Hello Vicksburg!

02 Jun Hello Vicksburg!

In the heart of the Mississippi delta, lies the Vicksburg National Military Park and my internship site for the summer! Although in today’s world, the Mississippi delta is known for swamps, extreme heat, and an abundance of diversity, Vicksburg holds a lot more than just mosquitoes and alligators. Vicksburg is a great place to get in touch with your historical and natural side all in one place. So, keep reading to get to know more about my amazing site!

The park preserves the history of the Battle at Vicksburg that was won by the union army in July of 1863 during the civil war. This battle was said to be a turning point of the Civil War that gave the Union access to the Mississippi River. On the park grounds, you can look forward to seeing highly preserved monuments, artifacts, and even the USS Cairo, the original gunboat that was apart of the battle and its museum.

The military park can also be an adventure for nature lovers as well. With over 1,700 acres, there is plenty of wildlife, natural features, and plants to see. One unique natural feature of the park is the loess soil deposits that originates from northern glaciers. This nutrient dense soil is great for agriculture but causes many issues in the delta because the soil is prone to erosion when it is not at a ninety-degree angle. There are many interesting things to explore in Vicksburg including the hundreds of types of euarthropods that I will get to study.

Even though most of the internship will be virtual, I am still very excited to learn more about the Vicksburg National Military Park and what the Mississippi delta holds. Be sure to follow along with my upcoming blogs to keep up with my journey as biology assistant in Vicksburg, Mississippi!