JULY FIELDWORK: YOUTH EDITION!

Jul. 7

Moose Cree youth Kessa & Cherokee Chum, Rachel Corston, Darrel Rabbitskin, and David Rickard absolutely rocked their fieldwork with the Learning from Lake Sturgeon program this July with WCS Canada, Moose Cree First Nation, and Ontario Tech University.

Youth collected benthics (water bugs) to see what lake sturgeon might be eating in the Moose and North French Rivers, collected water samples, deployed receivers to keep listening to tagged lake sturgeon, and set many nets to try to capture, tag, and release new lake sturgeon for the program!

We definitely faced some challenges: a million horseflies, low water levels, and heat warnings made conditions tough for the crew and for catching sturgeon. We were able to capture a young lake sturgeon – perfect for a fieldwork youth edition -- on the LAST day! Mucus (slime) samples were taken, as well as lengths and weights, and the young sturgeon was released back into the Moose River.

Young lake sturgeon are unique because their skutes – the side ridges/spikes – are super sharp when they are young compared to when they get older.

Check out some of the photos from the trip, and come along with us day-by-day with awesome TikToks produced by Rachel Corston!

Day 1 Tiktok:

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM2g64YUo/

Day 2 Tiktok:

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM2g6wuCT/

Day 3 Tiktok:

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM2g6CHsg/

Bug picking!

Bug picking pros! (left to right: David Rickard, Cherokee Chum, Jennifer Simard (below), Jacob Seguin (above), Claire Farrell (below), Keisha Deoraj, Rachel Corston (above), Darrel Rabbitskin)

Acoustic Receiver Deployed!

A new receiver is deployed in the Moose River by Kessa Chum (left) and Cherokee Chum (right). It will be listening for any tagged lake sturgeon that make their way into the Moose River!

On the lookout... for sturgeon!

David Rickard, Cherokee Chum, and Keisha Deoraj are on the lookout for lake sturgeon after cleaning and readying nets for setting!

JD the field dog!

Heading back!

After a long day of fieldwork, the crew heads back to Moose Factory and Moosonee!

Safety first!

Jacob Seguin (WCS Canada) and Cherokee Chum, Kessa Chum, and David Rickard always wear their life jackets!

Mucus!

Keisha Deoraj (Ontario Tech University) - tests out a mucus sampling protocol on a juvenile (young) lake sturgeon. Kessa Chum also takes a sample, while Ryan Sutherland (Sutherland Exploration Services) helps out!

Learning from Lake Sturgeon team!

Top row left to right: (Keisha Deoraj, Jennifer Simard, Jacob Seguin, Claire Farrell, Rachel Corston, Darrel Rabbitskin). Bottom row left to right: (Kessa Chum, JD, Cherokee Chum)