By: Ela, Kaylee, Kenneth, and Zoe.
Today, we woke up extremely early to go investigate the slug population around the Friday Harbor Labs. When I say early I mean 4:00 AM to be exact! Normally this would not be a huge problem except for the fact that we stayed up late listening to Doctors Erika and Vik Iyengar present about slugs and earwigs. We were informed the night before about the early morning and slug survey but did not know what to expect. We learned that the early morning is a great time to go looking for slugs because the ground is moist and damp, even if you may be very sluggish while searching.
A slug on the move.
In the survey we conducted, we were given the task of looking for slugs in three unique areas. One group surveyed between the road and the water close to the entrance of the Friday Harbor Labs, another group surveyed along the fire escape path, and the final group surveyed beyond the path in the freshly dew-dropped woods. The expedition turned up a good amount of slugs, which compiled of both the native banana slug and the invasive European slug. After this data collection, we headed back to the dorm for a normal breakfast at 8:30 AM.
Dr. Erika Iyengar talking to us after collecting slugs. Later in the morning 🙂
Later we went to the STEM building where we were captivated by technology, such as 3-D printers, virtual reality, and an electric car built by 8th graders. At the STEM center, we met Dr. Derek Smith who is a teacher that encourages and inspires students to design and create what they would like. He even allowed us to design our own t-shirt logos for the Salish Sea Science program. After the three hours of fun, we went to have a delicious and refreshing lunch at Tina’s Tacos.
In the afternoon, Megan Cook presented about her extensive and fascinating experience on an ocean exploration ship, called the Nautilus. She fell in love with the ocean and all its mystery, after all, 95% of it is undiscovered and undocumented. After listening to her attention-grasping presentation, we are now inspired to take part in that life-changing experience. Luckily, there is a chance for college students to intern on the Nautilus.
This picture is from the International Society for Presence Research website. https://smcsites.com/ispr/files/2013/07/Nautilus_Live.jpg
Today’s dinner guest was the world-known photographer Susan Middleton. She has traveled the world taking pictures of a variety of animals and organisms. In 2014 she published her book, Spineless, an extensive collection of invertebrate photos that were taken over 6 years. She selected 50 photos to show us in her presentation, which were all spectacular. They had the kind of detail you only get from studying an invertebrate for many months. From traveling the world and her experiences are expressed in all of her photos. Now, with some downtime and a bowl of ice cream, we finally have time to reflect on our day.
Susan Middleton giving her presentation.