Yuying Ren

Today we are doing soil definition and probe measurement in Forest Study area near the Eagle Beach. The major thing I did was dig a soil pit with Shannon, Ian, Colin, Kyle, and Marj. This wetland area is really saturated; when we dug down, the water refilled so fast. At first, we couldn’t reach the mineral layer due to high water level, and we stopped and waited for Denice and Mike for advice. When Denice came, she was not happy about our decision, since it’s not a wise action that when facing some obstacles to just stop. In real life, your boss will not listen to your complaints that it’s too hard to achieve a goal, the truth is that you give up and end up with nothing. That’s the worst thing for your career life. It’s true that it’s hard for us to avoid the water, but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Denice’s insistence influenced us, and we realized we should keep digging and pulling out the water as fast as we can. Luckily, we finally got some minerals and finished soil layers definition.

After we refilled the pit, we kept hiking up to do probe measurements on the hill. The next field is in the forest. Denice taught Marj and I to recognize the type of environment by trees. First is to look up: tree canopies can tell a lot of things. You can know the general type of trees, and how many different types within a certain area. Then you need to look down to the barks. Some barks look like chips, while others are parallel to each other. And since there is no big cabbages, it’s apparently not a wetland.

In the night, we have a wonderful dinner made by Denice and Mike. Thanks Denice and Mike. Also, Thanks Evan for delicious dessert.

We have done all our fieldwork and learned so many things about soil and vegetation. I’m so happy to stay in such a nice place, and the most enjoyable part is that after a full day of field work, we can sit together and talk about ice/fire moments, and watch the sunset. So nice to be with 11 others, Mike and Denice.