Post 4: What I learned about Horicon National Wildlife Refuge

My first week was one punctuated adventure after another.  The very first day I had met Jon Krupfal, a Biological Technician

at the refuge who had worked at Horicon NWR for twenty years.  I started out, after getting shown around the office and finding my desk, exploring the refuge by truck with him.  We talked about the history of the refuge, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and shared a few good stories.

He explained how the marsh covers about 32,000 acres and is split and managed in the north by the federal Fish and Wildlife service while the south end is managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  Millions of years ago during the waning years of the ice age, receding glaciers, carved out a shallow bed that was able to hold water enough for the marsh to form.  Its fascinating evidence that taught scientists much about the ice age.  Thousands of years later the refuge was established for the purpose of providing refuge to nesting redhead ducks but has since become a refuge to many other animals specifically many species of migratory bird.
 

Ice Sheet during Pleistocene Era. Image Via UWGB

Post 3: The Journey to Wisconsin

Google maps puts the drive from my home in Coral Springs, FL to Marsh Haven Nature Center outside of Waupon, WI at just over 1,500 miles in 22 hours. That, with an extra ~2 hours thrown on top to get from Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge (in Sanibel, FL) to Coral Springs.  Reality dictates a maximum of 10 hours of driving a day, with the exception being the first day where we won't hit the road until midday.  My father and I ended up driving in roughly 3-4 hour blocks all the way up, stopping overnight in Gainesville, FL and Louisville, KT.  It was a gloomy drive most of the way up but I enjoyed it.

Highlights include

• Realizing that the 4G on my T-Mobile phone is far more limited outside of south Florida than I thought
• Driving through the amazing scenic hills of Tennessee
• Seeing the words "Welcome to Chicago" from Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, former Chief of Staff during the first Obama White House Administration
• An awesome traffic jam in Chicago which didn't bother me the slightest since the city skyline was amazing.
• Having great conversations with my dad about everything from politics to gas prices

Post 2: Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge -- An Orientation in Review

I've had an amazing week here in Sanibel, FL.  Its as if the SCA and FWS had known exactly how much time we needed to spend hearing from experts, working on group projects, and in the field to not only make a great learning gain, but also keep the experience engaging and dynamic for all types of students.  The days followed a regulated structure with interesting ground rules such as, no cell phones during training hours and bonding activities carried out through the day.  The training was structured with the usual icebreaker activities but in such a way that they explained the purpose of our being here and really did kick start us into learning about each others.

The most exciting thing we did on Tuesday following the initial dinner was go kayaking at Tarpon Bay.  It was a great chance for us to learn about the coastal ecosystems that line Florida's west coast.  Fun fact, the intercostal waters are died red due to tannins released from the roots of the mangrove trees.  The same type of substance that turns tea red!

On Wednesday we had a great opportunity to go out into one of the smaller tracts of land that.  We met up with the refuge biologist and a few of the research assistants and walked us through the hiking path checking no-kill rat traps along the way.

Thursday was perhaps the most eventful day.  Toni, a visitors services ranger led us through a fascinating presentation about how the Fish and Wildlife service works with the community to promote conservation.  Interns and staff alike walked the beach together collecting litter and interesting things on the beach as we went along.  Following that was a fascinating presentation on "Cultural and Intergenerational Awareness" by Angela Park.  She talked about how the conservation movement was being starved of diversity and the benefits of having a multifaceted organization were.  What fascinated me the most was her interest and focus on working with people from different backgrounds and how we can approach unfamiliar situations and build positive outcomes.

That night me and a few other CDIP interns got together in the breakfast area of the hotel and started chatting.  We had one of the greatest conversations I've ever had spanning personal life, philosophy, politics, social problems, and environmental issues.  I was so glad to be apart of the conversation that started with three other interns and lasted all night long.

Of course, sleeping so late caused us to require tons of coffee in the morning and throughout the day.  Luckily most of the day covered logistical issues and formalities making it easy for a mind running sleepless to follow.  We ended the day with a dinner on one of the pristine beaches of Sanibel Island.  We all reminisced about the week's experience and positive energy ran through our veins as week looked towards our summer long internship and the experiences yet to come.

Post 1: First Day of Orientation

I started orientation looking lost and stumbling into a hotel conference room knowing I was at least an hour late.  You can typically gauge how lost and how late you are when

   1. People who don't know you volunteer information about your whereabouts for you and

   2. When you walk into the room you belong in the 40 odd people inside all watch in wonder as you stumble over your own bags to find an open seat.

Shortly after walking into the silent room the ice was broken by Emily Poore, a staffer from the Student Conservation Association(SCA).  She came right up to me and said "Hi Zack! Most of us already ate but I put aside some food for you so you can just pull up a seat and eat.  We will be starting shortly."  And just like that orientation begun.

We had some light warm up activities like a massive floor puzzle in which the pieces each reflected an interesting part of some of each of the other interns. Then we had a few speakers from both the Fish and Wildlife Service and the SCA including some basic norms and expectations for the rest of the week.

After the orientation, I went back to my dorm to find out out that my roommate hadn't even landed yet. That night, approaching midnight the sound of the retreating electronic lock made it to my ears.  Moments later I met Phillip, the cause of the sound and the stranger who might change this internship for the better.