A Helpful Hint: ALWAYS zip your pockets
This summer the Squam Lakes Association (SLA) will be partnering with Tin Mountain Conservation Center (TMCC) from Albany, New Hampshire. Together the two local non-profit organizations will work to restore the Squam watershed. Allie Byrd, research manager of TMCC, recently hiked along Eastman Brook in Sandwich, NH with AmeriCorps members Carolina and myself. The purpose of our mission was to locate potential stream segments that need restoration this upcoming summer.
To mitigate the effects of historical New England logging, Strategic Woody Additions (SWA) are implemented in stream channels to restore the ecosystem to its natural state. SWA is a proven method to restore steam health, with benefits including the prevention of blockages at bridges or culverts and decreases in erosion and water velocity. Additionally, new habitats are created that are beneficial to the many stages of life for fish and aquatic insects.
We spent our day exploring Eastman Brook, enjoying the scenery, but most importantly spotting stream segments that are subject to woody additions. After a few hours of scouting out tributaries blanketed by snow, we decided to take a shortcut back to the road. Just as we were heading out Carolina exclaimed, “I’m sorry to say but my phone is not on my person.” The smiles wiped from our faces as an uneasy feeling arose among us. We realized that locating her phone would be an arduous task, given that our hiking was erratic. For over an hour we searched in familiar spots, recalling when Carolina was adding or taking off layers of clothes. With no luck, we had all started to lose hope on this rescue mission.
Our next idea was to resort to Google’s “find my phone” feature. Two-factor authentication left Carolina struggling to access her email. In between phone calls and technical difficulties, we scarfed down our lunch to satisfy our ravenous appetites. With the help of our AmeriCorps members back home, we bypassed two-factor and were able to set up a location tracking feature on Allie’s phone. With a newfound hope, we started running through our well-matted snowshoe tracks back to the approximate area where the phone was lost. With a click of a button, the missing device was now playing a pre-set ringtone. Allie mentioned that we could split up, and within those few moments of silence, we heard a sound that shattered the stillness of nature’s forest. We whipped our heads towards each other with matching wide-eyed expressions. The phone was in a location that we passed multiple times on our search. Suddenly I was on my knees and profusely digging up the snow with my cold and wet gloves. Within moments, I screamed “I FOUND IT!” We all let out a cry of victory while breaking into hysterical laughter. The sound of Carolina’s majestic ringtone was fitting for this moment of triumph.
To this day, Carolina and Sydney constantly check that they have all their belongings before and after leaving the field. Making mistakes during a field job is inevitable, but taking measures such as zipping your pockets or creating a checklist is a crucial part to the success of field work.
Sydney Paradise is an AmeriCorps member serving as a Water Resource Assistant at the SLA. Originally from Wisconsin, she has grown a fondness for stream restoration and aquatic benthic macroinvertebrates through previous field jobs. She sees a future for herself working to combat stream deterioration, and possibly specializing in the identification of nature’s in-stream critters. Learn more about Sydney here.