18 November 2009

Thanks to the recent rains, the island is lush and the butterflies are plentiful. Green and hawksbill turtle hatchlings are emerging from their sandy nests trying to avoid the always hungry predators as they attempt to propel themselves across the cool evening sand to the safety of the Caribbean with limbs designed for a marine lifestyle. We humans believe that sea turtles need out help because they nest on land but are designed for an aquatic lifestyle. Therefore we have invested millions in "helping" one of the longest-living (both individually and evolutionarily) species on the planet. Is it out of guilt because of how we have defaced the planet, or are do we actually believe that we have such power, or maybe a combination of both.

It felt good to set out 25 mongoose traps today with the help of Jonathan and Grandpa. I suspect it is just my dumb luck, but I am grateful that I rented a 4-wheel drive Jeep for this trip because the Refuge road is full of "ponds" ranging from several inches to more than a foot in depth. The Wrangler is not only fun (especially with the side and rear windows removed) but decreases travel time to and from the refuge. Jonathan also enjoys the splash as we zoom through the puddles!