Thursday July 1 ST. CATHERINES ISLAND

Yesterday we made the trip out to St. Catherines Island off the coast of Georgia. Formerly a breeding island for the Bronx Zoo, the island now houses several troops of free ranging lemurs and is set up as a preserve for native wildlife.

By the time we arrived at the island we had just enough time to claim our rooms before heading to dinner. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the island has several new guest houses and no one was forced to camp in the hot and humid conditions.

7:00 am: Breakfast

8 – 10:00 am: Field Exercise: Avian Capture and Disease Surveillance

Instructors: Jen Hilburn, Brad Winn, Felicia Sanders, Terry Norton, Al Segars, Veronica Greco, Kirsten Gillardi

We got hands-on experience setting up avian mist nets, removing captured birds from nets, and processing captured birds (handling, banding, physical exam, bleeding), and learned how these techniques are used to survey free-ranging bird populations for disease. It was very similar to the techniques I used six years ago in Monteverde when I did my Mountain Robin research project.

10:00 – 11:45 am: Field Demonstration: Shorebird Conservation and Capture

Instructors: Brad Winn, Felicia Sanders, Terry Norton, Jen Hilburn, Veronica Greco

We set up a cannon net and a rocket net in order to learn about how these nets are used to capture shorebirds. These two nets take time to set up and utilize explosives, making them quite loud and intense.

12:00-1:00 pm: Lunch

1:00-2:00 pm: Introduction to Map Reading

Instructor: Tim Keith-Lukas, University of the South

We were taught how to read maps and chart paths, and to use a compass and a hand-held GPS unit. I must say, it was a fairly long and boring lecture.

2:00 - 4:00 pm: Field Exercise: Orienteering

Instructors: Norton, Gilardi, Beasley, Lukas, Segars

We tested our new knowledge of maps and navigational aids by forming teams and going on an ecological "treasure hunt" through the woods. My team consisted of Jocelyn, Nicole, Chuma, Sukuman, and Wilson. Unfortunatley, it was raining when we left so I did not bring my camera. Nevertheless, we managed to navigate from a random position on the island to a tree that serves as a rookery for storks and egrets.

4:30 – 5:30 pm: Reptile trapping

Instructors: Kimberly Andrews, Chris Hagen, Jess Gonyer, and John Jensen

We got to help Andrews set traps for reptiles and amphibians.

6:00 pm: Dinner

7:30 - 8:30 pm: Cultural History of St. Catherines Island

Instructor: Royce Hayes (St. Catherines Island)

Superintendent Hayes took us to an archaeological site on the island and told us about the rich history of the settlement of St. Catherine’s Island hundreds of years ago. Just as the presentation was finishing it began to downpour. Everyone got soaked on the ride through the jungle back to base camp. It was a super fun ride!

After dinner I went back to the guesthouse and played a card gamed called apples to apples with Kirstens kids and several other Envirovets before heading to bed.