Baby Garter vs. Spider Web

There are times where I love my job more than usual: this is one time. So I was sitting at my desk and my co-worker comes up to me and plops a piece of paper on my desk. On that paper, was the tiniest snake I had ever seen. Our Associate Director of Facilities & Grounds was sweeping the floors and discovered this little guy caught in a spider's web! He rescued it and gave it to me to take care of it! Haha. I find it quite amusing that I am the go-to person to be given such tasks. But I'll take it! So we used some tweezers to remove the cob webs and placed it in a specimen jar to calm down from its terrifying series of events. Before we let it go, we had to take a picture of it next to a quarter. It was that tiny!

It really got me thinking, could a spider really eat a snake? Maybe a tiny, tiny snake? Herp friends, help me out! Is it possible?

theChristyBel

The Tiniest Garter Snake Ever Found

Guess the Warbler

Besides teaching, part of my job is to draw flora and fauna of the Preserve. These images can be used in our programs, advertisements, curriculum, and exhibits. We are considering an event in the next year or so, and I was asked to create some images for a potential logo. I am starting to draw three different warblers for this logo. Going detailed first and once they go into Photoshop, we'll make them a less-detailed and more logo-friendly. In the meantime, can you guess which Warbler I am drawing?

Hint 1: the Sketch

Hint 2: Begin the Pen & Ink

Hint 3: Finished

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a Black and White Warbler!

(kind of easy as there was no color to this one)

Pond Keepers Poster Redesign

I have been coordinating the Pond Keepers program for the Preserve for about 2.5 school years now. Pam, the former Pond Keepers Coordinator, did a phenomenal job getting this program up and running. After some time, I finally decided to retire Pam's Poster drawing and add a bit of theChristyBel into the program. So, I began to redesign a new Pond Poster that each program will get to color in and add a bunch of pond creatures to as they learn about the Pond!

Sketching Out the Design

Begin to Add the Plants and Bottom of the Pond

Pond Poster Finished Before Labels and Creatures

An Example of a Pond Poster When Finished (Minus the Coloring)

Kerhonkson Thank You Gift

The Perks of Being an Educator: the Thank You Cards

One of Kerhonkson's 1st grade classes sent me a "Caddisfly Thank You Book" for teaching their class about the Forest and Stream! It is beyond amazing!

Check out some of the pages! They are adorable, hilarious, and cute!

theChristyBel

The Cover

Love Mrs. Eck's Classes!

Nature Bingo is always fun to play!

Another Nature Bingo Fan!

Salamander Catching!

Mohonk Preserve Auction

Although, I did not attend the Mohonk Preserve's Annual Auction, I was sent photos of my work being a hit at the Silent Auction. I am thrilled that there were several bids on my drawing! And the winner was one of my volunteers from the Daniel Smiley Research Center! I am super glad it is going to a home that I know appreciates art and will take care of it!

theChristyBel

The Spring Peeper

On Display with My Biography at the Auction
Photo Credit: Wendy Toman

Program Finds: Forest & Field (Kerhonkson Elementary)

Reporting on some Nature Nerd Finds my 1st Grade Students from Mrs. Eck's Class of Kerhonkson Elementary found today in their Stream & Forest Program at the Coxing Kill. 

Enjoy.

TheChristyBel

Juvenile Northern Water Snake

Carrion Beetle

Juvenile Northern Red Salamander

Juvenile Northern Red Salamander

Educator Gifts

This morning, received the most adorable THANK YOU card from Kerhonkson Elementary
for coming to their class for Pond Keepers!

Kerhonkson Elementary, you will always be one of my favorites!

Thank YOU!
TheChristyBel

Summer Camp Prep: Young Explorers Crafts

Since field studies and Pond Keepers have died down for the school year, the Education staff is slowly transitioning into camp mode. I am SUPER EXCITED for summer camp this year - because I get to work with little ones! And you know what that means...CRAFTS! Cathy Shiga-Gattullo, the educator who created the curriculum for the Young Explorers (ages 4-6) camp, gave me the challenge of coming up with some new crafts for the 4-weeks of camp. CHALLENGE excepted. Here is one that I just finished creating the craft sample: LED Candlelight Fireflies for Insects Week!

TheChristyBel

FIREFLIES!

Thunderstorms on the Ridge

A very huge storm rolled through and ruined our chance for a hike today...Amanda and I were just past the Uber Fall when the entire sky got really dark and bellowed some loud thunder! So we had to skadoosh back to the car. But before that, we totally stopped for pictures of course. SAFETY FIRST...? Or Pictures First...

Don't worry, we made it back safe and had dinner together at her silo and watched the storm pass through inside safe quarters.

TheChristyBel

You Could See the Downpour from the Scenic Lookout on Rt. 44/55

Large Storm Clouds

Angry Skies

Program Finds: Forest & Field

A snake's most vulnerable moment in time is when it's about to shed. Snakes will shed their skin in one piece, including eye caps. They do this monthly. Skin becomes dull, their eyes become cloudy or "bluish," and they become more nervous (since they cannot see well). When you see a snake about to shed, please give it space to make it feel comfortable.

