Grace Kellner
On Wednesday we had current biology graduate student guest speakers come talk to applying to graduate school, what graduate school is like in biology, and what to expect.
On Friday, most of us were out in the field. Myself, Ali, and Gray worked together in the control site from 1:45 to around 4:00. We got all three of our points finished at the site and I am now completely finished collecting data. Turns out Dr. Entrekin was right and I didn't need to freak out about not having enough time in the field. Allyn and my dad were good teachers.
It was really wet in the area, but it was actually pretty interesting because if we stood still we could see an obvious flow of the water receding. Walking back after taking our samples we all noticed that the path had less standing water in it than it did when we walked in a few hours before. As far as identifying trees, I have definitely learned a how to identify the dominant species in this area: white oak, overcup oak, willow oak, shagbark hickory, post oak, and green ash. Although there were very few shagbarks, I can tell if the tree is a hickory or not depending on the size of the terminal buds. I think Ali liked helping and learning too and she even identified an ash! We definitely had fun taking our samples and we also helped Gray do some of his HGM assessment. Now we have to analyze our data and continue to work on our proposal and begin work on our final report and presentation.
Alyson, was not in the field with us because she already has all of her samples and it would be a poor use of her time to be out with us when she needed to be identifying her samples, so she stayed in the lab to do that.
I'm impressed with how quickly everything has come together. Two weeks ago I was convinced it would take everybody at least four to six weeks to get all of our samples, but I am finished, Alyson is finished (collecting, not identifying), and Josh has finished collecting his samples. We got some pictures in the field as well. I have an image of a tree that I was not sure of, and Ali took pictures of us working.
I will not be in class this coming week and will also miss the Steering Committee meeting because I'll be out of town for a conference.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Meeting the kiddos:
Alyson and I were able to go help with the Maumelle Middle School EAST kids today. We are currently helping them on a poster/video presentation for the EAST conference in two weeks as well as a powerpoint presentation for the city of Maumelle (I believe). In the beginning we hashed out what things needed to be done now, and what needed to be put off until after the conference. The kids know what they are doing data wise, but are unclear as to WHY they are doing these things. I was able to talk to the kids about the importance of bar graphs, standard error, and why dissolved oxygen is so important in a wetland. Looking at their raw data, I felt that it would be best if we went out once or twice more with the kids and collected readings with them. It is very skewed in some places, and then uniform in others. We talked to Candy about splitting the kids up when we go back on Tuesday and taking a few out to sample while the rest work on the project.
Below is what we sketched out for the kids.
- My (VERY ROUGH) explanation of DO
- Poster setup for conference
- What they need to work on for next time/ data analysis
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Getting things done:
Today Ali and I went to talk to the 8th graders at
Maumelle Middle. I think we made some good progress but there is still a lot to
do before their conference. We started the day by giving each of the kids a
topic that they will be responsible for. The boys are going to look at 4 weeks
of camera data which includes 5 pictures per-day (9-3). The three girls are
going to split dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, and temperature. Then I took
two sheets of paper and one for the conference, and one for their meeting and
we broke down what needed to be done for both. For the conference they need to
establish a goal/objective, write a 6 sentence summary, and change their movie trailer
to a video so they can slow it down and add more substance. They are supposed
to have an objective and rough draft of their paper ready for us next Tuesday.
For the meeting they are each going to cover their topic in a power point. As a
group they will talk about their goal and what their hopes are. After we nailed this stuff down the boys
started looking at the pictures, Ali helped scout with excel and graphs and I
sat with the other two girls and we talked about their data and things they had
questions about. I think we got a lot accomplished today but there is still so
much to do. They are hoping that we will go out to their sample site and
collect another turbidity and DO with them, also they want to get some picture
of us working with them. Next week since there are more of us going I feel like
it might be a good idea for us to divide and concur but I am willing to do what
Dr. Entrekin thinks is best. I was thinking a group could go out with them and
take the samples and a group can help them with going over their summary for
the conference.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Steering committee meeting March 12th from 3 to 4:30
See email below from Allyn:
Steering committee meeting is Wednesday, March 12th from 3 to 4:30 in the same place as the TAC meeting. It would be so wonderful if the students could come talk about their projects.
Steering committee meeting is Wednesday, March 12th from 3 to 4:30 in the same place as the TAC meeting. It would be so wonderful if the students could come talk about their projects.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Fieldwork Friday 02/28 and Saturday 03/01
Grace Kellner
We did not have class on Wednesday of this week, but I went to the meeting on Tuesday. On Friday, everybody was out in the field either collecting samples or collecting data from about 2:00 to 5:00. Allyn Fuell was there to help myself and Gray with our HGM plots and to help me get a handle on tree identification. The first plot took about an hour to complete once we got it set up. There were only a few dominant species in that plot. Then we set up a second plot in a more bottomland area and that one only took about 45 minutes to do. The rest of the groups had moved on to different locations, so we went to see when they were and when they were leaving. We had just enough time to set up a plot in the degraded area. Gray's HGM assessment only took a few seconds because most of his data was 0 and mine was a lot faster as well because Allyn helped identify the number of different grass and forb species in a square meter plot.
