September Science Story 2021
Benjamin (Benn) Schmatz has been hard for newsletter writers to get hold of lately. It’s not that he isn’t responsive. After all, responsiveness is a key requirement of his job on RMBL’s Work/Maintenance crew, and he’s nailed that qualification. In fact, he says one of his favorite things about the job is getting the call — for a leaking faucet, a heater on the blitz, you name it. He loves fixing things for people. “I enjoy doing something that improves their quality of life so they can have a good experience while they’re at RMBL,” he says.
Finding time to sit down for an interview was challenging for Benn because he’s been emersed in a Wilderness First Responder course with NOLS, the North American Outdoor Leadership School. He’s been learning advanced first aid techniques to help people with all sorts of injuries from sprained ankles to severe trauma. He’ll need those skills when he takes on winter caretaking for RMBL. Especially this winter. The SAIL project will send three technicians every two weeks to live on-site and maintain the dozens of instruments used to measure the atmospheric and surface processes that control precipitation. In addition, a rotating cast of scientists will show up at RMBL to monitor the calibrations of each piece of equipment.