Wednesday, on a spur of the moment decision, I decided to join Nathan and a team of undergrads on a sampling marathon all around the state. We traveled to at least 15 different locations to take surface water, groundwater and sediment samples followed by filtering samples at the end of the day. Most of the wells that we traveled to required small cross-county treks through muddy wetlands with healthy mosquito populations– to say the least. We would wake up at the crack of dawn to hit the road and stay up late to filter, prep, and label the water we collected. Most of the time we would improvise a lab where we spent the night. It was a worthwhile trip and I learned a lot through hands-on practice, but I have to say that I was very happy to have a full-night’s sleep in a comfy bed when I got back.
WordPress wouldn’t let me upload the short videos I took, so I included the Google Drive links:
Pelicans were just one of the many birds we observed in the field. Other fauna included a porcupine, deer, a small fox, frogs, and environmentalists in their natural habitat.
Nathan taking a sediment core sample by hand. Most of the time we had to wear knee-high rubber boots or waders to get close enough to take the samples. At one point, one of the other students had to actually dive into the water to collect the cores.
This is Jack, our friend who stayed with us the whole trip. Can anyone identify what he/she is?
One of the well sites was hidden in very tall cattails. You can’t tell but Nathan is walking through the plants searching for the well site:
Our last morning collecting samples with the team. It was a beautiful morning!
REU on Sustainable Land and Water Resources 