30 Sep Reaching Out

Week 2 as the ORCA intern at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge was a success! The visitor services team here had a long weekend to help us prepare for this week. For the last 6 months, our original auto tour route has been closed for maintenance purposes. In its place, we have had an alternative route open, but based on how the visitors respond, you might as well tell them their favorite television show was canceled. However, the maintenance is finally finished, and we are gearing up to reopen the auto tour route! 

This week, we started by driving and installing new road signs and mile markers along the route. My team consisted of me, our on-site deputy, and the manager of our sister refuge, Fish Springs. Our deputy got held up, so it was just the manager and me. We were given 12 signs and U-channels, an automatic post pounder, and a ladder, then sent on our way. After 3 hours of figuring out the best way to climb the ladder while trying to put a 60-pound machine on top of an 8-foot-tall U-channel, we found our stride and finished by the end of the day. 

After a full day in the field and a long weekend out of the office, day two was spent catching up on office work. I will be running my first outreach event on September 23 at Timpanogos Cave’s homeschool day. They asked me to bring a science activity and a craft, and I have been brainstorming ideas with my supervisor. One program I will be in charge of is the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest, where students can draw a native waterfowl species and enter it to be chosen as the design for the 2027 Federal Duck Stamp. Usually, with this program, we almost exclusively do outreach to teachers and schools, which is why I think it would be great to reach out to homeschooled kids who may not hear about it otherwise. For the science activity, I want to do something related to wetlands and water conservation, with the craft geared more toward the Junior Duck Stamp. 

On Friday, I met with the US Fish and Wildlife Regional Coordinator for Visitor Services, and we discussed how I was settling in and what ideas I might have for this position. He asked, “What’s something you can’t stop thinking about that you really want to do while you’re here?” and all I could think was, “I really want to get my peers out here.” So I told him and my supervisor at the refuge that we have plenty of education outreach geared towards kids, which is important, and I would love to continue that and make it better if I can. We also have a lot of outreach focused on birders, fishermen, and hunters, but those groups don’t usually include my peers. While working in the conservation corps, I met many people with similar outdoor interests who would love a free activity to do in their off-time. This led me to brainstorm a few program ideas focused on young adults who love being outside. 

This week, I got to be really creative in my role and came up with programs and outreach events I’m excited about. I started writing plans for the Junior Duck Stamp Contest and other ideas focused on a slightly older age group. My supervisor taught me about Interpretive Programs and how to write one, and as a result, I have started writing a practice program for the homeschool day I’ll be working at. Overall, it’s been a productive week, and I’m feeling more and more in my element every day!

This is a picture I took of a pelican and a heron while driving our alternative auto route. Not the greatest quality, but I have to take a picture of every heron I see.

And another quick picture of our gorgeous wetlands. You can’t really see them, but there are hundreds of birds out there.