Selfie with Fish

Took a Selfie with Fish After We Finished the Lemon Squeeze at the Mohonk Mountain House

Scouting Rock Rift

Bryan Squeezing Through!

About to start my first season of summer camp with the Mohonk Preserve. It is very different from other summer camps I have taught in the past. With summer day camps from Delaware Nature Society, each age group and week of camp would revolve around a theme (i.e. Fish Scales and Snake Tails, Wizards & Lizards, Shell Sleuths, etc.), or at Teton Science Schools, you and a teaching team would design series of days of camp around an inquiry question or topic. At the Mohonk Preserve, the summer camp model is very different. They have three age-groups you can teach camp in (similar to what I am used to): 3-5, 6-10, and 11-13. However, these three age groups get a series of weeks, but most campers do not do all of the series of weeks. Within those series of weeks, different instructors will lead those weeks in a variety of diverse activities. I thought this was vey interesting. Since I would be leading a few weeks of camp, I found it odd that I really did not communicate with the other instructors of other weeks to see what they were doing so we did not replicate or copy something that was done in a previous week and bore any returning camper. But I had an open mind to be ready to tackle this summer camp and see how it planned out over the course of the summer. For the summer I was assigned to teach 2 weeks of Camp Peregrine, our ages 6-10 summer camp. I ended up being assigned week 1 and week 4 of this age groups summer camp schedule.

Super Glad I am Skinny!

Like all programs I end up preparing to teach, scouting out teaching spots, hikes, and places is a must for me. By scouting out places before I teach, allows me to plan what I may be in for when I take my camp or class out to that place. It's great to  see how long it would take me (then guess-timating how long it would take a class), what types of materials I would want to bring, anticipate the challenge areas of a hike, areas to stop and have snack, games, lessons, and water/rest stops, etc. During week 1, my co-leader and I decided to take our class on a rock scramble that bordered the Mohonk Preserve and Mountain House boundaries. My co-leader Kim had done this hike before and suggested she would feel comfortable leading it. I was more than okay with that as I love observing others before I try it, but I also wanted to scout it on my own just so I had an idea for myself how I should prepare myself. Another co-leader, Bryan, was going to join us on this hike, and since he had never done the hike before either, we decided to scout it together. So glad we did, this hike/scramble was awesome and we felt that our campers would enjoy it too, but we also discovered areas where we knew we were gonna need to definitely help/support our campers on some cruxes on the scramble. There were definitely areas of slippery, slick crevices and tight squeezes that we would need to keep careful eyes on out kiddos.

But definitely taking time to do it ourselves beforehand made me feel better on not just observing it and hiking it with my campers, but to co-lead it and support my fellow staff as well. Check out some photos of us squeezing through some tight areas!

TheChristyBel

Invasion of the Milkweed Beetles

Red Milkweed Beetle

Looks Like:  A member of the Cerambycidae family (the Longhorn Beetle family), the Tetraopes tetrophthamlus is a vibrant reddish-orange beetle. While its head, thorax shell, and abdomen outer shell are vibrant reddish-orange, its legs and undersides are dark brown to black. Its outer shell can be slightly speckled with little black spots and splotches. It also has very dark brown to black long curled antennae on the top of its head.

These beetles have taken over and eaten many of the Common Milkweed plants,
which has prevented them from blooming their flowers.
I am curious to see if we get any Milkweed seed pods this fall.

Lives In:  They can be found in any habitat where their host (the Milkweed plant) will grow – in gardens, grasslands, fields, meadows, and along roadsides.

Niche:  Red Milkweed Beetles will eat all parts of milkweed and dogbane plants – the leaves, the buds, and the flowers.

Threats:  As these beetles show off their aposematic (warning) colors, they warn predators that they are inedible with their red and black colors. It is thought that these beetles are inedible as they incorporate the milkweed toxins that the plant emits into their bodies.

Frequency:  This is a very common beetle species as long as its host plant is present.

Reproduction:  In early summer, females will lay her eggs at the base of or in milkweed stems. When the larvae hatch, they will migrate to the roots by tunneling their way down just under the surface of the stem or burrowing down through the soil. They may remain at the roots over winter, feed in the spring, then pupate. About a month later, the larvae will emerge from their pupa as an adult.

Fun Fact:  Red Milkweed Beetles vocalizes a squeaking shrill by rubbing surfaces of its segments on its thorax (middle part of its body).

Good Morning from the Gateway

Waking up really early for a phenology observation and this was my view this morning of the Testimonial Gateway.

