science

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!

Posted on by Stevo

Merry Christmas to everyone from

Earthshine Nature Programs!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a great Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate) and wonderful 2014 with all of your friends, family and loved ones–human and animal–gathered all around you.  

The animals and I THANK YOU for all your support during the 2013 year.

Look for the 2013 year end review coming soon!

Turtle Tracks and Snake Tracks are two reptile conservation, research and education projects occurring near Earthshine Discovery Center and Dupont Forest in the mountains of western North Carolina, USA. Through the magic of modern technology and a lot of hard volunteer work by a wildlife conservationist and his small crew of volunteers, glimpse into the lives of several wild reptiles living in their natural habitats. For more detailed info on our projects and programs please take a look at our website: http://www.earthshinenature.com

It is our goal at ENP to promote wildlife conservation of our misunderstood wildlife through exciting hands-on education, outreach programs, conservation based field research programs, and online with our nature documentary video series.

We are not paid nor do we collect a salary to operate ENP or to conduct our wildlife conservation activities. ENP is a 100% volunteer operated program designed to educate you about these greatly misunderstood and amazing animals and hopefully, to impart to you, their beauty, uniqueness and intrinsic value to a healthy Earth and healthy humans.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who have donated to ENP over the years!! Without all of you, our wildlife conservation and education mission would just not be possible – your support makes this important work happen. If you would like to support Earthshine Nature Programs please feel free to donate by visiting http://www.earthshinenature.com/donate

Music by John Mason and the Steep Canyon Rangers used with written permission.

Video and editing by Steve O’Neil

  

Earthshine Nature Programs is not responsible or affiliated with ads that may appear below this line.
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Turtle Tracks Field Update for December 2013

Posted on by Stevo

An update of the status of the Eastern box turtles in the Earthshine Nature Programs Turtle Tracks Eastern box turtle conservation, public awareness and education program happening at Earthshine Discovery Center in Lake Toxaway,  North Carolina, USA.

12/08/13 Field Update: Today I located both Catherine and Jimmy Irwin. They were both settled into their overwintering sites for their long winters nap.  Jimmy is in almost the exact same location that he over-wintered in last year and Catherine is only about 30 feet northwest of the site she used for the last several years.

The Trails turtles, Shelly Echo and Paula Journeys,  are also deep in their winter sleep waiting for spring.

Note: While walking back to my car today I found the scat (poop) of an unusually large animal–probably a horse–so if you are missing a horse, please contact me and I will let you know where I found it. Like any good naturalist I analyzed the scat so if you are interested in what I found just take a look at it in the video below–especially if you are missing a horse. It was just a bit large to be a bear so the other possibility is a Sasquatch 😉

View the video from today’s field excursion below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_2bd-UvEVg&w=640&h=360

If the video will not play or open then follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_2bd-UvEVg to view the video on Youtube

This will probably be the last locate day for 2013 however,  I will do a mid-winter video report on all of the reptiles and then start anew in the spring with the continued tracking of these beautiful creatures.

Turtle Tracks and Snake Tracks are two reptile conservation, research and education projects occurring near Earthshine Discovery Center and Dupont Forest in the mountains of western North Carolina, USA. Through the magic of modern technology and a lot of hard volunteer work by a wildlife conservationist and his small crew of volunteers, glimpse into the lives of several wild reptiles living in their natural habitats. For more detailed info on our projects and programs please take a look at our website: http://www.earthshinenature.com

It is our goal at ENP to promote wildlife conservation of our misunderstood wildlife through exciting hands-on education, outreach programs, conservation based field research programs, and online with our nature documentary video series.

We are not paid nor do we collect a salary to operate ENP or to conduct our wildlife conservation activities. ENP is a 100% volunteer operated program designed to educate you about these greatly misunderstood and amazing animals and hopefully, to impart to you, their beauty, uniqueness and intrinsic value to a healthy Earth and healthy humans.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who have donated to ENP over the years!! Without all of you, our wildlife conservation and education mission would just not be possible – your support makes this important work happen. If you would like to support Earthshine Nature Programs please feel free to donate by visiting http://www.earthshinenature.com/donate

Music by John Mason and the Steep Canyon Rangers used with written permission.

