FINS Corner is a regularly occurring feature that highlight news, events and what’s-happenings from the staff at Fire Island National Seashore.
FINS Corner
Q&A
Q: Growing up in Patchogue, did you know about or visit Fire Island National Seashore? If you visited, where did you go? What did you think about it, or love about it?
A: I’ve known about and have been visiting Fire Island National Seashore for as long as I can remember. As a kid we’d take day trips to the Sunken Forest and the few times we stayed at Davis Park, we’d walk down to Watch Hill. Those were things I always did with my family so it’s cool to think back on those memories and associate them with FINS.
Q: What did you know/think about Piping Plover before coming to this job?
A: Before starting this internship I knew that Piping Plover were an endangered species. Since starting I’ve already learned so much more!
Q: What made you want to study biology?
A: I’ve always loved studying all aspects of biology, so when it came time to decide what I wanted to study in college the choice was simple. During college was when I honed in on my interest of ecology and conservation though different classes and working as a lab tech.
Q: How did you find out about this position?
A: The SCA!
Q: What would you like to be when you grow up? Or What do you hope to do after this internship?
A: Eventually I’d like to go to graduate school and get my degree in conservation biology.
Q: What has been most interesting/surprising/enjoyable during your internship at FINS so far?
A: I only started this internship about two weeks ago but what has been most enjoyable so far is all of the people at FINS! Everyone is so great and I look forward to working with them the rest of the season. Working on the beach almost every day is pretty awesome too.
Q: What do you love about Piping Plovers?
A: When Piping Plover feel threatened or in danger, they exhibit this behavior where they pretend to have a broken wing to distract predators from their nests and when the predator gets close enough they just fly away. I think that’s pretty cool.
Q: Why is it so important to protect Piping Plovers?
A: It’s important to protect plovers and all endangered species because they all play a special role in the ecosystem they’re apart of. To remove one could throw off the balance and could cause irreversible damage to a community.
In the case of the piping plover, it may be easier to understand why we try to protect them by looking at the bigger picture; preserving Fire Island National Seashore and all of the wildlife we find there so people can enjoy them for years to come
If you’re around Patchogue, there is no better place to #FindYourPark during National Park Week than Fire Island National Seashore.
Get directions, stories, and a calendar of events at www.nps.gov/FIIS.
Photo: Rachel Quatrale on the beach at Fire Island. (courtesy)
