You ‘otter’ participate in sustainability during October

This North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) hunts for crawfish in the wet forest near Johnson Space Center’s jogging trail. This mostly nocturnal and secretive carnivore triggered a motion-activated camera set out to determine what wildlife species use the wooded habitat of the space center. A river otter’s habitat is largely dependent on forested landscapes near flowing water bodies. This species is found near forests as far north as Alaska and as far south as Florida. In Texas, the species seems to be restricted to the eastern part of the state, where pine and oak wetland forests dominate. Johnson provides only a small amount of otter habitat, and the species is observed very rarely on-site.

Another mostly nocturnal species is the energy vampire. October is the final month to compete in the energy competition and make your actions count! Reduce unnecessarily consumed energy by unplugging your computers completely from the wall at night, turning off monitors when you leave your desk and closing blinds. Read the October Sustainability Opportunities for more updates to the competition.


A river otter near Johnson's jogging trail at night. Image Credit: NASA