Old Woman Creek

Setting the trap at Old Woman Creek Boardwalk

4 September 1997: We are still here. We will be spending another night at OWC due to problems with the storm. We need three good samples from our sites along the estuary, and as of today we do not have them. But, hey, one more night in this lovely place isn't so bad - especially when we think about the Portage Lake Campground with no electricity or running water! We spent the day picking and packing, hopefully we will be ready to hit the road as soon as we collect the traps tomorrow morning.

Anne arrived yesterday from San Francisco and Amy arrived this afternoon from Baltimore. We have a bug picking team from across the US! You might remember Anne from the Big Bend Earthwatch Trip. She is also the other woman HAM on the team. She and I just got our licenses, but you should hear KF6NCW on the radio - she's an amateur radio pro! Amy just graduated from Dickinson College in Carlise, PA. This is her first bug trip. I hope she is ready to get her feet wet!

Kim and Jim left yesterday, but not before they were able to gather the remainder of the plant data. You gather the data even when there are not a lot of plants, such as at the mouth of the estuary.

Washing the bug traps

5 September 1997: We have retrieved our traps this morning and mobilized the packing and cleaning effort. Everyone is working together so the dorm is left is good condition for the next researchers. We are quite a team! As soon as everything is packed and the web pages are uploaded we will caravan to our next sites in scenic Akron, Ohio. We are moving from coastal wetlands to bogs and fens. How do you think the bugs change? What bugs do you think live in a bog?
We will return tomorrow with new photos, data and answers to all your questions. Check out the new SCIENCE page for details about what it is exactly that we are doing out here.

Farewell Sunrise at Old Woman Creek

The Estuary at Old Woman Creek

Dave and his atlas

Amy at the microscope

6 September 1997: Our convoy made it to Portage Lakes State Park. After setting up camp last night we put out traps in Triangle Lake Bog and Kent Bog. The cottongrass (Eriophorum spp.) is blooming and the blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are in fruit! We saw pitcher plants (Saracina purpurea) - a carnivorous plant that grows in acidic soils, cranberries(Vaccinium oxycoccus), beggar's tick (Bidens spp.) (from the sunflower family) and many, many more! What beautiful places! As soon as we charge the batteries in the digital camera we will upload more pictures.

We have entered and analyzed some of the plant data from Old Woman Creek. The method is designed to describe the plant material along two 60 meter transects which intersect at the trap. We look at live and dead material since both have been found to be important for insects. When we finish sorting all the bugs we will be able to make comparison between our plant data and the insect orders that are present. We are looking for the plant community characteristic that is driving the insect community.

Jim returned last night and will be with us until he leaves to sample the Columbus sites on Monday. We will be trying to get plant data from some of the mitigation sites. Over the past several years we have seen drastic changes in the plant communities in these constructed wetlands.

Unfortunately, our buddy Dave had to leave this morning, but at least he has an big atlas to help him find his way back to Texas. Don't forget about Arkansas, Dave! We miss you and have put up a few photos of you. I hope they make you feel pretty.

The pop up camper has arrived courtesy of Dr. David Goff. Ryan and Amy are trying to set it up and not burn the camp down. Already today two sets of keys were locked inside cars. The first was this morning when Amy's keys were locked in the trunk and the second was at the grocery store with the rental car. Whoops! This is the second occasion on which keys to a rental vehicle were unavailable during a bug adventure! Ralph, Anne and Larry (WD8MDE) are diligently working to solve the problem. But never fear, we are professionals and we have taken care of everything. Keys are in hand and we are ready to pick more bugs.

While setting the traps last night Ralph was stung four times by angry bees and this morning awoke with twice the ankle he had when he went to sleep. Oh, the hazards of bug trapping!

Amy at the camp in Portage Lake State Park

Valerie concentrates on the days supply of bugs

"This is Ohio!"

7 September 1997: Valerie and Robyn are leaving today. We are sad to see our best bug pickers go. Valerie is the only one of us who always wakes up smiling! What will we do with out her? And Robyn, well, she kept us all laughing with her Bat Signal flashlight and Yoda Pez dispenser. Good luck, guys! We will see you next year.

Out of the 43 trapping events we have picked 14 samples in the field. Considering the weather problems and lack of electricity at Portage Lakes State Park, I would say we are doing very well. Ryan will return tonight with yet another first time bug picker! Let's see how she likes the smell of ethanol in the morning!

Amy has jumped right in - she's setting traps, picking bugs and waking up grumpy just like the rest of us. Too bad she can't talk on the radio yet, but I have a feeling Amy will be getting here HAM license as soon as she returns to Baltimore. She might even return next year with her call sign on her license plate and a great, big belt buckle.

Ralph's ankle continues to swell, but Nurse Anne is on the job with ice and Benadryl. Anne and Ralph just returned from collecting traps at Triangle Lake Bog and Kent Bog, and Ralph was stung yet again! The count is now up to six! I think it is all the Little Debbies.

Nurse Anne - KF6NCW

Ryan and Anne setting the trap in Rittman

Ralph setting the trap in Rosemont

8 September 1997: Another day, another bug. We have retrieved the traps and sent Kooser and Ryan to Columbus. They will be sampling the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park while we finish the trapping in Akron. Ralph folks have opened their home to the grungy bug pickers (there are no showers at Portage Lake). We are having lunch and then returning to the work.

We put some of the plant data on the web, so be sure to check out the Vegetation Science page.

This is our last night at Portage Lakes and then we head to Geneva, OH to sample a drowned river mouth similar to Old Woman Creek called Arcola Creek. Stay tuned as we continue to update.

Anne, the bug picking tent and our flag

Our Portage Lake campsite

Anne, Amy and the radio

Look close and you can see the poison ivy rash

9 September 1997: We are packing it up and heading out. We are off to northeastern Ohio to sample Arcola Creek and Morgan's Swamp. Arcola Creek, owned by the Nature Conservancy, is a drowned river mouth similar to Old Woman Creek.

No new wasp stings for our fearless leader in the last couple of days, but he has contracted one mean case of poison ivy. But we are the proud, the brave, the bug trappers and will not be stopped by a few itchy blisters (on Ralph).

As we leave we would like to thank all our HAM buddies for their help and support. We would not have been able to charge our batteries or communicate around Portage Lake without Dan (WD8MDF) and the Mud Lake repeater; Larry (WD8MDE) helped us break into the rental car; Dick (WA8DBW) with his repeater 160 ft over "lovely" Akron, OH helped us communicate; Marty (A?B8BB) helped us find a good place to eat; and Terry (KB8AMZ) told us about repeaters in the area that might be useful. Thanks guys! We will see you next year.

Anne showing off the Pop Up before we take it down