Workshop on Wetland Plants

As I sit at home I start reminiscing on the intense day I had yesterday....the day of the workshop. It's wild to think I was in a completely different place than my humble home with my parents and sister. My apartment already feels like a place to call a second home. Oh, how I already miss it.

So reminiscing time. After I dragged my tired body out of the black little Ford Focus and thanked my sister for the ride, my started out my waking hours in a haze. My adviser instructed me to enter the chilly cooler and get out the chilled water bottles containing plants. These chilling plants were spread out over 4 tables and little ID cards placed under them. Now all I had to do is wait for the attendees and of course the munchies that would satisfy my grumbling stomach. Free breakfast of coffee, donuts and bagels! Mouthwatering goodness.

As the people started trickling in with their complimentary binders filled with Powerpoint notes of wetland plants, the other intern and I couldn't help but wonder how this workshop would pan out. A couple hours of listening to interesting ways to identify wetland plants from non-wetland plants, passing out branches of Ash and Red Maple plus other plants, and a short break to eat the breakfast delicacies killed the time before the entire class headed out into the field to do some REAL identifying.

With Newcomes Wildflower book in hand, I surprisingly could conclude the identity of at least 10 or more plants among the thousands. I gave myself a pat on the back! When it was time to go back to campus and return to the real world, the class gathered around Deb and she reviewed some of the plants nearest her vicinity. Rachel and I needed to take off the yellow stripes of plastic that Deb wrapped around some of the wild plants while the group was distracted by her farewell speech.

Back in the classroom, Deb talked with Rachel and I about next weeks soils workshop and how little preparation was needed; she insisted I help her next Wednesday with it, so cha-ching for making a good impression! Before Rachel and I left, Deb presented us with gifts of her appreciation. A Tiners Wetland Plant ID book! What?!?! I wanted one of these like the entire day, and she wants to freely give me one?!
Of course I thanked her and smiled for about 5 minutes. I didn't think she liked me this much... what a great adviser! I wonder what the soils workshop will be like?!