Reflection
Our first project of sophomore year was the secretary of the future project. For this project, we were tasked with creating a policy change for a plot of land anywhere in Novato. Using the various concepts we learned, we came up with a proposal and sent it off to a state representative. We explored ecology and covered topics such as climate, weather, soil/ground conditions, food chains, and much more. My group (Casey Elmhirst and Sebastian Dow) and I decided to turn a small piece of land near San Andreas into a park that can be used by everyone. This project was difficult but in the end we succeeded.
This project was very difficult but in the end, I think my group was successful. First off, this project was very open-ended and I think this threw my group off a bit. We didn't really know which direction to go in but soon, we decided on a park. After we got through the basics, we really put our idea into motion. Everything started coming together and we worked really well as a group. One thing I did well was staying on task. Throughout the work days I stayed focused most of the time and rarely got off task. This came in handy because our group only had 3 people while most others had 4. Another thing that I did well was adapting to different ideas. Once we began brainstorming, we all managed to combine our ideas very easily and everyone agreed on them. This strengthened our project making it more detailed and clear. One thing I can improve on is my attitude. During the project I found myself being extremely negative at certain times and this affected our group dynamic. In the end, I managed to pull through and have a better outlook on the project after seeing the results. Another thing I can work on is organizing my thoughts. Towards the end of the project, we still had a lot of work on our plates, and we never really figured out a system to get it done efficiently. Overall, we executed the tasks really well and all three of us put in our best efforts to make our project successful.
Our first project of sophomore year was the secretary of the future project. For this project, we were tasked with creating a policy change for a plot of land anywhere in Novato. Using the various concepts we learned, we came up with a proposal and sent it off to a state representative. We explored ecology and covered topics such as climate, weather, soil/ground conditions, food chains, and much more. My group (Casey Elmhirst and Sebastian Dow) and I decided to turn a small piece of land near San Andreas into a park that can be used by everyone. This project was difficult but in the end we succeeded.
This project was very difficult but in the end, I think my group was successful. First off, this project was very open-ended and I think this threw my group off a bit. We didn't really know which direction to go in but soon, we decided on a park. After we got through the basics, we really put our idea into motion. Everything started coming together and we worked really well as a group. One thing I did well was staying on task. Throughout the work days I stayed focused most of the time and rarely got off task. This came in handy because our group only had 3 people while most others had 4. Another thing that I did well was adapting to different ideas. Once we began brainstorming, we all managed to combine our ideas very easily and everyone agreed on them. This strengthened our project making it more detailed and clear. One thing I can improve on is my attitude. During the project I found myself being extremely negative at certain times and this affected our group dynamic. In the end, I managed to pull through and have a better outlook on the project after seeing the results. Another thing I can work on is organizing my thoughts. Towards the end of the project, we still had a lot of work on our plates, and we never really figured out a system to get it done efficiently. Overall, we executed the tasks really well and all three of us put in our best efforts to make our project successful.
Our Project
For our project, we chose a spot near San Andreas. We decided that it would be best to turn this currently useless piece of land into a park for the public to use. Our policy change includes converting the dirt animal paths into aesthetically pleasing and resourceful gravel paths, planting many native trees and flowers, and transforming a small seasonal pond into a thriving all-seasons pond. We made predictions for our site in 50, 100, 300, and 1,000 years in terms of climate, ground conditions, biotic factors, etc.
The gravel we plan on using in our policy is a little pricey, but overall it will live up to the cost. The gravel will be placed once the existing animal trails are smoothed down. This will provide a sturdy walking surface and will be very low maintenance. Another plus of using gravel, is that it wont erode for a very long time and wont need replacing.
The flowers we chose were the California Poppy, Lilac, Fuchsia , and Island Black Sage. All these flowers are native to California and drought resistant. When they bloom, these flowers will create a beautiful background for our park, but they will also have environmental benefits. These flowers will attract pollinators and butterflies which are extremely beneficial to our environment.
For our project, we chose a spot near San Andreas. We decided that it would be best to turn this currently useless piece of land into a park for the public to use. Our policy change includes converting the dirt animal paths into aesthetically pleasing and resourceful gravel paths, planting many native trees and flowers, and transforming a small seasonal pond into a thriving all-seasons pond. We made predictions for our site in 50, 100, 300, and 1,000 years in terms of climate, ground conditions, biotic factors, etc.
