Saturday, November 10, 2007

Protecting Biodiversity in the Florida Keys

It's that time of year; trees begin shedding leaves, birds begin their long migration, bears prepare for hibernation, and others change careers.


Ecology and other natural sciences are really interesting to me, so I was very excited about the prospect of working with the Nature Conservancy. I've been a member of that organization for many years, so it's great to finally be a part of the team and make a difference.

I have joined a team to combat the spread of invasive exotic plants in the Florida Keys. These invasive plants disrupt the natural ecology of the region, often resulting in a loss of biodiversity and weakening the ecosystem to resist diseases, storms, and other disruptions. An unhealthy island is a dying island, and something as simple as an eroding shoreline could smother the nearby coral reefs. One lesson that becomes obvious studying ecology: everything is connected!

I hope to use this blog to describe my new career as I move from the prairies of Texas to the islands of Florida and join forces to stave off what some paleontologists have referred to as The Third Event.

I'm busy packing today and leave tomorrow for my LONG 1500 mile drive out to the keys. My first day of work will be Nov 13th, where I'll meet my fellow employees and my new roommates in person for the first time. Our project is planned to continue until May 1st.

Well, I better get back to packing!

5 comments:

Jolly Green Giant said...

Dude! Looking forward to the updates. See ya bro!

Moik

Matt said...

Just remember the survival tips you learned on the Everglades show we watched the other week. The worms and bugs probably taste like chicken.

Matt said...

Nice updates. I love the pictures.

kristen said...

Very interesting! Thanks for creating a way for us city folk to follow your adventures. :)

Jolly Green Giant said...

Hey bro! I enjoyed the update but I'm still confused about how the blog is laid out. Looks like they didn't waste any time in getting you busy.