Our day today was packed.
As incredibly exciting and fulfilling as today was, it was equally exhausting. For the sake of our sleep schedules and easy readability, we’ll keep this quick.
The Return of the Pauly
While being online for the duration of this program has had its lows, to an extent it’s been a blessing in disguise. Being online has allowed us to connect with incredible people we would have otherwise never met, including the likes of Daniel Pauly.
In his second appearance with us, Dr. Pauly shared one of his more recent studies. His research suggests that as our oceans warm, the fish that inhabit them will become increasingly small due to a lack of oxygen. We are honored to be one of the first student groups he has shared this lesson with and we hope to help spread his crucial message worldwide.
Mo Sea Stars!
In between scrambles to complete posters, Mo Turner joined us to talk sea stars. We’ve met many remarkable scientists during our time at Salish, so this being the second to last day, it was enjoyable to circle back around. It was definitely a more casual conversation; filled with random star-y questions. We even got a chance to view many of the specimens from one of FHL’s sea star galleries. The Vermillion Sea Star (pictured below) garnered many oohs and ahhs.
Lights, Camera, Action!
We spent countless hours today finalizing our posters and preparing to present our research. As nerve-wracking as it was, our discussions went surprisingly well. We each got to speak with an abundance of people ranging from family members to scientists we’ve never met before. It was nice to finally be able to wrap up our past few weeks of doing research and collecting data.
Getting Sleepy
It’s astonishing how fast time truly flies when you’re engaged, supported, and constantly amazed. This program has been a once in a lifetime experience for all of us. Despite our small group size of 6, we’ve accomplished more than we ever thought possible.
These past weeks have pushed us to improve our speaking, listening, and learning. In this time, we’ve connected with artists, activists, humorists, and scientists; many of which we could have only dreamed of meeting beforehand.
We have to thank those that have been essential in molding this time into an unforgettable period.
Derek, thank you for your constant enthusiasm and endless ideas. Kay, without your experience and guidance we’d surely be lost. Caroline, thank you for always helping us to improve. Tom, your technical savvy and inspiring ideas have saved the day more than once. Bea, thank you for your crucial project help. And, for all the inspiring guest speakers we’ve had, thank you for making time in your busy schedule to meet with us. It means the world.
To be completely honest, we could talk endlessly about all of the incredible experiences we’ve had with this program.
However, as we keep writing this, we’re beginning to get tired and we think we better call it a nigh…