Saturday morning a group went out early to collect data. I went out later with my father (a biologist at ATU) and Allyn. Everything went a lot faster because I knew how to set up the plots and could identify the species more easily. My dad and I did the last plot in the Sample 1 location, the last two in the degraded, and all three in the sample 2 location. Allyn was only able to come out for the latter part of our trip, but helped us identify two tree species that I of course didn't know and my dad was unsure about. She also took samples of some of the grasses back with her so she could identify the species for me. I feel like I can do the rest of the points on my own as long as I have a guidebook to help me with the difficult species. It might also be interesting to come back once the trees have leaves on them at the end of the semester to sample again to see if our identifications without leaves were accurate. In total, on Saturday I was in the field from 2:00 to 5:30.
We did not have class on Wednesday of this week, but I went to the meeting on Tuesday. On Friday, everybody was out in the field either collecting samples or collecting data from about 2:00 to 5:00. Allyn Fuell was there to help myself and Gray with our HGM plots and to help me get a handle on tree identification. The first plot took about an hour to complete once we got it set up. There were only a few dominant species in that plot. Then we set up a second plot in a more bottomland area and that one only took about 45 minutes to do. The rest of the groups had moved on to different locations, so we went to see when they were and when they were leaving. We had just enough time to set up a plot in the degraded area. Gray's HGM assessment only took a few seconds because most of his data was 0 and mine was a lot faster as well because Allyn helped identify the number of different grass and forb species in a square meter plot.
Saturday morning a group went out early to collect data. I went out later with my father (a biologist at ATU) and Allyn. Everything went a lot faster because I knew how to set up the plots and could identify the species more easily. My dad and I did the last plot in the Sample 1 location, the last two in the degraded, and all three in the sample 2 location. Allyn was only able to come out for the latter part of our trip, but helped us identify two tree species that I of course didn't know and my dad was unsure about. She also took samples of some of the grasses back with her so she could identify the species for me. I feel like I can do the rest of the points on my own as long as I have a guidebook to help me with the difficult species. It might also be interesting to come back once the trees have leaves on them at the end of the semester to sample again to see if our identifications without leaves were accurate. In total, on Saturday I was in the field from 2:00 to 5:30.
Crazy week!
Alyson Stepina
week of Feb 24-28
week of Feb 24-28
This was a very busy week. It started out Tuesday
morning when Dr. Entrekin, Kell and I went to Maumelle Middle school. We were
able to meet with the middle school kids for the first time. We were able to
talk to them and try and figure out their ultimate goal and teach them some things
about the data they were collecting. We spent a lot of time talking about turbidity
and the importance of it. We were also able to talk to them about our project
which was exciting. After our visit the three of us decided that it would be
good to come up with some back ground questions for them to answer before we
went back again. Our plan is to go back this Thursday and go over those
questions and start to work on their presentation boards.
Tuesday night I went to the Conway watershed meeting
Josh and Grace were also there. During the meeting the official name was
decided, Lake Conway Point Removed Watershed Alliance. They started the meeting
with a recap so we were able to understand where they were. The UA
representative went over a 9-element plan and what it was. Then we were
numbered off and did group activity. Each group was supposed to decide what
they wanted the watershed to look like in 15 years and what some of their
concerns were. Somehow because I was the youngest they made me be the person to
write and speak for the group. The five things my group came up with were: water
depth, flood control, vegetation removal/ balance, recreation, renewed interest
(game and fish commission, public, and other organizations). Next we went over
the different types of exec boards that the group could have. A committee was
made to construct a mission statement and potentially come up with some bi-laws
to go over at the next meeting. The next meeting will occur on March 25th
at 6pm at the nature resource center. It was very interesting to see the steps
that you have to go through to start up an organization like this.
Friday the whole class went out to collect samples.
Allyn came out to help Grace and Grey with HGM and Dr. Entrekin helped Josh,
Ali and I with collecting our samples. Friday went well we were able to collect
samples from the degraded site and pre-impact 1. Since Kyle could not collect
his bird data he helped me collect my data since it takes a lot of hands! At
the degraded site we ran into problems finding the different categories we were
using so we ended up omitting a category.
