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V O L U M E XIX

N U M B E R 1

The

Otter’s Tale Newsletter of the Anita C C.. Leight Estuar y Center Estuary Center,, the ch and r esear esearc educa tion ffacility acility ffor or education the Chesa peak e Ba y Chesapeak peake Bay Na tional Estuarine National ve Resear ch R eser esearc Reser eserv in Mar yland and Maryland Harf or d County ord Harfor ecr ea tion Par ks & R ecrea eation arks Recr

Who’ s Aslee p, Who’ s Awak e ho’s Asleep ho’s ake Under the Ice? by Fawn Palmer, Naturalist A northern winter brings sparseness to the landscape. Quiet pervades. This November an early cold snap brought the first ice to Otter Point Creek and decorated the grassy margins with frost. Nature had settled down for a long winter rest. Or had it? Below ice and snow, in estuary waters there are fierce fought battles for life and death. As water chills, the molecules lose energy and draw closer together, increasing the density of the water. Near-freezing water at 39.2°F is very dense and will sink to the bottom. Water that has frozen solid into a crystalline lattice has the interesting property of being less dense than liquid water. In other words, ice floats. Two thirds of the fish species commonly found in Otter Point Creek leave before winter sets in, seeking deeper, warmer water. For those creatures that remain here in the winter estuary, an icy layer on top of their watery home is protection from predators, winter storms and subfreezing temperatures. Different species of fish react differently to cold weather stresses. How they cope determines what fisherman can expect to catch during the winter. Species such as yellow perch, black crappies, pumpkinseed sunfish, bluegills, and creek chubsuckers remain active and catchable through the winter as long as oxygen remains plentiful. Large schools of black crappie numbering in the hundreds, smaller schools of yellow perch, white perch and mixed schools of sunfish roam the estuary, foraging for spottail, golden shiner and eastern silvery minnows, banded and striped killifish, mummichogs and tessellated darters. Others such as large-mouth bass, and especially smallmouth bass, become nearly dormant. Ice fishermen rarely catch them. River otter, muskrats and their larger cousins, beaver, stay active year round. Adapted for a semiaquatic lifestyle, their fur coats are thick and twolayered - an outer layer of long, lustrous guard hairs that provide waterproofing and an inner layer of dense, short, wool-like hairs that trap air and act as insulation. River otters have some of the densest fur coats of any mammal, around 9000 hairs/inch². Beaver and muskrat fur is half as dense as river otter fur. River otter are opportunistic feeders, consuming fish, crustaceans, birds, mammals, herps, and even an occasional starchy, underwater root. Otters do not excavate their own dens but occupy an abandoned beaver or muskrat lodge, hollow stump or log, lining it with leaves and shredded bark. In the winter, a mother continued on page 5

The Anita C C.. Leight Estuar y Center is Estuary oper ated b y Harf or d opera by Harfor ord County De par tment of Depar partment Par ks and R ecr ea tion. arks Recr ecrea eation. The Center w as was esta blished in Se ptember estab September ptember,, 1996. It is rida ys open to the pub lic on Thur sda ys ridays public hursda sdays ys,, F Frida and Sa tur da ys fr om 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 Satur turda days from p.m. and Sunda ys fr om 12:00 to 5:00 Sundays from p.m. During the w eek the Center hosts week hool g esear cher s, wor kshops school grroups oups,, rresear esearc hers orkshops kshops,, sc summer camps and meetings. The Anita C y Center is C.. Leight Estuar Estuary loca ted within the Otter P oint Cr eek located Point Creek Component of the Chesa peak e Ba y Chesapeak peake Bay Na tional Estuarine R esear ch R eser ve National Resear esearc Reser eserv

Meet our New Staff Jessica Haviland has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland where she majored in Environmental Science. Since graduation she has worked as a research technician and zookeeper before coming to the Estuary Center. From the Bel Air, Maryland area, Jessica enjoys writing, running, and hiking the local trails. Rachelle Rogers is currently attending U.M.B.C. where she is earning her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science. She previously worked as a herpetologist assistant for the National Aquarium as well as a Naturalist at Ladew Topiary Gardens. She has been volunteering at the Estuary Center for two years and is excited to become a part of the staff. From Joppatowne, Maryland, Rachelle enjoys photography, hiking, gardening, and water sports.

Mar yland. The Anita C y Maryland. C.. Leight Estuar Estuary Center pr omotes rresear esear ch and promotes esearc monitoring in the Chesa peak e Ba y, Chesapeak peake Bay pr ovides educa tion based on rresear esear ch, pro education esearc and of s pr ograms to incr ease pub lic offfer ers pro increase public awar eness and a ppr ecia tion of areness appr pprecia eciation estuarine ecosystems.

