Welcome to the blog for the Envr Sciences Field Station 2009 summer program. Over the summer, various interns will blog about their experiences with the Field Station in hopes that future interns can gain a better understanding of what being a Field Station intern is like.
First day of class was pretty good. I learned something new about each topic we covered. Whether it was about the satellites, the layers of the atmosphere, or the remote sensing, I gained a better understanding of each.
I started my ENV 300 class at the Feild Station today! It started just like any other BUT this class had a twist/kick to it. I thought we were just going to get the syllabus and be reading from it and just learning procedures of the class and rules and things like that but we DIDNT! Our instructor had us thinking outside of the box with theories that we have never thought about before. It was interesting to me that we werent confined to just the environment but he took it to another level and began discussing different things like space and how it is combined withe the environment. We also took a tour around the feild station. We learned where everything was located i.e. ice machine. But over all Day 1 was good to go.
It was a long day. From the time of departure to the Savannah River Site to the end of the three hour lecture. It was a nice experience being reminded of what I have a passion for, the environment. The lecture was not like a single topic discussion, but also included life skills. Apart form the environmental studies,the instructor, Prof. Wilson, emphasized of the management of money(credit score)- how it affects emplyment in future, and the impact of life skills alongside a high GPA. He continued by bringing to light, space science, a disciple I never considered . He explained how this disciple alone is multi-displinary. The class was was one of kind I expected to have in this internship, though I got tired by the end of the second hour. A ten minute break was taken after two hours, and later, the last hour of class was taken. After the last hour was lunch, and then a five minute insufficient tour was administered by a personnel at the site. We, the group, went back to the class and agreed on a topic, Climate Change, to research and a present on the last week on class. At this time, the fun class was over, and we headed back to USC Aiken. What next..... I slept and.......... played ping pong...
Okay. It wasn’t particularly what I expected. Guess what, it was better. But the only adjustment was waking earlier than before this program. It all went well, from the first phase of the class to the second. I wouldn’t fail to mention the little tour we had around the site with special reference to the ice-making machine for the hot weather. Back to the lecture, it started with a quiz which I would describe as a prep for the lecture. It got more interesting when I got further explanation on “environmental” terms we all hear every day but never knew the details of it. Of course, when we headed back to campus, among all things, I had a good victory in the “ping pong” game, otherwise called table tennis. So far so good, it’s not only about the books, also about recreation...of course in your own way.
So far at the field satation I have had a very trying experience. For the first few days things were kind of bumby what program doesn't have bumps in it. When I first got here I was in shock I had to feed myself so I went into survival mode. Me and my roommate went shopping. We went to the dollar store, kroger, and walmart. I refused to go and pay for for every meal. Man however we did all this after we were in that long badging process. I was so tired but it was worth it because I recieved my check which, made it possible for me and my roomate to eat. On the first day of class I was so sleepy but I managed to stay up with the help of a snacked I packed. And also I learned some new important facts about the atompohere. The first layer goes from 0-10 kilometers and the second layer goes from 10-50 kilometers. After class we went to popeyes and then we took a tour of the site. I was kind of disappointed with the tour because I thought we were going to see more of the site. I only remeber where a few things were like the dog pens, fire trucks, and the ice machines. On the other hand class was fun I love my teacher and I can't wait to for next class.
It is getting more interesting. Unlike the first day of class, the whole class was lively even after the third hour. This really means that we have adjusted to the new pattern on lectures. Today's class was so interesting. The ethics of the environment was discussed. I now have another point of view about the ethics, and that is politically. Our instructor went out of the box. As usual, I thought environmental ethics are left for the masses alone, but now I know that the decision makers have a hand in it too. Overall, it was a very vibrant class. The projected topic of the final presentation was talked about, though I was challenged by some of us because I asked a lot of questions. Questions I thought would help. I am very excited that everybody is enjoying the class, and therefore will make the most of this experience. Unlike the everday ping pong, I think I will have more fun this night....
