For the past two months, I have had the privilege of working as an intern for the Audubon Center and Sanctuary here at Beidler Forest. Growing up in the Piedmont region of North Carolina and attending school in the mountains at Appalachian State, spending a summer in the swamp has been an experience like no other. Saying that I have loved my time here would be an understatement, as it has already given me experiences, lessons, and memories I wouldn’t have found anywhere else. With about a month left here in the Lowcountry, I’m looking forward to learning new skills and building on everything I’ve learned so far.

A big part of my work at Beidler has involved participating in several bird banding projects, including MAPS, Project PROTHO, and Project MartinWatch. Each of these has its own mission, but the work on our end is pretty similar for all three. MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) is the most general of the three and involves setting up ten mist nets around the Beidler campus to capture and band any birds that fly into them. We conduct ten MAPS sessions each season, spaced about ten days apart, and we’ve already caught and recorded data on dozens of birds for the project. After each capture, we apply a band and log key information like age, size, feather condition, and more. All of this data is submitted to a national database to help track bird survivorship and movement. While we’re just one small piece of a much larger puzzle, it’s rewarding to know that our work contributes to broader knowledge about habitat conservation and bird populations as a whole.

In addition to the banding projects, I’ve also worked with the coastal team at Audubon South Carolina. I’ve helped with a couple of different tasks, but mainly nest monitoring and seabird stewardship. The nest monitoring has been a really eye-opening experience for me, as it has made me realize how close humans often are to shorebird nests, and how much of an impact we can have on their survival. We’ve monitored several Wilson’s Plover nests, and I’ve been able to observe everything from eggs and chicks to adults. I’ve assisted in keeping notes on nest conditions, parent behavior, and chick survival. While this work isn’t as hands-on as banding, it’s just as important for understanding how these species are doing in the wild. 

Overall, I have nothing but great things to say about my time with Audubon South Carolina. I’ve met so many amazing people at both Beidler and on the coast, and I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. I’ve had a passion for birds and the outdoors since I was a child, so it has been a blessing to spend the summer working a hands-on role with some of my biggest interests. I’ve loved everything about being here so far, and I’m excited to see what the rest of the season has in store.