Save the Bay: Post Trip Reflection

Hello again! Today I will be reflecting on my experience participating in Save the Bay volunteering for a school trip!

 

My AP biology class had the opportunity to work with Save the Bay as part of their restoration and DIRT project. We collected data, which included location salinity, pH levels, moisture content and physical attributes of soil of various plots in the Palo Alto marshlands. This field trip is considered to be citizen science. Below is a video giving an introduction to Save the Bay.

 

 

Citizen science is when data is collected and analyzed by the general public, usually as part of a collaborative project with scientists. Citizen science is important because it brings science and research to the community so they are more informed about scientific issues. By participating, citizens can do seemingly complex scientific research so scientists will have more data to analyze. As a citizen scientist, I believe we made a difference in how we view the environment as well as helping Save the Bay analyze dirt samples to make sure the dirt is healthy and life sustaining. I’m very happy I had the chance to participate in citizen science, as it allows normally people without a special degree to research and get their hands dirty.  Doing this research, I was able to learn some scientific facts that I would have otherwise not known.

 

Permission to use by: Mrs. Girard

 

 

I learned a lot on this trip and here are three scientific things I learned:

– Simpson’s Diversity Index. This is an equation that we used to measure the amount of plant diversity in each 1 meter by 1 meter plot. The values range from 0, with no diversity, to 1 with lots of diversity by taking in account the number of species and the number of each species.

– That the marshlands have many non-native plant species that take away nutrients from the native plants. Non-native plants include Alkali health, and pickle weed which have medical uses and can be even used as food.

-Salinity in the soil increases as it gets closer to the waters edge. This is due to being covered by water when the tides are high. This also means that the soil has a lot higher moisture content than soil not covered by water.

 

To find out some more facts about plants and animals at the marshlands, visit Virtual Marsh, run by the restoration team!

Permission to use by: Mrs. Girard

I also was able to make direct connections with what was learned on the field trip and what we are learning in biology. First, the moisture readings for four out of our five sites was at 0%, showing how little water there is in the soil. This connects to my biology class because in biology, we focused on FLOW, a documentary informing the public on the reality of water and its availability around the world (click here for a link to my opinion on FLOW). This documentary discusses the scarcity of water in various places and how we need to be aware of how much water is being used, and this is important for Californians right now because we are in such a severe drought. This severe drought is resulting in plants not getting enough water, and thus, dying. Along with this connection, we learned how certain plants (pickle weed) adapt to deal with the changing tides, because sometimes these plants are covered in water, while other times they are feet above water. These adaptations are caused by genetic mutations to survive and thrive. In biology we learned about evolution, which is how and why organisms adapt, and pickle weed is a perfect example of this. Along with learning more about science and biology, this trip created memories too!

 

Pickleweed
Permission to use by: Mrs. Girard

This field trip created a lot of little memories with my classmates, but the one that stood out was eating pickle weed. I never knew you could eat those plants, so when people started eating bits of pickleweed, I was surprised. However, after trying it, I realized the plant tastes pretty good. It had a unique, salty taste and I will never forget picking a wild plant and just eating it. That experience was really fun, along with many others, however there are some things I would change about the program.

 

Permission to use by: Mrs. Girard

I thought the research and investigations done were fun and will help the Bay, I, however, would have liked more interaction or information on the animals in the area, if possible. I’m very interested in animals, so I was slightly disappointed there wasn’t very much information regarding animals, however, I understand that the program was focused on dirt and plants. I also felt like we didn’t get to see much of the Bay itself, we saw the marshland we were working on, however I think it would be fun to take a quick hike to actually go to the edge of the Bay and be able to see it from a different angle then normal. Aside from these suggestions, it was a great experience!

 

Permission to use by: Mrs. Girard

 

I personally had a great time and I thought that the field trip was worth it. We got to experience real, scientific field work while also helping out the environment and helping preserve the Bay. Even though it was a bit chilly and windy, I really enjoyed myself working in nature, taking down data and doing so with my friends. I definitely think future classes should go because it was a great chance to do something different!

 

If you want to volunteer, visit http://www.savesfbay.org! Thanks for reading!

 

 

My Opinion on the Response to the Ebola Outbreak

Hello again! Today I will be discussing and giving my opinion on the Ebola outbreak that has taken more than 2,000 lives. The Ebola virus has been around for years, however, there has never been an outbreak as large as the one during 2014. This deadly virus has no known cure or vaccine, which makes it even deadly for countries without proper medical supplies and facilities. The West African countries affected do not have the ability to contain the virus and don’t have enough high quality medical supplies to prevent the virus from spreading and killing people. This epidemic needs to be contained and I believe it is necessary for countries like the United States to help fight Ebola.

 

Pictures found here and here

The US and other powerful first world countries should begin to provide more relief, supplies and even share knowledge on a treatment for Ebola with the countries of West Africa. I feel like it is the duty of countries with more resources to help those with little resources or else many more people are going to do when those infected could be saved. The US could assist countries in controlling the epidemic by giving them medical supplies, creating isolation units and even preventing family members and others from contact with infected people. These would be difficult to successfully get to the right people, however, once the supplies and personnel reach the hospitals and clinics, I believe any support would help the situation.

Picture found here

I also think the US and other countries should continue to research a vaccine and collaborate with one another to find a vaccine quicker. There are concerns that the vaccine would get into the wrong hands, however I believed if the virus is handled and transported properly and the proper precautions are taken, the benefits will outweigh the risks. Sharing knowledge and resources are the most important and helpful actions the US can take to assist those in West Africa and prevent an even bigger outbreak. To learn more about the Ebola virus, what contributions are being made and how you can help, click on the following links:

1. World Health Organization and information about the disease itself
2. Doctors Without Borders efforts
3. Red Cross efforts

Also, CBS and BBC each have good news and video coverage of Ebola and what’s currently happening. I watched some and found them very useful, so I encourage you to check them out as well! Feel free to leave comments and give your take on the situation. And as always, thanks for reading!

FLOW: Response

Hello again! Today I’m going to be talking about the movie FLOW and the associated problems with water control and distribution in the world.

The film, FLOW: For Love of Water, is a documentary that discussed water, water in poorer countries and areas and the privatization of water in the US and other countries abroad. Water is a precious resource and before watching this film, I had not realized how limited water is to poorer nations and as a resource in general. Nations in Africa, areas in India and other underdeveloped areas must walk miles to get unfiltered, unclean water because they do not want to pay the high prices of tap water set by greedy, multi-national corporations.

 Pictures found here and here

Seeing videos of people walking miles for unclean and unsafe water was a real wake up call to me. I knew not everybody had access to clean water, but I did not think that people would be forced to put their lives on the line because they have no other source or the source is too expensive. Big corporations, like Nestle, try to “donate” and make it seem like they are putting real effort in to making wells and making water cheaper, however, big corporations only care about profit and their stockholders and even these “relief efforts” make profit for the company.

 Picture found here

FLOW opened my eyes to the reality of the water crisis worldwide and I have realized that more action from, people that are more privileged and have the ability to donate, is necessary. I am going to be more aware of the water I use and how to conserve it, as well as participating in any efforts to help those without water through donations and other relief efforts. There is a YouTube video below that briefly addresses the water crisis as a whole, I encourage you to check it out! If you want to get more involved and donate, learn more or help with efforts to improve water distribution worldwide, click here, here or here for more information and places to donate.

Thanks for reading!

 

Disclaimer: FLOW, the pictures and the YouTube video are not created by me.