Well, folks, I’ve made it to Iceland in one piece, and am still intact for the most part. Took a nice, epic fall at the bonfire the last night in Germany, and somehow only managed to bruise my left ring finger. Don’t ask how; probably my natural grace that comes and goes Anyhow, I’m here in Iceland, and very sad there are only two days left! However, I am getting to the point where I’m ready to be home, but don’t tell anyone that though!
All right where to start, where to start? So much has been packed into these short past few days!
My first thought upon landing in Iceland and then driving to the hostel was that I’ve landed on the moon! No joke! This is the ultimate cliché but very true. The southeastern portion of Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic ridges for you budding geologists, and as such this area is very tectonically active, with the North American and Eurasian plates slowly breaking apart over the last 40,000 years! Okay, so that was a lot geek speak. Basically it means lots of earthquakes, and of course, volcanoes! So, the lunar landscape look to this area of Iceland comes from the many volcanic eruptions over the years. It’s very neat looking, desert like, nothing really growing, but still cool. We drove out to a spot where the splitting of the two plates was very visible. For a few minutes I got to stand both in Eurasia and North America at the same time!
The second day in Iceland we were up early to catch a ferry to the Vestmannaeyjar (Westman) Islands. We had calm seas heading to the Islands, but it’s definitely a bit more than taking the ferry on Lake Superior, even in calm weather. Fortunately there was no seasickness here! The Westmans are a cluster of 18 Islands, the largest which has a community of about 4500 people. The Westmans also are home to millions of seabirds, MILLIONS!!! Puffins are the poster child of Iceland (and the national bird). If I remember correctly Iceland is home to 1/3 of the world’s population of puffins!
Once we made it to the island, the bad weather began to settle in. Rain, rain, wind, and a bit more rain. Our plans to take a boat tour around the islands were put on the back burner for a while and in the mean time, what did we do? Climbed a volcano! Yes, we really did, in the rain and the wind, all up around, and in the crater in the fog, hardly able to see where we were, much less where we were headed. At the time, I hated it and wanted nothing but to be in my bed, but at the end, I was glad we did it. Turns out the volcano we climbed (now dormant) pulled a Mt. St. Helens even before Mt. St. Helens decided to erupt. This volcano, having been dormant for over 4,000 years, erupted without warning in 1973 and went on for six months. There were over 400 homes that were buried in the lava and ash. Amazingly no one died in the whole event! After our volcano hike, we walked though a project area where homes that were buried are now being excavated. They are calling the project “Pompeii of the North.” It was actually very neat. In one of the homes, you could see pipes and remnants of kitchen wear and furniture.
After the volcano hike, the weather decided to tone it down a bit and we were able to do our boat tour, which was awesome!!! We went all around the Islands, into caves, saw tons of seabirds and a jellyfish or two. In the last cave we went into, our captain pulled out a saxophone and gave us a little recital. The acoustics in this cave were almost better than sitting in a cathedral!
The next day, as it turned out, was just as rainy and windy as the day before. We took a bus tour of the island, up to the third windiest point in the world to see puffin burrows. We were supposed to help with puffin surveying, but with all the rain, it wasn’t possible, much to everyone’s dismay. I was really looking forward to this part of the trip. Instead, we had a few lectures by the “Puffin Daddy” as Einar (Ay-nar) our—awesome—guide referred to the gentleman who conducts the research. Mainly his work consists of population surveying and the possible links to the decline in many of the species of seabirds around Iceland. One of the big causes, as with a lot of species now, is climate change.
Today, we are back on the mainland! We spent most of the day sightseeing around more of southern Iceland—waterfalls, black sand beaches, volcanoes (Katla/Eyjafjallajökull), oh yeah, and glaciers! We got to do a glacier walk today with crampons and a pick axe! The glacier hike was awesome!!! The glacier—Solheimajokull—is part of the region where the Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted this spring. We were warned that the glacier would be covered with black ash, but surprisingly it wasn’t at least not completely. We were also warned that we might not have been able to do it because of potential flash flooding in the area from all the rain the past few days. I am most definitely glad we were able to do the hike. There was a lot ash though, jet black, and very fine to the touch. If I’d had a baggie with me, it would have been full!
