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This past summer I had an amazing opportunity to partake in conservation research abroad. I was based out of Gießen, Germany, just north of Frankfurt. I directly assisted a woman completing her PhD on migratory birds in the area, specifically turtle doves, wood pigeons and stock doves. The main goal of this research was to track the birds’ migrations --especially the turtle doves which migrate from Germany to Sub-Saharan Africa through several suspected migration routes. Having increased knowledge about where these turtle doves migrate through, stop over, winter, and breed allows for the currently declining species to be better protected. This is because in many of the territories they are suspected to enter during their routes, particularly islands off of Greece, they are often hunted in large numbers. With further knowledge about and proof of their migration routes, cases can be made to governments and wildlife protection agencies to help protect these birds even when they cross international boarders outside of Germany, where they are currently protected.
Having studied Environmental Science and Integrative Biology at Harvard, I thought I was well prepared for field work, but quickly found that it was much different than the lectures and laboratories that I was used to. For example, if animals were used in the classroom it was usually kept to the extent of a dead frog or insect, but live birds can and will try to fly away. From coming to lab and having the bench all set up for me, to hiking out into a field and setting up giant mist nets to catch our specimens I quickly learned that the set up for a scientific study is often much more intensive than the study itself. Some days I would sit in a camouflage tent for 5 hours at a time in the summers heat, remaining silent, only for no birds to fly close enough to set off the whoosh net. Then again, you never know what can happen with field work. After a 6-hour drive to the Polish border, I was rewarded with 3 turtle doves flying into cages I set out within a single day!
Once the birds were caught, the next step was to take the required samples: wing span, tarsus length, mass, a blood smear, and a throat swab to test for parasites. The more difficult part then came: gluing on their backpacks. This was a two-person job. Usually my boss would hold the bird as still as possible, while I would loop the straps around the bird’s neck and under each wing. What we were attaching was the key to the research, other than the birds of course, being the solar panel powered tracking device. These devices were set to transmit a signal back every 10 hours and have worked well so far as most of the birds have left Germany on their migration paths!
Overall it was a fantastic opportunity this summer for me to not only gain experience in conservation field work, but also to live abroad. Being far away from friends and family and getting my own apartment forced me to realize a true sense of independence. Not to mention once you’re in Europe its so much easier to travel! With many, many train rides I was able to see Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Cologne, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Prague, Vienna and London! I would highly recommend an internship working abroad for anyone who is considering!
Having studied Environmental Science and Integrative Biology at Harvard, I thought I was well prepared for field work, but quickly found that it was much different than the lectures and laboratories that I was used to. For example, if animals were used in the classroom it was usually kept to the extent of a dead frog or insect, but live birds can and will try to fly away. From coming to lab and having the bench all set up for me, to hiking out into a field and setting up giant mist nets to catch our specimens I quickly learned that the set up for a scientific study is often much more intensive than the study itself. Some days I would sit in a camouflage tent for 5 hours at a time in the summers heat, remaining silent, only for no birds to fly close enough to set off the whoosh net. Then again, you never know what can happen with field work. After a 6-hour drive to the Polish border, I was rewarded with 3 turtle doves flying into cages I set out within a single day!
Once the birds were caught, the next step was to take the required samples: wing span, tarsus length, mass, a blood smear, and a throat swab to test for parasites. The more difficult part then came: gluing on their backpacks. This was a two-person job. Usually my boss would hold the bird as still as possible, while I would loop the straps around the bird’s neck and under each wing. What we were attaching was the key to the research, other than the birds of course, being the solar panel powered tracking device. These devices were set to transmit a signal back every 10 hours and have worked well so far as most of the birds have left Germany on their migration paths!
Overall it was a fantastic opportunity this summer for me to not only gain experience in conservation field work, but also to live abroad. Being far away from friends and family and getting my own apartment forced me to realize a true sense of independence. Not to mention once you’re in Europe its so much easier to travel! With many, many train rides I was able to see Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Cologne, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Prague, Vienna and London! I would highly recommend an internship working abroad for anyone who is considering!
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