By Zach Schmolka ’22
For the last few weeks, besides school work, I’ve tried my best to stick to a “Gould Schedule” meaning that I’ve tried to be active in clubs and activities. As a part of the Outing Club, I’ve been going on frequent bike rides, and hikes in the woods with my two dogs.
When out and about, I make sure to always have my camera with me – in case I encounter any awesome wildlife! When I go into the woods looking for birds (without my dogs) I make sure to have my camera out – to catch anything that might fly by. Over the last few weeks, I’ve seen hundreds of birds — from cedar waxwings to cardinals and eagles, and of course, I’ve seen a fair share of squirrels throughout the woods. Along the water, I’ve seen eagles, herons, seagulls, and even two harbor seals.
Even though I’m not at Gould right now, I’ve still been able to watch my fair share of wildlife. I’m using my skills of navigation and tracking animals, and I’ve been covering more distance than I would at Gould. On the other hand, being at home, and having to go on these outings myself have brought their own challenges. If I go out on the search for animals, and I encounter bad weather, it takes a lot longer to bike a few miles back home than it would to just take a brisk walk to my dorm room and wait out the storm inside with my roommates.
When life is back to normal, and we’re able to return to school, I’ll definitely start up a bird-watching (and other wildlife) club! I’m looking forward to walking around the lower fields and Pine Hill again — searching for the fox den that is somewhere very close to campus and exploring the beaver dams for the first time.
Of course, I’m looking forward to getting back to campus and continuing life with my friends and teachers. There are a few things I’m missing most about not being on campus in the spring, but one of the main reasons is not being able to do Polar Bears with Mr. Siekman, and all the other students and faculty. Mr. Siekman is still having us go swimming in the freezing cold water around our houses, but let me tell you… It’s a lot harder to motivate myself to go in the water without the company of dozens of friends.
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