A correction: I will NOT be spending the summer in Louisiana. I will be spending part of the summer and the next (a full year) in Costa Rica!! I got an internship offer from the School for Field Studies (the same organization I studied abroad with). I'll be doing a combination of research, TAing and logistics.
Not less than three days after hearing back from SFS, I fell off a horse and broke a vertebra. I'm fine, but have to be in a brace for 8 weeks. So I called SFS and had to push back my start date by a month. I'll now be starting in early July to give me time to get all the certifications I need. Luckily, it'll also let me get everything ready and perfect my stick driving skills!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Next Adventure: Mississippi River
I've decided I'm going to keep up with this blogging thing, since I'll probably be spending the next year or so in the field(s). I spent last summer at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology in northwestern PA doing research on aquatic ecology.
I decided that post-graduation I wanted to take a year to work before going to grad school. I originally planned to save some money, but then I realized I want to make sure that I'm doing what I want to be doing. I was a little worried that I just wanted to go into ecology because that's what I've done for the past two and a half years.
Today I accepted a summer job working with Fish & Wildlife at some refuges on the Mississippi River. Specifically, I'll be living near St Catherine Creek, which is outside of Natchez, MS. I'll be doing bird surveys, bat monitoring, wood duck assessments and banding, and invasives control. I'm hoping I'll get a feel for resource management, and for Fish & Wildlife.
I decided that post-graduation I wanted to take a year to work before going to grad school. I originally planned to save some money, but then I realized I want to make sure that I'm doing what I want to be doing. I was a little worried that I just wanted to go into ecology because that's what I've done for the past two and a half years.
Today I accepted a summer job working with Fish & Wildlife at some refuges on the Mississippi River. Specifically, I'll be living near St Catherine Creek, which is outside of Natchez, MS. I'll be doing bird surveys, bat monitoring, wood duck assessments and banding, and invasives control. I'm hoping I'll get a feel for resource management, and for Fish & Wildlife.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Last Few Days
We've been taking it easy for the last few days. Sunday we had a formal dinner, where dinner crew made sushi (all cooked fish-we get sick often enough without raw fish!), and had a massive picture-taking session. Then Monday everyone else presented their DRs in Spanish at the high school...except we got there and no one had told us that they had the day off for their version of Labor Day. We did have some of the fishermen show up, so we still had presentations. When we got back Vero gave a practice presentation of her conference talk, about the crab fishery in Magdalena Bay.
Then we had "disorientation," where Brady talked about reverse culture shock. I've been expecting it, and people raised a lot of concerns that I had thought of, and a lot that I hadn't. I realize that my friends back home all had interesting things happen in their lives without me, but I didn't think that people would have changed since I last saw them. Especially with other people who went abroad (like Sarah who went to Spain), the two of you may have changed in different directions and it may be weird. I'm also really going to miss some of the people I've met here. I'm thinking I'm going to miss Laura, Christina and Jenna the most. And Jenna and I have gotten fairly close, and we get along beautifully. It's going to be weird not having them around. And as for the Mexicans, it's soo hard to think I may not see them again. Especially Guadalupe, she's like a cool cousin or something, and a lot of time kind of acted as my guide to Mexico-language and culture.
Today we all went to the dunes for one last panga ride, and everyone, staff and students, spend the morning on the beach. It was nice and relaxing. Then we came back and packed. I think I've got everything in, but I'm almost positive my big bag's overweight. I just can't move stuff around, my smaller bag is packed to the gills. But Dad would be proud, I got everything in and just about the only thing I'm leaving is one towel and some shower stuff I didn't need.
Brady suggested we write a letter to ourselves that she'll mail us some time in the next year. It's crazy, there's so much I don't want to forget. I feel like I've changed here, and I think it's a good change and I don't want to forget everything. I was also thinking about how a lot of people are going to hear that I studied abroad in Mexico and think "oh man, she went to Cancun and partied for a semester." I also already know some people who think that it's not a real abroad experience because it's not sophisticated like Europe. But I think it's an even more important experience, because even though Europe definitely has a different culture from the US, it's in the same sphere of experience. Rural Mexico is a whole different ballgame, where the government is so corrupt you can't prosecute anyone, where some people have never heard of global warming, where fishermen die because they're diving using a hose for a breathing tube. I think it makes it more of a study abroad experience, and also more important because we live so close to Mexico but most of us know so little about it. It's going to be really hard to hear people talk badly about Mexicans, because I'll be thinking about Vero, or Poncho, or Gustavo.
