We spent our day off today preparing for our guided plant walk with the Master Gardeners tomorrow.
Monday
We had a group of 14 (parents and their kids) this morning for a non reader scavenger hunt and a self guided trail walk.
Melissa, (with our assistance, mainly Lauren's), gave a presentation on iNaturalist to the Master Gardeners.
Afterwards, Lauren and I lead a plant walk, which we thought would be about 30 minutes or more. The group was short on time and only had 15 minutes for the walk. It goes without saying , we were over prepared for this plant walk. Oh well, it still went well.
After lunch, Lauren went to Grand Bay Shop to mow and didn't return until 5 pm. I manned the VC. Not the first visitor darkened the door this afternoon. All the activity was before noon today.
Tuesday
The SORT team (Special Operations Response Team), had an Active Shooter Training for refuge staff today. The VC was closed until 1 pm.
We were given a yellow vest to wear so we could observe and not be shot at during the training. The refuge staff were given 3 soft balls to throw as weapons and options that they could use if they encountered an active shooter.
The shooter had a nerf gun. For sound effects, he was followed by an officer carrying an assault weapon shooting blanks up in the air. A couple of Jackson County Sheriff Deputies were the first responders. Other SORT members were recording and monitoring.
The staff responded to the 3 scenarios by locking themselves in closets, throwing red balls, climbing out windows, barricading themselves in their offices, calling a fake 911 number to give details, etc.
It was very educational and a real eye opener. Something we hope we never need to know.
We consider the SORT team as the SWAT team of game wardens. They are badasses.
Wednesday
We had our first official Crane Tour this morning. Lauren drove the ox wagon, and I did most of the talking. Our audience was a Grandmother and 4 home schooled children ages 9-11. We told them we would come back as early as they wanted. The 2 hour tour lasted 3 hours. Our first crane tour was a success.
We saw 7 cranes, 5 swallow tail caterpillars, 2 deer, a pied-billed grebe, a king fisher, several great egrets, a little blue heron, and several great blue herons.
We spent the afternoon, helping Angie and her interns, Kelli, Shannon, and Rose, tear down a temporary pen at the Ocean Springs unit. These items will be reused for the temporary pen at headquarters for this years crane release.
Lauren and I rode in Scott's truck, (lead biologist), which Lauren got stuck when he turned it around. We had to call reinforcements to get the truck pulled out of the bog.
It was a lot of hard work pulling up and toting poles to the truck. We have a little more to go back and get tomorrow.
Thursday
It was a piece of cake picking up the last of the poles at the Ocean Springs unit this morning but I can't say that about the afternoon. We had a bunch of metal post that we couldn't pull the PVC pipe off without hammering the post to get it off, but we got 'er done.
Friday
Hugh, another volunteer, joined us, Angie, and the interns this morning for another Crane Pen work day. It is too wet for machines to come into the savanna so we did manual habitat clearing and restoration.
Lauren and Hugh weedeated around the perimeter of the pen and around the pond. Us girls loped shrubs and pine trees, then packed the debris out of the area.
We got the metal post inserted in the ground for the perimeter of the pen.
We enjoyed a Camp Crane bonfire this afternoon with Pat, Sally, Tom, Jeff, Dorie, their grand kids, and the interns. It has been a long, but enjoyable day.
Saturday
We sat around and enjoyed our coffee and bird watching this morning. It was nice to have the day off.
We made a shopping trip then drove back along the beach. There were lots of people enjoying the beach, but not much on the bird sightings.
Pictures are here:
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