Week 7 at GCHD

 Week 7: The Deep Creek Birthday Bash

This week was the week of the “Deep Creek Birthday Bash,” and so much of the week was spent in preparation for that. Outside of my regular field work, which I do 3-4 days a week, I spent time in the office gathering and organizing supplies we might need. We decided on a number of materials, including fine-tipped tweezers, our tick-prevention rack card, images of ticks and some of our data, and some of the samples of ticks we use for public events such as this. 

In addition to preparations for the fair, I also started on compiling and updating our current budget for tick collection and educational supplies. A lot of our funding comes through an annual grant from the CDC, so Melinda has to prepare a detailed budget for all the things she uses throughout the year. I started researching some materials that may be useful for educational purposes, looking at a number of possible supplies and goodies she can use when presenting at schools and public events in the future.

The birthday bash ended up being successful, I spent ~6 hours at my table, answering questions and handing out resources. Ticks are a hot topic in the area, as outdoor recreation, hunting, fishing, etc. are very popular activities for residents and visitors alike. Talking with residents and visitors allowed me to learn more about ticks as well. Many people mentioned that tick populations were high this year, but I also met several individuals who haven’t found many at all on their property. I figured that may be due to any number of factors, such as the abnormally cold winter, a dry summer, or changes in wildlife movement in the area, but obviously it’s hard to tell from anecdotes alone. Overall, I enjoyed the opportunity to communicate with the public on an important issue such as this.