Finch Creek Gazette

Quarterly Newsletter Hastings Natural History Reservation

Volume 15: 3

November-December 2002
Field Notes- Weather Resident Research Program Barbara Stein-Annie Alexander Exhibit
Visiting Classes, Groups Visiting Researchers Facilities
As predicted, El Niño has returned. Rains started in early November and brought 10 days of rain. Most days in December were cloudy and some very violent storms blew in with strong winds. Gusts over 40 mph and sustained 20 mph winds blew down many branches. Leaves and lichens covered our roads. Power was knocked out several times, each lasting about 10-12 hours. Our new Hughes satellite system provides us access to the internet at comparatively slow speeds when it had to get through a mile of clouds or so. But, it stood up well and when the clouds thinned, it returned to higher speeds.
          With the return of saturated hillsides and field, the feral pigs have returned with a vengeance (photos). About 25% of the surface of Hastings has been roto-tilled by the piggies. Barry Ceccon, our game warden, provided us with a depredation permit, but even with an army it would be hard to keep the pigs out. Pigs are such a problem that for our soils research, we had to build an electric fence within Hastings to protect the sensors and equipment in the soil. For more on this, see the section on visitor's research.