We ended our day with a visit to a horse farm and tomato greenhouse, all wrapped into one. Icelandic horses are one of the world’s most purebred horses, mostly because of its isolation and it is the only horse breed in Iceland. What’s also interesting is that the Icelandic horse masters five gates, while most horses master three. The man who owned the horse farm also runs a tomato greenhouse (his real job). The green house was neat. I’ve never seen a tomato plant ten feet tall before or drank Black Death out of a tomato shot glass. Black Death is an Icelandic schnapps. To me, it tasted like cucumbers, but had a really bad after taste! Don’t think I’ll be drinking that again too.
Tomorrow will be filled with lots of hiking and possibly a trip to a hot spring!!
12 August 2010
Wrapping it up auf Deutsch!
It’s hard to believe I was just in Ireland a mere three days ago. It already feels as though it’s been a lifetime! Crazy! Now we are on the last day in Germany, the test has been taken, not sure how well I’m going to do on it. There were lots of days where it was impossible to take notes with all the rain, but we will see… Many of the field trip/lectures we received were kind of repetitive, so all the material is in my head, it’s matter of whether I was able to sort through it efficiently enough on the test. Oh well, I don’t want speculate more than I already am—it usually doesn’t bode well.
On the bright side, we had a massive farewell feast with our German hosts: red deer venison, real potato salad, wurstsalat, mixed veggies, and BREAD!!! Heaven, I tell you. I am now a content butterball :)
Our last two days of lecture and field trips were actually very interesting. We visited a waste management plant, a biogas plants and observed some large timber cutting. While I may not have comprehended everything as well I wished I could, I still enjoyed it all the same.
The Böblingen Biomass Thermal Power Station was very unique. A little background on German waste/recycling management: they are eons ahead of us!! They sort everything. I mean everything! In our room, we have three baskets depending on what kind of waste it is and when all is collected, it’s further sorted! Anyhow, this plant basically incinerates everything that cannot be recycled and has a special system to clean and filter out any of the emissions that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. Heat and electricity are produced in the processes and then are stored and used to heat and provide electricity for about 40,000 people in the area of the plant!! This is the gist of it. The Biogas plant also works in a similar fashion. The intricate details of the processes are lost on me since I am hopeless when it comes to physics and chemistry! That and a lot is lost in translation (no pun intended, but true!)
Yesterday was yet another day spent wandering through the Black Forest, surveying for red and roe deer browsing damage as well as seeing a few large trees be felled. There is a significant problem with deer browsing, especially since the deer browse on the species the Germans are trying most to have regenerated. The white/silver fir is preferred by the deer since they have larger, softer, and tastier buds essentially. There is also the problem of trying to manage for populations. The deer mostly browse fir, but occasionally spruce buds will browsed as well. When this happens, it’s strong evidence that the populations are growing rapidly, since the deer tend to stay one area rather than travel through the forest.
The tree felling was awesome! Germans do not clear cut their forests as we sometimes do in the US. They selectively cut trees every 10 years in a certain area. Their ultimately goals for their forests are to be uneven-aged and mixed deciduous-coniferous stands of beech, spruce and fir. So, by selectively cutting larger trees every ten years, it allows the smaller ones to grow. I should say that they prefer the fir, since it grows rapidly in the first few years, as do the spruce, but fir are still preferred since they are more valuable from an economical and profitable standpoint. Kind of an interesting take on the issue of forest management…
Ok, back to tree felling! We got to see two large, 80-100 year old silver firs fall. The whole process of felling one tree took about 15 minutes! They have worked out a system by doing a series of cuts that allows them to control where a tree will fall. It’s crazy! It has to do with where the first cut is made, at what angle cuts are made, how much pressure is on the cable holding the tree. Tree felling is a science in and of itself, I would wager. It’s crazy to think that the amount of pressure on the cable will make or break which direction a tree will fall! I suppose it’s not rocket science that you would want to control when and where a tree will fall, especially for safety reasons, but then what do I know about forestry, except for the last few weeks? I concern myself with trees when they impede or are lacking within a certain animal habitat…
Well, I think I’d better get at that packing, make sure I’m not going to over the weight limit with all that schnapps, wine, and Jameson….not really, but there may end up being a stowaway in my bag on the way back. Not really all that bad when you think about it :)
Now onto Iceland!!
