Reflections on the York River

I had a lovely time investigating the York River this semester. The structure of my semester made me take the time to do the things I like, and remember why I am pursuing environmental science and natural resource management in the first place. I returned to some of my favorite spots, like Yorktown Beach, Colonial Parkway, and York River State Park and although I might have changed since I was there last, I still love to be out standing in nature! Working to give back to the environment and connect people with nature is what it is all about. Identifying specific threats to biodiversity along the river and exploring tools that can be used to asses/address them was such a nice way to turn passion into productivity.

I am proud of the work I have done this semester, but more importantly, I am proud I pushed it out on this blog. I can get so stressed out about things and a desire for perfection prevents any forward momentum. I often let perfection be the enemy of good, but having a deadline makes it easier to let go of my work. Sure, there is always room for improvement, but who said just because something is published it is final? There will always be an opportunity to revisit posts, topics, and mindsets and strive to make them better. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Key Features in the York River Basin: ArcGIS Online Map

My most recent pathway to learning more about the York River was through mapping! I took this opportunity to revisit one of my favorite applications from school: ArcGIS. During my time at VCU, I became very familiar with the software. I created new basemaps in Cartography, mapped iNaturalist sightings in Intro to Environmental Studies, and use the software's analytical features in Intro to GIS. Through these experiences, I used ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS StoryMaps, and ArcGIS Pro. I preferred Pro, but I enjoyed exploring them all. For my map of the York River Basin, I utilized ArcGIS Online. Although I prefer Pro, my subscription has long since run out. It took me a bit to find my bearings (and data I wanted) in Online, but once I did, it was smooth sailing. My biggest issue was trying to apply techniques from Pro or the credit system of Online to the free version. I specifically struggled when trying to isolate my tidal wetland feature to only the area of the river basin. My first ins...
Read more

Merlin Bird ID Saves The Day!

Image
Have you ever met a bird person before? Someone who truly loves birds? I have, and let me say that I thought I was a bird person before I knew how deep some people's knowledge goes. My first interaction with a real bird person was in my freshman year of college. It was also my first time bird watching. My professor assigned nature walks for a series of homework assignments (which was very amusing to my roommate for some reason) and he was offering a guided session for our first submission. I arrive with my notepad, hand-me-down binoculars, and phone, ready to to take pictures of whatever we may find. The first assignment was simple: identify three birds and upload them to iNaturalist. Once our group was ready to begin our walk around the pond, I instantly knew how out of my depth I was. Identifications were flying from my professor for birds that I could not even see (he was very good at identifying calls). A few of my classmates, more experienced that I was, joined in, pointing to...
Read more