For our first project this year, each group chose a plot of land in Novato. We then chose a policy to change the piece of land, and made predictions with and without the change in the future. For the final piece of the project, each group wrote to a representative proposing our ideas. My group and I decided to refill a lake on Mount Burdell. The lake is currently a vernal pond which means that it fills up during the rainy season and dries up during the hot months. My group and I wanted to create a reliable water source for the animals that live on the mountain. Because we are in a drought, all of the usual sources are dry, so a lake would help with this. We researched our idea, created a presentation, and finally made emails to send to representatives.
Here is our presentation:
Concepts (there were a lot): Food Web - a diagram that shows the complex interactions in the flow of energy through an ecosystem Carnivore - an animal that only eats meat (coyotes, lizards, snakes, birds of prey) Omnivore - an animal that eats both plants and meat (squirrels, turkeys, water birds, fish, frogs) Herbivore - an animal that only eats plants (deer, snails, fish) Detritivore - an animal that eat and break down dead animal and plant matter (turkey vultures, worms, ants) Autotroph - organisms that make their own food through (trees, grasses, weeds) Photosynthesis - using sunlight to make food Chemosynthesis - using chemicals to make food Heterotroph - organisms that rely on each other for food/energy (coyote rely on deer for food, squirrels, lizards, and birds rely on insects, deer rely on grasses and trees) Climate - the long term weather of a particular area (warm, dry, rainy, wet) Niche - the role of a species and how it lives in an ecosystem (coyotes eat deer, deer eat plants, etc.) Ecosystem - how populations of different species interact with each other and with their environment (animals on Burdell compete for water, food; coyotes eat deer, lizards eat insects, etc.) Biotic factor - biological influence on organisms within an ecosystem; living or previously living (animals, plants) Abiotic Factor - physical factor that shapes an ecosystem; anything nonliving (water, wind, soil, rocks) Biosphere - where all life exists in the world (the earth) Biome - a group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominate communities (the other nature preserves in Marin County) Producer - autotrophs; at the bottom of food web (trees, grasses, plants) Consumer - a heterotroph that eats other heterotrophs for food (coyotes, snakes, lizards, etc.) Greenhouse Effect - heat is retained near the Earth by a layer of gases in the Earth's atmosphere (global warming) Commensalism - an interaction between two species where one is benefitted and the other is not affected (seeds of plants stick to animals and are spread to grow) Mutualism - an interaction where both species are benefitted (bees eat flower's nectar, flower gets pollinated) Parasitism - an interaction where one species is benefitted and the otheris harmed (coyotes eat deer) Competition - an interaction where both species are harmed (species compete for water) Resources - the necessities for living (animals need food, water, space, etc.) Carrying Capacity - the number of organisms that can be supported by the resources in a certain ecosystem (lack of water and space lowers the carrying capacity of Hidden Lake area) Biodiversity - the diversity of life in a certain area (with the added lake, there will be a wide range of species living there)
Here is our Proposal: Hidden Lake is located on Mount Burdell in Novato. It is a vernal pool, meaning it dries up in the summer and refills in the the winter. Right now, because of the drought, many of the usual water sources are dried up, including Hidden Lake. This means that the animals living on Burdell do not have a reliable water source. We would plant 6 weeping willows in the area to provide more shade for the hikers and prevent the water in the lake from evaporating as quickly. We would also refill the lake. With our policy, we would refill the lake each year until the trees mature and water plants grow in the lake. This will shade the water and prevent evaporation. We would like to refill Hidden Lake and plant willow trees in order to make it self-sufficient. We would take the water each year from Stafford Lake, around 4,000 gal, which would cost around $3,000 each year. We would plant six weeping willow trees around the lake to mature and help shade the water. For six trees it would cost about $460. The lake will hold more water if it is deep, shaded, and protected from strong winds. The willow trees will help with both shading and wind breaking. The willow trees can grow up to 2 feet each year. For the trees to reach full maturity, it would take about 17 years, but they would be