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| Searching for the breeding cliffs from the reserve side |
This Friday when we got back from the August vulture
monitoring trip, a set of old slides were brought out to examine. I’m actually not
even sure how slides are made. I opened the box that said “The plight of the
Cape Vulture”, these belonged to the late scientist that researched the
vultures for decades (and who took the photographs of the site I work at).
The
slides were for a presentation about Cape Vulture conservation. It included
such phrases as “Cape vultures go everywhere, so they need to be conserved
everywhere”. Three out of the 100 or so slides contained information about the
site register. The register is almost like a work of fiction to me. It is a
compilation of all roosting and breeding Cape Vulture sites. Imagine having
2,000 records of where one species of bird slept and reproduced. It is a
massive undertaking, but for a vulture that is 90% restricted to South Africa
it is necessary.
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| Not all vulture colonies are this easy to find... |
As
I go through the slides, I find another clue in this mystery. My studies have
the makings of a good novel: interesting characters, thrilling adventures,
idiotic moments (car keys), dead animals, and giant birds. Ok, it might not be
a typical novel, but a good one nonetheless.
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| Students Investigating during the June 2012 trip |
As I
conduct my work and continue to read, write, and collect data I am constantly
reminded that it does matter. From
communicating and working with conservationists, scientists, retired
researchers, professors, volunteers, and undergraduate students I am beginning to
piece together the bigger picture. As a grad student, that is my job; to
synthesize information and to boil it down. It is hard work, but I’m putting it
together piece by piece.
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