Yuliia Skrypniuk - Week 7 with DNREC Fish and Wildlife Division

 This week was packed with variety and new experiences!

On Monday, we checked the marshes after a large spray to see if any mosquito larvae were still alive. While walking through different areas, we recorded important environmental details: weather, temperature, humidity, wind direction, and marsh conditions. We also disassembled a gravid trap, which is used to catch female mosquitoes looking for a place to lay eggs. These mosquitoes are drawn in and sucked into a small container—I've attached a photo below to show what it looks like. Later in the afternoon, I helped identify ticks collected by the tick team earlier that day.

On Tuesday, I joined the tick team and we traveled all the way to Sussex County to check parks for tick activity. Thankfully, it wasn’t too hot! We came across a huge number of tick larvae and used lint rollers to collect them from the flags—there were so many! At one of the spots, we found a snake near the trail, so we carefully moved it deeper into the woods. That evening, we had a special opportunity to help with bat catching, organized by colleagues from DNREC’s southern office. It was my first time seeing bats in person! Since I don’t have the rabies vaccine, I helped by collecting data while trained professionals handled the bats. About 60 bats were safely captured, checked, measured, and banded, and parasites (like bat bugs) were removed. It was fascinating to observe!

On Wednesday, I started early with the wetland employee to help him with marsh tree restoration. We had to cut tall invasive plants that were blocking sunlight from reaching previously planted trees. We walked through thick vegetation under the hot, humid sun—by mid-morning, it felt close to 100°F. We cleared around 50 small trees and their cages, but the extreme heat eventually made me feel dizzy, so I had to leave early that day. It made me realize how physically demanding this work is and how helpful machinery would be for tasks like this. It also reminded me how important it is to stay hydrated!

On Thursday, we completed the Defensive Driving Course offered for DNREC employees in Fish and Wildlife Division. It was a helpful and informative session, and the bonus is that we’ll get a discount on car insurance! After we came back, we spend the rest of the day identifying ticks under microscope and sorting it through.

And finally, on Friday, I joined the 2025 NEVBD-TEC Summer Seminar with Dr. John-Paul Mutebi, the Division Chief of Miami-Dade Mosquito Control. It was great to learn from an expert in the field and hear more about vector control at a larger scale!

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