The Start of a Great Summer

This is my first time setting up and using a blog so bare with me on this one.  This "Gawn Wilder" blog is set up to tell you folks about my experiences at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge while working as a summer intern with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).  I applied for this job through the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and was accepted for the Visitor Services Intern about a week later.  I am now a little over a week into the job and I am loving every bit of it.  I know I started late on this, so this post will set the stage for you and I will continue with weekly posts from here on out.  I will even throw in a species list of all the wildlife species I have spotted throughout the week, so if by chance anyone wants to head out to the refuge, you will know what to look for. 

It all starts in the little town of Weston, Massachusetts in the dorms of Regis College.  I got checked in to my room about two hours early and awaited the rest of the crew to show up from the airport.  We (all SCA interns) had to meet in Weston for a week long orientation before we were sent off to our field stations.  What a great experience this was.  Of course we had the typical powerpoint lectures with some fun little activities thrown in there to keep everyone alive and awake.  But we got to experience what the USFWS was all about with introductions in law enforcement, biological studies, visitor services, and maintenence.  We even got the opportunity to work with the biologist to collect data on blandings turtles (an endangered species) and hand pick water chestnut (an invasive species) while canoing.  This may not sound fun to some of you, but this is fun to me.  And just think, this is part of there job.  Not many people can say that they went canoing for work or played in the water.  And it amazes me how a week with people you have never meet before turns into an experience that one will never forget.  I met and talked to some great people while I was there including the regional director and members of the USFWS, the president and members of the SCA, and people that I could be working with in the future.  So all in all, this orientation was a great time and I learned a whole lot.  Not to mention, I have never been to Boston and I was only 30 minutes away.  So of course I did some site seeing starting off at the New England Aquarium and ending the day at the one and only Sam Adams Brewery.  The aquarium was great, but if you really want to see a bigger aquarium, go to Baltimore, MD.

After we said our goodbyes I headed back home to start my summer at Montezuma.  It was a little slow getting into the swing of things at the refuge.  I am meeting new people and I am learning the lay of the land.  My supervisor and I spent the entire day touring the refuge.  She showed me areas that visitors cannot access and I was able to see some amazing wildlife.  I have been to Montezuma about four or five times before and I saw more in that one day than I have ever seen before.  I never realized how big the refuge was.  If anyone I know wants to head out to this area, I can show you some good spots.  I am also officially first aid/CPR certified so now I can save lives and I can legally drive the government vehicles.  So definately not a bad first week of work.  

Like I said this first post is to kindof set the stage for my Montezuma extravaganza.  I will be posting weekly of everything going on and wildlife that I see.  Please stay tuned for future post and, as promised, here is my species list in, no particular order:





Eastern cottontail, red fox, mink, ruddy duck, rinkneck duck, wood duck, mallard, common merganser, coot, common moorhen, black tern, great blue heron, osprey, bald eagle (juvenile and adult), green wing teal, snow goose, white tailed deer, purple martin, red wing black bird, barn swallow, tree swallow, greater yellowlegs....So that is all I can think of right now.  I forgot to write all these down in my journal so I wasn't able to remember everything.  Until next time, you stay classy New York.