Week 5: You’ve got quail

Finally, the first reported quail on the park! A visitor reported one calling on Brawner farm, the site of the second battle of Manassas (August 26, 1862). We have not been able to record one on a survey, but now we know there’s at least one here.

Another project we’re working on are deer exclosures. These metal fences keep deer out so that we can see what plant growth might look like without deer browse. The reason for this- the park has a deer problem. With very few natural predators on the property (notably bobcats and black bears), deer populations have exploded.

You can barely make out the fence between the rusty metal posts

According to the chief of natural resources, a healthy deer population for the park, in order to allow native saplings to grow, is around 100 individuals. Last year, the number of deer was nearly 500. The park gets funding to control the deer population (by hunting – and the deer meat is sent to local food banks. As a mostly-vegan and full-time conservationist, I think this is a sustainable practice). In order to keep getting funded, the park needs to prove that the deer are having an adverse effect on forest growth. By measuring the plant growth and ratio of invasive to native species within and outside of these exclosures, we can report on whether or not deer control is a success.

Boss-brings-his-fancy-camera-to-work-day

Grasshopper sparrow fearlessly marching into battle

We’re still working on cleaning the algae from the pond, which is a welcome chance to muck around in some chest-high waders.

Today marks the end of the first week being supervisor-less, and we’ve made many mistakes. Notably, getting stuck in a ditch this morning (I was getting too confident in a FordF150) and having to reschedule a survey or two due to poor planning. Now that we’ve got these out of our system, the rest of the summer will be flawless…

This park is a designated battlefield park, and the management have to balance cultural and natural resources. Everything you see in the landscape has been intentionally preserved, mowed, planted, etc. in order to look as it would have during the civil war (as much as possible). This is technically not a natural environment since it is heavily managed. As a naturalist, it is interesting to see how the plant and wildlife populations interact with different habitat management techniques. As a human in an increasingly developed world, it’s amazing to experience this huge patch of grassy land!