July 5
We start to work on our inquiry projects.  My principal project involves making baiting traps for microbes.  We enrich for protists which feed on bacteria and decomposing matter. If you want to see what we have done so far, click on Inquiry Project.

July 6
We went to Mercer Park where we practiced field monitoring techniques.  Many of us jumped in canoes and used plankton nets for capturing phytoplankton.  Field microscopes were used  IN THE CANOE   to look for phytoplankton.  Dr. Sherwood Hall, chief, Washington Seafood Laboratory, Division of Science and Applied Technology for the U. S. Food and Drug Administration in Washington, D. C. provided us with this fantastic experience.  For more information about phytoplankton monitoring programs, conatact Dr. Hall at shall@bangate.fda.gov or sxh@vm.cfsan.fda.gov

July 7
Sherry (my lab partner) and I started working on our projects early.  At 7:00 AM, we casted our baiting traps in a pond.  We are anxious to see if we catch any ciliates and flagellates. At night, we went on a bug hunting expedition.

July 8
Today was an exciting one!! We discussed cladistics and biodiversity, then went on to collect forest leaf litter.  We used sweep nets, beating trays, and pitfall traps to capture organisms in a habitat.  We found springtails, millipedes, sowbugs, mites, spiders from the catch.  A Berlese funnel which can be purchased from Ward's is used to cook leaf litter overnight so that organisms will fall out.  Our brilliant instructors had already collected and cooked leaf litter, and provided it for our use.  Dr. Kefyn Catley from AMNH presented today.

July 9
We discussed the characteristics of bacteria and ways to identify bacteria.  Then off to the lab to perform a host of biochemical tests to identify an unknown bacteria.

July 10

Our speaker shared many first hand experiences in biodiversity.
 
 

for week 3 activities.