Yesterday was going normal until it was lunch time. The TA, ARCHER, I call him by his last name locked the keys in the car. So this held up lunch for some people. Me on the other hand , i brought my own lunch. The class end up staying there until he could get the keys out. On the way from class the teacher wanted to stop and get something to eat. And boy I didnt want to stop and he left the ta in the car but it was ok. Having lunch with him was os fun. He had only been to Wendy's a couple off times and he wanted to try somthing new. He asked a customer what he had beacuse he had no clue. It turned out to be some sort of taco salad. He was like Oh boy it think I will have that. He was like a kid in a candy store it was pretty funny. He sat down at the table and grinned from ear to ear. After that we drove back to the dorm and I fell asleep for the rest of the day. However when the game came on I perked up. I have a bet going on with room 419. If Orlando wins the series they cook for a week, if Lakers win the series we cook for a week. However we are down one game. This just ruined my day, I just had to go to sleep.
As many people know by now there is not mush to do in Aiken by now, so the director had a good idea. We had acookout we could put together ourself. We did all the cooking, preparing, and shopping for the cookout. And the best thing was Mrs. Grant funded us out of the goodness of her heart. Me and my roomate cleaned all the chicken. And not only was it chicken it was leg quarters. A thigh and a leg. I never want to see another leg quarter again in my life because that was alot of chicken. When we got outside it was real hot and humid. But i decide to make the best of it. We had alot of food. There was plain chicken, barbecue, jerk, steaks, hamburger, hotdogs, smoked saugues, potatotoe salad, pata salad, and plenty of chips. There was music playin and we just ate and had a good time. Towards end some one took jeffs steak. It was so funny, but at the same time it wasnt. And i intended to hit him with a water ballon but i forgot. All and all it was a good day.
First day of class was pretty good. I learned something new about each topic we covered. It is getting more interesting. Unlike the first day of class, the whole class was lively even after the third hour. This really means that we have adjusted to the new pattern on lectures. Today's class was so interesting. The ethics of the environment was discussed. I now have another point of view about the ethics, and that is politically. Our instructor went out of the box. As usual, I thought environmental ethics are left for the masses alone, but now I know that the decision makers have a hand in it too.
Professor Wilson talked about a few of the layers today in connection to our dicussion about satellites. I did a little research on the layers of the atmosphere my freshman year as well and found myself intrigued.I really am Likin this class.It is some things that I wll take from it but trust it aint much. I have been at this program for two years now and I keep coming back because I really like it so much!
This program has me basically in awe! lol I have two classes and You would think that I would hate these classes that I have signed up for but that is not the cASE at all. I am so glad that I have been going to the two classes that I picked up. The two classes that I am assigned to are really totally different and they are taught by two different proffesors . They each have thier own style of teaching but I like both of them!
There were two classes held that day and although we had met our professors the previous day, i dont think anyone really knew what to expect.! All my suite mates were up bright and early so that we could eat and be in the lobby at our respected times. We met in the lobby at 7:45 but the bus for ENV 492 didnt leave untill 8:30 am. Actually.....it was a little later than that because Neta had an issue finding the registration for the van and we planned on going to the SRS(you know they are stiklers 4 the rules lol)To pass time we met in the science building on USC-Aiken's campus and had a round table discussion.
Professor Wilson is extremely efficient. We covered a wide range of topics, all related to land use decisions, in a a single class period. The most interesting part of the was when we were discussing satellites and the the difference between active and passive sensors. Did you know that only equipment with active sensors can see through and transmit signals through clouds.
In our first ENV 492 class we learned Most insects lead short lives as adults, and rarely interact with one another except to mate or compete for mates. A small number exhibit some form of parental care, where they will at least guard their eggs, and sometimes continue guarding their offspring until adulthood, and possibly even actively feeding them. Another simple form of parental care is to construct a nest (a burrow or an actual construction, either of which may be simple or complex), store provisions in it, and lay an egg upon those provisions. The adult does not contact the growing offspring, but it nonetheless does provide food. This sort of care is typical of bees and various types of wasps.
