Going It Alone

Some of the Survey Site locals from the 2015 trip. Wonder if she'll be there this year?

It has been a little over 15 years since I HAVE NOT been the leading field biologist on a field survey. That means that it has been a little over 15 years since I have had the luxury of relaxing on a biological survey and thinking about nothing other than just 'doing'. Just 'doing' does require busting through rocks to dig pits, scratching around in the dirt and dust, waking up insanely early and going to bed insanely late and checking trap after trap after trap; but I am a biologist so I am cool with that. You have to invest effort in order to reap the reward. You have to spill the blood in the mud to capture or record the animals you so desperately seek. 

It sounds tough, but let me assure you, ‘just doing’ is a whole lot easier than ‘doing whilst managing a half a dozen other biologists’ at the same time.

How is the irony?? Most of us aspire to lead rather than to be led and I don’t think I am any different. But once you have been there and done that there is that interminable desire to go back to where you first came from so you can just chillax a little and enjoy your job.

Actually, to be honest, I think it is closer to a quarter of a century since I could really relax on a survey and ‘just do’. When I started in this job I was responsible for preparation, packing and maintenance of all of the field gear. That meant making sure the biologists had what they wanted when they wanted it, whilst still trying to dig most of pit traps myself in an attempt to impress my seniors!

Well today all of that changes. Today I will commence to undertake a full and comprehensive biological field survey totally alone, with no help from anyone and I am just a little bit excited. 

I mean no offence to any and all of the amazing biologists I have worked with over the years. We have had some seriously awesome times out bush. But this is a bucket list moment for me and I can think of nowhere I would rather be doing it that in the middle of absolutely nowhere in far north-west Queensland only days after a long drought has been broken by flooding rains. Bring it on.

Updates as I go.