Nearly there

Only one week until I embark on my grand adventure to Belize!  Although I've been gathering things for months, there is still some anxiety about whether I'm truly prepared for this trip.  Even with the required packing list (2 1/2 pages long), online research, and word-of-mouth suggestions from others who have gone, there are just so many unknowns that my Type A brain won't settle.  What if my luggage is lost or delayed?  This has never happened {knock on wood} but there isn't room in my backpack for much more and it already weighs about 15 pounds.  What if the recent spate of crash landings and airline emergencies bodes ill for one of my three flights each way?  I keep telling myself to draw on my British heritage: "Keep Calm and Carry On."    

So this morning I went down by the river to observe the osprey nest before the heat makes sitting outside unbearable.  One of our pre-trip assignments is to get into the habit of using a field journal and set a timer for a 5-minute period outside, then record a variety of sensory details about what we observe.  With the assistance of binoculars, I was pleasantly surprised to count not two but three juveniles, stretching their wings and carrying on in high-pitched squeaks.  I'm amazed at how closely they resemble the adults already.  Perhaps this year's unseasonably warm spring and recent heat wave have worked in their favor.  Their heads are already sporting the distinctive white with brown bars along the eyes, and I can't believe they all fit within the confines of the nest.

Despite my uncomfortable perch, on what had seemed to be a smooth lava outcropping, I had a difficult time tearing myself away.  Those first five minutes stretched...I moved to a nearby park bench...more than twenty minutes later the park trail was beginning to fill up with people walking their dogs and children on scooters.  Most of them continued by without even glancing across the river.  One couple, noticing my binoculars, stopped and asked me what kind of birds were in the nest before continuing on their way.

Finally, I decided it was time to head home and continue my preparations.  If my Belize experience has even a few such times to settle in and bask in the wonder of nature, I'll be just fine. 

The two adults remained perched outside of the nest while the juveniles seemed reluctant to stay still for more than a few minutes at a time. 

     

Whirlwind Weeks

The month of June is pretty busy this year:

*I've sent my manuscript in to ORION Magazine for our publishing course; attempting to get published is a graduation requirement.  It has been almost two weeks without a rejection letter so my mom is convinced it could be selected.  Since their guidelines say it may take three months for a response, I remain skeptical.   

*WPZ's Northwest Wildlife Conservation course has begun.  This is the final in-person class with my cohort in Seattle, which is both exciting and bittersweet.  Some of those people have truly become like family.  To prepare, I've been breaking in my trail shoes with a daily trek through the park.  My sister and I went to check out the wildflowers along the river while she was in town, which gave me the chance to play with my camera's different filters some more. 

*The significant-portion-of-my-grade Belize research paper is due in just over a week.  I'm supposed to become an expert on the topic, then collaborate on a discussion in-country.  As usual there are too many things I'm considering adding to the paper, which would require I cut back elsewhere to fit the page limit, until my head is spinning.  My laptop has decided to add to my worries with a flickering screen and bouts of paralysis.

And finally...

*Vaccinations.  Two days later and my arm is still complaining about the Tetanus shot.  They had the coolest metallic band-aids I've ever seen, though!     

Counting down to adventure

Two long years have gone by since I started working on my Master's program.  At times it seemed I might never finish the courses, at least not with my sanity intact.  Now spring semester is over and the countdown has begun.  What am I counting down to, you ask?  Graduation?  The end of summer vacation?  Nope. 



My anti-insect arsenal so far.

One option for our elective credits is a 7 unit field study with Earth Expeditions.   There are twelve different locales to select from.  We had to submit our applications last November and wait until February to hear whether we had been accepted and for which trip.  My choices were the newest program in Hawai'i, Belize, Namibia, Baja, or Thailand (in that order).  In just over two months I'll be setting out for Belize as part of the EE: Belize III.

Our syllabus and Course Reader repeatedly admonish us to pack light, but the list of items we're required to bring is quite long.  I've slowly been collecting things I can't beg or borrow from family and friends, while researching the best way to defend against mosquitoes...and the very nasty botflies that hijack mosquitoes as vectors for their eggs.  Blech!  





Here's my reading homework, not counting the articles I've been working my way through with a highlighter before tackling the pre-trip research paper.  My assigned discussion group is "Community Based Conservation."  I'm focusing my paper on the impact of culture and traditions on conservation efforts; so far it has been really interesting learning about the different groups in Belize.  I've only scratched the surface, though!  For those of you who've been along on this rollercoaster with me, I'm going to try and post updates each month as I get ready.  After I return from Belize I'll be turning back around to fly to Seattle for my very last course there, so trip pictures will likely have to wait until the very end of August.    





Our Course Reader (bottom) is among the items I have to pack.



Under Construction

2013 is already off to a busy start!  New posts are on their way.