Thoughts upon leaving the country...

I leave Monday for South America, where I'll be Bryan's research assistant in the Andes until August. Bryan's been down there for a week now, while I've been working at the wildlife center wrapping things up until my leave of absence. I feel like this is another transition in my life, and I'm having mixed feelings that I needed to get out.

First off, it's going to be strange leaving my job for so long-- I'm both worried and excited about what changes are going to occur at the wildlife center in my absence. We're getting a new Executive Director, new enclosures are being built, new interns and volunteers will be trained; there will be new stories of animal rescues and successful releases that I won't be a part of. How much will change while I'm gone? I'm also worried because I love my job, the animals, and the people I work with, but the grant that I'm paid under ends only 2 months after I get back. I've been writing grants like crazy to help fund the Wildlife Education Program and haven't heard back from most of them, so I'm in this weird stage where I don't know if my job will be funded for very long when I return.

I'm also extremely, immensely, tremendously EXCITED about living with a Bolivian family in South America and going on new adventures with Bryan while doing geologic mapping work in the Andes. I've been looking forward to living and working in a developing country once again and learning about new cultures ever since I returned from the Peace Corps (even though this will be for a much shorter duration).

In the last 2 days my job has especially touched my heart ...

Yesterday, I gave presentations at an elementary school where they ran a recycling drive all year, collected the money ($300!) and had to vote on a charity to donate the money to. They students voted for CWC! So, I was there at their end-of-the year assembly to accept a big check for the center and give presentations to the students about co-existing with wildlife. The students even gave me little drawings and letters! Very cute!!

In the animal department, when I came into work today, there was a Guadalupe Fur Seal with a whole mess of fishing line caught around his neck in our hospital. Cindy rescued him last night out in Malibu at Point Dume. The fishing line is so tight around his neck that its already gone through his fur, skin, and blubber but, he was saved just in time! Here's a couple pictures I took:

The other animal that moved me ... a little fawn found running around the 101 freeway. His twin was found dead on the freeway, his mother possibly also dead, while he barely survived. I guess animal control had to shut down the freeway yesterday evening to catch this baby. Deer are so scared of people (since we are their predators) that he was running away from animal control and as a result has a lot of injuries from the his flight. He was finally caught and brought to us, bleeding and scared. We have him in our sensitive species room and will be putting him with other fawns soon.

Both animals have just been through so much, a lot of pain and stress it's days like this when I feel like my work at the wildlife center really is making a difference helping to give wildlife a second chance, trying to offset the negative impact people have on the environment, and educating children about nature and what they can do to help save our planet.

I will miss the center while I'm gone, but man, am I excited to travel again!