Ticks have a tiny yet tenacious hook on the end of each leg, especially their forelegs, with which they are extremely good at latching onto things and not letting go, according to Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) tick specialist Christian Boyer.
“Questing is the action where they come to the edge of vegetation and when a host comes by, they’ll put their arms in the air and grab hold,” he said. “If there is a change in temperature – a shadow casts over them – they will stretch out their arms when they sense a host and grab a hold and find a place to attach.” The process, therefore, is very similar to writing a compelling story. The first paragraph, the very tip of the material that will come in contact with a reader – the potential host – is called a lede and within that you want a good hook.
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Programs geared toward inspiring next generation of stewards: EELS workshop seeks student applicants9/26/2023 While other kids raced to claim their favorite kayaks, paddles and life jackets before the others, Ramona Kroll walked slowly and deliberately along the edge of the lake at the Central PA Wesleyan Campground near New Columbia during the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association’s HERYN (Helping Engage our River’s Youth with Nature) kayak and fishing day programs.
Then, quickly, she darted down and scooped up a small frog before it could jump into the water. Through three summers, we have served hundreds of kids at our HERYN program, and each one brings different interests, skills, personality, and, for some, even emotional baggage. But, for Ramona, the unique perspective she added to this year’s program was her keen fascination for everything reptile and amphibian. From the snakes on the T-shirt she wore to early morning registration to her specialized radar for finding these species at the campground that day, it was a cool experience. More than 70 people participated in the Sept. 19 Floating Classroom aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat in Williamsport where the Susquehanna University Freshwater Research Institute (FRI) presented on trout.
Downstairs, FRI Director Matt Wilson discussed ideal trout habitat, how drought impacts that habitat and how trout respond to those changes. He included stream study images and passed around sample trout from the FRI lab. Floating Classroom participants learn about eels, hellbenders on Sept. 12 program aboard Hiawatha9/14/2023 Fifty-five people attended the Sept. 12 Floating Classroom aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat featuring the Susquehanna River Basin Commission biologist Johanna Hripto and some live elvers -- young eels -- that were caught near the Conowingo Dam.
Hripto presented an overview of eels on the river, their history and significance in the Susquehanna and what is being done to reverse some reductions to their numbers. Ann and Warren Fisher earn first Presidents Award from Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Assoc.9/13/2023 During the Sept. 12, 2023, Floating Classroom aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat in Williamsport, former board treasurer and secretary Ann Fisher and her husband, Warren, received the inaugural 2022 Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association President's Award from former president Kathy Snavely.
"Despite Ann’s protests, it is my deep privilege - with 500 percent board approval - to award the first President’s Award to Ann and Warren Fisher, for their tireless commitment and dedication to the MSRKA," said Snavely during the presentation. "When our first Riverkeeper gave us her one-month notice (in late 2019), Ann Fisher and I weren’t remotely prepared. We were, at the time, President and Secretary/Treasurer of a very small board of directors. Ann and I worked through every issue together, and there were some pretty monumental issues," said Snavely. "She was instrumental in the hiring process for John Zaktansky back in 2020, helped shape and mentor a new team of leaders for the association and she and Warren have been invaluable assets in fundraising for the association's work, as well." Riverkeeper note: The following is a column by Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky in response to the recent federal court ruling overturning the 2019 US Fish and Wildlife Service decision to deny the eastern hellbender protection under the Endangered Species Act. You can read the general press release here. You can read a local reaction story to the ruling here. Follow all our hellbender coverage and other elements here.
Sometimes, revisiting a little bit of history can provide quite a bit of context. For example, in 2018, our corner of the state was busy celebrating the Loyalsock Creek as Pennsylvania River of the Year, which included promoting the mysterious, awkward and widely misunderstood eastern hellbender, still a resident in certain deep pools of the Loyalsock at that time. In 2019, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) determined the eastern hellbender, nationwide, was not in need of any protections under the Endangered Species Act despite feedback to the contrary by hellbender experts the FWS brought in for advice on the matter. Among them was Dr. Peter Petokas, of Williamsport, who studied hellbenders throughout the Susquehanna River basin, including Loyalsock Creek. Riverkeeper note: This story is one of a two-part package localizing the Sept. 5, 2023, decision in federal court for the US Fish and Wildlife Service to have to reconsider its 2019 lack of protection for the hellbender. Check out Riverkeeper John Zaktansky's column here. Read the initial press release here. Look over our full hellbender page here.
Before a nervous, pre-teen Michael Kinney could react to the strange-looking creature at the end of his fishing pole, he was distracted by the reaction of everyone around him. “They started backing away, calling it a mudpuppy. These older guys with tattoos were yelling, telling me I should destroy it. That it was bad for the fish – bad for the water,” he recalled. “I got it on the ground, and I remember it crawling around and getting back into the water.” It wasn’t until he was in high school biology that Kinney, of Williamsport, learned the strange salamander was actually called a hellbender, that they don't destroy a stream’s ecosystem and later that they were important stream quality indicators. Riverkeeper's note: This is the general press release issued as an alert to today's update. Our association is working on a localized update on this story and will be sharing it out as soon as possible. Check back for more information. If you have any questions, you can contact Riverkeeper John Zaktansky at [email protected] or 570-768-6300.
In response to a lawsuit filed by five conservation groups, including the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, a federal judge found today -- Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2019 denial of Endangered Species Act protection for the eastern hellbender salamander was arbitrary and unlawful. District Judge Lewis J. Liman set aside the Service’s decision and instructed the agency to make a new decision consistent with law. “This ruling is a lifesaving victory for hellbenders and their declining freshwater habitats,” said Elise Bennett, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The Fish and Wildlife Service can no longer ignore overwhelming scientific evidence that hellbenders are in danger of extinction and face even greater threats ahead. These odd and charming salamanders can survive, but they desperately need the help of the Endangered Species Act.” More than 50 people, including families and younger children, participated in the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association's Sept. 5, 2023, Floating Classroom aboard the Hiawatha.
The theme was "Secret Life Inside our Fish" and included a fish dissection by Jeremy Harper and Brandon Forsythe of Penn State University on the lower level with several large trout. |
AuthorsRiverkeeper John Zaktansky is an award-winning journalist and avid promoter of the outdoors who loves camping, kayaking, fishing and hunting with the family. Archives
February 2025
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