Wetland
I've found that, though I keep my "day job" in order to help pay the bills, it also provides me with balance. As a wetland biologist, I go to an office (granted, an office with stacks of maps and plant specimens and the occasional pet turtle) or out in the field with a specific task, and I work with people. As a photographer, I've got a lot more freedom in what I choose to do and where I choose to go, and I often am alone. The balance between structured and "unstructured" and between social and solitary are good for me, I think.
Painted Turtle
Through my day job I also get to see some pretty cool places that most people don't get a chance too - perhaps they're on private property, or maybe folks just don't think of crashing through tick-ridden brush and thorny bull brier to reach the edge of a particularly dramatic marsh. Getting to see this hidden natural world is really inspiring. Both wetland science and photography hone the eye and teach me to notice things I may have otherwise passed by. I hope my concentration and observation come across in my photography, they sure are useful when marking the edge of a wetland!
To learn more about wetlands in Massachusetts, visit the Department of Environmental Protection's website, here.
I'm a huge fan of bogslogging, though admittedly, I avoid anything that feels like slogging. Two of my favorite bog walks: Corkscrew Swamp in Naples, Florida, and, more reasonably accessible to a northeasterner: Sapsucker Woods in Ithaca, NY.
ReplyDeleteHad the family at Sapsucker Woods last spring, and wrote about the outing here: Cityslipper: Swamp WalkIf you haven't been to Sapsucker Woods, add it to your list... and spend some time in Ithaca gorges as well. The walking trail from Upper Treman State Park to Lower Treman Park is sensational.
Ooh - I will have to check out Sapsucker Woods. I've been to some of the gorges around Ithaca - they're gorgeous (har har).
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