After my Midway adventures, I hopped over to the Big Island to help process data for the US Geological Survey. While I was out there, Thanksgiving happened and since I couldn’t afford to fly home, I went to Kauai and spent the holiday with my Midway volunteer amiga! It was…amazing. Here’s a sampling of what…
Hi readers, While I have some fun updates and posts in the works (among others: banning expanded polystyrene foam food packaging in Portland, Maine, say what?!) I have to take a second, step back and realize that holy cow…it’s been a year. A year since, um…what? Today, September 27, marks the day I left Midway Atoll,…
The Internet is amazing. Need proof? Have a look at this photo: OK…what’s the big deal? Last summer, while on Midway, fellow FWS volunteer Liz was walking through our usual albatross plots, checking to see who was still there. We banded a number of fledgling Laysan Albatross and continued to check their nest sites to…
Back in January, when 2013 was still a brand new year, all shiny and fresh, I was driving to Pawling Central School, to give my first post-Midway talk about plastic. Readers of this blog will recall that in my last post, I wrote briefly about Skyping with a couple of 7th grade science classes from…
Let me start by saying that this post probably wouldn’t be happening if I wasn’t on Midway right now. Why? Well, simply put…I wouldn’t have an attachment to this place. It sounds strange, but it’s because of all the things that have happened during this last month or so that I’m able to write this…
The world may never know. But this is what ~35lbs looks like! I know what you’re thinking. “Ryan, you’re going away for 4 months! Surely you need more than that?” It turns out, even this might be too much! Let’s review the facts: I’m going to Midway. A very small island in the middle of…
Ready? OK, now that we’ve all freaked out, let’s take a breath. *Exhale* After about 2 weeks, it’s finally starting to sinking in and I can finally broadcast the news: I’m going to Midway. Not only am I going to Midway, I’m going there for 4 months. 4 whole months!!! For those of you who are…
Before I get into the thick of post-5IMDC analysis, I want to first do a mini-post about SEA and marine debris. But first, some context… Last week, during 5IMDC, I participated in a field trip to Pier 38 in Honolulu to see a fish auction. We got up at 5:30am and watched these guys go…