August 5, 2013
Our first official campsite destination was Mugie Ranch conservancy. Mugie is a privately owned ranch property distinguished for its wildlife safaris. We went on daily game drives to begin to learn to identify African animals and patterns in their grouping and behavior. It was during these game drives that I grew to like bird-watching, which I've never understood before - the one time I tried it before this I thought it was incredibly boring. (I didn't have binoculars!)
At Mugie, I was challenged to learn necessary ecological field techniques I probably would not have signed up for as a semester-long class. Here we went straight out into the field and did hands-on plant identification, transects and GPS. I was interested because it became clear that all field work requires this basic knowledge base. It's good that I became aware of it now as opposed to later if I go on to graduate studies in ecology or a related field.
At Mugie, I was challenged to learn necessary ecological field techniques I probably would not have signed up for as a semester-long class. Here we went straight out into the field and did hands-on plant identification, transects and GPS. I was interested because it became clear that all field work requires this basic knowledge base. It's good that I became aware of it now as opposed to later if I go on to graduate studies in ecology or a related field.
One evening Dr. Morino thought he heard lions. I assumed he was trying to scare us and told everyone not to worry... Then when we went into our tents for bed, and all of a sudden I heard a roar so loud that it made my heart skip a beat. At that moment I understood why lions have are so admired and respected amongst humans all over the world. That lion was not even close to us because if she were, the ground would have shook! The next day we went out to look for the lions, tracking them with a radio collar.
I still cannot believe these pictures are real!
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