Ecosystem Field Walk

My first impression of the creek was that its very small. It is a marvel of nature. To think that over a million years that this creek was formed is unbelievable. I can't even imagine how these things in nature are formed. To me, it is beautiful. I am excited to be working at the creek because I really enjoy being in nature. I have a passion for hunting and fishing. Other than that its feels good to be working in an environment somewhere else than a classroom. Sitting in silence for 5 minutes really let me observe what was happening in the environment. It made me feel comfortable and just free. I heard many insects and animals in the background. The sound that stood out the most was the running water. It was very peaceful. The only smell was the smell of nature. The only way it affected me was it made me feel free and calm. Being out in nature really does affect the way you think about your normal life. It slows you down. The creek is an ecosystem because each organism thrives off another. The species of each animal are living together. There depending on each other to survive. If the snakes were not there than there would be an abundance of fish and other creatures. This goes for each animal. I saw many abiotic and biotic features to the creek. The water and rocks are abiotic. The trees, plants, and every animal is biotic. Abiotic is the non-living parts of the ecosystem and biotic is the living or once living parts of an ecosystem. I also seen and heard many animals. You could hear the insects in the background. In the water I seen a largemouth bass, multiple snakes, and a large frog. I did not see any plants that I recognized besides poison ivy. The biggest thing I want to know about the creek is how did it even start to form? Another question I have is how did all the fish and snakes appeared in the creek as in how they got there

E3 Smart Blog

1. There are many things that I learned during this unit. First off, I learned that energy can be used when a electronic devise is not even in use. This so called vampire energy really suprised me. Why would they make something to cut off the energy supply when nothings plugged into it? Another thing I learned during this unit was drafts can come from electrical outlets. I found this entersting because I never thought that a draft could ever come through them. I also learned there are many other places that you can insulate and protect than just your walls.

2. After this unit I've realized there are many things around my home and just in everyday life that I can do to conserve energy. I will start by turning off lights that are not in use. In my family we keep a lot of lights on. That probably wastes the most energy in my life. Just as simple as turning off the water when I brush my teeth can save a lot of water over the years and help the environment. At night I have to use a space heater even in the summer because I get so cold. This is defenitly something I can cut down on. I take a shower in the morning and at night which wastes a lot of water.

3. Im positive if I tried to educate my freinds on conserving energy they wouldnt listen. My family is a different story. We installed almost all the energy effecient things you gave us from AEP. They get onto me about when im not in my room and my lights on. My family doesnt really waste a lot of energy but that does not mean we can improve on some things.

4. I would not change the way you taught us about energy effeciency. I enjoyed doing the labs and it made the unit interesting. I wouldnt want to take notes all day. You did a good job in teaching us about the subject by putting us hands on. I liked the whole unit. Im glad I learned ways to be energy effeciency.