We often do not realize the impact we as humans have on the environment. A simple act such as swimming in a creek can disrupt the lives of not only one species but of many. Luckily, the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve provides a safe haven for species such as the Western Pond Turtle, protected from the influence of human damages to the environment. Unfortunately, this native turtle is still facing difficulties; therefore graduate students are currently conducting research in hopes of continuing our knowledge of nature with the goal of protecting it.

Nanette is assessing the effects of habitat on turtle physiology. She began by trapping turtles and marking them, looking at them in one instant in time. Things such as body condition, injuries, and damage to their shells was recorded, as well as the overall health of the turtles through a method of blood withdrawal and analysis.

Once her research is published, this in-depth look at a turtles’ health will allow other establishments to determine the health of their turtle population as well. This is something that has been unclear, and clarifying a range of what is healthy and what is not is essential in determining whether a habitat is truly safe. There is much discussion concerning turtles that have had to migrate from their natural habitats to human-created habitats, and this research will help verify whether unnatural and natural habitats can be compared.

Will expands on the research by assessing the effects of habitat on the lifetime of turtle physiology. Rather than investigating one instant at a moment in time, he is investigating the occurrences in one turtle’s life over time. Turtles develop symmetrically and any asymmetries are indicative of a period of stress in a turtle’s life. By accurately measuring the scutes, or scales, on a turtle’s shell it can be determined how perfectly a turtle has developed. Stress can be caused by a lack of nutrition and other hardships, which may indicate the quality of an environment.

Mike is researching a different aspect of a turtle’s development by assessing whether or not salmon is part of a turtle’s diet. It has not been recorded as part of their diet, and this research could possibly gain more support for the conservation of the Western Pond Turtle. By using a technique called stable isotope analysis, it can be determined if a turtle has consumed salmon. Carbon isotopes can determine the presence of salmon, and nitrogen isotopes can determine where that salmon is derived from. This research could uncover a novel behavior, as well as establish a link between decreasing salmon populations and how it could affect turtles.

The Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve excels in maintaining a natural environment for its native species, and it provides a rare canvas for those conducting research. The benefits of what these students discover could not only protect the habitats of many species, but could also remind us that the simplest of human actions can have a dramatic influence.

The Ecological Reserves are more than just breathtaking beauty, and their presence in the Chico community provides a unique opportunity for residents, nature lovers, and college students to gain hands-on experience in this amazing setting, whether they’re hiking, conducting research, or just enjoying the great view. Many people work hard to ensure that the experience at the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve and Butte Creek Preserve is accessible to everyone, and education is a main component of the experience. Third and fourth graders from area elementary schools not only get to visit the Outdoor Classroom at the Ecological Reserves but get to interact with it first-hand as well.

Curricula for the Outdoor Classroom are based on the California Education and the Environment  Initiative (CAL EEI) principals and concepts for third and fourth grade students, and we reinforce the California content standards that their teachers convey in the indoor classroom. The students rotate through stations that give them a broad perspective of what the Reserve has to offer. Third graders visit the Butte Creek Ecological Preserve (BCEP) and fourth graders visit the Big Chico  Creek Ecological Reserve (BCCER).

The third grade curriculum teaches the students about herbivores and carnivores and their  habitats. The children are split into three groups. Each group gets to participate in an anthropology module, where they experience an exciting excavation of their own, digging for artifacts and placing those findings within the proper time period. Another station – the Turtle module – is run by graduate students conducting research. The children are shown local native and non-native turtle species with an explanation of why it is so important to track and monitor them, and they get to handle some of these turtles as well.  The third graders also learn about aquatic insects and water quality in the local creeks.

The fourth grade curriculum involves more advanced concepts. These older students have the opportunity to learn about birds by capturing and banding many different species. They discover interesting facts about bird migration, health and habitats.  Dozens of bird species use the BCCER, and 4^th graders get a first-hand look at how college students study wild populations.. Fourth graders then get to experience a nature hike to learn about ecology and the fascinating role of fire in this ecosystem. An anthropological station similar to the one the third graders experience is also part of their day, but it is geared for the fourth grade curriculum.

