A Wandering WeyrCat...

I had the opportunity to volunteer with the   Arthur R. Marshall Foundation for The Everglades   in planting spartina and mangroves at Grassy Flats island, a manmade island in Lake Worth, off of   Bryant Park South . It was great to get dirty two generations of interns, and   Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management , of course! Amazing volunteers at Grassy Flats in Lake Worth. (Not my photo) — with   Morgan Mooney ,   Lexi Liu , Jacque Delp ,   Mary C   and   Lacey Hancotte   at   Lake Worth Lagoon .

I had the best time as a first year student staff for FAU Camp Owls 2015! Our group, River Runners, exceeded their OWN expectations every day, and I'm so proud to have seen them succeed! Incoming freshman participated in Teambuilding and the Challenge Course before heading off to Juniper Springs Recreation Area. There, they learn to put together camp, cook simple healthful meals, and work together. They are challenged to navigate the Juniper Springs Creek (aka Divorce Canoeing) and invited to enjoy the springs!  River Runners, don't know how much fun they're about to have! The full album can be found in my Picasa, but Blogger isn't really set up for photo sets, so here are some of my favorites!

Jessica, Morgan, and I had the opportunity to revisit the Riverwoods/Archbold trip we took as interns for the   Arthur R. Marshall   Foundation for the Everglades! We drove up, met the newest group of interns (such great people!) and got to join them on some of the learning experiences. It was great to see some of our favorite trips again!

I #hiked 5.5 miles on the #FloridaTrail in Jonathan Dickinson State Park.

We failed to save Husband from electrocution during #EscapeTheQuest's #StayOfExecution! I really think with another ten minutes we'd have had it! (We started a little late, bit couldn't have more time. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.) The game: On DEATH ROW your time is up, the chair is HOT!! Will you be pardoned or will you not? A call from the governor is your only chance.  Or is it? You have one hour to find clues and solve puzzles. Not to spoil it too much, in this case, your party is split up and you have to put together clues without being able to see what the others see!

TLDR: Hatsume Fair was very fun, very hot, and I look forward to going back next year! The  Hatsume Fair  at Morikami Japanese Gardens is an annual spring festival held at their beautiful (and huge) garden and museum! Husband and I met up with several cool cats from FAU (mostly the math department) and took in the spring and the costumes. (More after the jump.)

Let me tell you a little about what I did last week! I hiked nearly 25 miles of Appalachian Trail in Georgia, with the   Certified Student Leadership   course I took (the "Wilderness Track"). We Drive to Georgia on May 2nd, and from May 3rd until May 7th, backpacked up and down the mountains. I really believe it's the hardest thing I have ever done. I'd gotten to know the other students just a little, but I believe I've made a few new good friends. I was so nervous that my knee or slowness would make me a liability, but as we went along we all adjusted to each other and learned how to support one another. We each had a day where we led the entire group, and on my day a girl twisted her ankle, exacerbating an an old injury. It was really hard to keep camp organized for such a long period of time. We hiked only 3 miles that day and after just an hour in camp people were napping and wandering off. I found it so much harder to organize them in camp than on the trai...

Thank you EVERYONE that wished me a happy birthday yesterday. I tried to at least LIKE all the posts and reply to the messages. I had a final exam yesterday, and have been studying for others! (About to take a GIS final, actually).

Dr. Klingler, Ms. Emily Cimillo, Dr. Schonbek. Pi Day Math Day Maetri The eleventh annual FAU Math Day held on what was the Pi Day of the century, Saturday, March 14, 2015, on the Boca Raton campus of Florida Atlantic University, was once again a success. Apart from all this, everybody seems to have had a very good time. The morning competition was interrupted for a few seconds at 9:26 and everybody cheered for the many digits of Pi in action. An interesting fact is that if time were continuous (which quantum theory does not quite allow) then sometime between 9:26 and 9:27 ALL the digits of Pi would be displayed.-   Dr. T. Schonbek, Florida Atlantic University   (From the  FAU Math Day 2014 page , circa March 2014)   More after the jump!

