This week I got the opportunity to captain a table on behalf of CBFS at the Madison County Fair in Brookfield. It was great to hear what attendees thought about Oneida Lake and to answer their questions about it. Here are some of the fan favorite exhibits from my table.
My table’s biggest attraction (literally) was Stella the Sturgeon. She is 6 feet long, life-size, plastic, and can catch anyone’s eye from across the room. Stella allowed people to learn about a rare fish that they may never get to see otherwise. The depletion of sturgeons in Oneida Lake is a story of environmental carelessness by humans- one that can hopefully be avoided in the future through better awareness of our responsibility to protect our natural resources.
Another popular topic was CBFS’ walleye telemetry study. Walleyes are one of the most common fish in Oneida Lake and are a favorite catch for fishermen/women due to their good eating quality. They live in murky, low-light waters where they eat smaller fish, zooplankton and insects.
Last year, CBFS began a 3-year project to track walleyes throughout the lake using acoustic telemetry. This involves putting a tiny device in the fish that sends out a particular sound every four minutes. The sound is picked up by 64 receivers scattered throughout the lake. Data from these receivers can then be compiled to track the walleye’s movement over time.
Knowing where walleye go in the lake will help improve scientists’ ability to gauge the fish’s population. The data will also be useful for conservation agencies like the NYS DEC.
I also ran into Paul from CCE headquarters at the fair. Earlier in the week he and RJ stopped by CBFS to take pictures of the different projects going on at the station. I helped give them a tour and got some expert tips on how to utilize different media for extension purposes. Thanks to them for visiting!
This week was fair-ly busy, but nonetheless successful. It is important for us as scientists to go to events like the fair not just to teach about our research, but also to hear from stakeholders about what they have to say about the lake. Hearing different perspectives allows us to come up with research questions we might not have otherwise thought of and allows our science to have a greater impact.
On a silly note, I will leave you with some fun pictures I took during my off time while at the fair!
Tractor pulling contest
