an orphaned collared aracari
chick being rehabilitated

so i'm just going to ask that we all just ignore that i skipped blogging about the last 2+ years of my life. they were really pretty awesome years, so if you're interested in them, check my facebook page for pics or just call me up and ask. 

a howler monkey in the rain

moving on to what's happening now... i just got back from having a fabulous time with natalie staples in belize working at casa avian support alliance, a rehabilitation center for sick/orphaned native wildlife of belize! it was an absolutely amazing experience and since i failed to blog about it then, you should check nat's blog to find out all about our day-today craziness as well as the amazing things she's continuing to do out there.

a rufous-tailed hummingbird drinking

i would definitely recommend belize to anyone who is up for an adventure and doesn't mind getting some bug bites along the way. it is definitely the greenest place i've ever been and as a person who loves wildlife (and birds in particular), it was even beyond my expectations. getting to see wild parrots and toucans flying about in their natural habitat and see several species of trogon, motmot and hummingbirds with all of their brilliant colors made it all a surreal experience. i was daily snapped back into reality, though, as natalie and i had to face the actuality that many of these amazing creatures were getting hurt or orphaned due to human encroachment on their habitat. therefore, we took our job seriously and did our best to rehabilitate and re-release all of our patients back into the wild and shed many tears when we realized we could not save them all. 

yucatan banded gecko

while falling head over heals for life in the jungle, i was able to walk in the footprints of an ancient people that once had a thriving civilization right in the middle of it. i have always been passionate about archaeology and anthropology, and actually made a very difficult decision in college to focus on conserving the future rather than studying the ancient past. i am very happy with my decision and know i am doing what i was made for, but i do still have a great respect for all who do what i gave up and i love to indulge in my other interests whenever i can so that i don't go overly crazy (yes it's probably too late for me, i know). being in belize afforded me the opportunity to visit several amazing mayan sites including actun tunichil muknal (a possible sacrificial cave site), el pilar (an unexcavated city), xunantunich (a beautifully excavated city) and cahal pech (another excavated city). i would recommend that anyone going to belize take the time to check out some of these sites, because remembering the past is the key to making a better future.

mayan ruins at xunantunich

so during all of my "adventures" i got to see that life in a "3rd world country" really isn't so bad... in fact i rather liked it. i got to spend a lot of quality time with one of my best friends (dang it i miss you nat!), meet some really awesome new friends, discover a love for the rum and coke, see more new and amazing bird species in a month and a half than i have in the past 2 years, and i never got one botfly larvae.... i think. thank you belize for changing my life for the better and i will certainly be back very very soon. *muah*