Video and editing by Steve O’Neil

Snake Tracks Field Update for November 28, 2013

Posted on by Stevo

This is an update on the Snake tracks reptile conservation and education project being conducted by Earthshine Nature Programs.

Zoe remains in the small valley but she has moved around 200 feet to the north of her last location and is sheltering under a rotting stump a few feet above a spring head.

Utsanati remains in hibernation in the same den he has used for the last three winters.

Today I also discovered some unusual large tracks in the melting snow–possibly from a passing hiker or hunter.  They were not far from where Utsanati is overwintering and were hard to make out due to the melting snow. They were about 3-4 inches longer than my size 11 boots and looked surprisingly like “Sasquatch” tracks.

Take a look at Zoe, Utsanati and the strange tracks in today’s video below.

If the video does not play try following this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j959vhDmMLA

to watch the video on Youtube.

I would also like to introduce the first episode of Earthshine Nature’s new series: Ratsnake Tracks!

In Ratsnake Tracks we will follow in the tracks of “Splinter”–an adult Black Ratsnake that lives just outside Earthshine Nature Programs’ primary base of operations on the campus of The Academy at Trails Carolina.

In this first video I meet Splinter for the first time then, a short time later, I am joined by Jim and Margaret as we visit Dr. Bolt at Sweeten Creek Animal Hospital to assist with the implantation of Splinter’s new micro radio transmitter.

If the video does not play try following this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMDNL8zpGj0
to watch the video on Youtube.com

After Splinter recovers he will over-winter in the nature center only ~10′ from where he was found just outside the back door. He will be released in the spring and the students and I will track him for several years with the goal of learning all that we can about the natural movements and habitat use of a wild ratsnake in and around an area highly used by humans.

Turtle Tracks and Snake Tracks are two reptile conservation, research and education projects occurring near Earthshine Discovery Center and Dupont Forest in the mountains of western North Carolina, USA. Through the magic of modern technology and a lot of hard volunteer work by a wildlife conservationist and his small crew of volunteers, glimpse into the lives of several wild reptiles living in their natural habitats. For more detailed info on our projects and programs please take a look at our website: http://www.earthshinenature.com

It is our goal at ENP to promote wildlife conservation of our misunderstood wildlife through exciting hands-on education, outreach programs, conservation based field research programs, and online with our nature documentary video series.

We are not paid nor do we collect a salary to operate ENP or to conduct our wildlife conservation activities. ENP is a 100% volunteer operated program designed to educate you about these greatly misunderstood and amazing animals and hopefully, to impart to you, their beauty, uniqueness and intrinsic value to a healthy Earth and healthy humans.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who have donated to ENP over the years!! Without all of you, our wildlife conservation and education mission would just not be possible – your support makes this important work happen. If you would like to support Earthshine Nature Programs please feel free to donate by visiting http://www.earthshinenature.com/donate

Music by John Mason and the Steep Canyon Rangers used with written permission.

Video and editing by Steve O’Neil

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Earthshine Nature Programs is in no way affiliated or responsible for ads that may appear below this line.

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Turtle Tracks and Snake Tracks Field Updates for 11-10-2013

Posted on by Stevo

This is an update on the Turtle Tracks wildlife conservation and education project being conducted by Earthshine Nature Programs.

Today I discovered Catherine only about 30-40 feet northwest from her usual over-wintering location.  Since I released her after her new transmitter was attached she has moved around 300 feet to the southeast and appears to be getting ready for her long winters nap.  Just three feet to the south of Catherine I discovered another box turtle basking in the warm sun just outside of his form.  This was a male turtle I had previously marked in 2007.  Because of his marking sequence I call him “Abi” and I have found Abi several times before–several years ago I even found him mating with Catherine.  It would be nice to one day attach a transmitter to Abi and see just how often he and Catherine cross paths.

Take a look at Catherine and Abi in today’s video below.

If the video does not play try following this link:

http://youtu.be/ErJa8tw7rOM

to watch the video on Youtube.

This is an update on the Snake Tracks wildlife conservation, research and education project being conducted by Earthshine Nature Programs.

