I was able to take lead on an archery project that just finished up today which was very satisfying to see it start to finish. I have also  had two excellent wildlife viewing experiences, and I have many plans on my calendar for this month moving forward with training, travel, projects and more. 

The first wildlife viewing experience was with the CPW Statewide Education Department team. I  had a fun time going out to Monte Vista and Wray Colorado in March to view some incredible wildlife. We first set out for Monte Vista to attend a tour of the Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility, which was a great introduction to the town. The next day we were up bright and early to meet at Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge to see the Greater Sandhill Cranes. Here, we set up spotting scopes, cameras, and a “change my mind” interactive board. Community members and volunteers especially enjoyed using our spotting scopes; we also used Spot Shot, a device that sends the image from a scope to a connected smartphone. CPW volunteers were spread out throughout the refuge and helped us answer questions, pass out stickers, and interact with visitors. There were bus tours running each morning to help get people out to the refuge to view cranes feeding in the barley fields. Cranes have a variety of dance displays - each display has a different meaning and, if you watch them for long enough, you can distinguish the different dances and other behaviors. You could even observe CPW staff dancing away alongside the birds to stay warm! 

After the morning viewing we visited the CPW booth and other vendors at the Sky Hi Building where we also had the “change my mind” activity. Then it was time to head back out to the refuge for the evening bus tours. We were excited to find time throughout the weekend to stop by a tasty Amish bakery that was close by, and catch a showing of “Wings Over Water.” This was a great documentary on the migration path of Sandhill Cranes, which is highly recommended if you want to learn more. Monte Vista is known for this annual Crane Festival and the town puts on an excellent show to welcome the birds each year. Painted crane sculptures line the town's roads as the cranes fly overhead. Visitors and volunteers have been making the trip to this beautiful city year after year like clockwork. Around 23 to 27 thousand cranes migrate biannually through the San Luis Valley, but these birds can be found from Alaska to Cuba depending on the time of year and species.

For my second wildlife viewing trip this month the CPW Education team met a few weeks after the Crane Festival with the local District Wildlife Manager, Josh Melby at the Wray Museum. Mr. Melby gave us an excellent presentation on what to expect for the Greater Prairie Chicken tour. People come from around the world to attend this tour to see these chickens at their booming ground, or “lek”. The next morning was another early wakeup call where we drove out to a trailer blind before the sun was up. What might have been the start to a classic horror film as we walked up to an empty trailer in the middle of a field in pitch dark turned into a cozy viewing of the sunrise filled with excited whispers as the males started showing up. You could hear the booming of the chickens before you could make out their fierce dancing to protect their territory. We were able to see around a dozen males at this location and two or three females. The males' booming calls and behaviors changed the second the females came into the picture, which some might say is a universal behavior. We were able to stay out in the blind until around 8:00 am and then headed back to town for breakfast. It was a wonderful morning and if you have the chance to join Mr. Melby for a tour out in Wray, I would highly recommend making the trip! I cannot wait to see what this month will bring with this MANO internship. I am very grateful for this opportunity and experience.