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Huge update!

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There has been so much going on this past week and a half.  I met with Chris, one of  my capstone mentors and he told me and my partner what we will be doing for unit 3 of the program. Unit three is about student research of sandy beach and rocky intertidal zones of a beach. Students will be learning about the LIMPETS protocol for taking sandy beach and rocky intertidal surveys, why we do long term monitoring, and will take part in that practice at Carpenteria State beach. I have been working on my own set of surveys for my capstone in order to get data. I will be focusing on environmental attitudes. I hope students will be connected with nature after participating in Crossing the Channel. I went to Carpenteria State beach yesterday and here are some pictures of where the surveys will be taken. IMG_5916 IMG_5915 IMG_5914

Data Collection

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This trip to Santa Rosa Island over the past week was a very productive trip. I’ve not only figured out a stronger heading to follow with my project but I’ve also finished a large piece of my project when it comes to data collection. Zack and I have finished the census for the Bishop Pines. All trees have been counted not only on Black mountain but also on the peak of radar hill and a small group in Windmill Canyon. Total count without Dulce’s work comes out to about 2207 trees. All that is left for me to do is to core an approximate of 30 random trees and find the correlations of age and DBH, and the correlation of growth times to weather using weather reports that date back to the early 1900s.

This was me on the last day of data collection on Santa Rosa
This was me on the last day of data collection on Santa Rosa

Surveyed Some Sites Before the Big Rains

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According to the 2009 5-Year Review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Unarmored Threespine Stickleback there are several known locations of UTS populations in and around the Santa Clarita Valley. A little over a week ago I went out to my five focus sites: 2 in the Santa Clara River, where the Valencia Waste-water Treatment Plant expels its treated water (under McBean Bridge and Bouquet Bridge), San Francisquito Canyon, Bouquet Creek, and Soledad Canyon. Each of these sites were said to support UTS popuations as of 2009. When I went to these sites I not only looked for fish but took pictures and made observations before the El Niño storms hit. For this post my main focus will be on the treated water release site under McBean Bridge. A few months ago I posted pictures from the first time I want to this site. Through those observations I found the following: there were no fish whatsoever, the water was foamy and polluted, and the water ended downstream just shy of the Iron Horse Trail off of Magic Mountain Parkway. Here are some observations from my latest visit:

This shows the area where the water is released. McBean Bridge can be seen in the background
This shows the area where the water is released. McBean Bridge can be seen in the background
Here my dad (who insisted on coming in case of any unfavorable hobo encounters) is helping me look for stickleback in the murky water.
Here my dad (who insisted on coming in case of any unfavorable hobo encounters) is helping me look for stickleback in the murky water.
This is farther downstream where the water ended. The last time I was in this location the water only went as far as the metal pipe in the background.
This is farther downstream where the water ended. The last time I was in this location the water only went as far as the large metal pipe in the background.

 

 

 

Here is just a pool of water downstream. No sign of aquatic life found.
Here is just a pool of water downstream. No sign of aquatic life found.
I took this picture to compare to my last post from this location. I posted a picture of some mysterious orange growth in the water. This is the same spot and the orange growth is now gone. Probably from the few incidents of rain since the last visit.
I took this picture to compare to my last post from this location. I posted a picture of some mysterious orange growth in the water. This is the same spot and the orange growth is now gone. Probably from the few incidents of rain since the last visit.

 

 

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As like the last visit I have not found any stickleback in the area.
These really have nothing to do with my project I just thought they were kind of cool when I stumbled upon them in the riverbed. Animal prints dried in thick slabs of dirt.
These really have nothing to do with my project I just thought they were kind of cool when I stumbled upon them in the riverbed. Animal prints dried in thick slabs of dirt.

 

Thinking About Lidar

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The resolution of WSR-88D isn’t ideal for viewing birds. I am thinking about using lidar in a closed space such as a small canyon or valley. I want to literally turn the lidar on its head and scan the area above it. I am curious if this would be able to give accurate bird counts. I am also curious to see if there is a way to actually take the timing of the scans and use them to create an image of the actual bird. Meanderings of the mind.

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Trip to SRI Update!

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Last week, I was packed and ready to leave for Santa Rosa Island (SRI). In the rain, a group of us waited on the dock to leave. We were unable to depart from the dock, due to weather conditions. As a part of the trip, each of us would take turns cooking dinner each night. I cooked stew for 21 people… Since, we were unable to leave, I had stew for days. This time  tomorrow, I am leaving to SRI to collect data on my capstone. Hopefully, the odds will ever be in my favor to leave tomorrow.

Upcoming Trip Preparations

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Due to the first trip to Santa Rosa being canceled due to the storm that hit California the trip leaving on the 12th has been doubled booked. The research station will be full up but I look forward to the assistance from my research partner Zack and Dulce. Santa Rosa

Upcoming Trip

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Holidays are over and now research continues.

This is the main focus of my capstone
This is the main focus of my capstone

SRI January Trip

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Next Tuesday capstone students embark on the week long trip to the research station. This will be a good chance to get many of the groves out liars pin pointed with GPS. Doing research on papers and articles looking into why oaks do what they do we may have a better understanding of what we are dealing with in these groves! The winter break off from school has allowed me to catch up on some much needed rest and reading for this topic.

Santa Rosa Island

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This week I will be going to Santa Rosa Island for a week to work on the cirriculum we will be using for our students in April. I am not really sure what we will be doing but I will also be working on my methods for data collection, which will consists of surveys throughout unit 3.

Practice Quiz #1

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This is my first try at making a quiz. This is a practice description.

1. Which long-lost British space probe was found on the surface of Mars in January, having not been seen for over a decade?

 

 

 

 

2. The strongest natural material known to man was announced in February.  What was it?

 

 

 

 

3. The first ever round-the-world flight by a solar-powered aircraft began in march.  What is the aircraft’s name?