Field Research Notes:
Well, I finally made it to the island. It’s obviously a great place! Superficially it has some differences to the mainland which are interesting. I find it reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest: the extensive arboreal lichens, sphagnum, and notable lack of decomposition (absence of fire?). Not that you don’t see this on the mainland, but it seems more pronounced on the island.
As you mentioned there are Peromyscus on the island. You’re also probably aware of the least chipmunk. During our visit we placed 50 Sherman live traps in a rather tight pattern. (If traps are widely dispersed captures rates usually increase because a greater number of home ranges are represented.) On the first night we captured 14 red-backed voles. In the “north woods” a 28 percent capture rate with low trap dispersion is a high number. This could be the results of inter-annual fluctuations. Alternatively, it could be due to lack of terrestrial predation.
I recently had an interesting conversation with Buzzy Butala (a long time Keweenaw guide, hunter and trapper). He described how fisherman used to drop him and his buddies off on the island in the morning and pick them up in the late afternoon. During the day they would “easily” shoot 40, 50, or 60 rabbits. This again suggests high numbers of mammalian prey. He also added that they were often “scrawny little things” compared to the mainland, further suggesting little to no terrestrial predation and food limitation.
This leads to some questions about research projects. One potential project would involve a genetic analysis of the red-backed voles. Does the island population show a reduction in genetic variability as compared to the mainland? Is there evidence of molecular divergence from the island population compared to the mainland? The lack of replication (only one island) is an issue, but there are ways this might be handled. My question initially is; would killing 30 voles be acceptable? I’m not sure how this fits in with the vision of the island or the conservation easement. A second possible project would involve foraging behavior and predation risk, using an island-mainland comparison. We use trays with sand and seeds to measure what’s referred to as a giving up density. This is a density of seeds eaten by a mammal in a subscribed sample area providing a reproducible measure of when individuals cease using a resource. The risk of predation can influence the giving up density and inferences can then be drawn as to population dynamics.
These two projects would be dependent upon graduate student interest, meaning it could happen next month or perhaps down the road. If a graduate student does express interest, I (or they) would then provide detailed research proposals. Before proposing either of these ideas to a student I wanted to make sure the general concept was acceptable.
There is a third potential project that I would be interested in pursuing myself. A comparison of vole–and possibly rabbit–population dynamics on the island vs. the mainland. This would be a long-term study: five years minimum; ten years would be good. This project would involve mark-&-recapture (live trapping) of voles and rabbits for one week every year. Again, there are challenges that would have to be overcome. For example, will hunting ever be allowed on the island? Rabbits are notoriously hard to live trap and this would obviously have some effect on the population. Trapping grids would have to be established, etc. This wouldn’t require trails but when the lines are traversed it will leave some signs of human activity through a portion of the dense island vegetation. I would also need to identify a mainland reference site. Preferably one that has vegetation similar to the island that is not heavily impacted by humans.
Cheers,
John
+ This is exciting.
+ Interesting study proposals.
+ We encourage the study of Rabbit Island. See the Rabbit Island Science Foundation discussion for more information.
+ Creating an environment where human activity exists and is fulfilling but does not detract from the baseline biologic potential of the land will be an interesting practical and symbolic experience.
+ Lake Superior has just had three of the warmest average summer surface temperature trends on record–a historic change.
Cabin-Time: Rabbit Island @ MISCELLANY opens tonight in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 6pm!
+ photos via Colin McCarthy and Cabin-Time
Andrew Ranville’s show of work created on Rabbit Island is now open at the DeVos Art Museum on the campus of Northern Michigan University. The exhibition is curated by museum director Melissa Matuscak and will be on display until December 14th. This represents the inaugural annual show of work produced by artists on Rabbit Island.
The accompanying exhibition catalog contains discussion of Ranville’s work by the artist as well as essays contributed by curator Melissa Matuscak, art historian and writer Nadim Julien Samman, and Robert Gorski. A limited edition handmade catalog with laser-cut hardwood binding has been created to celebrate the Rabbit Island + DeVos Art Museum collaboration. More information on this edition of 50 will be available soon. Below is a .PDF version of the text.