In my first ENV 492 class I learned that A small number exhibit some form of parental care, where they will at least guard their eggs, and sometimes continue guarding their offspring until adulthood, and possibly even actively feeding them. Most insects lead short lives as adults, and rarely interact with one another except to mate or compete for mates. The adult does not contact the growing offspring, but it nonetheless does provide food. This sort of care is typical of bees and various types of wasps
We learned in my ENV 300 class that Ecology studies typically analyse the dynamics of biological populations and some aspect of their environment. These studies might address endangered species, predator/prey interactions, habitat integrity, effects upon populations by environmental contaminants, or impact analysis of proposed land development upon species viability. An interdisciplinary analysis of an ecological system which is being impacted by one or more stressors might include several related environmental science fields. For example one might examine an estuarine setting where a proposed industrial development could impact certain species by water pollution and air pollution. For this study biologists would describe the flora and fauna, chemists would analyze the transport of water pollutants to the marsh, physicists would calculate air pollution emissions and geologists would assist in understanding the marsh soils and bay muds.
Mr. Wilson taught us that Environmental chemistry is the study of chemical alterations in the environment. Principal areas of study include soil contamination and water pollution. The topics of analysis involve chemical degradation in the environment, multi-phase transport of chemicals (for example, evaporation of a solvent containing lake to yield solvent as an air pollutant), and chemical effects upon biota.
As an example study, consider the case of a leaking solvent tank which has entered the soil upgradient of a habitat of an endangered species of amphibian. Physicists would develop a computer model to understand the extent of soil contamination and subsurface transport of solvent, chemists would analyze the molecular bonding of the solvent to the specific soil type and biologists would study the impacts upon soil arthropods, plants and ultimately pond dwelling copepods who are the food of the endangered amphibian.
Posts
First day of class was pretty good. I learned something new about each topic we covered. Whether it was about the satellites, the layers of the atmosphere, or the remote sensing, I gained a better understanding of each.
ReplyDeleteI started my ENV 300 class at the Feild Station today! It started just like any other BUT this class had a twist/kick to it. I thought we were just going to get the syllabus and be reading from it and just learning procedures of the class and rules and things like that but we DIDNT!
ReplyDeleteOur instructor had us thinking outside of the box with theories that we have never thought about before. It was interesting to me that we werent confined to just the environment but he took it to another level and began discussing different things like space and how it is combined withe the environment. We also took a tour around the feild station. We learned where everything was located i.e. ice machine. But over all Day 1 was good to go.
It was a long day. From the time of departure to the Savannah River Site to the end of the three hour lecture. It was a nice experience being reminded of what I have a passion for, the environment. The lecture was not like a single topic discussion, but also included life skills. Apart form the environmental studies,the instructor, Prof. Wilson, emphasized of the management of money(credit score)- how it affects emplyment in future, and the impact of life skills alongside a high GPA. He continued by bringing to light, space science, a disciple I never considered . He explained how this disciple alone is multi-displinary. The class was was one of kind I expected to have in this internship, though I got tired by the end of the second hour. A ten minute break was taken after two hours, and later, the last hour of class was taken. After the last hour was lunch, and then a five minute insufficient tour was administered by a personnel at the site. We, the group, went back to the class and agreed on a topic, Climate Change, to research and a present on the last week on class. At this time, the fun class was over, and we headed back to USC Aiken. What next..... I slept and.......... played ping pong...
ReplyDeleteEmmanuel-Activity on June 2nd, 2009
Okay. It wasn’t particularly what I expected. Guess what, it was better. But the only adjustment was waking earlier than before this program. It all went well, from the first phase of the class to the second. I wouldn’t fail to mention the little tour we had around the site with special reference to the ice-making machine for the hot weather. Back to the lecture, it started with a quiz which I would describe as a prep for the lecture. It got more interesting when I got further explanation on “environmental” terms we all hear every day but never knew the details of it. Of course, when we headed back to campus, among all things, I had a good victory in the “ping pong” game, otherwise called table tennis. So far so good, it’s not only about the books, also about recreation...of course in your own way.
