Technical Difficulties

Field work is a humbling reminder that even the best laid plans can take an unexpected turn. After announcing the launch of my website and the live stream of our alligator nest, our live stream promptly went down after a large deluge of rain likely shorted out one of our cables (waterproof my foot, ha!).

It's hard not to get discouraged, but I am reminded that I often have to remind my students that field work almost never goes exactly as planned. Nature, much like life, is unpredictable.

New cables were delivered this afternoon and my team and I are headed back into the field tomorrow to (fingers crossed) get this project back on camera. We received over six inches of rain in the past twenty-four hours; here's to seeing if the waterproof camera paid heed to all the flashflood warnings.

In other news, I had the privilege of getting to share my love of reptiles and amphibians with the Mulerider Teen College students. It is always fun to see young people engaging with wildlife that they previously feared. Hopefully, at least some of them left with a new appreciation for these animals that will carry on into the future.