Happy Friday! I can’t believe today is already the last day of May, I feel like I just got back out here and now I only have a few days left!
Greg came over this morning with the Ocean Network Canada team who is working on the CODAR unit here. While they got to work, Greg, myself, and the new eco guardian (who will be starting after me) also got to work.
We managed to get quite a lot done (see list below) before the tide started dropping the everyone had to head out. This includes the highlight of my day which was Greg putting together my brand new herding board! Well…brand new to Race Rocks at least and hand made from repurposed materials!
Herding boards are typically used on farms to move pigs and other small animals from one area to another but I’ve used them for years when working in marine mammal rescue and they’re very effective with pinnipeds. It’s essentially an intimidating barrier between the person and the animal which makes moving them safer and in my experience more efficient. I’ve been eyeing a piece of plywood in the basement of the student house for a while and today Greg found the perfect handles. The next few days are supposed to be rainy so if I’m feeling creative I may have to paint it too.
I got to test it out when one of the female elephant seals was blocking the path today which became a hazard for all our guests on site. It worked like a charm and she found the board very offensive so quickly moved off the path and went down to take a swim.
The male elephant seal is still here and massive as ever – he is not an animal I would use a herding board with or ever attempt to move. He moves about as he pleases around here and if he is blocking a path then I find a different one.
I think this is what people refer to as “a face only a mother could love”
Facility Work:
- Cleaned solar panels
- Repaired electric fence
- Topped up battery electrolytes
- Worked on desalinator
- Fuel transfer up to generator building
- Replaced main house propane tanks
** All wildlife photos taken at the furthest distance possible, and may be cropped to improve detail! **