My name is Aaron听and I am studying Environmental Biology with a specialization in Wildlife Biology. In Summer 2019, I did an internship working as a field assistant for 缅北强奸 PhD student Francis Van Oordt. Francis is studying the foraging ecology and energetics of resident Peruvian seabirds and so I spent my internship in Peru traveling back and forth between Lima and the remote islands which held our field sites. These islands housed the colonies of seabirds which Francis is studying with population numbers ranging from the thousands to over a million.
In the field, I helped identify active nest sites and then extract birds from their burrows which led to banding, taking body measurements, obtaining blood samples, and then releasing them. Learning how to properly handle seabirds of all different sizes in the palm of your hand is not always easy but it is very exciting! I have now personally handled Humboldt Penguins, Markham鈥檚 Storm Petrels, Peruvian Diving Petrels, and the silly Peruvian Booby. In my opinion, the penguins were the feistiest ones.
When not working directly with the birds, my job as a field assistant included听a wide variety of tasks. I spent a lot of time organizing data, cleaning used equipment, and preparing equipment for the next trip. Living on remote islands of course led to more mundane jobs as well, like cooking and cleaning, but most of the work was shared with the local guardians which just made the experience more interesting.
As a passionate birder with a special interest in seabirds, and as an aspiring field biologist specializing in ornithology, this opportunity was a dream come true. Ever since I was a child I have been watching nature films wishing I could one day be the biologist who gets to go study penguins or albatross in their natural habitat. The possibility of turning that dream into reality is why I decided to go to 缅北强奸. Now, after only my first year, I鈥檝e experienced a few听days听in the life of a field biologist鈥攆ulfilling that dream鈥攁nd have witnessed and learned firsthand how research in the field is conducted. In addition, I鈥檝e learned all about the ecosystem of the Humboldt Current, the seabirds of Peru, and seabird colonies, which, as a passionate naturalist seeking to explore the world, is priceless knowledge that could help lead to many more ventures. I鈥檓 extremely grateful for the internship, for I know that obtaining this specific first-hand field experience based on research related to ornithology will directly help me pursue many more opportunities in the future.
This experience confirmed my love of the ocean and its wildlife, and I am planning on going back to the big Blue for the next few summers. I also have a serious interest in perusing research on seabirds.
This internship was not just an amazing opportunity or something to put on a CV, it was the fulfilment of a dream for me and the first very big step toward听the life I envision for myself.
The听Iwanicki International Internship Award听allowed me to fulfill one of my dreams this summer: to spend many nights on the Pacific Ocean surrounded by stars, to study and help conserve the beautiful marine wildlife which I love, to see my first penguin, and even to听experience South America for the first time!
Thank you very much to Jack Iwanicki and the founders of the 缅北强奸 International Experience Awards for making this incredible experience possible!
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