MorganHeim_NSO-5307
Biologist Christopher Mccafferty preps an audio recording unit (ARU) for deployment in a transect where he has observed a northern spotted owl that is new to him. Researchers with the U.S. Forest Service deploy a network of ARUs throughout forests, each transect consists of a rough hexagon shape with units at each point and another unit in the center. Mccafferty is preparing himself for the worst when it comes to northern spotted owls. "I think norther spotted owls are going to go extinct," he says. "Not in our lifetime, but uncomfortably close to our lifetimes." Even with this outlook, he hasn't lost all hope. "I think they still have surprises in store for us."