Boy oh boy has it been a busy week!

I thought I’d take some time this week to talk about my workplace at the Wild Rivers Coast Alliance (referred to hereafter as the WRCA). The WRCA is the philanthropic arm of the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, and it funds various projects that focus on the conservation, economy, and community of the South Coast of Oregon. The WRCA itself is funded by the net proceeds from the Bandon Preserve, one of the five courses on the resort (more about golf later).

Not only is the WRCA located on a world renowned golf resort, I am convinced that the office I am working in is actually out of a fairy tale.

• Almost every morning, Dustin (my fellow scholar), Miles (our mentor), and I are graced with the painfully adorable presence of a black-tailed doe and her ~three week old fawn.
• The stately conference room sports your choice of free tea or coffee (I don’t need much more than that in life) and walls made entirely of glass overlooking a forest of Douglas fir.
• The window next to Dustin and I’s desks overlooks a pond sprinkled with water lilies and a pleasant walkway lined with a handful of foxglove flowers. (According to Miles, foxglove [pictured below] is called such because the blooms are juuuust big enough for a fox to snick their snouts in).
• Sometimes we see another doe with TWINS. Seeing two baby deer is way more fawn than one. (Thought we were finished with the puns? Think again…).
• There is a labyrinth in the forest next to the office. Feel like taking a calming, meditative break to clear the mind after a long day of contributing to the common good of the wonder that is the Oregon South Coast? Do not fret, the WRCA has got you.

Momma doe and baby. Stay tuned for the twins, referred to hereafter as Intern 1 and Intern 2.

The conference room – I feel important when I sit in there.

Digitalis purpurea; foxglove.

Don’t tell the folks at the golf resort this (it might put a wedge between them and I), but be-fore working here, golf seemed boring to me. This week though, Dustin and I were fortunate enough to play a whole round on the Preserve, and it was a blast. I’m very lousy at golf, but the jaw-dropping views and my entirely-founded-in-luck Par 3 let me putt my overall embarrassing score behind me.

Not pictured: the ruthless, highly flammable, invasive bush that is Gorse. Before the resort existed, stands of this plant stretched as far as the eye can see and encroached on native wildlife habitat. Seeds of this plant can lie dormant for over 50 years…I sure hope this view won’t transform from a golf course into a golf gorse…

My “I got a Par 3 but I don’t know how and it’ll likely never happen again” face.

In other news, I have been continuing my exploration of this region and have found my go-to sunset spot. My roommates and I have started a tradition of getting DQ blizzards (hello, childhood) and posting up on a beach so aptly named: Sunset Bay.

Sunset bae

I am both settling into this place and becoming more excited about it as the days go on. It has become a daily routine for me to stop, think, and take a moment to acknowledge how grateful I am to be here with this program. Thanks for reading!