Beginning Maintenance

         With a storm pushing in later in the week last week, we left camp a day early to beat the weather and sift through some more nest island camera data. We maintained 73 islands before the storm, and will finish the rest in the coming weeks. Beginning with the furthest islands from camp, we fixed anchors, re-drilled island collars, landscaped completely bare islands, and even re-anchored islands that washed to shore. Most of the islands only needed landscaping, so the majority of the work was transplanting Sweetgale, and a few other species, from shore to the islands. Sometimes the Sweetgale digging got tough, so willows and even spruce trees became cover on some islands. On most islands, we would dig three or four clumps of Sweetgale, pile it into out boats, and bring it to the island. 

Transporting Sweetgale to an island. 

Group of molting geese with their fledging youngsters along the banks of Alaganik Slough. 

We bumped this Moose along a beaver slough before we saw him again on the pond with the island we were maintaining. 

Re-anchoring one of the anchors that came loose over the course of winter.

Pulling an island back to its original spot after it got pushed to shore. 

Poke Boat with Sweetgale. 

Before and after maintenance. The more shrub cover the better, and our hope is that transplanted shrubs will grow and spread. 

Before and after of a fixed collar that was re-bolted, as well as some added Sweetgale. 

Sitka Black-tailed Deer on Hawkins Island from a weekend hunt in-between rains.