On the bright side, we had a massive farewell feast with our German hosts: red deer venison, real potato salad, wurstsalat, mixed veggies, and BREAD!!! Heaven, I tell you. I am now a content butterball :)
Our last two days of lecture and field trips were actually very interesting. We visited a waste management plant, a biogas plants and observed some large timber cutting. While I may not have comprehended everything as well I wished I could, I still enjoyed it all the same.
The Böblingen Biomass Thermal Power Station was very unique. A little background on German waste/recycling management: they are eons ahead of us!! They sort everything. I mean everything! In our room, we have three baskets depending on what kind of waste it is and when all is collected, it’s further sorted! Anyhow, this plant basically incinerates everything that cannot be recycled and has a special system to clean and filter out any of the emissions that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. Heat and electricity are produced in the processes and then are stored and used to heat and provide electricity for about 40,000 people in the area of the plant!! This is the gist of it. The Biogas plant also works in a similar fashion. The intricate details of the processes are lost on me since I am hopeless when it comes to physics and chemistry! That and a lot is lost in translation (no pun intended, but true!)
Yesterday was yet another day spent wandering through the Black Forest, surveying for red and roe deer browsing damage as well as seeing a few large trees be felled. There is a significant problem with deer browsing, especially since the deer browse on the species the Germans are trying most to have regenerated. The white/silver fir is preferred by the deer since they have larger, softer, and tastier buds essentially. There is also the problem of trying to manage for populations. The deer mostly browse fir, but occasionally spruce buds will browsed as well. When this happens, it’s strong evidence that the populations are growing rapidly, since the deer tend to stay one area rather than travel through the forest.
The tree felling was awesome! Germans do not clear cut their forests as we sometimes do in the US. They selectively cut trees every 10 years in a certain area. Their ultimately goals for their forests are to be uneven-aged and mixed deciduous-coniferous stands of beech, spruce and fir. So, by selectively cutting larger trees every ten years, it allows the smaller ones to grow. I should say that they prefer the fir, since it grows rapidly in the first few years, as do the spruce, but fir are still preferred since they are more valuable from an economical and profitable standpoint. Kind of an interesting take on the issue of forest management…
Ok, back to tree felling! We got to see two large, 80-100 year old silver firs fall. The whole process of felling one tree took about 15 minutes! They have worked out a system by doing a series of cuts that allows them to control where a tree will fall. It’s crazy! It has to do with where the first cut is made, at what angle cuts are made, how much pressure is on the cable holding the tree. Tree felling is a science in and of itself, I would wager. It’s crazy to think that the amount of pressure on the cable will make or break which direction a tree will fall! I suppose it’s not rocket science that you would want to control when and where a tree will fall, especially for safety reasons, but then what do I know about forestry, except for the last few weeks? I concern myself with trees when they impede or are lacking within a certain animal habitat…
Well, I think I’d better get at that packing, make sure I’m not going to over the weight limit with all that schnapps, wine, and Jameson….not really, but there may end up being a stowaway in my bag on the way back. Not really all that bad when you think about it :)
Now onto Iceland!!
09 August 2010
Toppa the afternoon to yeh, ladies an' gents!
Hello friends!
Well, I made it back to the castle in one piece, more or less, after an entire day spent en route. The weekend in Ireland was awesome! We were pleasantly surprised by such nice weather after looking at a forecast of rain for most of the weekend. It misted here and there, but was sunny quite a bit of the time. The travel time to Ireland was just as intense as getting back, but all the time spent in between went by like a blur. One day in Cork and then two spent in Killarney. Killarney is probably my new favorite city! (More on this later!)
