On the Navy Base

We’ve finally gotten permission to do wetland surveys on the U.S. Navy Base! Permission from the high-ups, that is; we spent this week trying to make it through security checks and the “Pass and ID” station, convincing someone from every level in the Navy hierarchy that we had a legitimate reason to be allowed to wander around freely in “Secured Areas”.

The Navy’s biologist (yes, the Navy actually hires biologists) told us that we could access a lot of areas around the base. “But that one’s by the rifle range, so you’ll have to check and make sure no one’s out there first…. Oh, and that one is under the runway, so it will be pretty loud if planes are taking off while you’re out there….. and, oh ya, don’t go to these spots on Wednesdays because they let hunters go out there… That one will be ok to go to, just go under the wire fence, I think it's turned off... ” Hmm… that’s his idea of EASY access. :)