Week 4 - On my own!

 After spending two weeks following the professionals in Cape May county, I am ready to work on my own in setting up the traps and collecting the samples.  

My week did not start out so well!  These sites are remote and sometimes wooded and I must have driven over something that got stuck in my tire.  When I got home, my tire went flat!  

I have to drive 2 hours each way to the sites, so having reliable transportation is critical.  I don't want to get stuck in a remote area with car problems!  Luckily it happened at home and not on the road.   I don't have a big car so packing the equipment and driving the trails can be problematic.  In fact, we had to change plans and abandon one of the sites since my car can't handle the terrain.   

One thing I learned from my two week shadowing experience is that these bugs start bothering you as soon as you open the car door.  I found several ticks and got bitten on the cheek by a deer fly last week, so I bought some gear to help keep me safe!  This suit may be a little dramatic, but it works!  I also bought some boots since the sites can be muddy.

                        

On my first solo trip to the sites, I carefully looked for the entrance to each location.  The tree lined roads all look the same to this untrained eye!  I could not find either location and had to call upon my Cape May colleagues to Facetime me and guide me to the entrance.  How embarrassing! 

I finally settled in to working in these locations on my own and can now appreciate the nature and beautiful areas that I get to visit.  I see so many interesting things while doing this job.  

This video shows a turtle crossing the road!