Oscar’s Passion Blog

The Giant Redwood and Sequoia Trees have found their home in the humid climate of Northern California. The marine fog that spills over the coastline carries the oxygen-rich moisture over to the trees. As the fog condenses the moisture gets trapped in the northern California soil which prevents it from evaporating. This is the only climate in the world where redwoods can occur naturally. Giant Redwoods typically reach a height of around 370 feet! These trees can live to be up to 2,000 years old. Their branches can grow up to 5 feet in diameter with their bark alone being up to a foot thick. 

Sourced via Trip Savy These trees are so thiccc you can drive a car through it!

The Sequoia Trees of California grow on the coastal side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, typically between 5,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation. This is because the Giant Sequoias can only reproduce via their seeds which are released from their cones in periods of dryer heat. These trees can live up 3,000 years old, having branches that are 8 feet in diameter and bark that is three feet thick. The Giant Sequoias can grow up to be 310 feet tall, on sheer mass alone they hold the record for largest tree species. 

Sourced via Wikipedia

The largest Sequoia Tree in the world is named General Sherman, clocking in at 2.7 million pounds. It stands 275 feet tall and 100 feet wide. Not only is General Sherman the largest tree on earth, but it also claims the title of the largest living organism on the planet!

I didn’t really feel like writing about the environment so I decided to change the topic for this one and discuss last semesters topic, fencing

While I excel at fencing, there is much need for improvement, and a loss can be a gain in many respects. Last year, I was under a lot of pressure to take first place at the Fencing Individual States Championships (CT) by both my peers and myself. I was, and still am, the #1 seed in Connecticut High School Fencing; I aspire to win. A victory my junior year was needed to solidify my legacy as a high school fencer and advance my candidacy for collegiate fencing.

     From the moment I started fencing at the tournament, I quickly learned that my competitors had studied my attacks and were targeting me with unconventional moves to unseat me. I lost my first bout, only my second loss of the season, but losses happen and from experience, I had learned how to push through them. I soon found my stride and started working my way through the direct-elimination levels. When I reached the semi-finals, I faced a worthy competitor in a close match. Suddenly, he parried with an abrupt circular motion, deflected my blade and scored a touché. My 14-13 lead in a race to 15 had evaporated and we were now tied. I wasn’t worried as bouts this close normally excite me. But then in a quick flash, after I attacked high expecting to hit him, he anticipated and ducked. Then he hit me in the chest, and I realized that I, my team’s veteran fencer, had lost. 

To make matters worse, my inexperienced teammate, my best friend whom I had mentored for the season, won his bout and advanced into the final. He secured the title I had longed for, and I came in third. Although disappointed, I was proud that I had done well for my school, and most of all, that my mentee had learned so well under my direction. As the most experienced fencer, I had taken on the role of team leader, and my coaches recognized this and would later appoint me captain. While I had lost the championship for myself, I had greatly helped our team’s standing advance. Guilford was now ranked number one! 

     With our team victory being bittersweet for me, I couldn’t sulk because the very next weekend was the Team States Tournament in which our team was the projected favorite. Now my best friend and I were what I liked to call the “wombo-combo”, meaning we were the top fencers to beat. Our opponents now didn’t know on whom they should focus:  me, the #1 seed, or my friend, the newly crowned State Champion. I was able to push through my disappointing loss of the week prior and return a stronger fencer for my team, plowing through my opponents. Now fencing with consistency, and as my team’s anchor, I led my team to the finals. We took second, a medal-worthy achievement, yet unlike the previous week’s loss, this one was different; I lost with my team, fencing our best, as opposed to losing by myself, fencing my worst. This is a lesson I will take into this year’s tournaments and onward into life.

   As a philosophy, I always say, “I don’t know what lies ahead, but I have developed the skills and tools to overcome it.” I believe my ability to adapt to unfamiliar or unexpected situations, such as those in fencing including wins and losses, will allow me to be successful regardless of the environment. 