ReplyDeleteSo far at the field satation I have had a very trying experience. For the first few days things were kind of bumby what program doesn't have bumps in it. When I first got here I was in shock I had to feed myself so I went into survival mode. Me and my roommate went shopping. We went to the dollar store, kroger, and walmart. I refused to go and pay for for every meal. Man however we did all this after we were in that long badging process. I was so tired but it was worth it because I recieved my check which, made it possible for me and my roomate to eat. On the first day of class I was so sleepy but I managed to stay up with the help of a snacked I packed. And also I learned some new important facts about the atompohere. The first layer goes from 0-10 kilometers and the second layer goes from 10-50 kilometers. After class we went to popeyes and then we took a tour of the site. I was kind of disappointed with the tour because I thought we were going to see more of the site. I only remeber where a few things were like the dog pens, fire trucks, and the ice machines. On the other hand class was fun I love my teacher and I can't wait to for next class.
ReplyDeleteGe'Ton Stith
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt is getting more interesting. Unlike the first day of class, the whole class was lively even after the third hour. This really means that we have adjusted to the new pattern on lectures. Today's class was so interesting. The ethics of the environment was discussed. I now have another point of view about the ethics, and that is politically. Our instructor went out of the box. As usual, I thought environmental ethics are left for the masses alone, but now I know that the decision makers have a hand in it too. Overall, it was a very vibrant class. The projected topic of the final presentation was talked about, though I was challenged by some of us because I asked a lot of questions. Questions I thought would help. I am very excited that everybody is enjoying the class, and therefore will make the most of this experience. Unlike the everday ping pong, I think I will have more fun this night....
ReplyDeleteYesterday was going normal until it was lunch time. The TA, ARCHER, I call him by his last name locked the keys in the car. So this held up lunch for some people. Me on the other hand , i brought my own lunch. The class end up staying there until he could get the keys out. On the way from class the teacher wanted to stop and get something to eat. And boy I didnt want to stop and he left the ta in the car but it was ok. Having lunch with him was os fun. He had only been to Wendy's a couple off times and he wanted to try somthing new. He asked a customer what he had beacuse he had no clue. It turned out to be some sort of taco salad. He was like Oh boy it think I will have that. He was like a kid in a candy store it was pretty funny. He sat down at the table and grinned from ear to ear. After that we drove back to the dorm and I fell asleep for the rest of the day. However when the game came on I perked up. I have a bet going on with room 419. If Orlando wins the series they cook for a week, if Lakers win the series we cook for a week. However we are down one game. This just ruined my day, I just had to go to sleep.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAs many people know by now there is not mush to do in Aiken by now, so the director had a good idea. We had acookout we could put together ourself. We did all the cooking, preparing, and shopping for the cookout. And the best thing was Mrs. Grant funded us out of the goodness of her heart. Me and my roomate cleaned all the chicken. And not only was it chicken it was leg quarters. A thigh and a leg. I never want to see another leg quarter again in my life because that was alot of chicken. When we got outside it was real hot and humid. But i decide to make the best of it. We had alot of food. There was plain chicken, barbecue, jerk, steaks, hamburger, hotdogs, smoked saugues, potatotoe salad, pata salad, and plenty of chips. There was music playin and we just ate and had a good time. Towards end some one took jeffs steak. It was so funny, but at the same time it wasnt. And i intended to hit him with a water ballon but i forgot. All and all it was a good day.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI removed a few of my comments and put the m under there topics
ReplyDeleteFirst day of class was pretty good. I learned something new about each topic we covered. It is getting more interesting. Unlike the first day of class, the whole class was lively even after the third hour. This really means that we have adjusted to the new pattern on lectures. Today's class was so interesting. The ethics of the environment was discussed. I now have another point of view about the ethics, and that is politically. Our instructor went out of the box. As usual, I thought environmental ethics are left for the masses alone, but now I know that the decision makers have a hand in it too.
