It was 1985, and I was cutting another net lane to catch Wood Thrushes as part of my Master’s thesis research in southern Veracruz, Mexico. Steve Stucker was there with me, and our machetes were flashing as we cut rainforest vegetation to create a 12-meter lane about 1.5 meters wide where we would put a mist net.
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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Lots
Heavy forest fires in Interior Alaska some years back burned down a lot of trees. But these fires also changed human behavior, and not necessarily for the better. Who would want a home in the woods if your house might burn down? The woods still saw new homes going up, but in many cases trees were being removed with excessive exuberance. Instead of the standard 30-foot clearing around a home to serve as a fire buffer, 60-foot buffers were often created, or whole lots were being cleared. Forest one day, stumps the next. It was ugly.
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Farewell, Good Friend
It was with great sadness that we learned today that our good friend Bob Dickerman passed away. He had recently suffered a stroke and died as he wished, peacefully at home. He was a remarkable person and had a remarkable life. He was a good friend, and he will be sorely missed.
Monkey Ski, Monkey Do!
March is my favorite month in Fairbanks. It is breathtakingly beautiful. The sun is bright, temperatures are generally mild, and the snow conditions are superb. Also, we still get great auroras at night. And the days rocket past 12 hours of possible sunlight, so you can ski into the evening – with sunglasses. It is awesome.
Bad Bulb Monkey
How many Ph.D.s does it take to change a light bulb?
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