The goal of the SCA/USFWS Trails Inventory program is to provide the Fish and Wildlife Service with a comprehensive and accurate inventory of all trails on USFWS sites across the country. This is certainly an ambitious project as there are over 600 USFWS sites nationwide. This project will take us to every corner of the country, to high mountains and low deserts through bayous and fjords. We are all extremely excited for this opportunity as it provides the chance to perform an important service to the USFWS, expand our own knowledge and expertise, and experience many different parts of the country for the first time.
NCTC
To wrap up the season all 12 of us traveled to West Virginia to the USFWS' National Conservation Training Center. We were impressed by the luxury accomodations and great hospitality. In addition to inventorying the trail system on site and providing the data to their lands manager, the group was able to meet lots of folks in the FWS. From teaching Directors new games to shaking hands with the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, the group felt like celebrities. It was an amazing way to end the long 10 month program. As one member said, "This is such a great reminder of how important what we've done is, and how COOL this has been!"
We also worked with the USFWS production team to capture the footage needed to make an orientation/training video for future iterations of this inventory. Some of the members really took to the camera and had a great time showing how the inventory is done out in the field. We're all looking forward to the final production!
