I was required to complete ten hours of service learning hours for my University Colloquium class at FGCU. Service learning hours is time spent in the community on something beneficial to both the volunteer and the community. I knew and was told to choose something relevant to my major. I thought for a few weeks before making my decision. I chose to join a group of volunteers that conducted research on the Six-Mile Cypress Slough in Ft Myers.
When I left to drive an hour north of my home, I made sure I packed for what I thought I needed. Later I will learn what I did not need to bring and what I should have brought. I felt good that morning, well rested, full, cool morning, not raining, driving my new 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, and looking forward to the journey ahead. I arrived at the Six-Mile Cypress Slough about 30 min ahead of time to make sure I was on time. I waited and waited. 45 minutes later I called my contact to make sure I was in the right place and he said "Yes, you're in the right place. I'll be there in a few minutes. I'm running a little late." About 15 minutes later a minivan and a Prius arrived. They quickly introduced themselves, gave me a parking pass, told me to ride with the person in charge, and off we went separate from the man driving the Prius. Little did I know, they were short handed and I had my work cut out for myself.
We went to the first location on the slough where the transect was perpendicular to the water flow. We got out of the van and walked about a quarter of a mile on land to a water elevation marker next to a Weir. We took the reading and wrote it on a spreadsheet in a folder. I thought to myself, man this is going to be an easy day and this is not what I expected. Later I realized the first reading was the easiest by far.
We got back in the van and drove about a quarter of a mile upstream on the slough, parked alongside the road, got out, walked through a ditch full of water, and into the slough. The water quickly raised to my upper chest. We wadded through the thick water plants, ducked under low lying branches, talked about invasive species of plants, discussed how some of the slough was reclaimed from Melaleuca trees until we got to our first marker. We read the first measurement about half a mile into the swamp, walked a quarter mile deeper in to the swamp, measured and reset a precipitation gauge, walked a quarter mile more and read another water depth, then at long last walked back to the van. I drank some water.
This last location set an example of all other transects thereafter. This same proceedure was repeated another five times then the guy I was helping had to leave and asked me if I wanted to stay to help the other person finish the measurements. The man with the Prius was in his late 60's and I didn't want him to go alone into the swamp, so I went with him for another four transects. My shoes separated from their soles. I was tired, hungry, water logged, thirsty, and after about 8 long hours: miserable. I did learn a lot about surveying, taking real world scientific data and analyzing it, what to do when you run into gators and cottonmouths, owning a eco business, being out of shape, plants, cypress trees, what is involved with that kind of a research project, and much more.
About two weeks later I went back for half a day better mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared. I learned more in the slough than a classroom for a year.
~Max G.
No comments:
Post a Comment