I found ‘em! Kit foxes in eastern Utah, right where they were expected. And this is a tremendous relief.
The last few weeks I’ve been haunted by the ghost of field seasons past. Is my study design really appropriate for the questions I am asking and are my methods getting me the data I need? These are pretty significant issues to be questioning at this point in my investigation and the uncertainty has had me sweating.
My thesis work is focused on the biogeography and ecology of kit fox (Vulpes macrotis) at its northeast range edge in west-central Colorado and eastern Utah. Very little is known about the rare Southwest desert carnivore in this region even though it is listed as “endangered” by the state of Colorado and as a species of “special concern” by the state of Utah.

Above: Kit fox (Vulpes macrotis)
It is my aim to identify the current distribution of the species here and elucidate the ecological factors contributing to the patterns of occurrence observed. Extensive surveys were carried out in 2008 in areas where the species appears to be extremely rare. Additional surveys are needed in areas where the species has been sighted in recent years so that my research methods may be adequately tested.
My field research uses noninvasive detection methods (called “noninvasive” because they are assumed to have no or negligible impact on wildlife) to assess presence of kit foxes and other small and medium sized carnivore species in my study area. Tracks left on track-plates and hair left on hair snares tell me which species occur in my study area. Or at least that’s what I’m hoping they do!

Left: Track-plate box. Right: 2-in-1 hair snare, track-plate tunnel.
More method testing is needed to stop the hauntings by the ghost of field seasons past and gain confidence in data acquired (or not acquired) with my track-plate and hair snare stations. I really need to know how well my detection methods work so I know how to interpret my occurrence data.
Filed season 2009 has just begun and already I have many kit fox detections. Evidence my detection methods are working! Whew!

Above: Photo of a kit fox printed obtained in a track-plate box.
Eventually I will use the occurrence data gathered to improve our understanding of the ecological needs of the species and threats that contribute to its rarity.
 

Today, we moved from the North Shore (and said goodbye to our gecko friends)
Carrie shakes hands and bids adieu to our gecko friend from the North Shore.  No insurance was purchased.
of Kauai to the SW of the island, and took up residence at the second facility of the National Tropical Botanical Garden (www.ntbg.org). 
In addition to the take down of our lab on the North Shore, and the transit and lab set up, we did get some collecting in, though the hikes were leisurely and the types of habitats were from more common, lowland habitats.
Pat collecting near a bridge  Amy and Alison work at the dinner/lab area.

We visited outlets of reservoirs, small streams and a large river, and some dry wall environments, including a favorite named town of Hanapepe. 
Rex and Carrie sample a dry wall, near the area of a huge number of mangoes and a dead dog in the town of Hanapepe.
 
The algae were wonderful, including some very productive systems. 
 
Lots of algae make phycologists really happy!
 
  Look at all the oxygen bubbles the algae are producing for you and for me!  Have you thanked a diatom today?
 
We had another great meal prepared by Jeff,
The secretive Chef No-Tell, a.k.a Jeff Johansen, hard at work in the kitchen.  Jeff prepared some great vegetarian meals for the whole crew on the trip.  "It's the wood that makes it good"  says Jeff.
 
and worked through identification and processing of samples. 
 
Pat looks over a collection from the field.
 
We are also readying for our last extensive collecting trips in the morning, before we head back to Oahu on Friday morning.
 
Thanks to the folks at the Kona Brewing Co. for help with our learning of the Hawaiian language.  Each cap has on its inside a word in Hawaiian translated into English.  We have seen many words due to their kindness. Today' s words are: "Hulo" (=hooray) and "Mo'o" (=lizard).  We continue to work on expanding our vocabulary every day.  Maholo!
 

We took off for Kauai today, via Hawaiian Airlines.  The 30-minute flight was easy, and after getting our gear and vehicles together, we made it to the National Tropical Botanical Garden on the north shore
. The Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 was great.
The view as we approached Lihue airport on Kauai.
 
We all hiked around the property, and some made it the mile-and-a-half to a small waterfall.  It is stated that this watershed is one of the most pristine in Hawaii, and the algae were fantastic.  Green, blue-green algae and diatoms were prevelant throughout the watershed.  Once back to the main house, several folks were checking out the algae we collected earlier in the day.
  The National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kauai.
 
Alison and Amy checking over samples at our makeshift lab.

The Botanical Garden owns over 1000 acres, and the grounds are well –interpreted.  It is a very impressive piece of real estate, and the folks here have projects on-going in Ethnobotany, Restoration Biology and Aquatic Biology.
View from the forest to the ocean.
Taro patch being studied at NTBG.

Another tough day in the field.  Jeff Johasen, Meslissa Vaccarino and I headed up to Pa’lolo Valley today, in hopes of seeing (and collecting) Pa’lolo falls and the headwaters area of the falls (supposedly a wetlands within an old, remnant cinder cone quite close (10-15 minutes drive) from the UH campus.

It was a strenuous hike (6 hours total), but we were greeted by several waterfalls, even if we had to ascend (and descend!) them and parts of the trail via ropes.  Some of the trail was quite narrow, and the (potential) drops were several hundred feet (OMG!).

We did lots of hiking, collecting and were in total amazement of this fantastic place.

After we returned, and washed up (laundry is in need of doing!), we settled in at the lab to start sorting samples.  We have taken nover 100 samples so far, and we are about half-way through this first collecting season.

Later today we should start posting to the blog pix some of the fantastic algae we have encountered so far.  See you then!
 

Dr. Alison Sherwood is the PI on the grant, and after organizing the PSA meeting held in Waikiki, she is also organizing the fieldwork from her home base at the University of Hawaii, Manoa.  Alison is an Associate Professor at UH, and is interested in algal taxonomy and systematics; her training is in the red algae but she works on a variety of groups.  Her lab website can be found at http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/Sherwood/projects.htm

Alison convened our first team meeting, with other team members Dr. Amy Carlile (who just arrived from UDub in Washington).

and Dr. Gernot Presting (his research lab website is: http://genomics.hawaii.edu/prestinglab/).  Gernot brings bioinformatics expertise to the team, while Amy is a specialist in the molecular biology of algae.