Today both snakes were underground and not visible.  Utsanati is in the exact location that he used for overwintering over the last two years.  Zoe is a different story.  She remains on the southeast side of the ridge not very far from the small clearing above the waterfall where she spent the summer and fall.  She is only about 170 feet west of that location and she is in a small, sheltered valley,  underground, beneath the roots of a Mountain Laurel shrub.  I believe she has chosen to over winter in this location.  My question is why?  Is this a site she uses periodically for a reason or did she just get caught off guard by cool weather and decide to shelter here out of necessity?  Only time may tell.

View a rather dark video (because it was night) of today’s locate.

If the video does not play try following this link:

http://youtu.be/fe7KFCykXgc

to watch the video on Youtube.

Turtle Tracks and Snake Tracks are two reptile conservation, research and education projects occurring near Earthshine Discovery Center in the mountains of western North Carolina, USA. Through the magic of modern technology and a lot of hard volunteer work by a wildlife conservationist and his small crew of volunteers, glimpse into the lives of two wild Eastern box turtles and two wild Timber rattlesnakes in their natural habitats. For more detailed info on our projects and programs please take a look at our website: http://www.earthshinenature.com

It is our goal at ENP to promote wildlife conservation of our misunderstood wildlife through exciting hands-on education, outreach programs, conservation based field research programs, and online with our nature documentary video series.

We are not paid nor do we collect a salary to operate ENP or to conduct our wildlife conservation activities. ENP is a 100% volunteer operated program designed to educate you about these greatly misunderstood and amazing animals and hopefully, to impart to you, their beauty, uniqueness and intrinsic value to a healthy Earth and healthy humans.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who have donated to ENP over the years!! Without all of you, our wildlife conservation and education mission would just not be possible – your support makes this important work happen. If you would like to support Earthshine Nature Programs please feel free to donate by visiting http://www.earthshinenature.com/donate

Music by John Mason and the Steep Canyon Rangers used with written permission.

Video and editing by Steve O’Neil

ENPLOGOsm.34263214_std

Earthshine Nature Programs is in no way affiliated or responsible for ads that may appear below this line.

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Turtle Tracks and Snake Tracks Field Update for October 29, 2013

Posted on by Stevo

This is an update on the Turtle Tracks and Snake Tracks wildlife conservation and education projects being conducted by Earthshine Nature Programs.

We released Catherine today after she received a new radio transmitter. If you missed out on the fact that her previous transmitter malfunctioned just take a look at this video for the update:

If the video does not play try following this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEZxcAQPcok

to watch the video on Youtube.

Zoe has moved about 170′ back toward the clearing where she spent the summer.  Today we were unable to visually locate Zoe but Margaret found one of her recently shed skins!

We were unable to track Utsanati and Jimmy today but will have an update on their locations soon.

Watch the video of today’s locate:

If the video does not play try following this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU96ZlzfCCk

to watch the video on Youtube.

Turtle Tracks and Snake Tracks are two reptile conservation, research and education projects occurring near Earthshine Discovery Center in the mountains of western North Carolina, USA. Through the magic of modern technology and a lot of hard volunteer work by a wildlife conservationist and his small crew of volunteers, glimpse into the lives of two wild Eastern box turtles and two wild Timber rattlesnakes in their natural habitats. For more detailed info on our projects and programs please take a look at our website: http://www.earthshinenature.com

It is our goal at ENP to promote wildlife conservation of our misunderstood wildlife through exciting hands-on education, outreach programs, conservation based field research programs, and online with our nature documentary video series.

We are not paid nor do we collect a salary to operate ENP or to conduct our wildlife conservation activities. ENP is a 100% volunteer operated program designed to educate you about these greatly misunderstood and amazing animals and hopefully, to impart to you, their beauty, uniqueness and intrinsic value to a healthy Earth and healthy humans.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who have donated to ENP over the years!! Without all of you, our wildlife conservation and education mission would just not be possible – your support makes this important work happen. If you would like to support Earthshine Nature Programs please feel free to donate by visiting http://www.earthshinenature.com/donate

Music by John Mason and the Steep Canyon Rangers used with written permission.

Video and editing by Steve O’Neil

ENPLOGOsm.34263214_std

Earthshine Nature Programs is in no way affiliated or responsible for ads that may appear below this line.

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