The Paperwork Phase Of Field Research

I have a Scientific Collecting Permit from the state of Alabama allowing to collect and keep most fishes and invertebrates. This is relatively easy for me to get since I'm part of a university biology department. The only slight downside is filing for a renewal once a year. The cost is slight, only $1, but I have to submit a complete list of fishes and invertebrates I've kept. The new forms require that I list every species kept from a site on its own line, rather than grouping them all together as one entry. Luckily I keep this information in my field journal, and for backup I have a reasonably well organized numbered jar collection of preserved fish (thanks to Daniel's work this past spring). Even with all that it took me about five hours over the past three days to fill out the application proper, write out the ~150 line entries including GPS coordinates, number taken, and current disposition, and get a photocopy of my driver's license to include in the package. The good news is that I have this all written up, since of course I'm keeping a copy for myself. The bulk of the year's entries are in July, August, April and May, which I pretty much knew, but seeing it in longhand form reinforces the point. Of all the collections reported, I only sent away two of them -- two batches of black darters, Etheostoma duryi, now in the possession of Tom Near at Yale for genetic study. And for once I'll get this in relatively early; the people in Montgomery who process the applications probably think I'm mildly retarded based on previous years' experience.

I heard back from Nick Sharp about this Friday's trip to Coon Gulf. The access road on the property has been flooded out from beaver dams about half way in, so we'll drive in as far as we can and hike the remaining half hour to the sampling site on the creek there (which name I realize I still don't know!). Ok, I guess we're tough enough for that. And I hope my truck will be tough enough; it's with my mechanic now, getting a hole in the radiator fixed and new shocks on the back. They promised I'd get it back tomorrow afternoon, I hope so!