+ No Island is a Man: Exhibition Catalog
Just as John Donne reported his discovery—that “no man is an island, entire of itself,” but “a piece of the continent, a part of the main”— so could Thoreau announce that “the smallest stream is a Mediterranean sea.” In the particular, macro potential is revealed. Comprising just 90 acres of undeveloped land surrounded by 31,700 square miles of water in Lake Superior, Rabbit Island is a utopian attempt to colonize our imaginations. In establishing this project the artist Andrew Ranville and his collaborator Rob Gorski stake their claim to an ancient Western cultural tradition—one that invokes the island topos to negotiate relationships between the real and the imaginary, utopia and dystopia, selfhood and otherness, center and periphery. In so doing, the Rabbit Island residency also deploys the trope of the shipwrecked sailor, separated from his contemporaries, who must make the world anew. How the world is (re)made—which elements are to be carried over from the past and which are to be discarded—constitutes the moral or political import of productive isolation. - excerpted from the catalog essay Future Islands by Nadim Julien Samman
+ Marquette Monthly published an article in the September issue about Andrew Ranville’s upcoming show featuring island-specific work titled “No Island Is a Man” at the DeVos Art Museum in Marquette, Michigan. (Opens Sept. 14th). It doesn’t have quite the same patina online as it does in print but the copy is the same. Thanks for taking time time to write this Kristi.
+ Treehugger posted a piece by Jaymi Heimbuch about the evolving island residency and the beautiful mini-doc made by Collin McCarthy of the Cabin-Time group. Check it out. Jaymi is a San Francisco-based writer, Green Technology Editor @treehugger and conservation photographer. Thanks Jaymi.
Cabin-Time x Rabbit Island mini doc by Colin McCarthy. Probably going to win at Sundance.
If you’re unfamiliar with the idea read up on it here. This is perfect. By Geoffrey Holstad.
Photos by Ryan Greaves of Cabin-Time. Some more here. Also some recent exchanges:
+ Colin has been working on the video from the second we got home until now, round the clock, and we’ll have it wrapped up this evening, to release as early as tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. It is a 10-min mini-doc; so so good.
We’re all shooting to make it up to Andrew’s opening the weekend of the 14th/15th – are you coming out? Would love to talk to you then! We’ll be in the throws of installing the show at MISC. at this point, so our attendance would only be pending that, but I think we’re right on track. As far as factual (and abstract/conceptual) accounts, we are in the last day or two here of putting together the CT3 Field Guide to be printed and published by Issue Press (currently for sale in NYC, LA, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Minneapolis, and online). George of IP is a great small run art-book publisher.
+ I’m not sure if I can make Andrew’s opening. Paying the piper at work for the time off this summer. Might be able to make it at the end of the month though. Crossing fingers.
I’m super excited about the field guide. I’d love to get my hands on a few for the archive and I bet it will give context to others that come later. After looking at everything that came out of this summer I am absolutely thrilled by the idea that so much happened on the island yet as of yesterday the environment was exactly as we found it. We left little trace. The premise is right on. People are excited about that.
+ Still had a lot left to do Monday in regards to packing up camp. Last time I attempt it alone for sure! Last official night on the island was pretty awesome; it was the most intense heat lightning I’ve ever seen between 6:00 and 7:00am. The whole sky was like a light show. Eventually some very, very heavy rains and a strong southwest wind came into camp and stayed for about 20 minutes. The rain blew at least 9-10 deck boards deep into the shelter, the furthest I’ve ever seen. That wasn’t so rad.
I varnished and installed Miles’ Welcome to Rabbit Island sign Monday. It looks really good. Packing the rest of camp and loading some driftwood onto the boat was some serious work though. A couple of days earlier I was rewarded with beautiful weather and very calm waters. Mary’s windsock and Isabella’s flag were safely and securing packed away, and I also discovered a large patch of sand just 40 yards further out from where we were all swimming at Art’s Coast. I have some underwater video footage of it that I’ll share with ya’ll soon.
I arrived in Marquette around noon today and got right to work at the museum. I moved a bunch of driftwood all the way from Rabbit Bay that will become a sculpture/installation in the museum. Really looking forward to the show but there is a whole lot of work to be done still. It’d be super, super rad if you guys could make it up to the show. It would be an awesome time. I’m going to be heading downstate by the 20th at the latest so I’m really hoping to make your opening as well.