The educational opportunities awaiting these students can help children learn from a young age the value of nature and its role in our world.  The students also get to see what it means to be a college student studying birds, turtles, anthropology and other scientific endeavors.  The Outdoor Classroom certainly offers an experience that every child will remember!

It’s that time of year again – the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve will be hosting its annual spring fundraising event on Saturday May 12th. It’s an experience you will not want to miss.

The Ninth Annual Candles in the Canyon is certain to be filled with a serenity that can only be found on a beautiful night in this majestic reserve. At this event, you can experience firsthand the treasures of our natural world.

The BCCER has worked hard to preserve these lands, and this is a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of nature at its finest. Not only will you be exposed to the glorious night sky, but you will have the pleasure of the company of others who are all working towards a common goal of preservation. Music and laughter will fill the air this spring evening, and the event will overflow with activities and opportunities. Share a delicious dinner under the stars with us and participate in a silent auction.

This exhilarating evening moves beyond the efforts of the Reserve and reaches deep into the heart of the community. The student research program benefits from the community support generated by the event, allowing students to further develop their ecological projects as a part of their education. Some of these projects have had a real impact on our understanding of the ecology of our environment, from tracking owls in their natural habitat to listening to the sounds of the Reserve. The community’s third and fourth grade children also have a unique opportunity to gain a better understanding of their studies through the outdoor education program. Children participate in hands-on activities on the reserve and gain experiences found nowhere else. The BCCER elicits a sense of awe and reminds our community of the connection we share with the Earth.

The 9^th Annual Candles in the Canyon promises to be a delightful evening. Not only is it an invaluable experience with nature but it offers the opportunity for supporters within the community to connect with each other. For those of us who are involved with the BCCER, this irresistible occasion allows us to give back to the community while establishing new friendships.

Our beautiful land has so much to offer. The extent to which the BCCER has influenced the lives of all who have experienced it is immeasurable. We would be honored to have you join us at Candles in the Canyon and experience a dazzling spring night on this remarkable Reserve.

If you would like to consider becoming a sponsor at this charitable event there are a number of sponsorship levels available:

• Event Sponsorship (includes 2 tables for – $5,000
• Co-Sponsorship (includes table for – $2,500
• Table Sponsorship (8 people per table) – $850

To attend or become a sponsor of this prestigious event please contact our Reserves Director, Jeff Mott, at  (530) 898-5010) or jmott@csuchico.edu. Your ongoing support of this treasured piece of the Earth – where education meets the land – is greatly appreciated. See you soon under the stars!

There has been some unusual weather on the reserve this season, and despite traditional views on drought, this is good news for the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve. Fire is a natural process, and Native Americans used it to enhance and protect their environment. In fact, fire was utilized so often that the native grasses began to adapt and depend on the flames for their survival.

Native Americans used fire for a variety of reasons including game management and hunting. The European settlers also used fire, but largely for livestock forage management, and not to the extent that Native Americans had. The European settlers began to occupy the foothills that were so accustomed to flames and developed a fear for the fire that they had little idea how to control.

The government did everything possible to eliminate the risk of fire, but the oaks, the grasses, and the native flowers began to suffer. The land changed dramatically due to the ability for non-native species to survive. The land failed to prosper in a way it once had.

Although fire is not something to be feared, it is not something to be taken lightly either. Our fire usage is a controlled process that is coordinated with the weather and conducted following state safety regulations. We want to replicate Native American fire usage, not to start a forest fire.

It is impossible to know the exact extent of Native American fire use within the BCCER. It is certain that fire was used frequently in some areas and less frequently in others (e.g., grasslands versus chaparral). By following appropriate seasonal management with fire, native species can once again flourish.  Simply stated, fire management at the BCCER is used for habitat enhancement and asset protection.

Our goal is to replicate Native American fire use by applying fire to the landscape at a variety of scales as appropriate for the systems we are managing. Fire management today involves coordination among various entities including the Butte County Air Quality Management District, Calfire and the Butte County Fire Safe Council. The application of fire is not haphazard, and requires knowledge of soils, vegetation types, weather and other parameters. Through planning and coordination we apply fire to safely achieve our objectives.

High temperatures and drought are the forecast for what is normally a wet season on the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve. When there would usually be rain and snow, there are temperatures reaching into the 60s.