My Favorite Sky Lake

Went to Mohonk Lake with Amanda today. As we chatted, sunbathed, and tanned, I took a closer look at the sand and discovered the true colors of this place I have come to love. Mohonk Lake is just beautiful. They call Mohonk Lake a sky lake. It was created by a glacier and was filled with the melt. The water is clear, clean, and wonderful to swim in. There is so much wildlife in this lake too. Even though the lake is fully sky fed (rain and snowmelt), there is so much wildlife. Fish, newts, frogs, snakes, insects, beaver! And the colors....can you paint with all the colors of Mohonk Lake?!? hehe.

TheChristyBel

The Colors of Mohonk Lake

This time of year, the male Sunfish, will excavate a bowl in the sand to attract a female.

He's Looking for a Lady,
He's Looking for some Love.

A Million Dollar View

This evening, we hosted a small volunteer appreciation picnic for our Phenology Project volunteers. It was super fun and a great time. The volunteers arrived to participate in an informal field session along the Table Rocks Trail at Spring Farm. When we were finished examining plants, we headed on over to the Pavillion for a small pot luck dinner. Everyone was awesome, there was so much food to shared around! Not to mention this group is just phenomenal - so supportive of each other, positive, and loving of one another. I could not have asked for a better volunteer group to work with. After the dinner, I stayed a smidge later to clean up and make sure the pavillion was put back in the same state as we found it. As I was driving back to the trailhead entrance, I had to stop at the Million Dollar View and just appreciate a spectacular sunset. This spot at Spring Farm is just phenomenal - it is this open area that viewscapes to the Catskills to the north of us. It's no surprise how this spot got its name. Enjoy!

TheChristyBel

No Wonder It Is Called the Million Dollar View!

Just Beautiful.

Kestrel Banding - Pt. II

Little Fluffers!

This morning, I participated in a second session of Kestrel Bird Banding with Mohonk Preserve Research Associate, Zach Smith. In the kestrel box off of Pine Road, Zach banded five immature kestrels. While banding and collecting data on each of these birds, we were able to watch the parents hanging out on the telephone wire and trees surrounding the box. Enjoy some of the photos from me and Marc.

TheChristyBel

Dr. Elizabeth Long (Director of Conservation Science & One of My Bosses)
and Zach Smith (Mohonk Preserve Research Associate & Elizabeth's Husband)
Collecting Measurements in Addition to the Banding
Photo Credit: Marc Sweet

Sometimes, the Kestrel will Cooperate and Sit Still While They Get Weighed & Photographed
Photo Credit: Marc Sweet

Turkey Neighbors

We have discovered that we have turkeys as neighbors...and little ones too! I wonder if they will let us babysit?!?

Gobble gobble!

TheChristyBel

Turkey Adult & Two Offspring
(There were more too!)

Upcycling a Watering Can

After a whole bunch of upcycling furniture, I have been on a Pinterest craze. While scoping out some other projects to eventually dive into, I stumbled upon this one - A Watering Can that Pours Crystals I immediately clicked the image! I had a whole bunch of crystals I got from the Gardiner Transfer Station while helping Wendy and was totally waiting to do something with them. This was definitely the opportunity. I stopped by HomeGoods while I was in Kingston, found a cheap galvanized watering can, bought it and brought it home. It was a little tricky trying to remove the perforated part, but after a lot of patience and the handy work of some needle-nosed pliers, I was able to get wire through and the crystals drawn on! And ta-da!!!! A new hanging decoration for our backyard and another home for a plant friend! Amazing!

TheChristyBel

Watering the Garden with Crystals!

Biking to Castle Point

Selfie with Fishy at Castle Point

Today, decided to join Fishy with a family bike ride around Minnewaska State Park and celebrate Father's Day with the Toman's. I just LOVE Minnewaska State Park - great biking carriage roads, waterfalls, swimming areas, and some gorgeous views. This Minnewaska adventure, we biked from the Minnewaska Lake parking lot to Castle Point and back. A 4.3-mile carriage road that takes you to the highest part in the state park. You bike along a series of bluffs that define the western rim of the Ridge. It was great seeing a lot of wildflowers along the way - lots of Mountain Laurel and the view from Castle Point was pretty nice too!

TheChristyBel

We Made it!

More PINK Mountain Laurel

Beautiful White Mountain Laurel

Summit Posing at Castle Point with Fishy!
2,200 feet above sea level