| It's easy to think about nature and wildlife in the spring and summer. It's everywhere we look. New buds sprouting on the trees, gardens coming to life, birds fledging from the nest , and that most popular of sports among many Islanders-fishing season! It's also the time when the watershed group is busiest, on the ground and in the streams, carrying out many different kinds of enhancement activities. So what happens in the winter? Ever wonder where the insects go as you sit huddled by your cozy fireplace? How do fish survive in sub-zero waters? Where do foxes find food? And how does our watershed enhancement tie into any of this? For many animals, winter is the biggest challenge of survival. They cope in one of three ways: they leave (migrate), they sleep (hibernate), or they stay and survive (resistance). Migration may sometimes be the only option for some birds but it comes at a high energy cost. Flying some thousands of miles to warmer temperatures uses up to 50% of stored body fat in the journey. Most mammals don't migrate as the energy costs for them are ten times that of birds. It's easier for them to stay. Of the animals that sleep, a very few truly hibernate for the whole winter. On the Island the best example may be reptiles and amphibians, who will sleep under decaying logs, old rock piles, soft soil, and muddy pond bottoms. They survive by producing a type of antifreeze in their bodies that allows them to freeze and then thaw out in the spring! Most animals sleep lightly and wake occasionally to move around and sometimes even go out for a stroll. Many people are surprised if they see a skunk in the winter but often on warmer and longer winter days many sleepers such as chipmunks, skunks, and raccoons will leave the comfort of their dens to search for food. Fish do stay and do survive the winters. In order for them to do so it is important that they find in-stream cover. Our most common fish in the Covehead-Brackley watershed, brook trout, live under the ice. The younger trout (called fingerlings) stay in slower waters near the edge of the stream. They avoid the pools because that is often where the larger trout go. The eggs of these fish also survive in and around aquatic vegetation, under banks, and under in-stream debris such as logs, waiting to hatch out in the spring. Other adaptations include insects that either die before winter comes, or sleep in moss-covered tree stumps, grassy hummocks (hills), and hollow trees. Some hibernate as adults, others as eggs or in the larval stage (ie. caterpillars that will evolve into butterflies and moths in the spring). Beavers actually increase their body temperature before diving from their den into the water, ruffed grouse tunnel into the snow to escape the cold, and foxes and coyotes listen for voles and shrews that tunnel under the snow, where they survive, and pounce on them, crushing their tunnels. One of the most important things that animals can do, leading into the cold season, is eat and store food. This will help to increase their body fat stores, getting them through the long, cold winter. If they wake occasionally and have food stored with them they can grab a bite and go back to sleep, with minimal effort. Birds are a bit of a special case, as they can only gain so much weight , given that they have to be able to fly. They don't generally huddle and can't really change their body position much to keep the heat in. The best thing they can do is fluff their feathers, trapping warm air near their body. They also find warm, close spaces to roost, and many birds shiver almost continuously, since shivering actually produces body heat. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg on how different animals survive our cold temperatures. So, how does watershed enhancement come into play? The most important thing that summer crews can remember is not to clean too much. While clearing some debris and choked sections of stream is good, leaving some woody debris and overhanging vegetation can be critical to some animals' survival, particularly fish. Vegetation, such as shrubs and trees, hanging into the stream can actually help to form ice on the water. This ice acts to insulate the water underneath and keeps it warmer than the chilly temperatures outside of the stream. Woody debris is important for cover in the stream, for different types and ages of fish. It is also a good place for aquatic invertebrates to gather and this can provide important food sources for fish. Tree planting is another important job that helps with winter survival. If trees and shrubs are near the stream insects that are on them can fall into the water and provide food for fish. The types of trees and shrubs are important as well. Longer-lived species such as yellow birch, elm, white pine, or hemlock provide cover, shade, and food for fish in the stream and wildlife around it. | 
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