I won the Adkins-Regan Best Poster Award for my poster I presented at SICB 2023! I linked it in my last post, but I will also throw it down below. SICB was fun and productive, and I cannot wait to compete in a best student presentation competition next year.
Field work has begun in full swing, and I have had some nice maintenance results so far with some self-tapping roofing screws to make sure my boxes stay stable. The only maintenance issue I have run into the last couple of years has been boxes sliding down poles. Over time, the wood expands and contracts so much that it gives a bit of wiggle room between the box and the steel conduit rings we use to secure them. Hopefully, this solution can stop the slide we get on our older boxes. Our Bluebirds would not be too happy transitioning to ground nesting.
I managed to trick one of my good Astrophysics grad student friends, Charles, into carrying boxes around all afternoon last week before the yearly burn of Woolsey Prairie. He was a huge help, as I am still in Fall/Winter shape and need to get back into my regular prairie walker shape. I can maintain a decent pace through the roughest of it, but it doesn't stop me from huffing and puffing the whole time. I think Charles enjoyed getting some mud on his boots, so I am going to do my best to trick him into the field any time I can. Who needs to look at the stars when birds are so much closer?
We also met a 2nd grade teacher who was doing some birding while we were out and about. We discussed the possibility of me visiting her classroom and sharing some science with the kids! I haven't been able to teach in a high-school or younger class since my days at the Muse children's museum in college, so I am excited for the prospect of getting back into the public school system to talk birds and Ecology with students. I never knew this career path was achievable before my sophomore year of college, so I want to make sure kids grow up knowing they can do the science they see on tv.