Then we had "disorientation," where Brady talked about reverse culture shock. I've been expecting it, and people raised a lot of concerns that I had thought of, and a lot that I hadn't. I realize that my friends back home all had interesting things happen in their lives without me, but I didn't think that people would have changed since I last saw them. Especially with other people who went abroad (like Sarah who went to Spain), the two of you may have changed in different directions and it may be weird. I'm also really going to miss some of the people I've met here. I'm thinking I'm going to miss Laura, Christina and Jenna the most. And Jenna and I have gotten fairly close, and we get along beautifully. It's going to be weird not having them around. And as for the Mexicans, it's soo hard to think I may not see them again. Especially Guadalupe, she's like a cool cousin or something, and a lot of time kind of acted as my guide to Mexico-language and culture.
Today we all went to the dunes for one last panga ride, and everyone, staff and students, spend the morning on the beach. It was nice and relaxing. Then we came back and packed. I think I've got everything in, but I'm almost positive my big bag's overweight. I just can't move stuff around, my smaller bag is packed to the gills. But Dad would be proud, I got everything in and just about the only thing I'm leaving is one towel and some shower stuff I didn't need.
Brady suggested we write a letter to ourselves that she'll mail us some time in the next year. It's crazy, there's so much I don't want to forget. I feel like I've changed here, and I think it's a good change and I don't want to forget everything. I was also thinking about how a lot of people are going to hear that I studied abroad in Mexico and think "oh man, she went to Cancun and partied for a semester." I also already know some people who think that it's not a real abroad experience because it's not sophisticated like Europe. But I think it's an even more important experience, because even though Europe definitely has a different culture from the US, it's in the same sphere of experience. Rural Mexico is a whole different ballgame, where the government is so corrupt you can't prosecute anyone, where some people have never heard of global warming, where fishermen die because they're diving using a hose for a breathing tube. I think it makes it more of a study abroad experience, and also more important because we live so close to Mexico but most of us know so little about it. It's going to be really hard to hear people talk badly about Mexicans, because I'll be thinking about Vero, or Poncho, or Gustavo.
Friday, April 30, 2010
We've been working a lot again this past week, trying to coordinate research projects. We had tests Monday and Tuesday, and then for the past three days I've been editing my paper, which I think is at 24 pages of actual text, 28 with the copy of my interview questions.
The staff decided that my group shouldn't present to the town, because they're worried that the fishermen in town will be jealous that the island guys are getting so much money and help from so many people. Also, their "marine protected area" sounds a lot like the "natural marine park" that is proposed for the entire bay and has people up in arms. So they're also worried that people will get confused and angry.
Today we had a cooking class with the cooks. They showed us how to make all the salsas we have (which are very easy-all a combination of chiles, tomatillos and blenders). Then we made empanadas. You get corn flour and add water until it's about the consistency of Play-Doh. Then you squeeze off a ball of dough, flatten it with your tortilla press, fill it with whatever you want, and fry it. Of course, the only tortilla presses readily available in the US are at Williams-Sonoma and cost like $200. So I'm buying one and packing it in my luggage. Goodbye 5 lbs of personal property. I'll definitely be leaving things here to try to lighten my load, or just to fit everything!
We also had a tour of the sardine cannery today. I have to say it wasn't that impressive. They weren't working at the time, and AJ said that when they're working there's fish guts flying everywhere and it smells awful and it's just really disgusting. Instead we got to see rinsed concrete floors and machinery. Not as effective an "ohmygod look at this" tool.
I'm not horribly excited to come home right now. Yesterday or the day before that I couldn't wait to come home. But now I'm a little depressed. I'm in Mexico studying ecology, and I get to come home to a country that just created a racist immigration law and had a massive oil spill.
