Swiss Mates

Remember Kathrin and Thomas who came from Switzerland to volunteer at the McNary NWR Education Center? Ginny McInyre responded to a call from Ginger Wireman for housing and they fit into her household nicely. The couple became a vital part of our work and we are indebted to them for their services. Thomas took hundreds of photos of the birds and they are in his album on <nwrmcnary.org>. Both became well known to the research staff and traveled the McNary Refuge to understand shrub-steppe habitat and the Columbia Refuge to observe birds of the area. I received a letter with an update on their present circumstances:

Kathrin is constructing a new research center to measure whole animal metabolism and methane emission of agricultural animals in general which she finds very challenging. She is literally holding her breath as to the successful operation of the respiratory chambers for indirect calorimetry which are under construction.

Thomas passed his first term as a part time student at the School of Engineering toward a Bachelor of Science in aviation - a four year endeavor. I am pleased they took time to give us an update. At the moment they are enjoying a relaxing vacation at Vals, known for its "Calcium sulfate, hydrogen carbonateThermal Bath"

I visited Bath mineral pools in Britain and the Val Pool has to be supendous.

Naomi Sherer