FOMC

This week was very hands on.I spent the week with Law Enforcement and spent a lot of time doing boundary work. I worked at Hampton and spent a lot of time locating the boundary markers that indicated the end of the neighboring land and the start of federal park service land. Another ranger and I found the boundary markers all across the East and West sides of the park and prepared to posts to mark them with. The purpose of these posts were to indicate to neighbors, visitors, and employees where the boundary of NPS land began/ended. This will help deter encroachment issues, dumping issues, and more.

Ian and I took an eight foot 4x4 piece of wood and cut one tip on each side at a 45 degree angle in order to edge the top of the piece of wood. Next we hammered on U.S. NPS Boundary signs onto each of the posts. Afterwards, we went back to the boundary markers, measured two feet in, dug holes two feet deep, and inserted the posts. This was a lot of hard work that will make a huge difference and hopefully help decrease all boundary issues.

The new superintendent started off with a bang! Today, Aug 10th, 2011, we gave the new superintendent, Tina Orcutt, a warm welcome to Fort Mchenry. She introduced herself, told the staff about her history in with the park service, and what we are to expect from her. After the introductions, all the staff followed the new superintendent and the chief of interpretation up to the Water Battery to complete the inaugural process with a bang! The staff had the honor of watching the superintendent shoot off one of the cannons to start her career here at Fort Mchenry!

Yesterday I ended my shift with some surprise friends showing up at the park-- hamsters! It was quite a surprise to find five abandoned hamsters placed next to a trash can in the Overflow Parking Lot with the lid off the cage. We took these orphaned hamsters to Baltimore's Animal and Rescue Care Shelter, BARCS, in hopes of finding a new home for them. I never realized how many animals get donated to shelters a day. For the hour we were there, I saw four dogs, four kittens, three cats, and the five hamsters all being donated. It is a little disheartening at all the orphaned animals. They were all donated for different reasons as well. Of the ones I know, one dog was abandoned by a neighbor, one dog was it by a car, and the owner of the kittens was moving into a home that does not allow pets. The picture located below is a picture of the insanely cute dog that was sadly hit by a car, but I am sure will find a new home.