View of sunset over the Blue Ridges from Racetrack Hill.

I want to begin this post by saying that I am thrilled to be at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation (SMSC) this fall semester. Ever since I learned about this opportunity from my mom, the idea that I could spend an entire semester studying on the site of the amazing Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) almost seemed too good to be true – and yet, here I am, and in fact, I have now been here for a full two weeks. The first two weeks of class have been consistently interesting and engaging, and we’ve already had a few exciting adventures, like a hike in Shenandoah National Park and looking for box turtles so that they can be radio-tagged. 

Overlook at Shenandoah National Park.

After I graduate college, my hope is to go to grad school for zoology. Sometime after finishing that, I hope to get a job as a zoologist or wildlife biologist. While I would be happy to work with any category of animals that I can, mammals are what I am most interested in, especially the orders Carnivora and Primates. What I most hope to get out of my semester at SMSC is experience. I want to get more experience in several areas relevant to my career development, such as more experience working with animals, more experience working in the field, and more experience networking with professionals in my field of interest. I believe that for the former two, the practicum I will likely be doing will be especially useful. On a more personal level, unrelated to my career development, I hope to add to my collection of animal species photographed in the wild, across the various natural areas we visit over the course of the semester, including Shenandoah National Park (which we’ve already been to once but will be returning to), Shenandoah River State Park, Potomac Audubon Society’s Yankauer Preserve, and undeveloped areas of the SCBI. I also am greatly looking forward to going behind-the-scenes at the National Zoo, Maryland Zoo, and the animal facilities at the SCBI.

-Simon