Siegele Summer Internship Launched With Bioblitzes

By Lydia Fahrenkrug

In the past two weeks, CNHP launched its Siegele internship program by attending three Bioblitzes. The first of these was in the recently designated Browns Canyon National Monument in Chaffee County. The following week, we co-hosted Bioblitzes at the Spring Valley and Rifle Ranches in Garfield County. A BioBlitz is an intensive period of biological surveying to find, identify, and record all the species within a designated area.

Early morning birding by Delia Malone, Mary Harris, Maddie, Alyssa Meier, Lydia Fahrenkrug, and John Sovell (left to right) at Rifle Ranch Bioblitz, in Rifle, CO

At Browns Canyon, the six interns, Lydia Fahrenkrug, Alyssa Meier, Blaise Newman, Gary Olds, Tyler Stratman, and Brandi Thomas, along with Director Dave Anderson, Pam Smith, and Scott Kellman, had an amazing time surveying the diverse landscapes and using the opportunity to work together with many different organizations and professionals. Students gained hands-on experience in a variety of disciplines, such as small mammal trapping, plant identifying and collecting, birding, insect collecting, and bat surveying. It was exciting to collaborate with different professionals while students were introduced and helped to achieve the goals of a Bioblitz.

Entering Browns Canyon National Monument for a full day of surveying, Chaffee Co.

Pam Smith, CNHP Botanist (left), works with CNHP intern, Brandi Thomas, (right) to identify plant in Browns Canyon National Monument, Chaffee Co.

For the Spring Valley Bioblitz near Carbondale, students were introduced and assisted in data collection for a Modified Whittaker Plot and helped to implement a Picture Post, which allows citizen scientists to take pictures at 9 permanent orientations over time to support environmental monitoring. We learned about the climate monitoring site being installed by the Aspen Global Change Institute by Elise Osenga and Adam Korenblat. At the Rifle Ranch Bioblitz in Rifle, students explored a riparian area and they were surprised by the amount of species they found on this ranch property. Additionally, it was exciting to have interns from the Rocky Mountain Sustainability and Science Network (RMSSN) join CNHP and focus on pollinators at both of these ranches, and also to meet students and faculty from Colorado Mountain College who helped out at Spring Valley. At both ranches, we documented birds with the Roaring Fork Audubon Society, and learn about the ranches from the owners, John Powers and Jana Six. From the Bioblitzes, students learned valuable skills and gained important experience that will help leverage their field projects through the summer.

Implementation of Picture Post at Spring Valley Bioblitz, in Carbondale, CO by Adam Korenblat, Tyler Stratman, Blaize Newman, and David Anderson (left to right).

Catching Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Near Trapper's Lake

This summer CNHP zoologist John Sovell conducted surveys for wildlife species across Garfield County, Colorado. In July, Sovell's surveys included fishing for Colorado River cutthroat trout. His field work is part of a larger effort led by Delia Malone (CNHP ecologist) to document locations of rare plant and animal species in the county, as well as noxious weed locations. Sovell and Malone will provide information from their county-wide biological surveys to Garfield County to aid in planning and natural resource management.

Colorado River cutthroat trout are one of dozens of rare species that occur in Garfield County, including Colorado hookless cactus and Debeque phacelia. Both of these rare plants are listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

A downed log rests in a pool occupied by Colorado River cutthroat trout on the North Fork of the White River near Trapper's Lake. Colorado River cutthroat trout rely on large woody debris like this tree to help form pools, store spawning gravels, and provide refuge from predators. 

Sovell updated information on Colorado River cutthroat trout at four locations in Garfield County, including the North Fork of the White River where it empties into Trapper's Lake. These brilliantly colored fish are one of three extant subspecies of trout native to Colorado. Recent genetic and morphological studies suggest that there are two extant lineages of cutthroat trout on Colorado's Western Slope. Cutthroat trout in the White River Basin are part of what is known as the Blue Lineage. For more information on Colorado River cutthroat trout, check out the newly updated State Wildlife Action Plan.

John Sovell, CNHP zoologist, catches a Colorado River cutthroat trout as part of  the 2015 Garfield County Survey of Critical Biological Resources.