Staff Kriste Gar man, P ar k Mana ger Garman, Par ark Manag Laur en Gr eoski, P ar k Na tur alist Lauren Greoski, Par ark Natur turalist Da wn Ar mstr ong ati ve Asst. Dawn Armstr mstrong ong,, Administr Administra tiv James Simmons Simmons,, Custodian II Kath y Bak er -Br osh, Na tur alist thy Baker er-Br -Brosh, Natur turalist Jessica Ha viland, Na tur alist Haviland, Natur turalist Fawn P almer tur alist Palmer almer,, Na Natur turalist y, Na Kim P ea bod tur alist Pea eabod body Natur turalist Rac helle R oger s, Na tur alist achelle Ro ers Natur turalist Ang ela Yau, Na tur alist Angela Natur turalist

Anita C C.. Leight Estuar Estuary y Center oint R oad Point Road 700 Otter P Abingdon, MD 21009 410-612-1688 410-879-2000 x1688 www .otter pointcr eek.or g www.otter .otterpointcr pointcreek.or eek.org e-mail: ac dcountymd.g ov lec@harf or dcountymd.go aclec@harf lec@harfor ordcountymd.g

The Otter’ s Tale is pr oduced quar ter Otter’s produced quarter terlly by the Anita C y Center C.. Leight Estuar Estuary Center.. Printed on rrec ec ycled pa per ecy paper

Stop by the Center to meet the new staff and participate in one of the Center’s great environmental programs.

News and Notes ACLEC Scholarships Otter Point Creek will again be offering scholarships to two qualified Harford county seniors. We are halfway to our goal for funding this year’s scholarships due to generous donations from Northrop Grumman Corporation and Bill and Nancy Murphy. A big thanks to all for making this educational opportunity available to these students. For more information about giving to this program contact Deb Mosley at [email protected]. Holiday Gifts Visit our Gift Shop for last minute Christmas presents—T-shirts, hats, earrings, and great stocking stuffers for the kids! Eve of New Year’s Eve Sunset Social - for Active Volunteers The Center doesn’t run without hundreds of volunteers giving thousands of hours. Join the staff for a year-end thank you at the annual Eve of New Year’s Eve Sunset Social, Tuesday, December 30, from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. Don’t miss the finest volunteers around and the best sunset on the East Coast! RSVP by December 27.

OPCA Of s Offficer icers President: Sharyn Spray Vice-President: Bill Murphy Secretary: Annette Rolfes Treasurer: Bill Murphy Board Members: Michele Dobson, Madeline Lovera, Deb Mosley, Andrea Musser, Ellen O’Hanlon, Phil Powers, Helen Rogers and Bob Shakeshaft Advisory Board Members: Bryon Bodt, Kriste Garman, and Chris Snow

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White Tailed Deer Survey by Kathy Baker-Brosh, PhD, Research Naturalist One of the most popular questions guests to the park ask our employees is “How many deer live here?” Since there is no fence around the park, the deer that live here are free to wander in and out, so population numbers vary. We DO have a healthy deer population, and the results of a research study help us understand it. White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, is a native species in Maryland. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, deer lived in every part of the state. Over-hunting and deforestation in the 18th and 19th centuries caused a drastic decline in numbers. By the early 1900’s, deer existed only in small pockets in the western part of the state. Throughout the 20th century, management efforts allowed expansion, so that self-sustaining herds are presently found throughout the state. However, the extirpation of natural predators such as wolves and mountain lions created overpopulation conditions at the local level in many areas. The most common cause of deer mortality in the state is from hunting, and the second most common cause is death by collision with a vehicle. The Anita C. Leight Estuary Center consists of nearly 100 acres located along a ribbon of land between Rt. #40 and Otter Point Creek. Rt. #40, four lanes with a Jersey barrier, runs along the north side of the park, continuing east toward Aberdeen and west into Edgewood. Otter Point Creek, shallow but wide, borders the park to the south. Although it is possible for deer to cross either of these physiognomic features, the two barriers help to corral the deer along this strip of land. Local deer habitat consists of Leight Park, neighborhoods and the Bosely Conservancy to the west into Edgewood, and neighborhoods and forested land to the east. To better understand the local deer population, deer presence was monitored for the past eight years. Ten monitoring transects were established in 2006 and were visited monthly by a survey team consisting of a park naturalist and volunteers. Transects were randomly distributed throughout the forest and meadow of the park. The survey team visited each transect looking for deer droppings (pellet groups), a positive indication of deer presence. When found, the location of the droppings was recorded and the droppings were removed. Over the eight year period of the study, this data was used to determine location of deer activity in the park, the time of year deer use the park most, an estimation of how many deer use the park, and whether there is an increase or decrease of use of the park by deer over the course of the study. On a map of the park, transects with the most droppings over the eight year course of the study occur along the hillside above Otter Point Creek. Transects north of this corridor had fewer pellet groups. This pattern suggests a favored usage area in the park, perhaps due to the presence of plants for cover or food. It can also indicate a preferred migration route for deer through the park, traversing the eastwest corridor.

