A Two-Light Town

I admit I am starting a bit late in the game for this blog. I’ve had the posts written but failed to actually post them. So, if you would humor me and pretend that you have temporarily traveled into the past as you read, that would be wonderful.

My name is Madilyn Peay, and I am a college sophomore who was lucky enough to get a summer internship two years in a row. (If you’re interested in reading my adventures from last summer, I suggest looking here.) The Student Conservation Association partnered with The US Fish and Wildlife Service to make this possible.

As part of said internship I am keeping this blog to recount the tales of my glorious adventures (or something of the sort. That was how I understood it.) So, here I go:

This summer I am a Biological Intern at the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge was established in 1937, primarily for the benefit of the American Woodcock and other migratory bird species. I will spend plenty of time talking more about the Refuge and the work I do here as soon as I actually have more of an idea what that is.

Moosehorn is located near Calais, Maine. Calais is a tiny little town on the Canadian border, which somehow has less to do on a Saturday night than the community where I go to college. (Trust me, this is quite an accomplishment.) The locals pronounce the name like “Callous,” which does not say much for their ability to speak French. I have only located two working traffic lights in the entire town, one of which is where the parking lots of McDonalds and the grocery store meet the main road.

However, I was prepared for long, boring afternoons after work. I brought a reading list which is itself the size of a small novel and yet cannot effectively control my urge to buy books. I will have plenty of entertainment. Plus, this year I have people my own age-ish, which is wonderful. (My college friends thought I went a little crazy last year. I can’t really deny it.) I am not very excited to share a room since I am a proclaimed introvert and haven’t had to do so since I was 8. But, I did escape the normal college dorm room experience, so I suppose it had to happen eventually.

Overall, I’m very excited to be in Maine this summer. For some reason the northeast region is called Down East and I’ve been told that if I order a milkshake I will be given a cup of well shaken milk, but I’m excited to learn more about the Refuge and the state.