Our Typical Volunteer Days
We volunteers spent the first full day being trained, first at the
headquarters with training manuals and instructions on objectives and
procedures, then in the afternoon in the field with our gear.
Here we are with our supervisor, Tom
Snetsinger.
With all the details it was easy to forget something so a sign on the
volunteer’s door helped us remember the
main thing. Perhaps it should have said "locate" since the bird
had been found in the Cache River. The full-time staff had their own sign on their door to
help them remember the next most important thing.
Our routine kept us pretty busy.
Most days went like this;
Get up at 5:00, dress, eat, load batteries from chargers to devices and
get in the van at 5:45.
Get out of the van, walk off-trail a mile or so in the dark using
flashlight or headlamp, compass and GPS waypoint to a designated
unmarked spot.
Sit until about an hour after sunrise watching, listening, and filming
anything noteworthy.
Alternate moving and sitting within a mile or two wherever appropriate
until around 3PM.
Use GPS and compass to find assigned unmarked location to watch in the
late afternoon.
Sit, listen and watch until 15 minutes after sundown. Film
anything
significant.
Use compass, flashlight or headlamp, and GPS to find way back to
transportation.
Attend meeting with supervisor on sites observed.
Enter data and images into Cornell computer.
Eat and fix next day’s lunch
Enter next day’s assignments into GPS, put batteries in chargers.
Sleep.
Shower and do laundry on weekends
My time was spent mostly in the White River Refuge. The following
pictures and sounds give a limited feel for the beauty and diversity of
this area.