my other life

While I'm an adventurer at heart I'm a biologist by trade. At one time adventure and biology went hand-in-hand. I once spent many months of each year living and working outdoors. Adventure was 24/7. Not so much any more. It seems the longer I spend in this career the further disconnected I become from what attracted me to the job in the first place - being outside.

To break the monotony of thesis writing and to remind myself why I wanted to become a biologist I was happy to take a 10-day job counting birds at Calling Lake in Alberta's boreal forest. This field site is luxury compared to many I've worked at - there are buildings to escape from bad weather,

a lake for bathing,
the study grids are well-marked, the birds are plentiful, and there are few mosquitoes this early in the year. Best of all there are no people, cars, phones, television... It is so peaceful.

First on the work list was clearing trails to access the plots.
Next, a little survey practice
and confirming the identities of any unknown species.
Mud was to be the theme this year.
Never have I experienced a worse road than the Calling Lake road. The slightest amount of rain creates grease.
An ATV with paddle tires results in mud everywhere.
Images from the field. A Swainson's Thrush.
Wolf print on the road outside camp. I heard a pack calling at 3 am a few days later on the lake shore less than 100 m from my cabin.
Bracket fungi on a poplar.
Marsh marigold.
I guess frogs can drown.
Beaver dam flooding a pipeline, which made for a long detour to access three plots.
Forest reflection on another beaver pond.

I enjoyed my time in the bush and I found the much needed motivation to return to writing. I also realized that, while I miss the field, I don't necessarily miss field work (certainly not consecutive months of it). The rain, mud, bugs, bears, heavy backpack, thick bush, rose thorns, 4 o'clock mornings, and 14-hour days are exhausting, and not in a good-ultra-marathon-training way. Speaking of which, it's time to get back to running.