The gravel we plan on using in our policy is a little pricey, but overall it will live up to the cost. The gravel will be placed once the existing animal trails are smoothed down. This will provide a sturdy walking surface and will be very low maintenance. Another plus of using gravel, is that it wont erode for a very long time and wont need replacing.
The flowers we chose were the California Poppy, Lilac, Fuchsia , and Island Black Sage. All these flowers are native to California and drought resistant. When they bloom, these flowers will create a beautiful background for our park, but they will also have environmental benefits. These flowers will attract pollinators and butterflies which are extremely beneficial to our environment.
Here are some pictures of our flowers:
The trees we want to plant are the Fremont Cottonwood, California Sycamore, and the Quaking Aspen. All these trees have extremely long lifespans and are drought resistant. The trees will provide shade for visitors who want to take a walk in our park or have a picnic. Trees are vital for the survival of our planet and everything on it. By planting trees we are making a difference in our world, even if it so minor.
Here are some pictures of our trees:
After we researched our site, we had to make predictions of what it will look like in 50, 100, 300, and 1,000 years from now with and without our policy change. Here are the predictions:
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The final step of our project was to write a formal proposal to the state proposing our policy change. Here is the proposal that my group and I came up with:
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Content
This project depended heavily on many of these concepts that fall under the general "umbrella" of ecology. Some terms were used within the actual project such as carrying capacity, population, weather, and climate. Others relate more to the actual subject of the project and our planet, especially with how these environments work together and might potentially change over time.
Ecology- the study of the interactions between living things and their environment
Biodiversity- variety of life (plants/animals) in a particular habitat or ecosystem
Carrying Capacity- the maximum population size that an environment can hold based on its resources (food, water, habitat, and other necessities)
Individual- a single living organism
Population- a group of similar species (homogeneous) that live in the same habitat
Community- populations of different species that interact with each other
Ecosystem- how the communities interact with their environment
Biome- A group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities
Biotic Factor- anything that is currently living (or has lived)
Abiotic Factor- anything non-living
Food Web/ Energy Flow- a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains which demonstrate how energy flows from level to level. (Can also be represented in a pyramid)
Matter Cycling- the movement or exchange of matter in the environment. This includes the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles, which are all similar in terms of the processes.
Biosphere- where all living this live (where all life exists)
Greenhouse Effect- heat is retained near the Earth by a layer of gases in the Earth's atmosphere
Weather- day by day conditions of the Earth's atmosphere
Climate- the average year after year conditions of the temperature and precipitation in a particular region
Niche- the way of life of a species, or its role in an ecological community
Symbiosis- means to "live together" and happens when two species have a close relationship with each other
Competition- an interaction that harms both species
Mutualism- a type of interaction where both species benefit
Commesnalism- an interaction that benefits one species and doesnt effect the other
Parasitism- an interaction that harms one species and benefits another species
This project depended heavily on many of these concepts that fall under the general "umbrella" of ecology. Some terms were used within the actual project such as carrying capacity, population, weather, and climate. Others relate more to the actual subject of the project and our planet, especially with how these environments work together and might potentially change over time.
Ecology- the study of the interactions between living things and their environment
Biodiversity- variety of life (plants/animals) in a particular habitat or ecosystem
Carrying Capacity- the maximum population size that an environment can hold based on its resources (food, water, habitat, and other necessities)
Individual- a single living organism
Population- a group of similar species (homogeneous) that live in the same habitat
Community- populations of different species that interact with each other
Ecosystem- how the communities interact with their environment
Biome- A group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities
Biotic Factor- anything that is currently living (or has lived)
Abiotic Factor- anything non-living
Food Web/ Energy Flow- a system of interlocking and interdependent food chains which demonstrate how energy flows from level to level. (Can also be represented in a pyramid)
Matter Cycling- the movement or exchange of matter in the environment. This includes the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles, which are all similar in terms of the processes.
Biosphere- where all living this live (where all life exists)
Greenhouse Effect- heat is retained near the Earth by a layer of gases in the Earth's atmosphere
Weather- day by day conditions of the Earth's atmosphere
Climate- the average year after year conditions of the temperature and precipitation in a particular region
Niche- the way of life of a species, or its role in an ecological community
Symbiosis- means to "live together" and happens when two species have a close relationship with each other
Competition- an interaction that harms both species
Mutualism- a type of interaction where both species benefit
Commesnalism- an interaction that benefits one species and doesnt effect the other
Parasitism- an interaction that harms one species and benefits another species