By Sean Mitchell Found carcasses are fascination. Yes, I am that guy that stops on the roads to check out road kill; behaviour that has really honed my wildlife identification skills. I recommend it to everyone. Being able to identify a species from a carcass or even whole skeleton is not that difficult. But, and … Continued
By Sean Mitchell It happens to us all. We are in the field and we forgot our field tape on the desk in the office; accidentally backed the truck over our field vest holding the clinometer; we dropped the laser rangefinder in the deepest part of the river; our batteries pack it in and we … Continued
By Sean Mitchell There you are, early morning of a beautiful summer day, retrieving the minnow traps and fyke nets you set out the previous afternoon. This is always an exciting moment; you never know what you might find strayed into your traps through the night. Gently transferring the catch into a bucket you begin … Continued
By Sean Mitchell Today’s working biologist or environmental technician sits at a nexus of many industries, disciplines, and requirements (Figure 1). Not only must we be knowledgeable and competent in our training (typically biology of some form) but also need to be familiar and conversant with a myriad of other tasks; activities such as reading … Continued
By Sean Mitchell Freshwater fish are challenging to find, to count, and to sample. Whether in lakes or ponds, rivers or brooks, they are adept at avoiding detection and capture. Though this is true throughout the year, during the winter months — a time of cold water, long periods of darkness, usually ice cover — … Continued
By Sean Mitchell The fox pups leapt through the tall vegetation, their still-brownish coats contrasting with the yellowing grasses as the light declined at the end of day. They gamboled and wrestled with each other. Sitting motionless about three metres away, I watched as they rolled together in my direction until about half that distance. … Continued
