Observations from Visit #6

Today, November 27, 2011, was the last official visit I had to make to my field for this seasonal project. Today's length of day was 9 hours 22 minutes, and the temperature at the time of my visit was 38º F.

For my visit today, I purposely wanted to go right around dusk. My biology teacher had recommended going around nightfall earlier this year specifically remote chance that I might see some deer. I am sorry to say that I did not see any tonight. This might be because my field is in a somewhat populated area with a fair amount of foot traffic in normal conditions. The deer may also have been in a different area of the land where my field is located, so I might have missed them completely. During my visit, I noticed several distinct changes that took place in just a week's time. The water in the creek was flowing much more rapidly. The water level was noticeably higher, and the gurgling in the stream was definitely softer than it had been earlier. The weather was much cooler than what I was used to in past visits. I didn't notice any sounds; it was simply quiet and still. In many ways, I can't verbalize what it felt like tonight--it was almost peaceful in spite of it being colder and darker. The ground was a little bit wet because of the rain we received earlier today, yet it didn't bother me too much during my visit because the rain had stopped. I did, however, see some beautiful Christmas lights across the street from where I was standing in the woods. They really helped to set the tone of extreme peace.

To say the least, this project as a whole was so much more fulfilling than I had originally expected it to be. It exceeded my expectations in so many ways. One of the only regrets I have, however, as I have mentioned before, is that there wasn't any snow on the ground during any of the times I made my visits. God simply blessed us with an amazingly mild fall season without the normally cooler fall temperatures, which was extremely refreshing. However, in this season of Advent that began just today, it would be neat to have some snow on the ground, especially as we begin to prepare our hearts toward Christmas and ultimately Jesus Christ--the true Reason for the Season.

Here is a final portrait from my field:

Observations from Visit #5

Wow, where did the month of November go? It feels like November 1st was just yesterday, and yet today is November 20! I can't believe it. Anyway, today I had the great opportunity to make another visit to my field. It felt really good to get reconnected with everything there in God's creation after taking a few weeks off from visiting. Today's weather was fairly cloudy, and the temperature around the time I visited in the afternoon was 43 degrees F. The length of day was 9 hours 35 minutes, and I am still getting used to the fact that it is getting dark at 5:30 pm. It doesn't feel right; although I don't mind the extra daylight in the morning.

The first thing I noticed upon arrival at my field was the number of squirrels around. I counted at least five of them busy romping through the leaves on the side of the dune. The leaves are pretty much all off the trees right now. They have a nice crunch when you step on them, too, yet it's really sad because they have greatly faded since falling off the trees. The only green I could see was in the evergreens. I just felt like there needed to be more white, though. We're a little bit past the middle of November, and I can almost guarantee that if temperatures don't drop another 10-15 degrees, we won't be seeing snow for a while. It was hard sitting there with the weather being so cold without any snow. If it has to be cold, bring on the snow!! I trust that God will bring it in due time, and then we'll be complaining about it after the first significant snow event of the season. Another thing that I couldn't help but notice was that there weren't any birds today. The past couple of times I've been to my field, the birds were singing in full force, but now, it seems as if they have migrated south already. I can't wait until they come back in the spring. Today, only the squirrels seemed to occupy cold, breezy forest, along with a couple of other hikers. Even though this project goes through the end of November, there is part of me hoping to come back once there is snow on the ground. I have a feeling that I might be able to see something more unique than normal in such a beautiful place as this...

Here's another snapshot from my field. I will see about putting together a photo montage at the end of this project. They've turned out superb!!

Observations from Visit #4

Today, October 30, 2011 was an amazing day to make another visit to my field. While the weather was a bit cloudy and windy, the temperature was 54 degrees, and the length of day was 10 hours 24 minutes. To say the least, the weather was much cooler than it was the last time I made a visit to my field. God gave us a real gift with the summer-like temperatures at the beginning of the month, but now, it feels much more like fall. I just wonder how much longer the fall temperatures will last, though. This past week, one local television station released its winter forecast, and it sounds like the snow could start as early as mid-November this year. I hope there will at least be some snow on the ground for when I make a November visit!

One thing that I have continually paid attention to this season at my field is the change in the leaves on the trees. Many more leaves are now off the trees, and the ones on the ground have already started to fade and crinkle. It's kind of bittersweet  to see the colorful leaves fall and then have to decay. In terms of patterns, I've learned that the trees on the edge of a forest are the ones that tend to change color first. This is very true for my field as well. Many of the leaves still on the trees are either yellow or orange right now. Personally, I really like the yellow ones. I wish I had known this before, and I might still be able to find this out, but I'm wondering if some trees at my field change from yellow to orange leaves before falling. It's hard to know for sure because they started changing fairly late in the season. I will be sure to make a note of this next time I go. Some leaves are still green, which amazes me. They will probably change color soon just like the rest of them.

The water flow in the creek is still very steady; the noise is music to my ears. The squirrels were extremely busy; I saw at least four of them. A few people were at my field to go hiking, and I even took advantage of exploring some of the trails after I made my observations today. The dunes in this area are spectacular, especially right up against the lake.