We wasted no time from the minute we landed in Cork! We went straight to the hostel... well almost...we missed a turn somewhere along the way, but were guided back to the right back by a helpful woman. Most people we encountered were very genuine and so friendly, willing to help at the drop of a hat. Quite a bit different from home and here in Germany. Our hostel was nice for the cheap price we paid, co-ed dorms (surprise there! No one snored so all was well and good), weird, but neat maze-like hallways to navigate, friendly and knowledgeable desk workers, etc.
From the hostel, we went onto Midleton, home of the original Jameson Irish Whiskey Factory. Again, there is probably no surprise here considering we were four college students :) Anyhow, we went on a tour of the factory and were shown all the ins and outs of it, how whiskey is made, right from the grain down to the distillery process. After, we were given complimentary glasses of whiskey. There was a tasting of three different whiskeys: Jameson, Jack Daniels and Scotch (can't remember which though). All that's really important here is that we are now certified whiskey taste testers and that Jameson truly is the smoothest :)
We took a detour after the Jameson factory to Cobh (pronounced like Cove) which is situated right in the harbor out to the ocean. It was interesting to find out that Cobh was the last place the Titanic docked before heading out the open sea. One of the original dock landings is still in the water! We had a supper of fish and chips on the water along with mashed peas. Mashed peas don't sound all that great, but surprising they were pretty tasty, as was the fish :)
After Cork, we went onto Killarney, which is further west than Cork. As I said before, Killarney is probably my favorite new place. Killarney Town as it's called is a really neat place, all the shops, pubs, restaurants, monuments. It's a fun place to walk the streets after dark and just listen to all the music coming out of every open door. Of course you can guess we went to a pub or two every night, because it wouldn't be a trip to Ireland, without experiencing a night or two out at a pub with a pint :) It was funny that music sessions always began around 9.30 pm and then went to pub close at 11.30 pm. It was a little different. Everything literally shut down after midnight at the latest! The music was great to listen to: lots of traditional music, sad and happy alike. I loved it!!
I should insert here that I'm not a huge fan of those big bus tours that lots of people take. Actually I really dislike them, and guess what I did? I added myself to list that set out from our hostel bright and early yesterday morning! And I had an awesome time! It was what I imagine to go on an older person's tour to say, Branson, MO The Dingle Peninsula was really scenic and beautiful. Funny name to it, but it was an awesome tour. So green, and the ocean was so blue! I couldn't believe how blue it was!! Our guide had quite a bit of humorous side to him as well, which makes a tour like that more fun. It helped too that we were a smaller group.
All in all, it was a great trip! I only wish there was more time to explore it. Guess I'll to come back here too. Sorry for the short-ish update. Other internet people are breathing down my neck for the cable! Three more days and we're off to Iceland!!
Well, I made it back to the castle in one piece, more or less, after an entire day spent en route. The weekend in Ireland was awesome! We were pleasantly surprised by such nice weather after looking at a forecast of rain for most of the weekend. It misted here and there, but was sunny quite a bit of the time. The travel time to Ireland was just as intense as getting back, but all the time spent in between went by like a blur. One day in Cork and then two spent in Killarney. Killarney is probably my new favorite city! (More on this later!)
We wasted no time from the minute we landed in Cork! We went straight to the hostel... well almost...we missed a turn somewhere along the way, but were guided back to the right back by a helpful woman. Most people we encountered were very genuine and so friendly, willing to help at the drop of a hat. Quite a bit different from home and here in Germany. Our hostel was nice for the cheap price we paid, co-ed dorms (surprise there! No one snored so all was well and good), weird, but neat maze-like hallways to navigate, friendly and knowledgeable desk workers, etc.
