Photo Blind Dates in March 2017

Firsts, General Blog, Naturalist, photography, , ,

I just found out that I’ve been invited to use the photography duck blind at the Colusa National Wildlife Refuge in March of next year.  And I thought, wow! That’s awesome!  So,  I told them I was interested in that and they sent me all the guidelines on how to get to and use the blind (which is a 6’X6’X6’ structure out in the wetlands).  To get to the blind, I’ll need to walk about a half mile from the parking area and then… slog through chest-high water and up the side of a levy.  They provide a little floating sled for your food and gear, and chairs to sit on when you get to the blind… Yikes! Hahahaha!  I don’t know if I’m up to that.  How much do chest waders cost anyway?  And do they make them for short chubby women?

I also have a photo blind date at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge in March as well.  That blind is handicapped accessible, so I shouldn’t have to slog through water to get to it.

I didn’t take the photo of the Blind #1 associated with this post. You can read more about the different blinds available here: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Sacramento/visitor_activities/photography.html

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Mary K. Hanson is a breast cancer survivor who, at age 61, took coursework to become a Certified California Naturalist. The author of “The Chubby Woman’s Walkabout”™ blog, Ms. Hanson has also written nature-based feature articles published in regional newspapers, authored over ten books, including her "Cool Stuff Along the American" series of guide books, and has had her photographs featured in books, articles, calendars, on the American River Parkway Foundation’s Instagram stream, and even the White House blog. This year Ms. Hanson is helping to launch and teach a new Certified California Naturalist course through Tuleyome, in partnership with the University of California and the Woodland Library, so members of the public can themselves become certified as naturalists in the state. All of the photos seen on her website were taken by Ms. Hanson herself (unless noted otherwise) with moderate- to low-end photographic equipment more easily affordable to the everyday nature enthusiast. She also occasionally leads photo-walks through the American River Bend Park for the public and is sometimes available for public speaking.