I just have to make it through a few more days. The last few weeks have really been tough. I am really struggling in one of my classes....with one last chance to redeem myself. I have to make an A on the final exam to escape with a B in the class. My goal over the next 8 days is to eat, drink, and breath statistics. But I know everything will end up ok.
In two weeks I will be in the Valley looking at Green Jays and Plain Chachalacas. I will be searching every square inch of the Bentsen State Park to find Tropical Parulas and Ferruginous Pygmy Owls. I will seek out Red-billed pigeons like a Border Patrol agent watches for aliens. I will stand guard at Falcon Dam hoping for that rare glimpse of a wild Muscovy duck. Tamalipas Crows will be my quarry in Brownsville. I will constantly be on alert for the highly sought after Hook-billed Kites. And if I am truly lucky I may perhaps lay my eyes on a megararity such as a Blue Mockingbird. These are the thoughts that have been running through my head over the last several weeks. Its hard to describe to a non-birder how special a trip to the Valley really is. But I will try anyway. Imagine seeing a picture come to life right in front of you. That is what it is like to see a "life" bird for the first time....a bird that you have seen hundreds of times in the pages of your worn-out field guide. And suddenly it is brought to life right before your eyes, seemingly by magic. My passion for birding may make me look strange to most people...but when I go to the Valley in two weeks I won't be alone. I will join up with my fellow "weirdos" and watch pictures come to life.
You're not weird, Jason. Watching anything in God's creation is amazing to me. Good luck on your test! I don't envy you. I hope all your hard work pays off.
Hopefully I can keep my head above the flood of homework and responsiblities that keep piling up. I just have to make it through a few more weeks. Life has been pretty crazy recently. I have a major test in Statistics this week that I absolutely have to do well on. Dealing with my students in lab has been interesting; I let them talk me into giving them a few extra days to work on their research paper. I have come to the conclusion that I am way too nice to them.
As soon as the semester is over in a few weeks I am headed to South Texas for a long overdue vacation. And then its off to the California...
Good luck on the test....and remember to breathe every once in a while...I have to tell myself that allllll the time :-) Take care and see ya in a few weeks!...
Last week I just recieved some exciting news that will serve as the motivation for getting through this semester. On January 1, 2009 I will be getting on a plane and fly to California, to spend a month working in the Redwoods National Forest. I will be helping my professor and his graduate student do research on Roosevelt elk. I have dreamed of visiting this place my entire life. Now I have the opportunity to go there free of charge and spend a month chasing elk in one of the most extraordinary wilderness areas in the country.
When I think about all the places I have been over the last 4 years, it is really incredible to think about all the twists and turns my career has taken during this short amount of time. My experience has given me a unique perspective on life. I could already write a book about my experiences thus far, and I plan to some day. Whether it was spending my summers looking for endangered mussels and fish in the mountains of eastern TN, studying endangered fish on the coast of South Carolina, the lakes of North Dakota, or the rivers of central Georgia, spending a year in east Texas trying to manage one of the rarest birds in the world, or roaming the TX Hill Country chasing down endangered songbirds,.....I have truly witnessed some amazing things. And the adventure continues......
My life is about to hit hyperspeed in the next few days. With school starting, the work is already starting to pile on. I will once again have to juggle the plethora of responsibilites of graduate school. Next week I start teaching once again, and this time it should go a lot better. I really want to challenge my students this semester...I think I was probably too easy on them last time.
But the next few months will be very tough. This is where I find out how bad I want to pursue this career path. I keep telling myself, that if i can make it through the next year and a half and survive grad school, I can accomplish anything.
On other news I am deeply disturbed about the number of young people that I encounter, people who are old enough to vote, that have no clue about the issues surrounding the presidential election. Some people I have recently encountered don't even know the canidates that are running for president!!! That is unbelievable and inexcusable. I wish people would take greater interest in the political process in this nation. A couple of my roommates think I am werid for watching the Conventions over the last few weeks. This is going to be a historical election, and I am glad and proud that I can participate in it. Pardon me, as I stand on my political soapbox for a moment: I have been a fan of John McCain for a long time, since back when I was in high school during the 2000 presidential election. I can think of few people who are more qualified to be commander and chief than McCain. I agree with McCain on almost every major issue, including his strong stance on environmental issues. This is the first time that I will vote for someone and feel really good about my decision, and I am really excited about that.