Saturday morning Josh and I met on campus at 6:30
and gathered all of our supplies. Then we met Kyle at the end of the road to
collect the bird data. We went to all four sites and did 10 minute counts for
the birds. It was interesting that even though all of our sites are relatively
close they each had a different species that was predominate. Then at the
control and the pre-impact 2 we changed the cameras for Ali. Kyle stayed and
helped us collect samples t the control which was nice because Josh and I both
need two sets of hands. After the control we went back to pre-impact 2 and collected
samples there. We did the water quality first and then my macroinvertebrates.
Josh and I helping each other help to make sure that we did not muck up each other’s
water since we both need the water to not be disturbed before we take our
samples. Collecting was a really good experience other than when I fell in the
water. It was nice to actually go out and experience collecting after we have
talked about the processes for so long. All together it was a very busy week
but I think it was very successful.
This next week we will
go back to the middle school as well as start to analyze our data in the lab
and see what we actually have.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Lake Conway Point Remove Watershed Alliance Meeting
02/26
Grace Kellner
Last night I attended the Lake Conway Point Remove Watershed Alliance (now their official name) meeting. The meeting was not what I expected. I thought The organization was already established and I was just attending a meeting to go over what had been accomplished over the past month and what was on the agenda for the next month. This was instead, a group of citizens from the Conway area, guided by people from Metroplan and the University of Arkansas in the organizational process of forming an official group.
We got some background information on the 9-element plan which is what UA is instructed to create for this watershed. Everyone at the meeting then split into four groups and discussed concerns and goals for Lake Conway for the next 15 years. The major concerns voiced by every group included improving the recreational area, addressing sewage and pollution, improving water quality, reducing sedimentation, establishing sustainable fisheries, and getting more of the public involved in the improvement of Lake Conway.
As a new organization that was not named until the end of the meeting, we also discussed mission statements and bylaws, which are necessary for the group to grow. There was some confusion among the members about how to get people from Russellville and Dardanelle involved when they are not at these organizational meetings, but I think the issue is one of a lack of communication. The drive is only 45 minutes to an hour and people in that area would likely have no problem making the drive to Conway for meetings once a month. However, to get people from other areas involved it is easier to have a strong foundation. The foundation comes from the mission statement and the bylaws which give the group an identity.
We drafted words and phrases that we wanted to see in the goal portion of the mission statement these were: restore, enhance, natural resources, collaborative, integrity. To achieve this group members said they wanted to work towards developing education programs, policies, water monitoring, and action projects to address present and future issues.
At the very end of the meeting, a handful of local people volunteered to be part of a committee that would work to create the final mission statement and draft the bylaws. The bylaws will include the group structure. So, they could have a steering committee and a TAC like the White Oak Bayou does, but then they have to decide how many people will be on those committees and if they will be from different areas like business, agriculture, education, etc.
While this was not a meeting I expected to participate in, I enjoyed it and thought it was pretty fascinating to watch the beginning formation of a group that could make a big difference in this community and surrounding areas within the watershed.
Grace Kellner
Last night I attended the Lake Conway Point Remove Watershed Alliance (now their official name) meeting. The meeting was not what I expected. I thought The organization was already established and I was just attending a meeting to go over what had been accomplished over the past month and what was on the agenda for the next month. This was instead, a group of citizens from the Conway area, guided by people from Metroplan and the University of Arkansas in the organizational process of forming an official group.
We got some background information on the 9-element plan which is what UA is instructed to create for this watershed. Everyone at the meeting then split into four groups and discussed concerns and goals for Lake Conway for the next 15 years. The major concerns voiced by every group included improving the recreational area, addressing sewage and pollution, improving water quality, reducing sedimentation, establishing sustainable fisheries, and getting more of the public involved in the improvement of Lake Conway.
As a new organization that was not named until the end of the meeting, we also discussed mission statements and bylaws, which are necessary for the group to grow. There was some confusion among the members about how to get people from Russellville and Dardanelle involved when they are not at these organizational meetings, but I think the issue is one of a lack of communication. The drive is only 45 minutes to an hour and people in that area would likely have no problem making the drive to Conway for meetings once a month. However, to get people from other areas involved it is easier to have a strong foundation. The foundation comes from the mission statement and the bylaws which give the group an identity.
We drafted words and phrases that we wanted to see in the goal portion of the mission statement these were: restore, enhance, natural resources, collaborative, integrity. To achieve this group members said they wanted to work towards developing education programs, policies, water monitoring, and action projects to address present and future issues.
At the very end of the meeting, a handful of local people volunteered to be part of a committee that would work to create the final mission statement and draft the bylaws. The bylaws will include the group structure. So, they could have a steering committee and a TAC like the White Oak Bayou does, but then they have to decide how many people will be on those committees and if they will be from different areas like business, agriculture, education, etc.
While this was not a meeting I expected to participate in, I enjoyed it and thought it was pretty fascinating to watch the beginning formation of a group that could make a big difference in this community and surrounding areas within the watershed.
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