Going to Connecticut

A couple weeks ago Cas and I secured our next gig.  We will be stationed on Outer Island of the Stewart B. McKinney wildlife refuge.  Our boss here in Santee, Park Ranger Susie, knows the refuge manager up there and got us the job.  We will be stationed on a five acre island from mid-May to at least the end of August, living in a two bedroom house with solar power and the Atlantic Ocean for our tub.  As the manager explained it, part of our time will be spent taking care the island, the rest will be spent in hammocks with fishing polls and good books.  Should be fun!

Long Overdue

    Santee National Wildlife Refuge is broken up into four units: Bluff, Dingle Pond, Pine Island, and Cuddo.  The visitor center is at the Bluff unit off I-95 and the RV pad is just through some trees.  On the Bluff is the Santee Indian burial mound, site of the British Fort Watson, some hiking trails, and places for critters to hang out (called refuge).  At the Bluff, Cas and I have done trash detail and trail maintenance, I've been GPSing different things (trails, roads, structures) to make digital maps.  Cas is painting a mural in the visitor center and we'll post pics when it's done.
    Next up is Dingle Pond.  One of the first days here we were at Dingle putting up split rail fence.  That was fun!  Dingle doesn't have a whole lot, a strait trail a little less then a mile one way but they're working on putting an observation platform so you can actually see the pond.
    Keep on down the road and you get to Pine Island.  The ownership of the drive into Pine is dubious.  The land on either side is private and the owners let you know it.  Once you get there though it is a very nice hiking and biking road making almost a four mile loop.  We haven't really done anything at Pine yet though there is a canoe trail out there that needs to be mapped!
    The crown jewel of the refuge is the newly remodeled Cuddo Unit.  They just finished construction on the Wildlife Drive building roads, habitat, and observation areas.  This is where we've spent most of our time clearing hiking trails, mapping high water lines (which are at record highs), putting up and fixing signs and more.  There is another canoe trail out there that needs to be mapped as well!
    The people here have been unreal.  They have taken us in like family and have worked hard to help us realize our dreams and goals.  The volunteer coordinator Suzie even got us our next assignment on a five acre island a mile and a half off the coast of Connecticut!  But more on that later....