Getting the field ready for the field trip

Our annual field trip was nigh! And this year, Martin was organising it, so I didn't have to stress about it. But it does require some preparation. Earlier in the year we had already gone on a coring recce. Later I had prepared my part of the documentation for the students. And even closer to the time, some flags had to be planted. The students survey a set of transects through the estuary every year, and it is important, for reasons of the data being comparable from year to year, that they survey the exact same transect year after year. So we had to put the flags that demarcate the start of each transect in the same places we had done the previous year. Over lunch one day, Martin mentioned he had to go into the field to put them there, but hadn't used the GPS for a while, so wasn't sure he remembered how it worked. I had just used it with my master student so I offered to go with him. And he took up that offer.

On the day, he would combine picking up the key to the gate with placing the flags. So after an early lunch we set off to the main entrance of the Newborough Warren, picked up the key, and then went to the western end of the area. There we first parked up quite far into the estuary. It was nice not to have to walk! Or even ride. Martin had printed a map and a list of coordinates. What could go wrong!

Then we put the first coordinates into the GPS so it could lead us there. I had not been shown that very useful functionality when I had asked the appropriate technician to talk me through how that piece of equipment worked before I took it to the Dee estuary with my master student! Now at least I know it is there, and approximately how it works. That alone might very well have been worth the trip. But strangely enough, it said that first point was 4 km away. That puzzled us, as we should be nearby. We tried another point and that worked. The GPS lead us to a post which was indeed a start of a transect, but it was so conspicuous we didn't even need to place a flag.

After a while Martin had a revelation; the second set of coordinates were for the wrong transects. But we were probably okay with the first set. So we set out to get these done. Somehow the second set would have to be done later; maybe during the introduction day. Or tagged onto some other activity going on in that side of the estuary.

The second start of a transect we wanted to mark with a flag was not that far away, and mostly over a path. We placed the flag by a shrub, and then went back to the vehicle. Our third location was a bit higher in the estuary so it made sense to bring the car.

This third location was in the middle of the marsh. And it was old-fashioned saltmarsh trudging! I am always very aware of the risk of spraining my knee, so I am very slow in terrain like that. Martin was sprinting ahead. At least I could follow his trail. That made it a little bit easier to see if there were half-hidden holes I could potentially step in. 

Carrying the GPS around

Martin + GPS in the far distance

There was nothing at the location where the GPS told us to be that stood out, but we just put a flag in. And we made it back without incident. And I remembered where that had to go; really close to the parking lot. So we got there and I placed it. But Martin argued the GPS told us I was wrong. We placed the flag where the GPS lead us. So much for human memory! By that time it was raining and we were glad that we could leave.

Some communication with Guy who had placed the flags the year before, and surveyed them in with the GPS, revealed that we had been quite right; that second set of locations was wrong, and the last flag had indeed been there I remembered it. And the other locations were also a bit off. We would have to rectify that during the actual fieldtrip! Oh well. It had been a nice half day in the field. Now I think we will never again go by a little map and a list of coordinates alone, especially without checking. But it is easily done; these days just before a fieldwork are hectic, and you rush things. But in hindsight we had to accept this rushing had only made things worse. An explanation with pictures makes it a lot easier to see if you got the right point, and it may save quite some time!