| Environmental Stewardship and Preservation is an important part of our culture at Indigo Ink, so it’s only natural that many of us Indigo Inkers have passion and interest around nature and the outdoors beyond our day jobs at Indigo. This month, we’re proud to highlight team member Katy Clark and the super awesome volunteer work she has done with Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary. The Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary is located in Anne Arundel County and protects about 1,700 acres of unique tidal freshwater marshes, forested wetlands, upland and riparian forest, creeks, meadows, pine and sand barrens, and fields along the Patuxent River. Katy has been volunteering as a “citizen scientist” since the fall of 2019. Asked about how she got connected with Jug Bay, she said “It was a unique, hands-on opportunity that allowed me to further explore my passions, specifically wildlife preservation and habitat restoration. And unlike most volunteer experiences of its kind, the sanctuary doesn’t require a science degree or prior field experience.” She continues, “I’ve always been interested in reptiles and amphibians (referred to as “herps”) so this work has been a natural fit for me.” Her favorite activities have been observing and monitoring the salamanders in the vernal pools (seasonal pools that form along the river waterway) and feeding the rescued box turtles. Other activities include checking the vernal pools for water quality and species diversity and conducting bluebird box surveys (monitoring eggs and chicks). This year she will be directing groups of volunteers, leading a wildflower hike, and doing canopy surveys (checking for the presence of ash borer beetles). We are super excited to hear more about her adventures at Jug Bay as the year unfolds. For more information about the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary or to find out how you can get involved, visit jugbay.org. |
