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Reflections in Nature: Opening acts for our autumn leaf show are the fall flowers

In the Troy area, the leaves have been changing for several weeks. However the leaves are not as colorful as usual and appear to be frizzled and beginning to fall off. I am sure this is the result of the dry spell we have had. On Saturday, we traveled to the Williamsport area and noticed that the leaves were just beginning to change. Hopefully the leaves will be in full color when the game commission conducts a tour of State Game Lands 12 in Bradford County on Sunday, Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The 28-mile, self-guided, circular driving tour through State Game Lands 12 will take ...

New underwater tool lets ecologists ID fish from sounds

Ithaca, N.Y — Researchers from FishEye Collaborative, a conservation-technology nonprofit, Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, and Aalto University developed a new tool that combines underwater sound recording and 360° video to pinpoint the sounds made by individual fish. The findings were published today in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution. Ecologists often use underwater microphones to monitor the health of marine environments, such as coral reefs. Underwater ecosystems are filled with thumps, pops, and snaps from shrimp ...

Susquehanna University is featured in a new digital series from the American Fisheries Society and Content With Purpose that highlights the people and organizations working to combat the challenges facing fisheries in the United States, Canada and globally. The wide-ranging digital film series “Tomorrow’s Catch: Securing our Future Fisheries” comprises over 50 short films that examine the complex challenges facing fisheries and celebrate the innovative solutions being developed to protect these vital ecosystems for future generations. Susquehanna’s segments — titled ...

Outdoor community calendar for week of Sept. 23

AUDUBON EVENT: CANFIELD ISLAND BIRDWALK WHERE: Canfield Island (GPS address 2870 Greevey Road in Montoursville) WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 27 at 5:30 p.m NOTES: This will be an evening birdwalk at a local hotspot that offers the chance to see and hear a wide variety of species. This will be a leisurely and flat walk from the parking area, out to the fields and riverfrtont of the island. The mixed habitat of this location means that one never knows what you might find. For more information visit www.lycomingaudubon.org. AUTUMN LEAVES WHERE: Little Pine State Park WHEN: Saturday, ...

Are you your own worst enemy when it comes to hunting?

Every season, I speak to hunters from across the state, each of whom expresses their own degree of success during the recent deer season. Some are happy to say they filled their tags or bagged a personal best buck. Others complain that it was the worst season ever. Blame, or credit, is often directed towards Saturday opening day, Sunday hunting, or changes in other management programs. But oftentimes the blame lies closer to home. The reason your hunt was not as successful as you had hoped may fall squarely on your shoulders. Same thing, same place One of the statements I hear ...

Invasive flathead catfish now top predators in Susquehanna River

STATE COLLEGE — Flathead catfish, opportunistic predators native to the Mississippi River basin, have the potential to decimate native and recreational fisheries, disrupting ecosystems in rivers where they become established after their introduction or invasion from a nearby river drainage. That concern led a team of researchers from Penn State, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to assess how flatheads are affecting the food web and energy flow in the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, where they were first detected in 1991 and their ...