Otter P oint Cr eek is one of the thr ee Point Creek three components in the Chesa peak e Ba y Chesapeak peake Bay Na tional Estuarine R esear ch R eser ve, National Resear esearc Reser eserv Mar yland. The pur pose of CBNERR is to mana ge purpose manag pr otected estuarine ar eas as na tur al protected areas natur tural field la bor atories and to de velop a labor bora dev coor dina ted pr ogr am of rresear esear ch and coordina dinated pro esearc educa tion as par tional pr ogr am education partt of a na national pro administer ed b y the Na tional Oceanic administered by National and Atmospheric Administr ation Administra (NO AA). (NOAA).

Staf Stafff yland R eser ve Mana ger Jenn Raulin, Mar Maryland Reser eserv Manag 410-260-8745 jennif er .r aulin@mar yland.g ov jennifer er.r .raulin@mar yland.go Sasha Land Land, CTP Coordinator 410-260-8718 [email protected] Chris Sno w, Stewardship Coordinator Snow 410-260-8731 [email protected] Cor een Weilminster Coreen eilminster, Education Coordinator 410-260-8744 [email protected] Tr ystan Sill, Education Assistant 410-260-8827 [email protected] Jenn y Allen enny Allen, Research Coordinator 410-260-8724 [email protected]

Contact CBNERR-MD a att De par tment of Na tur al R esour ces Depar partment Natur tural Resour esources Tawes Sta te Of State Offfice Building 580 Taylor Ave., E-2 Anna polis Annapolis polis,, MD 21401 www .dnr .sta te .md.us/ba y/cbner r www.dnr .dnr.sta .state te.md.us/ba .md.us/bay/cbner

Droppings were found in the park most frequently in winter and spring. During these colder months when food is scarce, deer move in herds looking for food. The forested acres of Leight Park provide winter food such as twigs and buds, acorns and beechnuts, vines and shrubs, and brambles. In the warmer months, deer may spend more time around yards, gardens, and farms eating herbaceous plants and shrubs. continued on page 5

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White Tailed Deer cont. . . continued from page 3 To determine the population density of deer, an equation was used that takes into consideration the number of pellet groups found, the daily estimated defecation rate, the number of days between surveys, the transect area, and the total park area. The number generated is a relative abundance of deer, comparable between years. The data show that there is an estimated average of 3 deer using the park per day. The numbers fluctuate from year to year but do not show a trend of increasing or decreasing use. The values indicate that deer are present but are not overabundant. Deer travel through, and use, Leight Park regularly. They appear to prefer the hillside above Otter Point Creek that forms a corridor between adjacent properties. Deer use the park mostly in the colder months, and are neither increasing nor decreasing significantly in herd size over the past eight years. Population experts say the estimated home range for a single deer is 1 square mile (640 acres). Conversely, Leight Park consists of 93 acres, making it too small on its own to sustain a population of deer. Leight Park is just a portion of the range for local deer, which travel east and west through the corridor of land south of Rt. #40, along Otter Point Creek. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Who’ s Aslee p cont. . . ho’s Asleep

continued from page 1

otter and her first year kits stay together. Working as a team, they corral schools of fish into shallow water or up against structures such as dams or piers, swirling with lightning speed to grab escaping fish. Last winter naturalists found partially eaten snapping turtle carcasses strewn about on the snow-covered banks of Deer Creek. Who had dug them up from muddy, underwater brumation beds? Careful examination of tracks and teeth marks revealed the culprit—river otters. Beaver cut and cache sticks underwater to sustain them through the winter. A colony of a dozen or more beaver retires for the winter to their lodge or bank burrow, rests and sleeps most of the time. Adult beaver slightly reduce their metabolism in the winter to conserve energy. To prolong their ability to stay underwater, a beaver’s heart rate drops before exiting through a plunge hole to relieve themselves, retrieve more sticks, or dig up succulent water lily and cattail roots. Muskrat lodges are lightweight affairs, made of cattail leaves, reed stalks and mud. For winter time feeding shelter, they build little ‘push-ups’ scattered around the marsh. Muskrats do not store food, but must forage daily. Physiologically, muskrats prepare for winter by increasing the myoglobin in their muscle, raising the tissue’s ability to hold oxygen by almost 50 percent. With super-oxygenated muscle, muskrats gain underwater foraging ability, time and range. In preparation for diving into near-freezing water, a muskrat’s body temperature elevates from 98.6°F to 100.8°F. After a dive of only a few minutes to collect fleshy roots and small invertebrates, a muskrat is in danger of hypothermia, and must shiver energetically before consuming its meal in a lodge or push-up. Muskrats gather in groups, sometimes related, sometimes not, inside a lodge to huddle and stay warm during the winter. Muskrats have been observed to join beaver in their lodges. Beaver do not seem to mind the winter company. On a sunny day in midwinter, take a walk along the marshes and shoreline of Otter Point Creek. It will be deceptively quiet, but the informed amateur naturalist knows that beneath the winter blanket of ice and snow is a world of activity and survival for those species adapted to frigid winter conditions. *Thanks to Glenn Dudderar, Ph.D., and Chris Snow, CBNERR-MD Stewardship Coordinator, for explaining the winter fish of Otter Point Creek. 5

