MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Fall 2018

38 ML BLUE FALL 2018 It’s rare to have a research station that has been running for more than 70 years, let alone two, and because of this history, these stations provide some of the longest-running research studies in the world and have produced a vast amount of primary literature over the years. We’ve had as many as 60 research projects going on in one year and many studies take place outside the research stations. This research gives us new insight into Algonquin Provincial Park’s ecology. For example, new aspects of turtle life histories are being exposed (did you know snapping turtles can live to be more than 100 years old?). Or finding that fish species distribution in Algonquin Provincial Park is tied to the retreat of the glaciers. All this fascinating research is helping us manage and protect our natural resources better, in Algonquin Provincial Park, as well as beyond the park boundary. ML: What is your favourite part of a day at “the office”? JH: The best part is getting out in the field. An ideal day would be tramping around a wetland, binoculars in hand, seeing birds, amphibians, cool plants, a wolf scat, maybe a moose. Doing moose surveys from a helicopter is also pretty cool. I do spend a lot of time at my desk but in the end it’s all working for that original goal I had—protecting the natural environment— and I feel lucky to be doing that in Algonquin Provincial Park. “We want to ensure that the things people come to the Park to enjoy are there into perpetuity.” ABOVE Moose-watching,West Rose Lake. BELOW Great blue heron, Lake Sasajewun. PATRICK D. MOLDOWAN