Here is another photo from my field. Notice the change in color:

Observations from Visit #3

I cannot begin to put into words how good it felt to return to my field on Sunday afternoon, October 9th. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous for the past two weeks. In fact, the temperature on Sunday around 5:30 pm, when I made my visit, was 77º, and the length of day was 11 hours 22 minutes. I cannot remember an October that has been nearly as nice as this. During this visit, sitting in my usual spot, I heard many birds chirping close by. In a very big way, the visit as a whole seemed to be all about the birds. There was not a second when I was there when I didn't hear any birds. There also seemed to be more  traffic on the road; the noises from the cars was much more noticeable than what I had originally remembered. It was also amazing to finally see the leaves beginning to change color. Right now, there are many beautiful shades of yellow and orange on the leaves that are still clinging to the trees. A lot of the leaves have fallen off the trees already, too, creating a carpet-like illusion on the ground. Another thing that really struck me while I was sitting there was in how very persistent the crickets seem to be this year. I can't remember a time this late in the season when they were still chirping in such full force. Maybe God wants to give all of us a taste of some extra summer weather that we couldn't quite appreciate in the same way during July and August when it was so warm. I will be very sad when this warm weather goes away for the season, but it will also be nice to experience some true fall temperatures.

Observations from Visit #2

Wednesday evening, September 28, after a day when the rain decided to fall early in the morning, stop for a while, and then rain again for a period in the afternoon, I decided to take a chance with the weather and go to visit my field after the rain let up. Even though it was not raining at the time, the skies were still quite cloudy and threatening to get me wet on my bike trip back home, but thankfully, I stayed dry the whole time. The temperature was 58º F, and the length of day on Wednesday was 11 hours, 53 minutes.

After I arrived at my field, I realized very quickly that I was the only person there. This gave me a very good chance to to truly be surrounded by all of God's creatures. The birds and the crickets were still chirping happily away like they were last time I visited. The water level in the creek has filled up greatly ever since we have received all of this rain recently. It was incredibly peaceful to hear the water gurgle over the rocks in the creek again. Some of the leaves have recently fallen off the trees already, but everything is still fairly green. Even though the sky was somewhat blue, it seemed darker than it should have at my field because of the shade provided by the trees, keeping the light trapped up above. One huge disappointment for me on this visit was that I didn't see any animals. It was close to the end of the day, and I was hoping I met get to see some deer, but this didn't happen on this visit. I wonder if most of the animals were still in shelter after all of the rain we received. Next month, I might try going even later at night to try to find some friends hiding in the woods.

Here is another picture from my collection of photos taken by the creek:

Observations from Visit #1

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to make my first visit to my field on Sunday, September 11 around 3:00 pm. I am very thankful for the amazing weather God gave us that made it so special for a first time to simply marvel at his creation. For me, it was a good day to be there in the wake of remembering the tragic events of 10 years ago. The temperature that afternoon was 79º F, and the length of the day was 12 hours 42 minutes. While I was there, I took time to simply listen to my surroundings. I heard birds chirping in the trees, motorcycles and trucks humming on the road several hundred yards away, and the voices of other passers-by. The crickets seemed to be in abundance; I could always hear them clearly. The stream softly babbled as it passed over the rocks, and the breeze gently blew its comfortable, crisp air around me, which reminded me that fall is on its way very soon. I looked around for  animals that were visible, but the only ones I saw were some squirrels. I hope to see some different animals next time I go. The leaves on the trees are still very green; I think they may start to change color in the next two weeks or so. Another interesting thing I noticed is that the water level in the stream is quite low. I expect that it will probably go back up once we get some fall thunderstorms. 

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens." Psalm 8:1

Here is a picture from my field. I will have a different picture taken from the same exact spot each time I make a visit to my field. It will be very very cool to see the change in seasons from the same perspective. 

Experimental Design Diagram for Soil Testing

Part of what I will be doing for this study is a small research study on how pH levels in soil change as the temperature gets gradually cooler in this fall season. This document outlines how I will carry out the experiment in a way that is organized and easy to understand. It will be updated near the end of November once all of my data is collected and analyzed.

Field Study

Experimental Design Diagram

A. Stated Question: How does the acidity of soil change as the temperature ultimately decreases?

B. Hypothesis: If the temperature continues to decrease, then the soil will become less acidic and more basic/alkaline because the ground will gradually begin to harden, causing the soil to lose much of its moisture, which can definitely include acidic material.

C. Data Tables

The Acidity of the Soil Depends on the Decrease in Temperature
Date	pH of Soil			Average
	Trial 1	Trial 2	Trial 3
9/11/11	7.0	7.0	7.0	7.0
9/28/11	7.0	7.0	7.0	7.0
10/9/11	7.0	7.0	7.0	7.0
10/30/11	7.5	7.5	7.5	7.5
11/20/11	7.5	7.5	7.5	7.5
11/27/11	8.0	8.0	7.0	7.67

Date	Temperature Recorded
9/11/11	79º F
9/28/11	58º F
10/9/11	77º F
10/30/11	54º F
11/20/11	43º F
11/27/11	38º F

D. Controlled Variables:

1. The same general area of ground (to the nearest foot) will be used to test the pH levels.

2. The same method of testing the pH will be used each time, using a soil kit.

3. The same type of soil will be used in each test from the same area (the same consistency of the sand and dirt mixture).

