Save the Bay Reflection

Our class went on a field trip to the wetlands of the San Francisco Bay last tuesday. Save the Bay is an organization which specializes in restoration of the San Francisco Bay using both specialists and volunteers (i.e. citizen science). Since the early 1900s, the wetlands have been reduced 90%. This has greatly affected the wildlife, endangering many native species.

The Wetlands of the San Francisco Bay, courtesy of R. Girard

Here is what I learned:

1. Pickleweed evolved to be able to live in salt water. This directly relates to evolution and adaptation, which we learned about in Unit 1. Genetically, most species of wildlife has mutated somewhere along the line in order to adapt to the environment.

This is a picture of Pickleweed, courtesy of R. Girard

2. The California drought has been one of the worst droughts in the history of California, and has greatly affected the wildlife and the statistics of information that Save the Bay collects.

3. The San Francisco Bay is the second biggest estuary in the country, after the Chesapeake Bay. As an estuary, the San Francisco Bay harvests both freshwater and saltwater plants, thus increasing specie diversity.

Courtesy of R. Girard

Citizen Science is a branch of science where data and information is taken and recorded by citizens of the general public. Citizen science, while maybe not all as accurate as science performed by a professional, is important because there is a lack of scientists but a surplus of discoveries to be made. Generally, the more information collected the better for scientific purposes and projects, and citizen science encourages this. By taking this data, not only did collect data for the Save the Bay organization which can potentially go to new project and statistics, but I also gained respect for the San Francisco Bay and Save the Bay.

This is our class getting ready to partake in citizen science (photo courtesy of R. Girard)

In my small group, I was the data collector. I highly enjoyed this position; being the scribe and organizing data is my specialty. We tested soil salinity, moisture, pH, conductivity, and biodiversity.

Here is a picture of my group and me collecting data (courtesy of R. Girard)

Overall, I had a ton of fun on this field trip. I always look for an excuse to get out of the standard classroom and this trip enabled my classmates and me to do so. Assisting on this Save the Bay project made me feel like we were doing a lab, except this time I was really able to connect a lab-like experience with real life experiences. I will always remember Ms. Cerels getting stung by a wasp, which I think is safe to say was a traumatizing moment for everyone involved. If I could change one thing about the field trip, I would have it on a day where the weather is a little bit better, because the fresh rain arose the wasps and made them a little bit angry. I really liked my leader, Mugwart (aka Brian), and for some reason the fact that this was his first time working on this specific project too calmed me down and made the experience more enjoyable. I definitely think this field trip was worthwhile and would love to go again.

Making Meiosis Move

I collaborated with Abi Grassler to create a moving project that demonstrates the steps of meiosis in gamete cells. We used craft supplies – mainly Pipe Cleaners – to symbolize various organelles and depict the changes made and steps taken during meiosis. We then took pictures on an IPad, and used the Stop Motion application to string these pictures together in a motion film. You can view this video below:

Meiosis is a form of sexual reproduction and cell division. Unlike mitosis, which creates clones of the parent cell, meiosis creates genetic diversity – especially through crossing over, which occurs during Prophase I. Meiosis is similar to mitosis in that the cell goes through similar phases in both processes. However, meiosis goes through two divisions, producing four daughter cells, as opposed to mitosis which divides only once and produces two.

While Abi and I enjoyed using Stop Motion and taking pictures to create an animation of meiosis, using the craft supplies was challenging. Both Abi and I were originally unclear about the general process of meiosis, and we found that this confusion (on top of the struggle of using Pipe Cleaners and the time crunch) resulted in a lot of difficulties. However we did our best, and we are both really happy with the outcome of our project!

Work Cited:

Reece, Jane B., Lisa A. Urry, Michael L. Cain, Steven A. Wasserman, Peter V. Minorsky, and Robert B. Jackson. Campbell Biology. AP Edition ed. Vol. 10. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2014. Print.

Animal Therapy

As an animal lover, I have always been interested in the relationship between humans and animals and how we affect one another. While it is not accurate to go so far as to say that it is a symbiotic relationship (thank you humans for pretty much destroying everything we touch), science is showing that the beneficial effect animals have on human is evident and strong.

As this research is popping up and showing more results animal therapy is becoming more popular as well. Animals have been used in medical settings for over 150 years, but it is only since the 1970s where researches have been observing and testing the bond between humans and animals. One of the main effects of animals is mood improvement; the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine has been focusing in particular on oxytocin levels, claiming that animals increase those levels in humans through touch, interaction, and just through general proximity (oxytocin is a hormone which not only helps us feel happy and trusting, but also has some healing power and is known to help regenerate new cells).

Animals such as dogs, cats, and horses are the more popular “therapists” and have shown some of the best results and improvement among children with various disabilities. Some of these improvements include social skills, cognitive skills, increased awareness and processing skills, and just a general increase in happiness levels in patients.

As mentioned above, therapeutic animal places (especially barns) are becoming more and more popular around the country and in our very own Bay Area! One local place is BOK Ranch in Woodside (http://www.bokranch.com/index.html), and if you know of any others please comment and let me know! Feel free to microSCOPE it out (ba doom tsss) and have a great day!

Works Cited

Rovner, Julie. “Pet Therapy: How Animals And Humans Heal Each Other.” NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 27 Aug. 2014. <http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/03/09/146583986/pet-therapy-how-animals-and-humans-heal-each-other&gt;.