
We are now in the throes of spring migration, and many wintering species have begun their journey north, while neotropical migrants have arrived from their cold winter homes in Central and South America. It isContinue reading
We are now in the throes of spring migration, and many wintering species have begun their journey north, while neotropical migrants have arrived from their cold winter homes in Central and South America. It isContinue reading
Lately I’ve found myself with a conundrum. In short: I needed new jeans and socks, but am looking now for products not only made sustainably, but also fairly, with fair wages and safe working conditions. I was a consumer on a mission, and finding the products I wanted turned out to be easier than I imagined.
I have seen a lot of sunsets in my life. My memory is peppered with bright red and gold skies along beaches, on walks home from campus, and across mountaintop vistas, but my experience with sunrises are much more sporadic. A few road trips, early morning flights here and there, but by and large I have missed one half of the world’s most beautiful sunlight displays.
Recently an adventurous spirit has captured my attention. Every day around noon, I log on to the Audubon website and look for the daily update from Noah Strycker, a 28 year old birder who is trying to see 5,000 species of birds in one year. Given that there are around 10,000 species, that means he aims to see half of all bird species in just 365 days. Exhausting? Yes. Crazy? Yes. Impressive? Yes. And he has inspired me to continue my birding and up my game.
I’m already an avid user of eBird, a website and app that allow birders from all over the world to record their data, while simultaneously providing a wealth if data to scientists and conservationists. Given it’s importance as a citizen science project, I was thrilled to discover eButterfly, a more recent project with the same goals. Over the winter break I took some time to identify a few of my butterfly photos, and record my first observation.
Now that fall semester has ended, it is really hitting me that I only have one more semester at the Nicholas School. In addition to finishing my class requirements and Master’s Project, there are still local parks and preserves I want to cross off my proverbial list!
What better way to celebrate the end of a long semester than with a birding trip to eastern North Carolina? That is exactly what two Nic School friends and I decided to do this weekContinue reading
In life, it is important to be spontaneous. I am a planner by nature, but this past weekend decided to let my spontaneity fly when my fiance Brian suggested a camping trip to Linville Gorge.Continue reading
I do not usually become excited about graphs. I’m normally the student in class who glazes over when complicated bar charts or diagrams appear in academic literature, a mix of boxes and lines and tiny fontContinue reading