able to fulfill our purposes in about 12 years. Over time, the lake will become a dependable water source for the animals of Mount Burdell. By filling the lake year round, this would provide a reliable water source for the animals on Mount Burdell. In addition, it would draw more hikers to the preserve, attract more pollinators, and provide shade for the animals and people who come to visit. In order to implement this change, we need this change to be approved along with a sponsorship from the City of Novato. We would need an expert to check Hidden Lake and make sure it would be okay to refill it. If the lake is very shallow, we would also need to make it deeper. This will help in preventing evaporation. To refill Hidden Lake on Mount Burdell, we need to be approved. After checking the area to make sure it is possible, we would acquire a sponsorship from the City of Novato. To refill the lake we would take about 4,000 gallons from Stafford Lake every August. We would also plant willow trees to help prevent evaporation. By making Hidden Lake a permanent water source, we would be providing a reliable water source for the animals of Mount Burdell as well as an attraction for the hikers. Citations: “Open Space: Mount Burdell.” Marin County Parks, www.marincountyparks.org/depts/pk/divisions/open-space/mount-burdell. “Novato Water.” North Marin Water District, www.nmwd.com/services_novato.php. “Hiking with Kids in Marin: Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve.” Marin Mommies, 24 Sept. 2016, www.marinmommies.com/hiking-kids-marin-mount-burdell-open-space-preserve. Rent it Today, 2006, http://www.rentittoday.com/ “Weeping Willow Tree.” NatureHills, www.naturehills.com/weeping-willow. Accessed 6 Oct. 2016. “Weeping Willow.” Arbor Day Foundation, www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=938. Accessed 13 Oct. 2016.
Here is our email to the representative: Dear Mr. Huffman, We are students from San Marin High School, at 15 San Marin Drive, in Novato, California. Our names are Liz King, Timmy Harris, Rachel Houlihan, and Quinton Graybeal. We are writing to you, because we would like to propose an idea. For a class project, we had to change a plot of land and predict what would happen in the future. We decided to base our project around refilling Hidden Lake on Mount Burdell. This change would benefit the animals and hikers that live and visit Mount Burdell. We would really appreciate a response to our idea. Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to read our email. We hope that you will consider refilling Hidden Lake on Mount Burdell. Sincerely, Timmy Harris, Rachel Houlihan, Liz King, and Quinton Graybeal
Reflection: I liked the idea of this project, but the instructions were not very clear, and it took a long time to complete. There were a lot of little components that went in to completing this project, like researching all of the characteristics of land, animals, and plants for nine different times. Overall, I think that my group and I worked pretty well together. We communicated well when coming up with our ideas and with finding the needed information. I think we could have stayed on task more. We got marked down, because we weren't on task the entire time. From this project, I learned that it is important to ask for help when I am confused about the instruction. I asked the teacher for clarification on the instruction a lot, and I am glad I did. At one point I thought that the characteristics needed for the area were only suggestions, but I asked about it, and learned that they were the actual requirements. If I hadn't asked, my group and I would have done it wrong which would mean we would have gotten a lower score. I also learned from this project that I do not work as well if the instructions are not clear. I am confused for a lot of the project, and I don't work as hard as I would if I knew what I am supposed to be doing. I got off task a lot, because the teacher was working with other students to help them, and while I was waiting for her to reach my group, I would goof around instead of working on what I was sure about. I will improve on my communication with my group. I worked on parts of the project by myself, when my group wasn't doing anything. I should have asked them to help me instead of doing it all myself. While we were working on the proposal, my group thought we were done, so I ended up doing most of the work. I will also work on my productivity. At some points in the project, I was not focused and on task. By not staying on task multiple times throughout the project, this meant that my group and I were working up until the very last day, on which we had a lot to complete. If I had stayed on task more, my group and I could have gotten more done in the beginning and not had to do so much at the end of the project.