The unseasonable weather does not go unnoticed by the environment. Plants that are typically lush and green are struggling to sprout anything at all, and the creek that normally flows freely is as low as it ever gets. December and January are typically the months with the highest rainfall, but the area has experienced little to no rain. The farmers in the area are much more affected by dips in the rainfall than this resilient environment. The frogs and salamanders that would normally be around are either hibernating longer to compensate or finding moisture elsewhere.

Drought is simply a naturally occurring phenomenon, and although the native species may not flourish the way they usually would, they are sure to bounce back in the coming years. A dry spell does not necessarily constitute a tragedy in a natural area like the BCCER.  The native populations that are already a part of this environment are doing just fine.

In fact, in some ways, the native plants are doing better than fine. The drought has prolonged what is called the burn season, and as odd as that may sound, native bunch grasses really respond well to fire (we’ll talk more about that in the next blog). More acres have been burned than ever this year, and this bodes well for the future of the reserve. Native Americans spent a great deal of time using fire as a tool within the environment, and after thousands of years these plants actually depend on fire for survival. As the phoenix is said to rise from its ashes, these lands – and the plants native to them – do the same.

Although the drought may not have lasting impacts to the environment now, it is hard to tell what will occur if dry conditions continue. Certainly, humans are impacted because they rely on water supplies for everyday living, but the natural environment may not suffer as much in the short term. Species native to the BCCER can stay dormant for an extended period of time, and while the populations may decrease, they are likely to thrive in another year.

Less water is often assumed to be negative, but it is certainly not always the case, especially on a native landscape like the Reserve. For a land like the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, a drought now and then is exactly what these native species are adapted to survive. Fire and drought are just as much a part of nature as rain, and these natural processes offer their own benefits for the survival of the native species.

Harry Shouffleton, Forest Ranch Store Owner, sitting on the flume with an unknown woman, circa 1900 (Lederer, et al. 2003, Nopel 2003)

Chico was the pine capital of the West, thanks to natural forestation of what now encompasses the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve. American ingenuity, including the development and installation of telegraph wires, and the engineering feat of planning and building the successfully functioning Big Chico Flume also supported the timber harvest.

The telegraph lines that were installed along the 38-  mile route of the flume, fostered communication with timber harvesting teams and their lumber herders, who tended to the flow of rough-cut lumber down the flume.

In the 1800s, the flume was a great technological feat that took the Butte Flume and Lumber Company from 1872 to 1874 to construct. The advances it contributed included off-shoots to the various mills to cut shipping costs significantly from the old way of shipping via horse-drawn wagons along Humboldt Road. The grading, or drop of the flume along with a constant flow of water made lumber flow down to the valley. The wooden trestle was implemented in some places, to account for large drops in the natural landscape.

As an undergraduate of CSU, Chico in 2003, R. Heath Browning compared the historical and archaeological records of transporting lumber from mills down the Big Chico Creek Flume (thanks to water and gravity) into the valley. Browning’s honors thesis put together all of this information in “The Big Chico Creek Flume: An Archaeological Reconnaissance” on the Big Chico Flume under the direction of Dr. Antoinette Martinez, the Department Chair & Undergraduate Advisor of the Anthropology Department at CSU, Chico.

The Big Chico Creek Flume is relevant once again, as the Department of Anthropology is sending archaeological field classes out to the site of the Flume, and also even to the Homestead Site this fall. The greatest points of interest as far as the Homestead Site is concerned are for the various occupants over the years, their use of the land, and such. The Big Chico Creek Flume, of course, brought inhabitants who tended to the flume and the lumber at every point in the day from 1874 to 1907, when the use of the flume was discontinued after Diamond Match purchased the land.

The lumber industry worked around the clock to harvest timber, and the lumber herders were housed on the flume to tend the flume and logs. Such efforts as Browning’s thesis, which scoured city, company, academic literature, and timber harvest records, are now proving particularly useful and germane.

As Halloween approaches, Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve provides its own elements of intrigue and mystery, sans ghouls and goblins. Preservation of native species of plant and wild life is an obvious aim of the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve year round, but this has little to do with the answers that Kevin Dalton is looking to find here this fall.

