So soon we’ll be headed north for a bird survey. Though the schedule will be on the birds’ time and the hours long it should be a fun trip. Not many things beat listening to bird songs in the mountains.
Daylight is still increasing at about six minutes every day  (over 20 hours of daylight now) and will help not just for visibility’s sake but also in keeping us alert. Its easy to forget that though you might be ready to head out, the clock on the wall says 9:00 p.m. not a.m.

Here’s how it should go : We’ll take a charter flight north and drive the highway stopping at regular intervals to get out, listen for a few minutes record which birds were seen or heard, jump back in the car drive a mile-ish and do it all over again. Intense, busy, but once there’s a rhythm to the process, very and even happily doable. Few people who enjoy nature especially in the north take things like bird songs, sunlight and warmth for granted. They are precious, and short lived so every moment is savored!

– T.Hill      CYFO BLM Fairbanks, AK

How and where do I begin? At the beginning I suppose.

I find myself extremely fortunate to be here in Alaska. It is a beautiful and very mild winter this year, which allows us to get a lot more time outside and to stave off the cabin fever. Of course it’s difficult to stay indoors when you don’t have to be, regardless of what the weather has in store, but the difference this year is you can get away with fewer layers and thus be able to move your limbs freely.
The sunlight is gradually returning (about 6 minutes a day), while at night the aurora borealis still, quite visibly, undulates with its neon greens across the sky which makes this time of year kind of “magical”.

I was very recently hired and amidst the blur of acronyms, paperwork, training etc. it’s difficult to pin down any one thing to talk about as far as the position goes. Two things worth mentioning are: I have met some very kind and helpful people who have each gone out of their way to welcome me. And the wildlife position I was hired for sounds very interesting! The general picture for the position focuses on Dall sheep usage of natural mineral licks and all the fun details associated with their visitations to these sites.
My next blog will definitely contain more information about the project as I increase my knowledge and exposure to well, everything I can get my hands on.
until then…….

T Hill

BLM – Central Yukon Field Office

Fairbanks, Alaska

Hello again from the north.
Like any good Midwesterner (current or former) I must talk about the weather at some point.
It has been, like in so many places, unseasonably warm. There is plenty of snow still on the ground and though the temps rarely rise above freezing, many Alskans are wearing short sleeve shirts while waiting for spring to officially arrive.
Training is still the primary focus of my work but at least now it is beginning to hone in on the specific needs of my position. Aviation training this week followed soon by things like bear safety and the like.
One step at a time towards the fun stuff! Until next time!
-T Hill
CYFO BLM Fairbanks, AK