Speaking of which, now for a bit of soapboxing. That oil spill is the size of the state of Rhode Island. Imagine taking Rhode Island and wiping all of the living animals (not even considering effects on plants) from the surface of the state. That's what that means for the environment. It's essentially ecological genocide. Some ecologists are predicting that the Gulf may never recover. Not just "not our lifetime" but never, in all the time you could give it. Now take the Arctic Sea. It's the migratory and breeding home of many species from all over the world, including important fishery targets and endangered marine mammals (such as the gray whale we've been studying all semester). An offshore drilling accident there, similar to the one in the Gulf, would be catastrophic. Not only would it be hitting really sensitive wildlife, but they probably wouldn't be able to get to the problem for much longer due to harsher conditions. So maybe you'd be interested in signing a petition to stop offshore oil drilling in Alaska. It takes 5 seconds, and doesn't cost you a thing. Off soapbox.
The staff decided that my group shouldn't present to the town, because they're worried that the fishermen in town will be jealous that the island guys are getting so much money and help from so many people. Also, their "marine protected area" sounds a lot like the "natural marine park" that is proposed for the entire bay and has people up in arms. So they're also worried that people will get confused and angry.
Today we had a cooking class with the cooks. They showed us how to make all the salsas we have (which are very easy-all a combination of chiles, tomatillos and blenders). Then we made empanadas. You get corn flour and add water until it's about the consistency of Play-Doh. Then you squeeze off a ball of dough, flatten it with your tortilla press, fill it with whatever you want, and fry it. Of course, the only tortilla presses readily available in the US are at Williams-Sonoma and cost like $200. So I'm buying one and packing it in my luggage. Goodbye 5 lbs of personal property. I'll definitely be leaving things here to try to lighten my load, or just to fit everything!
We also had a tour of the sardine cannery today. I have to say it wasn't that impressive. They weren't working at the time, and AJ said that when they're working there's fish guts flying everywhere and it smells awful and it's just really disgusting. Instead we got to see rinsed concrete floors and machinery. Not as effective an "ohmygod look at this" tool.
I'm not horribly excited to come home right now. Yesterday or the day before that I couldn't wait to come home. But now I'm a little depressed. I'm in Mexico studying ecology, and I get to come home to a country that just created a racist immigration law and had a massive oil spill.
Speaking of which, now for a bit of soapboxing. That oil spill is the size of the state of Rhode Island. Imagine taking Rhode Island and wiping all of the living animals (not even considering effects on plants) from the surface of the state. That's what that means for the environment. It's essentially ecological genocide. Some ecologists are predicting that the Gulf may never recover. Not just "not our lifetime" but never, in all the time you could give it. Now take the Arctic Sea. It's the migratory and breeding home of many species from all over the world, including important fishery targets and endangered marine mammals (such as the gray whale we've been studying all semester). An offshore drilling accident there, similar to the one in the Gulf, would be catastrophic. Not only would it be hitting really sensitive wildlife, but they probably wouldn't be able to get to the problem for much longer due to harsher conditions. So maybe you'd be interested in signing a petition to stop offshore oil drilling in Alaska. It takes 5 seconds, and doesn't cost you a thing. Off soapbox.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Finally caught up
So I haven't blogged at all about this last week because there's not much to say, we've all been working our butts off and stressed out of our minds. This past week we had AJ's IIAT paper (10-20 pages) and presentation (12 minutes), plus our results/discussion for our DRs, plus a report for Eduardo, plus two tests yesterday and one test today. So we didn't really have time to do anything. For this week we have to hand in our final DR paper and do a 10 minute presentation to the center, and a 3 minute presentation in Spanish to the town.
We did go to a kindergarten (literally jardin de ninos) class and try to teach recycling. We thought we were doing ok and then the teacher got up and put us all to shame lol. But I think most of them got it.
We leave in a little over a week and I have mixed feelings. I have a list started of all the things I want to do when I get home, but at the same time I really don't want to leave. I also think I'm going to have major reverse culture shock. I'm expecting to get sick off all the fat and grease in American food and be overwhelmed by all the consumerism, and driving my car. I think I'm also really going to miss all the other students and staff, and chances are I won't see many of the Mexicans ever again. At the same time I can't wait for a long hot shower (you can get like 5 minutes max here) and American tv and being able to go places by myself.
In other news-new photos are up. EarthShip and updated album with camping pictures.
We did go to a kindergarten (literally jardin de ninos) class and try to teach recycling. We thought we were doing ok and then the teacher got up and put us all to shame lol. But I think most of them got it.
