April 29, 2019

April 16, 2019

Today was our last day in the field.

Water got in my boots crossing the stream.

During our 15 minutes of silence, we heard the yelling from one of the groups, and again birds and Peepers.

We saw a Peeper but we were unable to catch it. Jacob insisted on trying to catch it and so we searched for about 20 minutes only to hear another team had caught a frog.

We filmed the last bits of our video project.

Jacob got a tick on his jeans - we removed it and put it in a plastic bin.

Caught several spiders.

Collected samples from the pool and brought them to the lab for further investigation.

Will be sad to say goodbye to the farm - it was quiet and nice, a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the campus.

Posted on April 29, 2019 09:32 PM by grieckehoffs grieckehoffs | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 15, 2019

Today we returned to the Vernal Pond.

More like Vernal Puddle...
The water level decreased, and it looks like finding the biodiversity is at great risk here.

I don't mean to say we didn't find anything - we still found Pussywillow and plants galore.

The 15 minutes of silence (enforced by Jacob) was nice... I heard some birds I couldn't recognize, and of course, the Peepers were beginning to come out. I felt a cool breeze, and I could hear the whispering of the wind.

I feel like part of the reason I can't identify anything just by looking at it is that I'm not from here... I grew up on a tropical island, and if you set the sounds of coquis next to my ear or the screech of a parrot, I will instantly recognize it.

This nature might be beautiful, but it's not MY nature.

We collected more sample of a few arachnids/insects, got muddy, forded a stream...

I had fun though.

Posted on April 29, 2019 07:51 PM by grieckehoffs grieckehoffs | 0 comments | Leave a comment

April 20, 2019

April 9, 2019

BioCube Worksheet 1
Biocube number #3 - Vernal Pool
Names: Germán Rieckehoff-Strong, Patrick Cann, Brittany Ye, Jacob Gaydos, Jade Martinez

  1. Ecosystem diversity. ​After travelling around Foxcroft Farm how many ecosystems can you identify? Note where you found them on the foxcroft farm
    map provided below (place the corresponding letter (a-h) on the map in the
    appropriate location)

a. River
b. Vernal Pool
c. Swamp
d. Coniferous Forest

  1. Which ecosystem was your group assigned? Vernal Pool
  2. Where and why did you choose to place your BioCube in that ecosystem? We placed it in the middle of a small pond in order
    a. GPS coordinates (42.3467239, -72.4963831)

b. Physical description of your BioCube placement location:
We placed it in the middle of a small pond half submerged in the water, several plants anchored it down. The other half was open to air. The cube was placed at the base of a tree that was at the edge of the pool .

c. Explanation of why you placed your BioCube in that location
By placing the cube in an area that was flooded, in front of a tree, and open to the air, we made it so the cube was exposed to a variety of niches and different environments to allow for a maximum amount of species to be found within the BioCube.

  1. Listening to nature. ​During each visit to your BioCube you will sit silently for 15 min and simply listen to what you can hear. Describe your experiences during
    this first listening period.
    My very first thought was ‘This is pleasant’. I want that on record. The nature was beautiful to listen to, and it makes me wish I did it more often. I heard various birds, and I’m fairly certain an insect flew by my ear. I felt the wind blow across my face, not too cold though, like peck on the cheek from mother nature. I heard frogs, too - peepers I’m fairly sure. For me it’s a new ecosystem, being from Puerto Rico - I never noticed just how different the world sounds depending where you are in nature - it makes me want to hear all the soundscapes. This came to an abrupt end, however, when a plane flew by, followed by a train.

  2. Observing nature.​ During each visit to your BioCube you will make observations about the biodiversity you observe in the ecosystem in general and in your BioCube more specifically. As you notice biodiversity you should take photographs of what you see and write notes about each photograph. If you are unable to take a photograph - such as when you hear a bird but don’t see it - then simply take notes about what you heard. Please be sure to take legible
    notes so that the TA’s can read your notes at a later date.

a. Ecosystem observations
The water is murky/full of mud
Hay surrounding the pool
Tree extending over the pool
Sounds corresponding to ‘Peepers’ but cannot be found
Multiple spiders
Various plants
Spiny
Budding
b. BioCube observations
Some algae
Various leaves
The tree the Cube was anchored on

Posted on April 20, 2019 06:26 PM by grieckehoffs grieckehoffs | 7 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

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