For the curious: A while back, a group of conservationists decided to do a study on the migration habits of the flying squirrels in Monongahela National Forest, which was great. We love flying squirrels! We love conservation!
— Green Bank Observatory (@GreenBankObserv) February 5, 2021
(thread) https://t.co/IJsGKoTY9I
In order to track these flying squirrels, they needed to catch and tag them with GPS monitors. Please note that, not only is this crucial to understanding how this species is recovering from being endangered, it is also adorable. pic.twitter.com/jwFCEfLRQJ
— Green Bank Observatory (@GreenBankObserv) February 5, 2021
These GPS monitors gave off a lot of interference. Like, a lot. Like, a LOT. Like, "we couldn't take any data at all, we just keep picking up flying squirrels" a lot.
— Green Bank Observatory (@GreenBankObserv) February 5, 2021
So we couldn't take observations, while we waited for the batteries in the GPS tags to die. (We did get some important maintenance done in the meantime, which was nice.)
— Green Bank Observatory (@GreenBankObserv) February 5, 2021
And that, my friends, is the story of how a fleet of flying squirrels shut down Green Bank observations for three months. pic.twitter.com/vNuz2pouVz
— Green Bank Observatory (@GreenBankObserv) February 5, 2021