We leave in a little over a week and I have mixed feelings. I have a list started of all the things I want to do when I get home, but at the same time I really don't want to leave. I also think I'm going to have major reverse culture shock. I'm expecting to get sick off all the fat and grease in American food and be overwhelmed by all the consumerism, and driving my car. I think I'm also really going to miss all the other students and staff, and chances are I won't see many of the Mexicans ever again. At the same time I can't wait for a long hot shower (you can get like 5 minutes max here) and American tv and being able to go places by myself.
In other news-new photos are up. EarthShip and updated album with camping pictures.
Last day of camp
So the last day we of camping we broke camp and drove to an Earthship, which is just about the coolest thing ever. It's a house that's made with almost all recycled materials and completely off the grid-no power, no water, no energy. The walls are made of tires packed with dirt, stacked, and spaces filled in with cans. It's all then covered with adobe. They have solar panels to collect light, and it's built into a hill to conserve heat. The roof collects rain water, which is then filtered for drinking water. Once you're done with drinking water it goes to showers and toilets, which is then filtered again and filtered by plants before it's released to your yard, at that point cleaner than most water sanitation places can make it. The place we went was still under construction, but it's still very cool and actually pretty too. One of the coolest thing is that they don't have to be millions of dollars-the one we went to is like $150-200k, less than a lot of people's houses.
After the Earthship we drove through La Paz for lunch. Most people went to go find American food, but some of us tagged along with some of the professors to this place that does Mexico City food. It was really good, I had a quesadilla with flor de calabaza (pumpkin flower), and a gordita filled with cheese, both with blue corn tortillas. Most of our professors are from Mexico City (chilangos) and they were really excited to have chilango food for once.
We then drove all the way home to return to massive amounts of work.
After the Earthship we drove through La Paz for lunch. Most people went to go find American food, but some of us tagged along with some of the professors to this place that does Mexico City food. It was really good, I had a quesadilla with flor de calabaza (pumpkin flower), and a gordita filled with cheese, both with blue corn tortillas. Most of our professors are from Mexico City (chilangos) and they were really excited to have chilango food for once.
We then drove all the way home to return to massive amounts of work.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Day 5 of Camping
Saturday we broke up camp and then went back to the snorkeling place. We split up into boats and snorkeled in 4 different places. First we went into a massive school of bigeye jacks that also had some triggerfish. And at one point I looked down and 15 ft down from me was a bull shark. AJ was already telling everyone about it by the time I popped my head out of the water, and we had to get back in the boat. Apparently bull and tiger sharks are the most likely to attack people...
Then we went to the second place, over coral. We had to wear lifejackets there so the park officials knew we couldn't dive down to touch anything. But it was really cool, I saw a moray eel, a golden grouper (which is supposed to be really rare), more queen parrotfish, lots of butterfly fish, schools of Chromis, and more.
The third place was a sea lion colony that we swam with. I did get pretty close to one, but these guys weren't as friendly as the ones in Loreto, so we got back in the boats pretty fast.
The last place was another reef-some fish from there: surgeonfish , King Angelfish, Rainbow Wrasse, Cornetfish, and Leopard Grouper.
After we got back from snorkeling we drove through Cabo (where we stopped to get lunch) and went to Todos Santos. We stayed with one of AJ's friends, all of 3 doors down from the awesome surf hotel we stayed at for spring break. She's planning on making it kind of a mini-camp ground and it was completely beautiful. It was also fantastic to stay somewhere with a roof and a kitchen and a shower, even if we slept in tents. It was a nice break.
Then we went to the second place, over coral. We had to wear lifejackets there so the park officials knew we couldn't dive down to touch anything. But it was really cool, I saw a moray eel, a golden grouper (which is supposed to be really rare), more queen parrotfish, lots of butterfly fish, schools of Chromis, and more.
The third place was a sea lion colony that we swam with. I did get pretty close to one, but these guys weren't as friendly as the ones in Loreto, so we got back in the boats pretty fast.
The last place was another reef-some fish from there: surgeonfish , King Angelfish, Rainbow Wrasse, Cornetfish, and Leopard Grouper.
After we got back from snorkeling we drove through Cabo (where we stopped to get lunch) and went to Todos Santos. We stayed with one of AJ's friends, all of 3 doors down from the awesome surf hotel we stayed at for spring break. She's planning on making it kind of a mini-camp ground and it was completely beautiful. It was also fantastic to stay somewhere with a roof and a kitchen and a shower, even if we slept in tents. It was a nice break.
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