Getting Acquainted

Flashback to...April 2010

The other interns seem friendly and enthusiastic about being here with other young biologists.  We have been getting along well so far.  Most of them are Irish and British, and another woman is from Vancouver, Canada.  With this cultural exposure, I’m expecting to come home with a bit of an accent as well as some new terminology.  Apparently, not everyone is staying for the entire season, as some will be starting jobs and Master’s programs in the fall.  I’m wondering if I will end up having the place to myself for the last month or so.  Yet, we are still waiting on six more people to arrive, so that may not happen. 

There are seven sites on the island that will be surveyed monthly, and over one hundred annual sites, located Sherkin, on other islands, and along the coast of County Cork.  All of the work needs to be coordinated with the tides because we will be able to see the most shore and the greatest biodiversity at the lowest tides, which happen near the end of every month.  The tides are affected by the pull of the sun and the moon and the best alignment for the greatest pull happens after the full moon, and to a lesser extent, the new moon. 

I think it’s getting late now.  I’ve been using my alarm clock to check the time occasionally, but mostly I just ignore the concept of time.  At the moment, it’s rather irrelevant. 

Settling In

Flashback to...7 April 2012

All I hear in the morning is the chorus of birds and the waves crashing into the shore not too far below me.  It’s a bit breezy this morning, but the sun is bright and the sky, cloudless.  And so much green!  There are trees on Sherkin Island, but they are not very large.  Some on the mainland seem more like home.  Yesterday was drizzling rain until I was on my way to Baltimore, when the sun popped out.  The peacefulness here reminds me of Plainfield, remote, lacking the harsh noises of development, but also, there is water. 

I do love the ocean, but I haven’t spent nearly enough time there as I would like.  It’s just one of those things that I keep coming back to as an interest, something I want to do, but then, the idea becomes buried underneath what I have to do, or drifts away for a time.  It’s kind of sad to think about not pursuing what one loves.  Perhaps, there is a time and a place for it, though since everything can’t be done at once, and it may take time to really develop a passion for something.  I’m here now though, neighboring the ocean.  There are no excuses.  I also wanted to return to Ireland after the last trip, since the island was so lovely and the trip was short and rushed.  It’s amazing what chances life gives to you and how many!  Until you learn the underlying lesson or make the most of an opportunity.

For the past few days, I have been exploring the beaches for intertidal sea life with two other rocky shore surveyors, in order to become acquainted with recognizing the various species.  This will certainly be a crash course in data collection and species identification.  The organisms that we will be surveying include seaweeds, shelled animals, sponges, lichens, and sea anemones, among others.  There is a small library in the lab to assist us with identification.  We’ve mostly been working with seaweed over the past couple of days and there are remarkable differences among them.  Yet, it has been challenging to match what I see with the descriptions and pictures in the books.  There are so many possible choices for what a single organism could be. 

Arriving in Ireland

Flashback to...4/6/2010

I’m exhausted, after lots of walking with a heavy pack.  I’m still waiting to get kicked out of the country for not having proper paperwork.  The entire computer system of the immigration department was down today, so I couldn’t officially be processed upon my arrival.  I have been given a month to take care of it, and I may have to take a trip back to Cork to do so, unless there’s something I can do from the island or a nearby town.  I tried to find out if the computers might be up and running by tomorrow, so that I could spend the night in Cork and get things sorted straight away.  But I didn’t want to try that without any certainty, especially being unable to get in touch with the marine station owner to inform him of the situation. 

In spite of this situation, I feel relatively at ease in Ireland.  It has a homey feeling and the people are rather friendly, just going about living their lives.  Not to mention, immigration and the exhaustion that I caused myself in trying to sort it have really been the only bumps in the road, so far.  I haven’t felt anxious, which I believe has helped to keep problems at bay, or at least, from becoming out of hand. 

I now have two hours to wait for the bus to Baltimore.  I already bought the ticket and it will arrive before the last ferry leaves.  I haven’t been able to access the internet, so that I can check for correspondence from the marine station.  So, I’m still not sure what I will do once I get to Sherkin Island.