From the hostel, we went onto Midleton, home of the original Jameson Irish Whiskey Factory. Again, there is probably no surprise here considering we were four college students :) Anyhow, we went on a tour of the factory and were shown all the ins and outs of it, how whiskey is made, right from the grain down to the distillery process. After, we were given complimentary glasses of whiskey. There was a tasting of three different whiskeys: Jameson, Jack Daniels and Scotch (can't remember which though). All that's really important here is that we are now certified whiskey taste testers and that Jameson truly is the smoothest :)
We took a detour after the Jameson factory to Cobh (pronounced like Cove) which is situated right in the harbor out to the ocean. It was interesting to find out that Cobh was the last place the Titanic docked before heading out the open sea. One of the original dock landings is still in the water! We had a supper of fish and chips on the water along with mashed peas. Mashed peas don't sound all that great, but surprising they were pretty tasty, as was the fish :)
After Cork, we went onto Killarney, which is further west than Cork. As I said before, Killarney is probably my favorite new place. Killarney Town as it's called is a really neat place, all the shops, pubs, restaurants, monuments. It's a fun place to walk the streets after dark and just listen to all the music coming out of every open door. Of course you can guess we went to a pub or two every night, because it wouldn't be a trip to Ireland, without experiencing a night or two out at a pub with a pint :) It was funny that music sessions always began around 9.30 pm and then went to pub close at 11.30 pm. It was a little different. Everything literally shut down after midnight at the latest! The music was great to listen to: lots of traditional music, sad and happy alike. I loved it!!
I should insert here that I'm not a huge fan of those big bus tours that lots of people take. Actually I really dislike them, and guess what I did? I added myself to list that set out from our hostel bright and early yesterday morning! And I had an awesome time! It was what I imagine to go on an older person's tour to say, Branson, MO The Dingle Peninsula was really scenic and beautiful. Funny name to it, but it was an awesome tour. So green, and the ocean was so blue! I couldn't believe how blue it was!! Our guide had quite a bit of humorous side to him as well, which makes a tour like that more fun. It helped too that we were a smaller group.
All in all, it was a great trip! I only wish there was more time to explore it. Guess I'll to come back here too. Sorry for the short-ish update. Other internet people are breathing down my neck for the cable! Three more days and we're off to Iceland!!
04 August 2010
Now we will visit the place of my juvenile and spawning habitat!
Freiburg—04.08.2010
So there is a story that goes along with that heading....be patient!
We’ve made it to Freiburg and already our last day is tomorrow! I should say that we only had one full day here (today), but yesterday worked our way from Altensteig to Freiburg on a tour of sorts.
Yesterday, we visited various hydro-electric plants along the River Rhine as well as a salmon hatchery that is maintained completely on a volunteer basis. Salmon was the magic word of the day yesterday! The main concern with the electric plants along the Rhine is creating fish ladders at the plants/dams for the salmon to migrate back to their spawning grounds. Our guide, Fabian, (no not Fabio!) has played a crucial part in trying to reintroduce Atlantic salmon into the Rhine system and to create a new Rhine River salmon since that sub-species of salmon became extinct in the 1950s.
In addition to losing the last of this species, the Rhine has also been a fairly polluted river and became more so in about 1990 when many chemicals were accidentally released into the river, virtually making it an aquatic desert. Literally, it was not able to support any life forms. Since then the Germans have been working with France, the Netherlands, and other with ties to the River Rhine in order to clean up the river.
Now, however, the river is clean and fish are abundant. Salmon are of particular interest as they require a specialized habitat, much like Pacific salmon, so they are working toward making it easier for the salmon to migrate through river systems. The first hydro-plant we visited had a very intricate fish ladder system and large electrical output-as any as 185,000 homes received electricity from this one plant! The subsequent fish ladders we visited were not quite as large or industrial looking, but much more "natural" with stones to facilitate the ladders.
The salmon hatchery we visited in between the hydro-plants was probably THE highlight of the day. I didn't realize before we got there that the entire hatchery is maintained on a volunteer basis and Fabian has had a large part in this also. Basically they are working to create a new Rhine River salmon using the genetic strains from a France and the Atlantic salmon. There are a few salmon used purely for breeding purposes while others go through their entire life cycles from the streams they hatch, to the time they spend in the ocean and then back to the streams. There was a holding pond of about 10,000 five month old fry that we were able to see, which was neat. Think of a small minnow you fish with and that's how big they were.
