I’m halfway through my fourth week as an intern with Thicket of Diversity(TOD) at Big Thicket National Preserve in southeastsern Texas. TOD organizes the Preserve’s All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventory(ATBI), an interdisciplinary scientific effort to catalogue all species in the park. So far, TOD and its associated scientists have logged 117,418 specimens representing 2,714 individual species, 12 of which are new to science! Most of my time has been spent mapping these species – it’s a bunch of data and we’re working on getting it into a presentable visual format. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far if you want to check out the web map: http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=08ca0d874d534614bf1f29241f7a8ad8 I’ve also had chances to go out in the field to help with collections, trudging through the bayous and slashing through rainforest-like forest in the name of science. Last week, we discovered a previously unknown bog with 3 carnivorous plants (pitcher plants, sundew, and butterwort), longleaf pine (which is struggling in SE Tex), and 3 types of orchids! Lots to learn and do here. On my weekends, I’ve been making the 1 hr drive to the Gulf to relax and take a dip in the sea to escape the oppressive heat and humidity of the Deep South. All in all, not a bad start to my internship!

Pitcher plants:

Swamp tupelo off of Turkey Creek: