We were trudging through five feet of tall grass. The
soil was sinking beneath our weight. The land topography was anything but
even, unexpected drops and rises caused us to panic and yell out to the
other to be careful. Using our d-nets as make shift machetes we cut a path
through the dense grass. Our destination, a part of the Wilson Creek. Science
was about to take place.
We went out into the field this week. It was great. My
favorite thing to do is to explore nature! The
biology team and the geography team stood in the cold water of the stream. The
stream level was high enough to go past our knees! We were aware that the
cobble beneath us might not be stable or slippery so we moved with caution. My
partner Elizabeth grabbed the d-net and placed it on the stream bottom. I was
in charge of scuffing up the bottom with my hands and feet so sediment would
arise and fall into the net. I like getting down and dirty with the work. When we placed the content of the net into a
tray filled with water, the water was alive! So many invertebrates were living in it. Swimming
larvae and wiggling worms! I will never look at a stream the same ever again. It
also gave me more of an appreciation for the beauty of a creek: the
undercutting, the rifles of churning water and rocks, the falling debris, and
the meandering shape.
Science is really an exploration. We are braving the unknown
to try to seek information. I enjoy a research out in field because it goes beyond
what I can see, feel and hear. It gives me a deeper understanding of the world
around me.
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