Skylar D.
Summary of My Experience
Morning Walk/Tour of So8ths
We walked the trail that ran through the land. Our first stop was the creek where he described the characteristics of the creek. Also, while we were waiting he helped us identify certain bird calls. After that we visited the many bird houses located around the land. They had predator guards on them to prevent things like snakes from going inside. Also, the holes on a lot of the houses were small so that certain birds didn’t take over. We also saw a beetle trap. The beetles there were invasive, and the goal was to track and see how many species were in the area. I learned a lot more about the circle of life and invasive species.
Day Field Sample Collections With SC DEC
I liked this. It reminded me of our first trip to the swamp when we were in the water collecting creatures. I saw my first leech. It was a lot smaller than I expected. Though they did say they can be found in larger sizes. It was fun kicking up the bottom of the creek for the sample collections. I also found the rocks in that area to be rather fascinating. That’s off topic but I used to collect rocks when I was a child and I still have an interest in that. Another instance in which I learned about the creatures in the water and also E. coli.
Discussion on Resilience (SCOR) – Bryan Rabon
There was a lot of information to take in. Very informative. I liked how he focused on the fact that you should prepare for disaster because it’s easier to come back from that than to try and get out of the disaster after it struck. He showed us houses that were built up higher so they wouldn’t be in that hurricane flooding citation again.
Water Sample Analysis
We used the chemetric testing kit again. We tested for the same similar things like pH, nitrate, nitrite. We also tested for copper and a few other new tests. It was the same process as the other water testing trials we went through. On the first day we tested the water from the boat trip and then on the second day we tested the water from the creek.
Evening Walk & 3C’s Discussion – Mike Elliot
So on our second day we were tricked. We were told that we were walking to familiarize ourselves with the trail before the night tour. Then an aircraft started circling overhead and shortly after out of nowhere purple fog erupted from the ground. Then, an American flag was drifting in the air with a man attached. There was a semi dramatic face reveal. It was Mike Elliot! Mike Elliot is a combat veteran who served the U.S. Army for over 26 years. In the last 11 years he was a member of the U.S.Army Parachute Team. he went skydiving with President George H.W. Bush and a few other notable individuals. His three C’s are commitment, courage and consistency. He’s very adamant about people being courageous and working around their fears. He fears skydiving and yet he does it for a living. He was diving solo that day. I have a better understanding of skydiving and Mike’s mission.
Campfire & S’mores
The s’mores were tasty. I think this is my first s’more toasted in a bonfire. I was not there to see the fire being started. The smoke went up pretty high. It was fun and a great photo op moment.
Night Moth Study – Kylie & Maya
The last night we were there we were taken on a night walk to see how many moths we could discover. Before we headed out, we underwent a debriefing on what we would possibly see. We also became familiar with the path while the sun was still up. We were provided with moth identification books and also got to study a few moths before we headed out. On the actual trip we visited two spots and ended up revisiting the first spot on our way back. There were white sheets hung up with a blue tone light attached to both sides to attract the insects. We didn’t end up seeing too many moths but we were able to identify a few. I saw a harnessed tiger moth and a rosy maple moth. I also saw a few beetles as well. I wanted to see a painted lichen moth because it looks like a spicy sunflower seed to me. When we were out the stars were also visible which is slightly off topic but was fascinating nonetheless. I have a better understanding of the moth population in South Carolina. I didn’t realize how many types of moths existed in one area at a time.
Highlights
I liked this whole experience. It was a perfect mix of outdoors and indoor ac. It was interesting being so close to nature for three days.
Dimmer Moments
A con of mine would be time. I know it was mentioned briefly that we were behind schedule and so I’m not sure if that changed our agenda any. At times I felt rushed for time.
