Yes, I’m writing this the day after Earth Day for a reason. I love that beautiful day we take to soak in nature in my favorite season of rebirth and new growth. However, the flip side of the appreciation that comes with being an ecologist these days seems to come with an inevitable degree of […]

Or: Birding in the era of climate change In my previous job as a researcher, I modeled hydrology of wetlands, including the playa lakes region. Visiting Kansas this weekend was my first time getting to spend time in that region since that project concluded, but sadly, I got to see the phenomenon we were testing: […]

We had to depart in the vans at 4 AM to get to the lek with enough time to setup the blinds. The blinds had unzipped openings to look through (i.e. the openings were an exposure to the air temp/wind). The morning temp bottomed out at 58 F so relatively warm all things considered, and […]

Today was another great day at sea! Here’s what I wore and what I would add… I was still a tad chilly, so I’ll bring my wool sweater mid layer again next time. Also, my gloves left my hands a little cold, but I’m not sure how much improvement I’ll see there while maintaining dexterity. […]

Today I leave…already making my list for when I go back! Florida panther

My mom and I started the new year off right birding around this preserve! However, the trails were not clearly marked nor mowed. On the map, there are more trails through the property, but they weren’t apparent. So, I probably won’t go back unless there are updates about trail management. Later in the afternoon, I […]

Featured photo by Whitney Lanfranco My first lifer of the year (5/31) was the bird pictured in the cover photo, gray kingbird! Then, pelagic season hit its heyday in early summer. I went on my first overnight pelagic of the year (6/4) which didn’t yield any lifers but great looks at cool birds. First thing […]

My mom and I rented kayaks for the morning (9am – 12pm) from Kayak Excursions, and paddled all along the Bunche Beach shoreline! It was a pretty awesome trip! I got a blister on my thumb, though, so I might try bike gloves (or something like it) next time. Honestly, it seemed like it would […]

My mom and I took a tour of the Hurricane Ian destruction by heading out to Pine Island. We walked all the trails in this county park. Then, we walked the boardwalks of Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve. I have the latter bookmarked for kayaking in the future!

I finally “overpacked” as evidenced by the bruises left on my arm from my bag straps! So, I’m learning to pare down to actual essentials. I finally got a beanbag and slept on the upper deck, and it’s the best sleep I’ve gotten on the boat! My camp pillow and sleeping bag did the job, […]