Viva Carlos Office/Cubicle BlogHop

I am a biologist that specializes in threatened and endangered species (and species proposed for listing as threatened/endangered). It lends some pretty awesome opportunities.

My typical day is spent here:

Pano of my office. I have a window! I use a standing desk (sit on stool or stand), yoga ball chair, or regular
chair (if I toggle my desk into the lower height option). I like options.

Many maps of WV showing many different things I need to do my job.

Paper machete snail that does not accurately represent our
federally listed snail that is endemic to the state

Yet another map (outdated...shame on me -- I am also a GIS guru and do all of the mapping for my office),
some binders from training courses, photos of the horses and Kenai, and some project files.
(The photos have actually been updated since I took this photo...had to include that new ride photo w/ Q!)

My standing desk in the stand position. Bat poster behind.

But sometimes my office space is much cooler.

Like earlier in the summer when I got to go whitewater rafting on the Upper Gauley (world class Class V whitewater) to find a federally threatened plant species:

Virginia spiraea, the Pillow Rock rapid, raft guide and botanist looking at our next site to visit on the ipad

Or that one time (also earlier this summer) when I got to fly in a helicopter (my first time) to participate in a flyover of a proposed pipeline right-of-way through sensitive habitats:

Helicopters are so cool!

Or when I went to trap federally listed endangered bats to help gather genetic samples for a research project (no bats were harmed!):

Reproductive adult female Virginia big-eared bat, cave opening with harp trap set up, and biologists processing VBEBs to take genetic samples (this species is not affected by the deadly white nose syndrome that has decimated many other bat populations throughout the east)

The many hours put in as a desk biologist are very worth it because I gain opportunities in the field like the above. Also, I very much know how much of a difference I make by sitting at my desk day-to-day. Knowing that I make such a big difference makes everything worth it!