Now onto today, we had Fabian as our guide again to show us around his "juvenile" habitat where he grew up and the spawning ground where he and his family live. It was one of those you-had-to-be-there moments, but it was really funny at 7.30 in the morning either way. We went on a good hike today along the Kaiserstuhl, a ridge of sorts in between the hills of the Black Forest and the Rhine Valley. In this area, there are a lot of vineyards, so naturally we spent half the day hiking and wine tasting! :)
In the vineyards we visited, they use a hybrid grape that has American roots and a European trunk and shoots. The American roots are grafted on to the European trunk because they are more well adapted to a lice in the soil that feeds on the roots of the grapes. It was interesting, especially since I know next to nothing about wine in general. All the wine we tasted was amazing. I even got a little light-headed after six different wines and then a special wild cherry liqueur after the picnic we had.
There will be more photos to come and more updates of course! I leave for Ireland tomorrow and can't wait!
So there is a story that goes along with that heading....be patient!
We’ve made it to Freiburg and already our last day is tomorrow! I should say that we only had one full day here (today), but yesterday worked our way from Altensteig to Freiburg on a tour of sorts.
Yesterday, we visited various hydro-electric plants along the River Rhine as well as a salmon hatchery that is maintained completely on a volunteer basis. Salmon was the magic word of the day yesterday! The main concern with the electric plants along the Rhine is creating fish ladders at the plants/dams for the salmon to migrate back to their spawning grounds. Our guide, Fabian, (no not Fabio!) has played a crucial part in trying to reintroduce Atlantic salmon into the Rhine system and to create a new Rhine River salmon since that sub-species of salmon became extinct in the 1950s.
In addition to losing the last of this species, the Rhine has also been a fairly polluted river and became more so in about 1990 when many chemicals were accidentally released into the river, virtually making it an aquatic desert. Literally, it was not able to support any life forms. Since then the Germans have been working with France, the Netherlands, and other with ties to the River Rhine in order to clean up the river.
Now, however, the river is clean and fish are abundant. Salmon are of particular interest as they require a specialized habitat, much like Pacific salmon, so they are working toward making it easier for the salmon to migrate through river systems. The first hydro-plant we visited had a very intricate fish ladder system and large electrical output-as any as 185,000 homes received electricity from this one plant! The subsequent fish ladders we visited were not quite as large or industrial looking, but much more "natural" with stones to facilitate the ladders.
The salmon hatchery we visited in between the hydro-plants was probably THE highlight of the day. I didn't realize before we got there that the entire hatchery is maintained on a volunteer basis and Fabian has had a large part in this also. Basically they are working to create a new Rhine River salmon using the genetic strains from a France and the Atlantic salmon. There are a few salmon used purely for breeding purposes while others go through their entire life cycles from the streams they hatch, to the time they spend in the ocean and then back to the streams. There was a holding pond of about 10,000 five month old fry that we were able to see, which was neat. Think of a small minnow you fish with and that's how big they were.
Now onto today, we had Fabian as our guide again to show us around his "juvenile" habitat where he grew up and the spawning ground where he and his family live. It was one of those you-had-to-be-there moments, but it was really funny at 7.30 in the morning either way. We went on a good hike today along the Kaiserstuhl, a ridge of sorts in between the hills of the Black Forest and the Rhine Valley. In this area, there are a lot of vineyards, so naturally we spent half the day hiking and wine tasting! :)
In the vineyards we visited, they use a hybrid grape that has American roots and a European trunk and shoots. The American roots are grafted on to the European trunk because they are more well adapted to a lice in the soil that feeds on the roots of the grapes. It was interesting, especially since I know next to nothing about wine in general. All the wine we tasted was amazing. I even got a little light-headed after six different wines and then a special wild cherry liqueur after the picnic we had.
There will be more photos to come and more updates of course! I leave for Ireland tomorrow and can't wait!
02 August 2010
What shall we do with a drunken sailor...early in the morning?
02.08.2010
And no, this isn’t a huge reference, more like trying to find something we all knew the words to so we could sing with the piano! :)
The last few days have been very laid back, much of which was spent playing ping pong, cards, and hiking or reading. I only brought two books with me and I’ve been good insofar. I’ve only just finished the first and have barely just started the second so I think I’m okay for at least a little while.
