Hey diddle diddle... the spotted salamanders and crayfish and red spotted newts!

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah. I am the other Spring intern for Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge! I am originally from Virginia but after I graduated college in 2020, I have lived and worked in Florida, West Virginia, and then back in Virginia doing all sorts of outdoor/natural resource work. Growing up in the outdoors has helped me grow a love for nature and every thing that lives in it. I am so excited to be here and to gain experience working with crawfish frogs and in such an amazing place like Big Oaks!

An attempt to something new:

W hen nimbus clouds form and the Northern Hemisphere angles towards the sun, rain and warmer weather brush over the refuge

E very year, interns and staff must check water levels in ponds as endangered crawfish frogs are particular about where to lay their eggs. "No fish" they croak "And no marbled salamanders!"

E asing (sinking) our way through the mud, we set up traps with glow sticks to attract species. Will you eat the crawfish frogs eggs? Sorry buddy, but you need to leave.

K ingdom for many creatures are our ponds.

T he cold is back! Our hands and feet can tell you that!

W ith numb hands we gather our data to see what we have caught: lots of things as you can see from the pictures on this blog!

O h the website has changed! Check it out and tell us what you have to say! https://www.bigoaksconservationsociety.org/

Stay cold! :)

Sarah putting in a pipe to control the water level of the pond.

13 spotted salamanders with the orange glow stick they were attracted (bucket is not the trap). 2 tadpoles and 3 marbled salamander larvae.

Audrey putting in a pipe to control water levels.

Red Spotted Newt! Look at that cute face!