We’re not in kansas (iowa) anymore

24 May We’re not in kansas (iowa) anymore

Hey everyone, my name is Will Tsai and welcome to my blog! I am currently a student at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa majoring in Environmental Science and Political Science. Prior to Des Moines, I grew up in Portland, Oregon where I first fell in love with nature! Growing up in Portland, I was only 1 hour away from the Oregon coast, and 1 hour away from the great Mt. Hood. Paired with these beautiful landmarks, Portland is also located right next to the gorgeous Columbia River Gorge! Growing up with exposure to all these scenic areas made me fall in love with nature and eventually led me to pursue a career in Environmental Science.

This summer I will be working at Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO) in the Continental Divide Research Learning Center (CDRLC). As a member of the CDRLC, I will be researching visitor use in Wild Basin to better understand how visitor use- specifically the use of social trails- impacts the ecosystem. In the field, I will be leading a group of volunteers to collect and quantify visitor use data. I am extremely excited to work and research in ROMO this summer!

I’ve only been here for 3 days and I’m loving it. I’m living North of Estes Park at the historic McGraw Ranch which is right next to the Cow Creek Trailhead. With trails literally in my backyard, in my free time, I’ve been able to explore some of these trails. Although I’ve only hiked a few miles in, there are gorgeous views all around me. Along with these trails, yesterday I was able to drive on Trail Ridge Road up to Rainbow Curve. To say the least, it was absolutely breathtaking. Driving up that road, it seemed as if each twist and turn led to another breathtaking view. Although it feels like I’ve seen a lot in these past few days, I know I’ve only just barely scratched the surface of the magnificent Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s only been 3 days but I already know this summer will be an amazing one.

Thanks for reading my introduction post, I’m excited to start researching and to continue to update you all!