We made the hour and half trek down into Altensteig early on in order to get supplies for the weekend (aka mostly food items since the wonderful Ingeborg, who cooks for us, was off for the weekend). Any trip down into the valley is a day trip considering the severe changes in elevation and when you get there, you have to treat yourself to a little something (ice cream or a kebab!) before you head back up with all the extra weight on your back. Anyhow, our supplies included stuff to grill out with, which was an awesome time! We sat at the fire for at least a few hours in one sitting before we’d make it back to the Wonder Bar for other “treats” :)
Other than the hike down to Altensteig, a couple of us walked to Hornberg, another small village nearby. It's a rural little village surrounded by wheat and corn fields. There are also three sequoia trees about 250 years old in Hornberg. The story goes that the king at the time (a little fuzzy on which one) envied the large trees on America's west coast. Thinking that large trees were produced from large seeds, he ordered ten pounds of sequoia seeds to be brought from America, wanting to plant them all over his palace. Turns out, he greatly overestimated (sequoia seeds are very small) and then proclaimed that the seeds be spread all over....hence three of them now in Hornberg. Pretty neat!
Today was an awesome, even though it was spent hiking in the rain for the most part. We were given some hands-on experience today with habitat surveying and conducting browsing damage assessments. The habitat surveys were done for capercaillies, an extremely endangered ground dwelling bird. It's roughly the size of a turkey, but all black for the most part. The damage assessments were done to see how much roe deer were affecting the regeneration of silver fir, spruce, and jack pine. Silver fir are hit the hardest since the roe deer find them to be the tastiest.
This is a quick update, but there will be more. We are on our way to Freiburg tomorrow morning at 7am to visit a salmon hatchery and renweable energy plant. I still need to figure out packing...
Our next free weekend begins on Thursday and so begins the final countdown to Ireland in THREE DAYS!!!!
And no, this isn’t a huge reference, more like trying to find something we all knew the words to so we could sing with the piano! :)
The last few days have been very laid back, much of which was spent playing ping pong, cards, and hiking or reading. I only brought two books with me and I’ve been good insofar. I’ve only just finished the first and have barely just started the second so I think I’m okay for at least a little while.
We made the hour and half trek down into Altensteig early on in order to get supplies for the weekend (aka mostly food items since the wonderful Ingeborg, who cooks for us, was off for the weekend). Any trip down into the valley is a day trip considering the severe changes in elevation and when you get there, you have to treat yourself to a little something (ice cream or a kebab!) before you head back up with all the extra weight on your back. Anyhow, our supplies included stuff to grill out with, which was an awesome time! We sat at the fire for at least a few hours in one sitting before we’d make it back to the Wonder Bar for other “treats” :)
Other than the hike down to Altensteig, a couple of us walked to Hornberg, another small village nearby. It's a rural little village surrounded by wheat and corn fields. There are also three sequoia trees about 250 years old in Hornberg. The story goes that the king at the time (a little fuzzy on which one) envied the large trees on America's west coast. Thinking that large trees were produced from large seeds, he ordered ten pounds of sequoia seeds to be brought from America, wanting to plant them all over his palace. Turns out, he greatly overestimated (sequoia seeds are very small) and then proclaimed that the seeds be spread all over....hence three of them now in Hornberg. Pretty neat!
Today was an awesome, even though it was spent hiking in the rain for the most part. We were given some hands-on experience today with habitat surveying and conducting browsing damage assessments. The habitat surveys were done for capercaillies, an extremely endangered ground dwelling bird. It's roughly the size of a turkey, but all black for the most part. The damage assessments were done to see how much roe deer were affecting the regeneration of silver fir, spruce, and jack pine. Silver fir are hit the hardest since the roe deer find them to be the tastiest.
This is a quick update, but there will be more. We are on our way to Freiburg tomorrow morning at 7am to visit a salmon hatchery and renweable energy plant. I still need to figure out packing...
Our next free weekend begins on Thursday and so begins the final countdown to Ireland in THREE DAYS!!!!
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