Over the last few days we have had the privilege of being visited at lunchtime by the local woodchuck that we have named… Robert (Bobby) Flay.
In honor of Robert, I have put together a little limerick about our little marmot.
There once was a woodchuck, you see,
Who couldn’t cook, no recipe.
He’d chop and he’d dice,
But it never turned nice,
His meals tasted like old fallen tree!
This morning we split. I was lucky to be part of a group with Jak where we searched for pollinating bees. We tried a new method to cool them down quicker. But, it would appear that we cooled them down a little too quickly. None of our bees survived our pollen collection. They made the ultimate sacrifice for science!
In the afternoon we bagged and collected pollen, then stacked our discarded data sheets in a pile that reached the height of the International Space Station. We look forward to reaching the Moon by next week!
We had a dreary, drizzly day in Douglas county, but that didn’t stop the bugs and other critters from enjoying the cool weather. Other critter sightings from the day include and are not limited to: deer, snakes, chipmunks, geese, ducks and other various birds, stink bugs, dragonflies, crickets, lots of mosquitoes and flies, and of course Team Echinacea members.
We went on a wild hunt this morning. Team Echinacea (or euthanasia/youth in Asia) members were prepped with pruners, pollinators exclusion bags, and flags.
Everyone worked together to find Echinacea! The summer team learned how to record data using our handy visors ( a memory of the 90s).
We then went to place pollinator exclusion bags on Echinacea pallida. Readers, please note that E. pallida is not the same as our beloved Echinacea angustifolia. Height is one key difference we use to distinguish the two plants. Angustifolia is a short king.
Afterward, we went on a decapitation spree. See below to view a picture of our winnings. Members of the team were enjoying seeing E. Pallida fall off its petal-stal.
Today the team took Echinacea Demos. We got trained in on the different scenarios we could see in the field and got to work. We set pollinator bags on the twenty closest Echinacea Pallida plants to a random point, taking demos as we went, afterwards we decapitated any other Echinacea Pallia nearby. All was right in the world during lunch, but halfway through updating our team norms the sky looked very gray and the thunder got quite loud. We moved to the porch and it started raining. I’m sure the plants were thrilled. Many members spent the afternoon working on their projects.
Today members of Team Echinacea shared some preliminary ABTs for their summer research! Today we heard from Victoria!
Victoria is going to design lesson plans for her co-taught 9th grade biology classes. They are designed to support her students in lab based learning. She hopes to lower the barrier for underrepresented students engagment in science practices!
Finally done with orientation week! This past week I have had the chance to tour the different labs located in the Plant Science Center, visit UIC’s heritage gardens, and see the amazing resources the Lenhardt Library has to offer! I was able to learn not only more about the different projects other interns will be working on this summer but also more about fieldwork safety and intern wellness. I am so excited to dive into what this summer has in store for me while also being more mindful of my well-being. Here is a photo of some Echinacea found in the diverse garden beds on the UIC campus.
Today as part of the orientation for the 2023 summer crew Dr. Jennifer Ison led a group in catching and identifying bees. The group loved running around the heliopsis in the garden trying to capture that elusive male Megachilidae “mason bee” with the big furry body and the green eyes. Unfortunately, we were so excited we forgot to get a picture. So you’ll have to take my word for it, but here’s a picture of the flowers.
Research interests: I am hoping to build on my knowledge of native flora and how they affect the environment around them, especially the soil characteristics. I would love to learn more about how deep rooted perennials affect the hydrology of the landscape.
Statement: I am from Virginia, MN
I started getting interested in native prairie plants when i was in high school working with conservation corps MN and IA in their youth program, I love being outside and spending time in nature. My hobbies include running, snowboarding, fishing, hiking, and gardening.
Today about half of the team got together and planted a new experimental plot. We all found our roles, worked efficiently, and got it done in 2 1/2 hours. Good work team! I’m excited to see what happens to the plot over the summer!
