With the imminent downsizing of the USGS EMA, maybe I'm throwing my grief out there. That this could be the end for this leg of my journey. And what a loss for our up-and-coming scientists. Yet I still hope we survive the downsizing.

And now monitoring nests on Alcatraz, mentoring interns that are now where I once was.

Admired the unique biodiversity just a short drive away.

From habitat restoration to waterfowl trapping and banding. I've learned about so many of our ecosystems.

What do the USGS Ecosystem Mission Areas (EMA) mean to me? They are where I gained the bulk of my wildlife experience: not only through fieldwork but also learning how to analyze those data.

When I started twelve years ago, I had no idea this was where I wanted to pursue my career.

Sorry, it belongs to the birds now.