I had no idea that there was a community garden located just down the street from campus, but I was pleased to see it. The garden was established through the Macon Roots program. You can visit their website here:
http://www.maconroots.org
They are a non-profit organization striving to promote sustainable food in Macon. The celebrate the use of local food, and help to provide locally grown products to the people of Macon.
One reason why community gardens are so important is because they help provide healthy food options to people who may not have access to it otherwise. In urban areas people tend to rely more on take-out menus and processed food from the microwave because they do not have the space or knowledge to grow their own products or the time to create home-made meals every day. Community gardens help provide people with the tools they need to lead healthier lives, even just by taking small steps.
However, there are also downsides to community gardens that are located in urban areas, such as Macon. Many of these gardens are located in areas that either are or have been subjected to various pollutants and chemicals from the surrounding areas. This can cause contamination in the soil where the fruits and vegetables are being grown. It is important for these areas to be checked for safety and to be monitored closely, because even the slightest contamination can ruin the entire garden and make the products unsafe for consumption.
As part of this lab we also studied dirt, clay, and soil and were asked to research the 12 soil orders. The different types of soil are located all over the world and each possesses unique qualities. While you or I may not be able to tell them apart, environmental biologists have tests that allow them to distinguish between them. The 12 types are:
Gelisols, Histosols, Spodosols, Andisols, Oxisols, Vertisols, Aridisols, Ultisols, Mollisols, Alfisols, Inceptisols, and Entisols.
Of these 12, the one that is found in Georgia is Ultisols.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Tomato Baby
One of our assignments for the semester has been to raise or own "baby", in the form of either a tomato or a sunflower. I chose to attempt a tomato, and I was surprised with how well my baby flourished. Unfortunately, I don't have a working camera to document my the plant's growth, but it has gotten quite tall, to the point that it is unable to stand up without being propped against something. It appears to be suffering lately, with the lack of sunlight available and my occasional forgetfulness in watering it. Hopefully I can actually get a tomato out of it, but we'll see how it goes from here!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Plants, Trees, and Shrubs in Georgia
The state of Georgia is known for its wildlife. There are over 250 Different types of trees that can be found in the state, as well as numerous other plants and shrubs. I have compiled a list of Fifteen trees, plants, and shrubs that can be found around the state.
TREES
Live Oak (Quercus Virginiana)
Red Cedar (Juniperus Virginiana)
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus Florida)
Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x Yedoensis)
Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum)
SHRUBS
Yellow Jasmine (Gelsemium Sempervirens)
Carolina Silverbell (Halesia Tetraptera)
Mountain Laurel (Kalmia Latifolia)
Yaupon Holly (Ilex Vomitoria)
Catawba Rhododendron (Rhododendron Catawbiense)
PLANTS
Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera Sempervirens)
American Wisteria (Wisteria Frutescens)
Obedient Plant (Physostegia Virginiana)
Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes Atamasca)
Monkshood (Aconitum Uncinatum)
River Lab
Despite the fact that I was a little incapacitated during the day at the River, I'll do my best to illustrate the activities that took place. Hopefully I was watching close enough to get it!
Finding Clams in The River
Here is a map showing where and how many clams students found at various spots in the River. They used a sort of sifter to separate the clams from the River dirt. Some areas were more suitable for the clams than others, and they seemed to prefer certain conditions. I would be interested to learn more about clams and how they ended up in the river. I know I personally tend to associate them with larger bodies of water, like an ocean, so I was surprised to see that there were so many down in the river.
River Elevation
While one group of students was looking for clams, the other group was responsible for measuring the elevation of the river at different points from one bank to the other. They used a rather simple device made from two poles marked with tape and attached to each other by a string. They could determine the elevation by where the water hit the poles and the distance by how far the poles were from each other. Here is a chart showing their findings.
Even though I got sick during our trip to the river, I did have fun during the time that I was able to participate. We gained a lot of interesting information and it was nice to get out of the classroom for a while.
Finding Clams in The River
Here is a map showing where and how many clams students found at various spots in the River. They used a sort of sifter to separate the clams from the River dirt. Some areas were more suitable for the clams than others, and they seemed to prefer certain conditions. I would be interested to learn more about clams and how they ended up in the river. I know I personally tend to associate them with larger bodies of water, like an ocean, so I was surprised to see that there were so many down in the river.
River Elevation
While one group of students was looking for clams, the other group was responsible for measuring the elevation of the river at different points from one bank to the other. They used a rather simple device made from two poles marked with tape and attached to each other by a string. They could determine the elevation by where the water hit the poles and the distance by how far the poles were from each other. Here is a chart showing their findings.
Even though I got sick during our trip to the river, I did have fun during the time that I was able to participate. We gained a lot of interesting information and it was nice to get out of the classroom for a while.
Monday, September 5, 2011
My Favorite Animal
My favorite animal has always been the Lion. I have always loved how they are fierce and regal, but I also like that they stick together in groups, known as Prides. Lions are one of the four Big Cats, a group that consists of Lions, Tigers, Leopards, and Jaguars. They are the second largest of the group, behind only Tigers. Wild Lions can be found in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Lions are much more social than other cats, and tend to travel in Prides consisting of related females and cubs as well as a few adult males. Lions are Apex Predators, but they have also been known to be quite friendly and gentle with humans whom they have grown accustomed too.
An adult male lion with a cub
A lioness with her cub
My Happy Place
My happy place is not some exotic location with a beautiful view. Instead I chose a more simple place: my childhood home. I grew up in a small town called Jesup in southeast Georgia. The house we lived in was small, just on the outskirts of town near the paper mill and the river. I lived with my parents and five siblings, and we spent most of our time outside because the house was a little too small to comfortably accommodate up to eight people and a dog during the day.
This picture shows the area that we lived in. The large red marker was our home and the other markers represent other places that I used to spend my time. There was a wooded area behind our house where I would pick blackberries and blueberries that my mom would use to make homemade jam. I also used to spend a lot of time walking around the neighborhood with my siblings or friends. There was also a little corner store down the street that my siblings and I would walk to to buy candy or to get things for my parents.
I picked this location as my Happy Place because it meant so much to me. I've been to other places that would probably be considered nicer, but I really enjoyed my childhood here. It may not have been that long ago since I was a child, but it already feels like a whole different world. I used to spend my days walking around the neighborhood and playing in the woods without adult supervision. I slept with my bedroom window wide open every night without being afraid. I used to climb trees and eat honeysuckle and feed the chickens that we kept. My childhood wasn't perfect, by any means, but I enjoyed what I had and I learned how to have fun without worrying about the outside world. That's what makes my childhood home my Happy Place.
This picture shows the area that we lived in. The large red marker was our home and the other markers represent other places that I used to spend my time. There was a wooded area behind our house where I would pick blackberries and blueberries that my mom would use to make homemade jam. I also used to spend a lot of time walking around the neighborhood with my siblings or friends. There was also a little corner store down the street that my siblings and I would walk to to buy candy or to get things for my parents.
I picked this location as my Happy Place because it meant so much to me. I've been to other places that would probably be considered nicer, but I really enjoyed my childhood here. It may not have been that long ago since I was a child, but it already feels like a whole different world. I used to spend my days walking around the neighborhood and playing in the woods without adult supervision. I slept with my bedroom window wide open every night without being afraid. I used to climb trees and eat honeysuckle and feed the chickens that we kept. My childhood wasn't perfect, by any means, but I enjoyed what I had and I learned how to have fun without worrying about the outside world. That's what makes my childhood home my Happy Place.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
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