So, as I told you yesterday, our plan today was to go to the Attawater Prairie Chicken Refuge and learn about the place and maybe do some volunteer work for them, but what we got out of the experience was much more than we bargained for.
It was an early morning, I got up at 5:30, a number that should never exist on anyone's alarm clock ever, but for me it did. When we got to the Zoo we took a van an hour and a half to Katy to the Refuge. While we were on the van and everyone began nodding off, it began to rain, not heavy rain, but light, consistent rain, that wasn't letting up much. Our mentor told us that we should prepare to work in all kinds of weather, and the only kind of rain that could really stop us would be a thunderstorm. Needless to say, it didn't thunderstorm. Now while we all assume that rain on a work day is a bad thing, it can actually be a blessing in disguise. It provided us a clear cover from the sun, kept us cool and protected us from sweating profusely. I thank God for the rain, because without it, we would have all been even MORE exhausted (if that's possible), and unhappy.
When we got there, we were lead to a conference room where we were told all about the Prairie Chicken. So I'll give you some fun facts; the Attawater Prairie Chicken is the most endangered bird in North America, it's population is about 50 in the wild, almost all comprised in one area, the Refuge(in Katy); the work they do there determines if and how the Chicken will survive and thrive in the environment.
Ever since the start of urbanization, we have been loosing prairie in Texas, and it's not only because of the big cities and suburbs that are sprouting everywhere, it's the cows and farms as well! They use the land for their(and our) own purposes and forget what it was once used for, as a home, and safe place for the wildlife to live.
Here in Texas we have a great diversity of wildlife, from armadillos, to rabbits, to coyotes and even cougars. And we saw a bunch of these animals in the Refuge and even more plant life. The plant life that they had at the Refuge was immense, diverse, and gorgeous. It was tall grasses, numerous wildflowers and a variety of pretty colors. I was amazed at the beauty of such a flat piece of land, and impressed by the awesome wild. And it was a beautiful day for it too, even if we did have to get a little wet.
Our project for the day was taking down the Prairie Chicken nesting guards. In order to keep the baby chicks safe from prey on the ground, like snakes, or other poisonous or mean critters, they put up a mesh fence to protect them while they are still eggs and the hens are still nesting. We got the glory of getting in the mud and taking those things down, but with team-work, we were done fairly fast and were able to take down three in the whole day.
The Prairie Chicken's life is fairly simple. It lives for about two years and mostly searches for food; so basically, it lives to reproduce. But unfortunately, their offspring have mostly failed to survive past chick-hood. It all begins with the mating dance that the male does for the female. He puffs up his orange cheeks and makes loud booming noises while stomping his feet(some would think he was having a tantrum), and attempts to attract the female. She'll either accept or deny and her eggs will be fertilized. Once fertilized, she builds a nest in the high grasses(to keep her hidden from predators), and waits for about 26 days. All she does is wait. Occasionally she'll leave to feed, but basically, she sits on the nest. When the chicks hatch, they learn the ropes and go on to be chickens of their own and repeat the cycle. This seems to be where the problem ensues.
Lots of the chicks they get are from captive breeding and have little experience in the wild, so they don't know what predators are and fail to escape when one encounters them. There's stories of all kinds of animals catching the chickens, usually birds of prey, and leaving only feathers of the carcass. But one unusual case was a case of fire-ants; the nasty pests got to a mom and her chicks and killed them off in one night. The Refuge's new research for this year is how to treat fire-ant invasions and deal with the problem and how it affects the chickens.
But the most exciting thing that happened today was finding a mortality. Our guide told us to pull in front of a satellite truck to harass one of his interns and we learned that his job was to track the chickens(pretty boring work if you ask him), and he had actually heard a mortality beep for one right before we pulled up. So we began our search for this chicken, expecting a nasty crime scene, and found her....whole. It was very unique and quite unexpected. We're not sure what she died of but it seemed to be something that they'd never seen before. It was a unique experience and one that highlighted the day. And, although it was sad, it was all a part of the work they were doing at the Refuge to save the Prairie Chickens from extinction.
All in all it was a tiresome day, but one of the good ones where you go to bed content for the work you did that day. And the knowledge I gained, from one day at this internship, is something I'll never forget. I seriously cannot wait to experience all that this internship has to offer.
Until then, I'll patiently and enthusiastically wait for what tomorrow brings.
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