You may assume that human remnants are about as welcome as non-native plant life, and serve the area best if they are excavated and dumped. Actually, the opposite is true, especially on the Homestead.

There are many questions on the Reserve about human involvement, or occupation, of the area that the Department of Anthropology is determined to answer. They have spent the greater part of the past decade trying to protect and decipher the role of the many important archaeological sites here. Through archaeological field classes, they have made many discoveries that significantly contribute to the understanding of the prehistoric and historic elements of the Big Chico Creek Canyon. They have discovered possible rock formations that may have served as wells, privies, walls, and flooring for structures.

As the cooler fall temperatures set in, the Archaeological Field Methods class is working on the archaeological site known as the Homestead Site, where the big question is about occupations; meaning who lived there and what they did there. This site alone intrigued Dr. Antoinette Martinez since the 2007 archaeological field class started testing this site to find answers about the former inhabitants. The material collected during the testing indicated that the site has the potential to contribute valuable archaeological information about the historical occupation in the Big Chico Creek Canyon. As a result, it was decided that more testing and excavation should be done at the site

The 2011 archaeological field class, led by Kevin Dalton, is continuing the excavations at the Homestead Site to gather more data about the origins and the nature of the site. Such questions that will guide the excavations include how the inhabitants maintained their lives. For one, the team is exploring the possibility of multiple occupations by different groups of inhabitants over the years. In addition, they will examine whether the occupants mainly worked with associated crops by farming or if they used livestock and ranching for their sustenance. Additional exploration will hopefully help determine how the Homestead Site may be connected to the Big Chico Creek Flume.

Kris Walker, University of California, San Diego
Jeff Mott, California State University, Chico

During the holidays around the dinner table a memorable moment is often shared by dipping your finger in your glass of wine, and circling the rim until the glass starts to “sing.”  This singing occurs because the frequency of the vibrations created by your finger matches the “natural frequency” of vibration for the wine glass.  In this situation, this natural frequency is as easy for us to hear as a tone from a piano.  The ocean is much larger than a wine glass.  But it too has a natural frequency and sings when waves from one direction collide with waves from the opposite direction.  Because wind is constantly creating waves throughout the world’s oceans, waves from different storms eventually collide thousands of miles away, creating the “song of the sea.”

Humans cannot hear the song of the sea.  The ocean’s natural frequency is simply too low for the human ear to detect.  However, special microphones can listen to the ocean quite well.  In fact, the ocean’s natural frequency is so low that these sensors can hear the ocean thousands of miles away, just as you can hear the low-frequency rumbling of thunder from distant lightning.

In October 2010 four microphones were installed at Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve (BCCER) as part of a NOAA-funded collaboration between the University of California, San Diego and California State University, Chico (Figures 1 and 2).  This group of microphones is part of a larger network of microphones within the western U.S. states.  The project has two goals.  The first goal is to use these microphones to locate the source of the ocean sound in the eastern Pacific Ocean.  Just as having two ears allows you to pinpoint the location of the ringing wine glass with your eyes closed, having more than one microphone allows scientists to locate where the ocean sound is coming from.

The primary source of ocean wave forecasts for the inshore and offshore Pacific is NOAA.  These forecasts come from models of the ocean waves, which are created in part by the heights of waves measured by buoys.  Verifying the accuracy of these models is important because commercial and recreational human activities both near the coast and hundreds of miles off the coast rely on these models to make important decisions.  One could put hundreds of thousands of buoys in the ocean to verify that these models are accurate, but that would be prohibitively expensive.  However, these models can predict where ocean sound will come from.  Therefore, the second goal of this project is to verify that the NOAA wave models are accurate by comparing the observed sound locations to the predicted ones.

This project is a work in progress. Preliminary results were presented at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco in December 2010.

There are many people who assisted in this project.  But we want to especially thank Brendon Armstrong (1987-2011).  Brendon prepared BCCER for the microphones, help install them, and was the primary caretaker.  His dedication and hard work was critical to the success of this project, and we will miss him dearly.