ReplyDeleteProfessor Wilson talked about a few of the layers today in connection to our dicussion about satellites. I did a little research on the layers of the atmosphere my freshman year as well and found myself intrigued.I really am Likin this class.It is some things that I wll take from it but trust it aint much. I have been at this program for two years now and I keep coming back because I really like it so much!
ReplyDeleteThis program has me basically in awe! lol I have two classes and You would think that I would hate these classes that I have signed up for but that is not the cASE at all. I am so glad that I have been going to the two classes that I picked up. The two classes that I am assigned to are really totally different and they are taught by two different proffesors . They each have thier own style of teaching but I like both of them!
ReplyDeleteThere were two classes held that day and although we had met our professors the previous day, i dont think anyone really knew what to expect.! All my suite mates were up bright and early so that we could eat and be in the lobby at our respected times. We met in the lobby at 7:45 but the bus for ENV 492 didnt leave untill 8:30 am. Actually.....it was a little later than that because Neta had an issue finding the registration for the van and we planned on going to the SRS(you know they are stiklers 4 the rules lol)To pass time we met in the science building on USC-Aiken's campus and had a round table discussion.
ReplyDeleteProfessor Wilson is extremely efficient. We covered a wide range of topics, all related to land use decisions, in a a single class period. The most interesting part of the was when we were discussing satellites and the the difference between active and passive sensors. Did you know that only equipment with active sensors can see through and transmit signals through clouds.
ReplyDeleteIn our first ENV 492 class we learned Most insects lead short lives as adults, and rarely interact with one another except to mate or compete for mates. A small number exhibit some form of parental care, where they will at least guard their eggs, and sometimes continue guarding their offspring until adulthood, and possibly even actively feeding them. Another simple form of parental care is to construct a nest (a burrow or an actual construction, either of which may be simple or complex), store provisions in it, and lay an egg upon those provisions. The adult does not contact the growing offspring, but it nonetheless does provide food. This sort of care is typical of bees and various types of wasps.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn my first ENV 492 class I learned that A small number exhibit some form of parental care, where they will at least guard their eggs, and sometimes continue guarding their offspring until adulthood, and possibly even actively feeding them. Most insects lead short lives as adults, and rarely interact with one another except to mate or compete for mates. The adult does not contact the growing offspring, but it nonetheless does provide food. This sort of care is typical of bees and various types of wasps
ReplyDeleteWe learned in my ENV 300 class that Ecology studies typically analyse the dynamics of biological populations and some aspect of their environment. These studies might address endangered species, predator/prey interactions, habitat integrity, effects upon populations by environmental contaminants, or impact analysis of proposed land development upon species viability.
ReplyDeleteAn interdisciplinary analysis of an ecological system which is being impacted by one or more stressors might include several related environmental science fields. For example one might examine an estuarine setting where a proposed industrial development could impact certain species by water pollution and air pollution. For this study biologists would describe the flora and fauna, chemists would analyze the transport of water pollutants to the marsh, physicists would calculate air pollution emissions and geologists would assist in understanding the marsh soils and bay muds.
Mr. Wilson taught us that Environmental chemistry is the study of chemical alterations in the environment. Principal areas of study include soil contamination and water pollution. The topics of analysis involve chemical degradation in the environment, multi-phase transport of chemicals (for example, evaporation of a solvent containing lake to yield solvent as an air pollutant), and chemical effects upon biota.
ReplyDeleteAs an example study, consider the case of a leaking solvent tank which has entered the soil upgradient of a habitat of an endangered species of amphibian. Physicists would develop a computer model to understand the extent of soil contamination and subsurface transport of solvent, chemists would analyze the molecular bonding of the solvent to the specific soil type and biologists would study the impacts upon soil arthropods, plants and ultimately pond dwelling copepods who are the food of the endangered amphibian.