It’s been a great year here at the SLA. Having spent my previous five years as a software engineer, I had a lot of uncertainty and doubt about going through such a drastic career change. But after my first year in the broad field of environmental science, if given the option to go back in time and choose again, I can safely say I absolutely would make the same choice again. I’ve fallen in love with conservation ecology in general, with the birds of New England, and with using my hands to solve a wide variety of problems outside.
The SLA has given us the chance to tackle real-world conservation problems during this whole year. We scuba dive to remove invasive aquatic plants that crowd out native species and degrade habitats in the Squam Lakes water bodies. Depending on the season, we either walk out onto the lake and drill holes in the ice, or we drive boats out onto the lake in order to take measurements and samples to monitor water quality. We’ve restored our shoreline and land habitats here at the SLA by rerouting trails away from areas of erosion, removing invasive plants, and planting native plants to attract native pollinators, birds, and other native species. There are 40 years of conservation data we’ve had the opportunity to analyze to help us make better decisions about our programs going forward. These conservation initiatives have served as a fantastic introduction to the field for me, and thanks to these opportunities, I feel prepared for whatever comes next for me.
This year I really fell in love with identifying birds in New Hampshire. I think birds fascinate me for a number of reasons. They’re literally little dinosaurs that can fly at crazy heights for unfathomable distances. They contribute in so many different ways to their ecosystems, from dispersing seeds, to creating homes for other animals, to pollinating plants and keeping pests in check. Going out and identifying them is a blast. It’s always a great time watching different bird behaviors like seeing a belted kingfisher dive out of a tree to catch a fish or a nuthatch defying gravity by zipping up and down the side of a tree. If anyone reading this enjoyed or enjoys playing Pokemon, you might want to give birdwatching a try, because it really is fun to see how many different species you can find. So far I’m at a little over 100 different species in New Hampshire alone this year, and I’m hoping that number grows.
One of my favorite things about being at the SLA is the wide variety of projects we get to carry out, and that most of them are outdoors. Not only do we have the various conservation projects I spoke about earlier, but we build and maintain trails, host campsites at some of the islands on Squam Lake, and host a number of community events like the Squam Ridge Race and Winter Fest at the SLA. Beyond all this, I’ve had the chance to do some rudimentary carpentry problem solving around the SLA campus, like building bird houses, repairing docks, and building benches. It’s all given me a chance to use new tools and get creative with woodworking. Perhaps best of all is the fact that most of these jobs are carried out outside, and we’re surrounded by beautiful views of lakes, forests, and mountains. For me, it really beats sitting inside at a computer all day.
A year working here at the SLA has affirmed my decision to switch careers. Though I don’t quite know what comes next for me, I have a very strong idea about what I’d like to do next, and I have the people and projects here at the SLA to thank for that. I’ll miss it here, but I’m excited to see what comes next.
Daniel is a full-time member who extended his service term with the SLA; we’re grateful to have him around for Fall and leaf-peeping season! Learn more about Daniel here.