Sourced via Wikipedia

The Blue Lagoon, located a short drive southwest of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, is probably the most famed tourist attraction for the entire nation. What many people don’t know is that the Blue Lagoon is actually a man made attraction. The heated water  that fills the lagoon is sourced from the nearby Svartsengi Geothermal power station which pulls the heated water out of the ground. Once the water has cooled, still upwards of 100 degrees fahrenheit, the geothermal plant then pumps the water out into the nearby pool. 

The blue color of the lagoon is the result of having a high silica content in the water. The silica is thought to be the result of large quartz deposits being mixed into the water before it gets pulled up into the plant. Geothermal Plants use heated water strictly for their thermal capacity and can harness that energy without having to treat the water with chemicals, thus leaving it safe for humans. The silica collects on the bottom of the pool and in white mud. In the 1970’s it was found that the high salt content and silica in the lagoon had beneficial properties for the skin. 

Prior to entry, all those looking to enjoy the lagoon must shower. This is because the entire environmental and economic ecosystem surrounding the water is incredibly fragile. If foriegn algae somehow enters the lagoon, it would thrive in the heated water, and the facilitators of the lagoon would have no choice but to treat the water with chemicals, thus compromising the purity of it.

From an economic standpoint the lagoon received 1.3 million visitors in 2017, 3600 visitors a day. The blue lagoon company made 31 million euros in profit from visitors alone, this does not include the revenue generated from the range of skincare products they also produce. The blue lagoon company employs over 600 people. But be wary of this attraction, it is $64 dollars per person to take part in the full lagoon experience. 

Chaffinch Island Park is actually an island-less peninsula located down an obscure path in Guilford, CT. It is a shoreline gem due to its low crowds and beauty. It is technically a registered park in the sense that it is maintained by the town, but it has a far quieter and relaxed ambiance than other public waterfronts in the area. Chaffinch Island has a plethora of scenery. Surrounded on three sides by water this 22-acre park has a strip of well-groomed elevated grass running down the middle, the perfect place to throw a frisbee with friends. The peninsula extends out beyond the grass in the form of wave smooth boulders that can only be accessed and walked on during low tide. There are several picnic tables scattered around the area and a few barbecue stands. 

Sourced Via Onlyinyourstate

This park has provided me with a lot of great memories. From throwing the frisbee there yesterday with my quarantined high school friends to meeting up with the gang after our last day of high school and cooking up some ribs while having the whole park to ourselves. 

Sourced via Onlyinyourstate

Seen above is the chiseled rock and grass that people can walk out as the tides shift, this makes Chaffinch Park a favorite for fishing and kayaking. To me, one of the best representations of a healthy ecosystem is grass running right up to the water. Chaffinch Park represents a perfectly functioning public space that maintains its environmental integrity

Deer Lake Scouting Reservation is located in Killingworth, CT. This is about 15 minutes from my town, making it a convenient weekend excursion for scouting troops as well as for the general hiker. This reservation has a watershed effect, being a go-to campground for a lot of the scouting troops in the area. 

In 2009 the Connecticut Yankee Council, New England Scouting governing body decided to pour significant investments into the campground. They funded the construction of a massive dining hall capable of hosting more than 500 people. I suspect this investment has since provided positive returns, as Scout Troops and other nature organisations now have a large supporting facility to host events. 

 Sourced via CTYankee

The reservation encloses two lakes and is composed of 252 acres of land. It has about 30 miles of hiking trails, which is more than sufficient for a weekend of backpacking. A lot of the trail systems and upgrades are either funded directly by council or done by scout troops looking to give back. 

 Sourced via CTYankee

My favorite hike at Deer Lake was a hike called “Fat Man’s Squeeze” which leads people through a pretty extensive cave system with several tight nooks and crannies to try to get through. My friends and I used to try to race through the system trying to get the fastest times. Deer Lake holds a special place in my heart.