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First Class of Maryland Master Naturalist Volunteers at ACLEC Completes Training From September 8 through October 13, 13 volunteers underwent intensive classroom training and sometimes hostile outdoor conditions to begin the journey to become a certified Maryland Master Naturalist. Candidates endured three hour classroom and field sessions on topics ranging from ornithology to plankton, taxonomy to human impacts on the landscape. Instructors from local colleges and universities, as well as Maryland DNR biologists, immersed (sometimes literally) participants in their specialty areas, entertaining, educating, and amazing all at the same time. The Estuary Center and Eden Mill Nature Center partnered to offer this combined Coastal Plain/Piedmont MN training. Applicants must submit an application, be interviewed and pass a reference check in order to enroll. The class costs $250 and includes 60 hours of classroom training, field experiences, and a volunteer manual. Following successful completion of the training, volunteers must complete 40 hours of volunteer service at Anita C. Leight Estuary Center and/or Eden Mill Nature Center within the next year to become fully certified Master Naturalists. Many of the volunteers developed group projects to complete, in addition to general volunteer duties around the Centers. For instance, some volunteers will be building rain gardens at the ACLEC canoe launch, and others will be revitalizing Baltimore Checkerspot restoration areas at both Eden Mill and the Estuary Center. Do you want to learn and share knowledge of the natural world in Maryland? The Maryland Master Naturalist Training program may be a great way to achieve that desire. It may be another year before the ACLEC/Eden Mill class is repeated, but classes are offered throughout the state, including in nearby Baltimore County. If you can’t wait, check out the Maryland Master Naturalist website, extension.umd.edu/masternaturalist. Skunk cabbage

Thank You! Shelby Taylor and Bryon Bodt for pine cones, Bryon Bodt for pumpkins for the Haunted Halloween Hike, plus all of the wonderful volunteers that helped make the annual Haunted Hike and Campfire such a big success.

Visit our website: www.otterpointcreek.org

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Volunteer Spotlight Jerry and Lynn VanKeuren decided three years ago to move up from Northern Virginia to Harford County to be near their family. They attended a volunteer fair for Harford County, stopped at the Estuary Center booth, and signed up on the spot. They trained for box turtling and were assigned a male who prefers the open area under the power line in the summer and the woods off the North Trail in the winter. Their six year old grandson Gavin enjoys coming with his grandfather and grandmother, searching for ‘their turtle’ and helping hold the receiver. This summer Gavin attended nature camp for the first time! His grandparents were there to pick him up each afternoon. Lynn and Jerry are education volunteers too, assisting with adaptations, environmental and water quality testing programs in the lab or on the water in canoes or on the pontoon boat. This spring Jerry and Lynn put on waders for the first time and went out to look for larval fish in the tributary streams of the Bush River as part of our yellow perch monitoring program. Lynn says that it is “always a delight to come to the Center”. Be sure to give them a ‘Hello’ if you see them. Lynn says that they hope to bring Gavin’s three year old sister with them turtling this year.

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Otter Point Creek Alliance Membership Application Members receive 10% off public nature programs and gift shop items!

Complete this application or go online to www.otterpointcreek.org  I would like to become a new member of the Otter Point Creek Alliance.  I am renewing my membership to the Otter Point Creek Alliance for: 1 yr. ____ 2 yrs.____ 3 yrs.____

Type of Yearly Membership  $20 Family (1 Household)  $12 Individual  $8 Student (Full Time) or Sr. Citizen  $12 Senior Couple  $50 Contributing  $100 Sustaining  $500 Patron

Name __________________________________ Address ________________________________ City _______________________________ State _____________________ Zip __________________________

Please make checks payable to Otter Point Creek Alliance (OPCA) and mail to: Anita C. Leight Estuary Center 700 Otter Point Road Abingdon, MD 21009

Phone (home)_____________________ (work) __________________________ Email: _____________________________ I would like to receive the Newsletter/Calendar via email:

q Yes

q No

Volunteer opportunities are available. Check out all the Volunteer Job Descriptions on our website: www.otterpointcreek.org _____Comp _____News&Cal/PC ____/____Exp

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