]]> http://bccer.blogchorus.com/listening-to-the-song-of-the-sea-in-chico-california/feed/ 2 http://bccer.blogchorus.com/the-yellow-star-of-big-chico-creek-ecological-reserve/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-yellow-star-of-big-chico-creek-ecological-reserve http://bccer.blogchorus.com/the-yellow-star-of-big-chico-creek-ecological-reserve/#comments Sat, 10 Sep 2011 12:02:07 +0000 BCCER http://bccer.blogchorus.com/?p=91

The Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve is home to many different species of wildlife and plant species. Long before the area was an ecological reserve, it was farm and ranch land that had been settled by homesteaders who came out West to live a life free from the big city bustle, who wanted to own and work their own piece of land. With those homesteaders came non-native animals like pigs, chickens, and cattle. It might not seem like a big deal, but over 200 years later, those domestic animals and other European influences  have had an impact on the ecology of the BCCER. How? Well, when non-native animals eat up all the native grass, it leaves plenty of room for the non-native plant seeds that hitched a ride on the domestic animals to settle in and conquer.

Those European introductions and non-native plant seeds may have been introduced in the 1860s, but the impact in 2011 is huge. The non-native plants have grown and choked the surrounding plant life to a point that controlling  them has to be one of our goals.

One of these non-native plants is the Yellow Star Thistle. If you’ve ever visited our reserve you’ll have noticed these very annoying and invasive prickly plants. Not only are they an eyesore, but they also invade crop fields, degrade natural plant habitats, and make it nearly impossible for grazing animals like deer to graze in meadow areas.

So how will we control and eventually eradicate the yellow star thistle? One of the most effective ways of controlling the weed is to burn, pull, and graze the weeds at specific times in the thistle’s development. While grazing animals like deer eat very little star thistle, goats will eat the yellow star thistle even when it’s spiny. While grazing animals, burning and pulling cannot possibly eradicate all of the yellow star thistle in the Big Chico Creek watershed, these techniques can certainly help keep the population down to a point that it provides room for native plants, while allowing Reserve visitors to enjoy their hikes without being attacked by weeds.

Another form of biological control is introducing thistle-eating insects. The yellow star thistle bud weevil, hairy weevil, and flower weevil are all thistle loving beetles that lay their eggs in the thistle, and once the eggs hatch, they eat the thistle before moving on.

The weed may be called the Yellow Star, but we understand that this star is one no one wants to wish upon while visiting the Reserve.

Photo credit: Ty Barbour, Oroville Mercury-Register

When people think of the wilds of California one of the first things that pops to mind are the dangerous animals that call the great wooded and open wilderness areas home.

Parks and reserves like the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve are home to many different species of animals, which makes it the perfect place for biology graduate studies. One such study has a graduate student actively searching for an animal most others are trying their hardest to avoid: the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake.

Glenn Woodruff, a graduate student in Chico State’s Biology program, has decided to do his study on the venom of the rattlesnake. Why? Well, he hypothesizes that the rattlesnake in the Chico area has been isolated from other rattlesnake populations and therefore the snake has adapted its venom to its current habitat.  The rattlesnakes on the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve have become geographically isolated from other populations by roads and highways, urban and agricultural development.

Since this is the first such study on area rattlesnakes – meaning there is no current data for comparison – Glenn has to milk the snakes himself. In order to test his own theory, he has milked more than 24 rattlesnakes and plans to milk at least 60 before the end of the summer. He plans to analyze the milked venom from area rattlesnakes and compare the proteins in their venom to the venom of rattlesnakes from other areas of California. Rattlesnakes are a constant inhabitant of Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, which is why Glenn has been able to collect several venom samples from areas along the man-made rock walls where the snakes lay out to warm in the sun.

After catching the rattlesnakes, he measures them, takes detailed notes on the snake, then milks their venom before releasing them. After milking the snakes, Glenn injects them with an tag, which allows him to know which ones have already been milked.

Glenn received a grant from the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve to support the laboratory costs of analyzing the venom.  In addition, the equipment he uses to collect, handle, and milk the snakes is all borrowed from Chico State. Unfortunately, because this is the first such study, there is little to no funding for his research, and he cannot afford the dry ice necessary to preserve the samples once they’ve been collected. To transport the samples from the reserve to the lab, Glenn uses regular ice cubes, which cannot prevent the samples from degrading before being studied.

While the impact of this study is still unknown, Mr. Woodruff’s is learning a lot about the snakes and enjoying his time at Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve.