer tracks disturbing the foliage. The air was intensely humid and left
us ringing out our clothes. A thick layer of peat covered with dense vegetation
appeared deceivingly firm but Barb punched through the surface up to her knee.
We saw several unfamiliar plants that made Jim's head spin.
At Mitsch's wetland, the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park, we set out traps at the two adjacent marshes. Narrow boardwalks crossed each marsh at several places along the marsh, making it one of the most pleasant sites to set out traps.
Afterwards we headed to Mary ann Silagy's house where we were
greeted with grub and much needed showers. The Koosers and Mary
ann caught up on each other, their families and friends and we
went to bed relatively early.
Today started at a less hectic pace with the late sleepers allowed to remain
in their beds until nearly 7:00. 
Collecting
samples from Morgan swamp and Arcola Creek was highlighted with Robin loosing
her sandal in the swamp muck. A morning of bug sorting and grocery buying, prepared
us for some time off this afternoon. An evening contest of naming plants is
planned.
Well, most of us went swimming in Lake Erie to make the most of
the hot sun and sandy beach. Meanwhile Richard and Ralph did a
plant transect, and Ayesha and Robin studied plant names (common
+ Latin). For supper Richard cooked pork ribs on the grill for
with our fresh green beans and potato salad. Of course setting
the traps is the priority, so a messy camp could wait till later.
While we were out the weather changed. Ralph's team from Arcola
was the first back, so they raced through camp preparing for the
upcoming downpour. They did a wonderful job and we all had warm,
dry tents later that night. Before bed, we all huddled around
the tarped specimen table for our game of 'plant spelling bee'.
Ayesha won, with her broad knowledge of Latin, but Robin gave
her a tough fight coming in second, long after everyone else dropped
out.
In Columbus:
We visited The Nature Conservancy that had given the grant to
the bug trip. Then we went to see Jim's grad school advisor and
very close friend of their family, Ralph Boerner. That evening
we ate out at a nice Chinese restaurant.
After a slightly damp night, and several days camping, this was laundry day. Other than doing traps, most of us determinately parked ourselves in front of our sorting trays trying to get most of our samples caught up. Management seemed pleased. During the day, Richard and Ryan did transect work through brambles and deerflies. This was hot, arduous work that left them with a job well done. The morning traps at Arcola were done by Ayesha and Valerie who also took sweep net samples. Walking the transects and gracefully scooping up netfulls of insects was made quite complicated by the muck and weeds which range in depth from ankle-deep to waist high. The key to success is balance, which of course is impossible. All wildlife in the area fled in fear of the shrieks as Ayesha fell on her final sweep, but she bravely held her arms high , not loosing a single bug. Auggie had his turn with sweep assistance too. Calmly mucking about with the ooze rising up over his thighs was nice until he found a hole, and went in nearly neck deep. This got everyone excited, especially Auggie. This made for a good story around the fire that evening. A large insect came to visit just as we were turning down the ... ?
In Columbus:
After collecting the traps Jim and Barb set out to meet Jim's
boss for lunch and give his GIS presentation which went very well.
In the evening they went to the Boerner's for dessert and Jeanne
went over to her cousin's house.
This morning we brought in the traps, broke camp and all took our final shower
for the trip. We were moving, and there would be no more frivolous amenities.
Our destination was Portage Lakes State Park that is not located at Portage
Lake. It is a couple miles away at Nimisilla State Park.. Thanks to Ralph's
ham radio, he was able to locate a friend for directions. After making camp
we had free time until Jim, Barb, Jeanne, and Mary Ann got here from Columbus.
Mary Ann is a good friend that provided housing facilities during their stay.
Jeanne was all excited about--------.
The Bratwurst with onions, peppers and mushrooms prepared by Barb were declared
worth dying for. Evening story around the campfire by Ralph was very entertaining.
Art Save Lives!
Everyone slept in. Auggie left around 3:00 because he had a gig to play. Our
adventure for the day was a group trip to Jackson Bog, which is actually a fen.
Ralph gave an excellent talk on fens, glaciers etc. Continuous input from Jim
and Richard rounded out the discussions. This was my first experience in a fen.
A fen is a totally unique piece of terrain. Standing on the boardwalk along
the base of a steep bank with water seeping under foot along the entire hillside
showed me whole other world. The sedges hold many kinds of fascinating fauna.
The ecotone division was discussed along with rattlesnakes, teaberries, and
the area's high pH. Following the trail back up the hill we looked at soil composition,
gall growth on trees.
Habitat,
regrowth of timber and how anaerobic-vs-aerobic conditions effect the area.
This field study was probably one of the best aspects of the trip thus far.
The rest of the day Ralph and Richard ,Jim, Barb and Mary Anne went out to set
up the first traps in the area. Everyone else got to pick Bugs! Even more excitement
came when the rain began. 
Luckily
it didn't last long, so we were able to feast on grilled chicken, fried potatoes
and salad. Valorie returned bringing Robin and her 3 batches of rice krispie
bars along.
In the morning a group went to Kent Bog which consists of two
lowland sites. One is named for Tom S. Cooperrider and the other
: Triangle Lake Bog. The upland site, which was once open water,
is now a Sphagnum basin surrounded primarily by Oak trees. Numerous
Tamarack trees are thriving, but are a highly endangered species
because the only place they grow are in these bogs, which are
being destroyed. Taking the path down into the bog and across
the boardwalk demonstrates definate progression. Triangle Lake
Bog is similar, but has a center of open water high in acidity
due its anaerobic nature. The top 2-3 feet supports marine life
as well as fish, but the lower depths are near the freezing point
or below, year round. For contrasting upland sites we also trapped
at Beck and Gott Fens. These fens were drier, but still retained
the sphagnum base. Some of the primary plants we saw included
Potentilla, swamp rose, pitcher plant, cucumber Magnolia and the
Tamarack. Most notable was the lonely Tamarack which stood magestically
above the surrounding vegetation. Only one or two saplings are
thought to be present. The species is dying out, and this is due
to thoughtless greed combined with a lack of knowledge. Studies
such as ours, will provide data to help institute changes in ..? After
a late supper of chicken stir fry (which was excellent), we sat
around the fire with Scuba Joe and Jen. Robin and Ayesha challenged
us with a string of brain teasers.
Our first pick-up site we were at The Rosemont Country Club. This
is a created wetland that has been rather unsuccessful. Originally,
a wide variety of wetland vegetation was introduced, but presently
Purple Loosestrife and Phragmities are dominant. There is little
reason to expect improvement. Although the invaders are attractive,
they are destructive. The other constructed wetland sampled was
The Rittman Mitigation Site designed be Dr.Long. This site was
designed by building a dike to catch runoff from an adjacent hillside.
The end product appears to be a damp, grassy field. Both sides
of the dike have similar vegetation. This is the only place we've
found elderberries! They were good. Back to camp for a final day
of sorting. The samples contain fewer bugs than along the lakes
so we are better able to complete each jar of sample.
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