Hiker's Holiday: A Day of Fire

Every year, the Mohonk Preserve partners with the Mohonk Mountain House to help with the hotel's event, Hikers Holiday. For over 80 years, this program allows people from all over the country come to the Mountain House for a specific week in the spring and participate in organized, guided hiking all over the Shawangunk Ridge. This year's theme was: Earth, Wind, Fire. The Preserve will usually allow several staff to help lead/co-lead these organized hikes. I was asked to co-lead a hike out at Sam's Point Preserve. This hike was held on the 'Fire' day as the participants were able to see remnants of the fire that had come through last year. The participants were all very interesting and fun to be around. As we hiked around Lake Maratanza, I was able to get to know a bunch of them. Many of the participants had been participating in Hikers Holiday for over 10+ years. Crazy! It was a super hot day, so our hike only lasted half the day. But all in all, it was a great day to get out on the land!

TheChristyBel

Fire Scar on Right, Unburned Land on Left

Burned Area Rejuvenation

Epicormic Sprouting
Pitch Pines will grow needles directly from the trunk to encourage rapid growth

View of Lake Maratanza

Summit Pose at Sam's Point with my co-leader, Michael Rider, Mohonk Mountain House Resident Naturalist

Program Finds: Forest & Stream (Lenape Elementary)

My Students Found the Tiniest Slimy Salamander of All Time Today!

Phenology: Pink Lady Slippers

Columbine in Full Bloom on Cedar Drive

Spring means flowers blooming and everything waking up. Mid-May around the Shawangunk Ridge means Pink Lady Slippers coming into bloom. I had such a wonderful time searching for these pretties last year, that I definitely wanted to search for the first bloom again this year. So up the Northeast Trail I went at Spring Farm. As I hiked northeast, I started to see the leaves but no flowers. I was getting a little discouraged as the weather has been super nice and would have totally began to wake them up. As I continued farther down the trail, I did find some that were opening, but not at all pink. As I was determined to search more, I continued down the trail and even stopped in certain places where I had seen them last year and looked harder. And sure enough, found some PINK lovelies in full bloom! May 15 - First Pink Lady Slipper in bloom, according to the DSRC, who still did not have them down on the First Emergence 2017 Calendar. Boom! I just absolutely love these orchids, they are just super pretty! Enjoy some pictures below!

TheChristyBel

Pink Lady Slipper Still Lacking the PINK

First Pink Lady Slipper of the Season!

This Year's Flower and Last Year's Seed Pod!

Hike to Duck Pond

Decided to take a stroll up to Duck Pond after work today. Warmer temperatures have been causing a lot of new phenology to pop up and emerge, so going out onto the land and catching it happen is a must right now! Here are some finds I found today:

Jack in the Pulpit in Full Bloom (it was also super large)

Northern Water Snake sunning itself in the only sunny spot in the forest.

The First Adult Dragonfly I have seen this spring
(Have seen a whole bunch of nymphs throughout the early spring due to Pond Keepers).

Program Finds: Forest & Stream (Lenape Elementary)

Some nature finds from the 3rd Grade, Lenape Elementary class I had today during a Forest & Stream program:

Fringed Polygala

A Ring-necked Snake!

When curled up in a ball, it was the size of a quarter!

The largest Fishing Spider I ever saw

She was terrifying looking!

The Rockettes Rocked the Ridge

My Race Bib Number

Today, I ran/hiked 13.1-miles of 50-miles with the Rockettes at Rock the Ridge! I am beyond proud of my teammates, three other wonderful ladies from the Preserve that totally kicked ass in the rain! Yes, we hiked and ran this race in cold, cloudy, rainy conditions. Gretchen, our Director of Communications, took on the 1st leg from the Testimonial Gateway to Spring Farm; Amanda, our Social Media Associate, relieved Gretchen and rocked it through Spring Farm, up to Sky Top, and met me to the southern part of the Preserve at Lyons Road; I hiked and ran the third leg through Minnewaska State Park & Preserve up to the highest part of the race at Castle Point and back down to Lyons Road; Megan, our anchor led us back to the Testimonial Gateway. We started at 6:00 AM and came in at 7:43 PM and a finishing time of 13-hours and 34-minutes. Super proud of these ladies!

I am not going to lie, but I was a little hesitant about joining the team as I am not at all a racer of any sort. But to be on a team that is not in it to race, but to support the Preserve at any pace, was very comforting. I had trained for this race by hiking my leg in all elements (rain, snow/ice on the ground, cloudy days, and sunny days). I usually finished my leg in 4-hours just hiking. So when I got to the race, I gave myself about 5-hours to complete. To finish my leg in 3-hours was pretty awesome! And the best part: my knees felt great! I taped them and stretched them before and after the race. Super proud of them for killin' it in the race! I know this is too early to determine, but I would not mind doing this again next year...maybe even doing two legs...

I say that now...
...we'll see.

TheChristyBel

The Pass Off From Leg 2 to Leg 3

Overlooking Gertrude's Nose as I hiked to Castle Point

After Passing Castle Point - Passed Lake Awosting

Passed Lake Minnewaska for the Second Time - about 2+ miles to go!

Last Landmark Before the Switch to Leg 4, Awosting Falls

The Rockettes' Times!

Celebrating with a Hot Toddy!

Medals with the Rockettes
(From Left to Right: Me, Gretchen, Amanda, and Megan)