The past few days have flown by in a blur. I've written more papers in the past week than I have this entire semester. The good thing was that after we finished our final on Tuesday, we didn't have any classes and just the occasional group meeting, so even with all the work I did, I ended up having some time to wander and clear my mind. I was super ambitious and was able to get all my work done, so I had today off! I won't have any more days off until Thanksgiving.
A few days ago, I decided to take a walk along the beach just before dinner. The tide was low, and here the slope near the shore is very shallow so the mudflats go out for half a kilometer so. I was making my way along and in the distance I could see a large white, shiny object. At first I thought it was a rock but when I got closer I realized it was a GIGANTIC silver stingray that had washed up on shore. It's hard to understand the scale of the creature, but his wingspan was longer than I am tall, at least 6 feet or more. He was even longer than that because of it's tail. While I was snorkeling at the marine reserves last week I saw lots of large sting rays, but never one this big. He had to be 60 years old. I had a moment of silence with him and then walked home for dinner. It's a bit troubling though, because in my past week on my runs along the beach I have noticed a lot of smaller stingrays, fish, and little sharks washed up on the shore. I don't know whether it's a natural phenomenon or if this large scale death is human-induced.
Today I went on a bike ride with Paul, Sara, Anna, and Kristin to Tapapakanga Beach, the first beach that we were introduced to in New Zealand. It was a little farther and hillier than we remembered, and the ride on our old clunkers took a little over an hour. Either way, it was well worth it. The weather was beautiful today, and it was nice to reminisce and think about how different things were a few months ago when we first arrived. We barely knew each other, and since then we're shared so much with each others and developed life long friendships. A few hours later I rode back by myself, enjoying the downhills, the wind at my back, and a great playlist on my iPod. I love the rolling terrain and the windy coastal roads.
Tomorrow my team (Paul, Sara, Kirstin, Beck, Anna, and myself plus our field leader Wendy) are leaving for the West Coast to start out the fieldwork portion of Directed Research Project. We are studying Hochstetter's frogs in the Waitakere Ranges. Sunday will be a training day, and John Longden will be showing us the protocol and necessary steps that we need to take in the bush. I can't wait! The stressed the fact that we will be getting very wet and cold from wading the streams all day. It sounds like out of all the research teams, our project is the most labor intensive and will require the most amount of hiking. Hard work, 8am-5pm every day, but it'll be worth it. Our accommodations are in a modest cabin with bunks, running water, a kitchen, and a bathroom. No phone, no internet. All we need!
I'm looking forward to this although I don't know exactly what to expect. We should be back the 20th if everything goes according to plan, and if not we will be back the next day. Au revoir!
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