QV Creekers are Back for 2012-2013!

The QV Creekers have been a busy group since our training in October 2012!  We have 6 new members this year!  Here are some things we have been up to since the start of the school year!

·        Training Day - On October 2^nd 2012, all QV Creekers spent 9am-2pm at Walker Park/SHBP for training.  We conducted some team building activities which helped the new students to get to know one another better.  Experienced creekers presented our poster displays from the past 3 years to the new creekers and updated them on what we have been doing in terms of past projects.  We discussed the QVRA situation and we also discussed Ed Schroth’s efforts to upgrade LSC to an exceptional value stream.  We also set up our 2 herpetological cover board surveys, these will serve as our research project for the creek connections conference in Spring 2013.

·        ALLARM Testing – The QV Creekers will continue to help with collection of monthly ALLARM testing data.  This will provide accurate baseline data in terms of TDS, conductivity and water level before any Marcellus Shale Gas Extraction activity enters the LSC watershed.  LSCWA Volunteers and the QV Creekers (including alumni) have been collecting data twice a month since Jan 2012.

·        Fish Shocking - On October 10th 2012, the creekers went fish shocking with Western Pa Conservancy Biologist, Eric Chapman.  Fish shocking volunteers and QV Creekers examined 3 sites on the LS Creek watershed (one on each branch and one below the dam at Woodland Road).  This is the 4^th consecutive year that we have witnessed high fish diversity below dam (about 22 species) and low diversity (4-5 species) above the dam on both branches.

·        Jefferson Salamander Project - This year the QV Creekers will continue the Jefferson salamander project with Dr. Catie Hanna of Robert Morris University’s Biology Dept.  Creekers will work with Dr. Hanna and her students to mark and recapture Jefferson salamanders this spring for a population study.  They will also take a greater role in checking the traps at the study site.  Last year, we caught and marked 149 Jefferson salamanders and approx 6 Spotted salamanders.  We had a work day at the site on November 5th 2012 to prepare for the 2013 spring migration.

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·        Herpetological Cover Board Study- Cover boards are 2’X 2’ pieces of metal or untreated plywood that herpetologists use to survey for salamander and snake species by lifting and counting.  During training in October, QV Creekers assembled 15 cover boards for herpetological surveys in the watershed.  Creekers labeled and camouflaged (with spray paint) each of the boards.    This will serve as our research project for the creek connections conference in spring 2013.  These boards will also be incorporated into some FHNC elementary school programs as well as amphibian programs which are offered to the public through FHNC in the spring.