4. After each collection at the field study location, every soil sample will be secured in a zipped plastic bag in order to prevent moisture from escaping.

5. No new soil samples will be taken within a week of the previous tests to ensure accurate results. This will follow the same guidelines of when I will be taking observations at my field.

E. Materials Required:

1. Plastic zippered bag
2. Small shovel (if desired; you can use your hands)
3. Soil Test Kit (to test the pH levels)

F. Step-By-Step Procedure:

1. Upon each visit to the field, take a small sample of soil from the same area, using a small hand shovel to dig 2-3 cm into the earth past the topsoil.** Fill in a plastic zippered bag.
   

   

   
   

   

   
   
2. Once the sample has been collected, use the Soil Test Kit, carefully following the directions listed to test the pH levels in the soil you have collected. (Place the soil in the testing bays and squeeze a couple of drops of the indicator on each sample. Tilt the testing tray downward to let the indicator run down. You should be able to see the color that the indicator has changed. Then, use the key included in the testing kit to determine the pH level). Be sure to do three trials with each sample.
   

   

   
   

   

   
   
3. When the results have been received after testing, record them in the table, along with the average of the three trials.
4. In the next table, record the date and the air temperature at the time of collection.
5. Follow the above instructions each time you take a new sample of soil. Once the sixth sample has been collected, conclusions will be able to be drawn from the data.
   **This step was not followed completely with the first sample collection and may alter data slightly. I will this in mind for data analysis.

G. Graphs of Data

H. Conclusion

a. Does the data support the hypothesis?
Yes, my data supports my hypothesis very well. The acidity decreased over time, just as I had predicted would happen. Looking back on my data, the warmer the temperature was, the higher the acidity was in the soil. The season began quite warm, with a 70º+ visit to start. This visit contained a soil testing that came back with a pH of exactly 7.0, or neutral. Soil acidity was also neutral during the second visit, when the temperature was 58º in the evening. October's visits proved to be very mild in terms of temperature, and the pH levels stayed neutral, which wasn't very surprising to me in my hypothesis. I expected the pH to change once the temperature ultimately changed, and it did not change until my last October visit, which was on October 30. Here, the temperature was 54º F, and the pH level was 7.5, a shift more toward being basic than neutral. Tests came back for the first November visit at a pH of 7.5 as well. At this visit, the temperature had decreased to just 43º F. And on the last visit, at a temperature of 38º F, the pH was determined to be 8.0, even more alkaline than my previous tests, which were at 7.5. All of these numbers mostly supported my hypothesis. I was, however, surprised at first to see that the pH levels stayed at 7.0 for so long; however, once I looked back, I realized that the mild temperatures may have contributed to this. I had expected more variation in temperature earlier in the season, but this fall was quite unusual in terms of its being very unseasonably warmer. I also expected to see some numbers higher than 8.0, maybe closer to 9.0 for pH. Given the weather we experienced, I don't think that the ground had enough time to harden even more than it did, which is why it gave me some different numbers. All in all, the data that I did receive reflected my hypothesis quite well.

b. If you did the experiment again, what changes would you make and why?
First of all, as noted in my explanation above, I would have collected my first sample the same way I collected the rest of the samples. It doesn't appear that it made a huge difference because the numbers stayed at 7.0 for quite a while, yet to be scientifically precise, I should have had a better plan going into it. Another change I would love to make to this experiment if I repeated it would be the addition of snow. In my hypothesis, I mentioned that the ground would eventually get harder, causing the soil to lose some of its moisture. Because I knew this to be true already, I knew that having snow on the ground for a long period of time could possibly have a great influence on my pH levels. Yet, in the crazy weather we experience in this great state, I unfortunately did not have snow on the ground during any of my visits. One last change I would make if I repeated this experiment would be in how I collected the soil samples. For this experiment, my samples were taken very close to the surface. However, I am somewhat convinced that my results could have been different had I dug down a few inches into the soil. Deeper soil would have had more moisture, which could have given me some different results in my pH testing. 

Natural Features Map

This is a map outlining some of the natural features of the field where I will be studying. As you may notice, there is a small stream running through, as well as the side of a dune. This map will also give a good view of some of the trees and other greenery in the area. The boxed-in area is where I will be spending my time taking observations.

Welcome! Check Out My Field With Video!!

Welcome to my Biology Field Study Blog! I hope that this will be a spot where you and I can learn just a little bit more about God and His amazing creation!

This page will usually be updated once a week. Check back for some pictures, blog entries, videos, research compilations, and more!

Check out the layout of my field with this video:

Thanks for visiting!