Ah, the life of a summer intern, where the thrilling world of stream surveys and cruising occurs.
Daniel Morin
Our latest assignments have led us into the shady embrace of mature stands, a contrast to our previous tasks. The critters we’ve encountered have added an unexpected twist to our adventures.
Slugs and snails galore, thrive in the cool, damp environments of the mature stands. These slimy companions have become our frequent friends. And let’s not forget the newts! With Anthony’s eagle eyes, we spotted one during a stream survey. We couldn’t help but notice a striking resemblance to Wyatt — though we’ll let you be the judge of that.
Anthony with a praying mantis. (Read more about it in his blog.)
Lately, our focus has shifted to stream surveys, unit boundaries, and cruising in preparation for an upcoming harvest. The proximity to the coast means we are treated to regular sightings of elk on our drives into the unit.
Caroline and I stumbled upon some sun bleached elk mandibles, a reminder of nature’s food chain.
One of the highlights was spotting a grey whale in the bay while crossing the Newport Bridge. Unfortunately, Wyatt missed the spectacle as he was stuck with the task of driving. The change of scenery in the timber has been a nice routine, and encountering these critters has only added to the excitement of our summer internship.
— Daniel Morin