Hello, my name is Sophie Nichols. This semester I had the opportunity to work alongside Aaron McCall at The Nature Conservancy’s Nags Head Woods Preserve. After telling Linda and Lindsay I wanted to work for a refuge / preserve, while also tackling on a semester-long GIS mapping project, I was placed at Nags Head Woods. Although I learned about conservation management in several of my classes, I wanted to gain hands-on experience working in these protected spaces. I wondered what management looked like day-to-day and how the non-profit machine operated to preserve these key habitats. Also, I have an interest in GIS, so I wanted to build my skills over this semester.
What is Nags Head Woods?
Nags Head Woods is a preserve owned by the Nature Conservancy. The towns Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills donated patches of land to the Nature Conservancy, but the non-profit also purchased tracts outright. Unlike most preserved lands, the public is able to traverse and hunt (bow hunting only) in these spaces. As a maritime forest, these woods grow atop relic dunes on ridges and in swales. Nags Head Woods is home to over 550 animals including river otters, muskrats, bobcats, warblers and many others.
At my internship, I balanced outdoor work (e.g. invasive removal & trail
maintenance) and mapping tasks (designing & publishing print/web maps).
I also learned about coastal invasives––english ivy, pampas grass and nutria. Although weeding can be monotonous at times, it provides a time to destress, observe nature, and think holistically about conservation management.
Being deep in the weeds forced me to slow down and watch my surroundings. I saw tiny frogs hug the coneflower stalks, bumble bees buzz around the native perennials and heard pileated woodpeckers drill away at the pines. Being around these animals helped me realize how interconnected all the
species are and how important it is to conserve forests in developing areas. Also, since ArcGis Pro can be especially finicky, being able to step outside and walk the trails to collect my thoughts and create a game plan was great.
Another aspect I enjoyed was talking to visitors. Anyone can ring a bell at the front office, and my coworkers and I will answer their questions. Taking a break and talking to visitors and locals about the woods, ponds, and trails, was a great experience. I also got lucky, because my internship was especially flexible. One day I tagged along with Aaron to Swans Quarter to record a living shoreline. I learned about the prevalent communication conflict between biologists and engineers, as well as what materials are key to rebuilding marshes. Another day, I walked every single trail at Nags Head Woods, clocking in about 17,000 steps or just over 9 miles.
As for my semester-long project, I worked on creating a Hunters’ Map and General Map for Nags Head Woods. Aaron worked with me to devise this project. To make these maps, I first researched the Nags Head Woods deer management program and learned about the local hunters bow-hunting in the forest. Then I designed a map, utilized historic data, and generated new data to create the map. The reason I walked 9 miles one day was to record polylines, tracks, of every single trail via a handheld Garmin device. I’d never recorded data like this, so I enjoyed the novelty of it.
Overall, I learned a lot from my work and coworkers. I gained knowledge about coastal easements and accompanying management and strengthened my mapping skills.
Lastly, I want to say thank you to my coworkers Eric, Lora and Aaron. It was never a dull moment in the office. I learned a lot by just asking questions and listening to you guys talk about things like carbon offsets, or interview candidates for the Elizabethan gardens. I learned a lot from our work days and the project you, Aaron, designed for me. Also, special thanks for fixing my flat tire on the first day of internship.