Feels like Fall

Over the course of the past week, I have taught and observed a bunch of classes to school groups on site. Many of our classes have hikes in them. Here are a few of the pictures I took while out and about!

Garter Snake

Beautiful Fall colors

More fall colors

Leaves

One of my finer moments this week teaching wasn't documented with a photo. I sat in bird poo right before my raptor program last evening and had to teach with a nice circle of poop on my butt. The only good thing about this was it was a clear mute so nobody but me knew. I think this really speaks about the rough week I am having though!

A Raptor Weekend

Last weekend, was filled with raptors!

On Friday, the wildlife staff took a field trip down to the University of Minnesota for a lecture on Apex Predators but on by The Raptor Center. There were 2 speakers: Mark Martell who spoke about recent tracking research on birds of prey and Dave Mech who spoke about his wolf research. Each speaker taught me a thing or two that I can use when I teach. Both were really interesting but I preferred Mark Martell's program a bit more. It was fascinating to hear about data that had just been received in the past month and what it means for the species as a whole.

View from the observation deck at the National Eagle Center

On Saturday, my parents met me in the cities. After a fantastic Panera stop, we headed down to the National Eagle Center. I think working with raptors and in the education field has jaded me a bit when it comes to visiting other centers. I did enjoy looking at some of the education displays; in particular one where visitors could lift a replica eagle. My favorite thing was looking through the scope for eagles - and actually finding several perched in trees!
It was really nice to get off site for a bit, hangout with the family and learn a few things!!

Outreach

Nero after a long day of teaching - freshly bathed and eating his favorite food.

Today, I returned from an overnight outreach. We went to Morris, MN for a program where all the 5th graders in the county come to a wildlife area to see lots of different nature related presentations. The Audubon Center, brought 3 birds to do 5 X 25 minute programs.

After the long drive, sleeping in a hotel with the birds and a full day of teaching, I felt a bit like Nero looks. Ready to go home, have a good dinner and take a shower. Another outreach done and one fantastic picture of Nero :)

Biography of a Germ

Awhile ago, I bought a bunch of clearance books online. One that I was really excited to read was Arno Karlen's Biography of a Germ. I am sad to say, that this book wasn't what I expected. Perhaps, I was thinking it would be mainly about the life of the bacteria that cause lyme disease and what it does to humans. It started out talking about the history of biography; something that is of very little interest to me. Next, was a biology lesson about shapes of bacteria before moving on to a bit about the germ and its many defenses that confuse our immune systems.

Even though I was disappointed in this book, I did learn a few things about this small germ. The bacteria is found world wide and lyme disease wasn't identified until in the United States until the mid-1970's. Ticks were not confirmed at the transmitter for another decade. The real kick in the teeth is that our current lifestyles is creating the ideal habitat for ticks and this bacteria. Even today, much is speculated about the bacteria and its life cycle but very little is confirmed.

Wildlife

Here are a few of the fun wildlife sightings and photographs that I have taken this past week.

Something found dinner....

Sandhill Cranes! If I had to guess, its a pair and their offspring

Taking off when I got too close!

Not quite wildlife, but this Lake Sturgeon is the newest member of the teaching staff at the center.

Newsletter

Me and Isis, a female American Kestrel

Check out the latest edition of The Audubon Center of the North Woods newsletter, in particular page 2. Another intern and I wrote an article about migration of the captive species we have on site. audubon-center.org/Fall2010

The World Without Us

I recently finished reading The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. It was interesting to contemplate what would happen if all humans suddenly disappeared. How long would our presence be on Earth? Some things, like New York City's subway system and paintings, would be destroyed in a few years without humans to maintain them. Other things, like the waste from our nuclear experiments, would likely be around as long as the planet. The radio waves we broadcast would be fragmented, but around indefinitely.

Little scary to think that long after we are gone we will still be impacting the planet. That is something that no other species can say. Nature however is resourceful. It wouldn't take long for animals to begin to rebound and domesticated animals to disappear. Perhaps, one of the greatest predators that humans have introduced is the humble house cat. Long after humans and domestic dogs are gone, feral cats will continue to wreck havoc on the bird population. The only we can say for certain is that after humans are extinct, life on this planet will go on. Probably in forms we have never dreamed of.