Good luck with school! I totally know how you feel about trying to juggle everything. Life will seem simple after school...or at least I hope so! I also give an AMEN to your political rant! :)
I feel like I need to begin this entry by stating that I am just as concerned about securing our borders as anyone....however, I believe that the proposed border wall that is already being built is NOT the solution to this problem. There is a battle going on right now in South Texas that I have been closely following over the last few weeks. There is a concerted effort among many of the citizens there to stop the construction of the wall for a number of different reasons. There has been a considerable amount of attention focused on one piece of property along the border....a place that I have wanted to visit for many years.
The Sabal Palm Audubon Center is a wildlife preserve located in a bend of the Rio Grande river along the U.S./Mexican border. This preserve harbors one of the most critically endangered ecosystems in South Texas. The Sabal Palm was a tree that used to be quite abundant along the Rio Grande river, and its historical range extended 80 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico. Today all that remains of this subtropical habitat is the 557 acres of the Sabal Palm Audubon Center near Brownsville.
So what does this have to do with the new border wall? The proposed route of the wall goes right through the Sabal Palm Center, in effect making it a 500 acre gift to Mexico.
Over the last 30 years, state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, and private citizens have worked hard to purchase and set aside habitat along the Rio Grande. The construction of the wall will effectively reverse all gains in habitat protection and restoration along the Lower Rio Grande Valley that have been achieved over the last few decades.
The proposed wall will destroy and fragment native habitat and block vital movements of animals along the Rio Grande river.
It will also cut off access to important tourist destinations in South Texas, such as the Sabal Palm Center. You may not realize this but South Texas is one of the top destinations for birders (bird-watchers) in the country. Visiting birders are responsible for contributing $125 million each year into the local economy in South Texas.....that's right $125 million! But if birding locations like the Sabal Palm Center are put in "no man's land", on the other side of the wall, you can expect a definite drop in the number of birders that visit the area, which would have a big impact on the local economy.
Department of Homeland Security Cheif Michael Chertoff has already announced plans to waive more than 30 environmental laws in order to speed the construction of the wall. This action sets an unprecedented standard of complete disregard for environmental concerns, which is typical of this administration. The fact that they will not even consider other options in these environmentally sensitive areas is very frustrating. Other options like vehcile barriers, modern remote surveillance technology, and expanded staffing of Border Patrol agents are not even mentioned or explored.
I am making a trip to South Texas in December and plan to visit Sabal Palm. Hopefully I will get to visit before the wall is completed.
Hey, Jason, this is Ginger. I just read this entry. I had no idea there was a habitat in danger due to construction of the wall. I have totally been in favor of the wall, having lived on the border for several years. I can tell you that the Border Patrol is a joke. Its not their fault either. There aren't enough of them and they aren't allowed to carry amunition for their guns in some cases. Or so I've been told. Stuart and his friend in high school used to sit in his friends backyard and litterally count the wet backs as they crossed over. Something definitely needs to be done, but at the same time I don't think we should endanger a natural habitat. There has to be a balance somewhere.
I say this mainly because if the "wetbacks" can make it across with no problem then anyone can. Most wetbacks are harmless and only want food, but I worry about our country being invaded by way of the Mexican border. If they only knew how easy it is to get across.
I have to correct something I said above. The Border Patrol does carry amunnition. I was thinking of a different incident when the government sent the National Guard to the border to help out the Border Patrol and were not given amunnition. However the Border Patrol is too sparse. Interestingly enough out military's primary purpose according to the constitution is to protect our borders, yet they are no where near our borders. Maybe a human wall would be the answer.
Yeah, I remember when they sent the National Guard down there. Something definitely needs to be done to solve this problem. Maybe in some areas along the border the wall would be a good idea. I just think that it would be a shame to lose a place like the Sabal Palm Center. Some in the Bush administration would have us believe that we have to chose between either securing our borders or protecting the environment. I don't belive that is the case.
