and campus. I still remember sitting in my advisor’s office as our more elusive mountain goats and bighorn sheep. a slightly awkward and nervous sophomore. In his infinite One of the worst avian disease outbreaks in the country wisdom, Professor (now emeritus) Joel Marrant told me to stop struck close to home this year, killing several thousand waterfowl worrying so much about choosing a major (particularly a so-called at a wetland near Portland. In our wobbly kayaks we collected “sensible” one), to take classes I thought I’d enjoy, and asked the specimens that diagnosed the outbreak as botulism, then me when I was going to study abroad. When I applied for my caught and treated as many sick birds as possible, both limiting the Fulbright grant, I have no doubt it was the whole-hearted letters spread of the disease and giving them a second chance at survival. of recommendation written by several Linfield professors that More than 100 of these were released back into the wild after tipped the balance. recuperating at Audubon’s Wildlife Care Center. Some days I might After seeing the wider world, I found my heartstrings tugging come home a little wet, smelly or bedraggled, but for that sort of me back toward the Oregon forests where I’d grown up. Here I’ve reward I wouldn’t trade this life for anything in the world. I can’t been able to use the experience and skills I gained working with wait to see what tomorrow, and the next adventure, will bring. exotic creatures to help protect the critters we’re more used to seeing in our backyards: ducks and deer, quail and black bear, and – Julia Back ’07 Winter 2013 2013l i n f i e l d m a g a z i n e - 1 7
Linfield Winter 2013
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