Wednesday, January 3, 2018
On the weekend following Thanksgiving, Bob and I had the pleasure of meeting another one of our CalPoly Scholarship students, Nicole Robin Durtschi. In 2016, she had graduated with a degree in Wildlife Biology and now was on her way from visiting her family in the San Francisco Bay area to Simi Valley, where she lives with her boyfriend. A stopover in Morro Bay at Morro Rock gave us the chance to meet her.
Nicole with a California Quail
This picture was from when she was using mist nets to catch and release birds at CalPoly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch, up near Santa Cruz. The course she took was “all about field techniques” and she was able to do “some small mammal trapping, practice shooting a dart gun, and getting the chance to see some bats up close!” That course was one of the things she loved most about her time at Cal Poly. Her appreciation gave her “the chance to learn about the incredible diversity of life” and “to know what’s around her, from the peregrines soaring above, to the plants and animals below.”
She takes pride in being able to now “identify birds, trees, mammals, even some insects. To her, those classes were more than just learning a list of species.” Being able to identify what she sees in nature has made her appreciate it so much more. She learned just how much diversity is out there showing the need for conservation. “So many species today are threatened, by human activity and by a changing climate, and we need to do what we can to prevent extinction.”
Currently, she is in a temporary job and looking for a job where there is field work similar to the point count work she did at California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco and the experience she had at Swanton Pacific Ranch in Santa Cruz County. Her interest is in any sort of research or field work that will get her outside, and learning more about animals, always keeping conservation in mind. If you know of any possibilities, we’ll link you up with her.
Nicole Durtschi tells Bob about her studies at CalPoly
We recognized her deep appreciation for the PCPW Scholarship that she received. Thank you for making your contributions! Remember the Amazon Smile button to the right…
Education never wears out, never becomes broken or goes out of style.
Bob and Heather
I hope this young woman finds her calling. thanks for helping her. Love your quote, so true – Education never wears out, never becomes broken or goes out of style.
Congrats Nicole. So proud of you. Never thought our choice of your middle name would be a precursor to your fascination with avian biology. Naah it is your life experience that has brought you to where you are. Our best wishes for you in your mission to conserve nature!
Having met Nicole, we are so pleased to assist her on her path to consider all the needs of our planet Earth through her focus in biology. There is so much to do! Education never wears out, never becomes broken or goes out of style. ~Heather