"Whoa, here he comes! Move the van closer!"All leaning to the left-hand side of the van, we stretched to see the massive bull bison saunter across the road. With hardly a glance at the cluster of cars, minivans and camera-toting tourists, the bison glided across the road like a slow-motion locomotive, switching his tail and trailing a cloud of dust and flies. We took pictures, shared observations, shook our heads as the bison joined his herd, a group of about twenty cows, young bulls, and calves. Calves scampered in the dust, and their mothers protectively shooed away others who came too close. Just another day on the range.
What a way to end the recreation day!
Today was a day of "rest" from the work as data collectors. Without plans to search for nests, our day filled rapidly with plans for a hike at String Lake, a visit to the park visitor center in Moose, and perhaps most exciting - a trip to town! In short, a day as full as any day in the field.
And yet, it was a great opportunity to continue to get to know one another and connect as a team. We swapped stories on the trail, shared laughs at the picnic table, learned about the history of this beautiful place, and topped it all off with a cold adult beverage or a frosty ice cream.
With clean laundry for some, and t-shirts and guidebooks to commemorate our time in Jackson, we returned to the TSS campus for dinner and discussion about how to engage people and learners in environmental action. Surely tomorrow's teams will be more efficient, more connected, and better at finding nests!
Tomorrow, it's back to the field, and early. Breakfast at 5:30 for a meeting with the bird banding team at 7:00!
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