A Greater Community

On my way to work today, I swerved to avoid hitting a box turtle that was crossing the road. I ended up pulling onto the shoulder, intending to help move the turtle along before anything bad happened. Unfortunately, before I had the chance, a van came rushing down the road at the 50 mph speed limit. The thought of waving at them to slow down crossed my mind, but I didn't want to risk getting hit, so I hoped that they would miss the turtle. They didn't. An easily avoidable collision had the poor turtle being knocked back several feet. It remained upright, though, and continued crossing the road, this time with a limp. I made sure it made it before leaving, but I was pretty much on the verge of tears. Turtles may not have the knowledge of the fact that roads are traveled upon by people who are too caught up in rushing to get everywhere, but that's why its our job to watch out for them. If it had been a person who had been crossing the road and gotten hit, there would have been serious consequences. But it was just a turtle and that's where it ends. As sappy as this incident may sound, it reminded me why I'm in the field of environmental education. I want people to learn about the rest of the organisms that make up this world. I want people to realize that, just like everything else, the world was not made for us; we were made for this world. We are all intended to be part of a greater community, and I'm glad I can be a part of teaching people that.

A Summer to Remember

I only have 7 weeks left to be an intern at Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge for this summer, and I'm already certain that this is a summer to remember. I've gotten to experience and be a part of so many opportunities already, and there are so many more in the near future. I haven't been documenting my days in anyway lately, but I wanted to make a blogpost with some of the photos taken over the past week or so. 

I've been successfully leading guided walks at Holgate beach, and the busiest day so far has been Friday, July, 5th, interacting with 204 people in all. There's been rain, sun, wind, and fog. A beach is susceptible to many different kinds of weather, so I have to keep an eye on the radar every time I go out. I was able to go out with the biology interns yesterday, and we took down water salinity at the refuge and pulled invasive plants out. It's exciting that I get to have a chance at a new experience every week, but I do wish it occurred more often. I just know that I want to make the most of what time I have left!  

Findings on one beachcombing walk: crab claw, jingle shell, and cow vertebra.

I was so excited to find a jingle shell!

Photo of Holgate beach during one of my walks, originally posted on Friends of Forsythe Facebook.

A foggy day at the beach.

Box turtle seen sunbathing in the road. 

Lily Lake during a bird walk I attended.

Fowler's toad. I love these guys, but I wish they weren't so small and all over the roads!

Another Fowler's toad I'm holding. Different color morph. Originally posted on Forsythe NWR Facebook.