This morning I attended the   Solid Waste Authority's first annual Soiree ! For the most part I wanted the chance to hike a new trail. It turned out to be a mostly paved trail, but otherwise a nice well-maintained short nature-walk sort of trail. Master Naturalist and   ARMF   Senior Scientist Tara Bardi, and ARMF Educator Ana Maria Castillo, led a lovely 10:30 am tour on the Malachite Trail. Apparently, it's named for the   Malachite Butterfly   (which I didn't know existed)! It goes through hardwood hammock and over wet prairie. Afterwards, I walked the booths with my trustee booth-bingo card, and introduced myself to anyone that seemed like they would have volunteer opportunities, workshops, or projects that   Mission Green Student Association at FAU   could get in on! Most were happy to trade business cards, and I didn't bring enough, actually.

Presenting to a peer judge at College of Science's Research Day. After those first two "practice sessions"   presenting at GPSA and Environmental Science Research Days , I brushed up some of the topics and questions  recommended to me, and presented again March 20 at the College of Science Research Day. I did miss getting to run around like I owned the place (as I did as Lead Volunteer last year), and go sit with the volunteer judges for a yummy buffet lunch, but it was nice to talk to people about my proposed research, too. The best part was the recommendations. So many people knew of similar research or sources of data, or knew someone I could/should ask about my methodology. It takes a village to raise a child, and it seems to go for graduate students as well!

Usually, on Research Day I'm volunteering. Last year was a lot of fun, volunteering to help organize the College of Science Research day for the second time. This year, I presented my own work. Presenting my first research related poster: the proposal poster!

To celebrate #WorldWildlifeDay on March 02, 2015, (and because it's awesome) we visited Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park​! We explored the HUGE 1930's visitor center, and took a ferry ride down the river.

Weird big stuff in Florida. Click to make them even bigger. So, roadside attractions can make a roadtrip a little longer, but they definitely make the drive more memorable.

Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation by Bill Nye My rating: 5 of 5 stars Let's get it out of the way: Nye missed a HUGE opportunity when he didn't call it "UndeNYEable". I read the audiobook version, because once I knew Nye was orating it, how could I not? He puts the same energy into this book that he did the shows I loved and grew up on, though the tone is a little more sobered, considering the different age of the audience. Still very witty and engaging! I'm sure the paper version is too, but have to admit that the paper version will probably be better for those who are familiar with the way he speaks, because they'll be able to read it in his voice with more of the inflections that make it Nye. I cannot pretend to be an unbiased reader in this case. I have a signed portrait of Nye on my desk, still mourn the day I couldn't drive the few hours to see him speak at a nearby university, and my husband points out to visit...

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb My rating: 5 of 5 stars My brother recommended this book to me a year or so ago and it took me awhile to get around to it. I read the audiobook version, as I have so much more time for those lately, and found the narrator a good orator. His range isn't the best I've heard, no obvious falsettos for females, and a lot of the characters sound the same, but he manages well enough that I look forward to listening to him again in the next two novels. As for the novel, it was wonderful! I well written complex story that manages to span year without feeling overburdened by small arcs or too thin in the character development. The main arc is a bit obvious, nearly good-twin-bad-twin obvious, but there are tiny threads of intrigue throughout that are sweet little surprises. I teared up a few times, and grinned a little here and there. I give it a full five stars for it's ability to somehow draw me in, while not fee...

The Witch With No Name by Kim Harrison My rating: 5 of 5 stars So, it's over. I read the last three novels in such a rush (she does such a great job of making sure they roll right off each other). It's all exactly as you think it'd be, and I loved it that way. There's a bit in the afterstory that irked me a little (I mean really, THAT has to be about her too?) but if I could see the events as separate I'd think they were wonderful. I know, terrible review, but I couldn't write NOTHING. It has been a wonderful thirteen (omg thirteen?) books. I'll miss Morgan, and Jenks, and the way Harrison could make me cry over them and theirs. View all my reviews

Volunteered with one of my favorite organizations: Arthur R Marshall Foundation for the Everglades!