With two of our three professors out of town this week for an academic conference, the field site had less scheduled activities but lots of work still to be done! We started our week as we normally do, working for our respective internships on Monday as well as Wednesday. This semester, I am interning with the organization Wetlands Watch. Because they are based in Norfolk, Virginia, I spend most of my internship days at the Coastal Studies Institute researching and gathering information to write a memo, my final project for my internship. My project involves researching if Virginia has protections in place for migrating wetlands growing on fill soil, and specifically how Norfolk should protect a research site I am assigned. Because I do not have any previous experience with wetlands, I have learned that they are vital to our planet serving as an ecosystem, and as a natural barrier for weather events. When I need a brain break from researching, I enjoy taking a lunch break outside overlooking the sound, observing any birds that may fly across the marshland.
On Tuesday and Thursday, we traveled to CSI for fewer classes than normal. Additionally, on Friday we went to CSI to listen to the second lecture for the law portion of our coastal law and policy course. We got a deep dive of the Endangered Species Act and learned about the Act’s specific protections and language. While we had less class times than normal this week, we still studied and completed assignments for the week, whether at the house or a favorite local coffee shop. A few of us also took part in the weekly zumba class at the Y. This was my first time attending the class and I left feeling tired, but hype after dancing my heart out for an hour. I definitely look forward to more zumba classes, especially with disco lights as it gets darker earlier at night.
On Friday and Saturday, I got to spend time with my lovely mother in the OBX. Friday night, we shared a delicious pie from Garden Deli and Pizzeria, located in Manteo, while watching some Netflix. We spent our Saturday morning grabbing breakfast in Kill Devil Hills and then driving to Duck. This was my first time exploring the town, and the fall decor that had been set up in the area was extremely adorable and festive. While we did not get Duck Donuts, we still had a good time checking out the town and walking out to the beach. After our exploration, we headed back to Nags Head for a little shopping at the outlet and may or may not have walked away with a few goodies (the outlet deals are no joke!). I spent the rest of Saturday watching the Tar Heels crush the Orange (rip Syracuse) in football, and ended the night playing some very competitive rounds of Dutch Blitz (ask Kenza to teach you how to play if you haven’t learned yet).
This week, I spent a lot of time appreciating the transition to autumn in the Outer Banks. It’s crazy to think that we’ve nearly hit the halfway mark of the semester, while it feels like we haven’t been here for very long. Yet the weather is getting chillier, pumpkin patches have begun, and fall flavors are abundant in coffee shops and grocery stores. Normally, my family makes a trip to the coast during early October for a time to drive on the beach and fish off the beach, so I am excited to experience the coast during the later fall weeks. While the leaves may not be changing color in Manteo, autumn has certainly arrived and it was a surprise to end the week with a high of 66 degrees!