This week the University of Oregon students moved in and things have gotten a lot busier on campus. All the interns had to present project ideas and I think things went really well. Everyone is working on really cool stuff. Hannah and I got to tag along with Renee and Sophia to help map Bird’s Beak in the Sough Slough. Birds beak is an endangered plant that Sophia and her mentor Alicia Helms have been mapping and studying. It seems like we have been here for months and known each other our whole lives. Everyday has been filled with adventures and laughter, it feels more like summer camp than work. Aaron ran a seminar on his Julie, and Ross’s trip to Antarctica and all the work they did there. The pictures and videos were so beautiful, one can only imagine what it looked like in person. I have started to polish my project idea and now have a better understanding of some road bumps I might run into. I plan on building a flume which is a device with two different pH that don’t mix and would allow juvenile crabs to pass back and forth as they please. I want to see if they can sense the more acidic water and are willing to cross over in to it. One main issue I have been told is the crabs are drawn to light, but they can’t see red light. I want to set up a camera and run the experiment at night with red light to remove the light variable. I will leave the crabs overnight and see what pH they chose to remain in or if they can even tell. Our pH probes are calibrated and we should start setting up our experiments really soon. At night the UO students and the interns go on adventures and stay up playing Mario kart. I’m learning so much and having fun all at the same time. A student named Lincoln showed us a cave that leads to a rope you can climb down to the beach. At first, I was skeptical but once everyone started going, I knew I couldn’t be the only one who didn’t go. It was worth the climb and we all sat and watched the sunset while talking. Watching the waves crashing on the rocks and the sky slowly get dimmer was a magical experience. I have started trying to go for a hike every morning. The trails around campus are perfect for any plant lover and will keep you looking for new plants to identify. Stay tuned for week three and all events to come.
1 Comment
Hannah
7/2/2019 10:56:19 am
I love this!
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AuthorHi, my name is Steven I’m an environmental studies major at Portland Community College. I hope to do conservation or restoration work when I graduate. Anywhere outside is where you will find me! Archives
August 2019
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