Module/Week 3
Resources
Additional activities, a behind-the-scenes gallery, recommended books, and more.
About this Guide
Greetings from the stream
I had the opportunity to be part of Oregon State University’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Stream Team for two summers. Before that, my field work had been limited; working with real field biologists in the Cascade and Coastal mountains was life-changing. Spending months floating in the streams watching tiny snails and caddisflies with salmon swimming around me was ridiculously fun. No matter how many jobs you have, work your way towards the ones you love.
Lesley
Beavers!
Our day job is teaching biology at Oregon State University. Since beavers are the mascot, we occasionally unpack all of our beavers boxes and make displays. Mark is setting up in a hallway window of one of the biology teaching labs.
It took an hour of August hiking in the Saratoga Battlefield (New York state) to find this area impacted by beavers. Different trees than our local Oregon beavers, but similar tooth marks.
Behind-the-Scenes
Take it on the road
Recently we’ve been carrying a quadrat with us to collect repeat data over time. Things like increased microplastics in sand or invasive berries in the fields become quickly quantified, backing up general observations.
Roach pets?
Although exotic animals as pets are becoming more popular, they are not always a great idea. Research carefully: many animals for sale can still cause extensive damage, like dermestid beetles. Roaches vary in their ability to escape enclosures, but under the right environmental conditions, populations can grow rapidly. Sometimes a bit too rapidly!
Field Work
Locating invasive species, taking some into captivity.
Making Media
Out at the E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area just north of Corvallis, OR.
Collage Journal
Blend your photos with writings and sketches to create your own art piece. Rearranging work can reveal new connections between knowledge and even the smallest pieces take on new meaning.
Close to Home
Its easy to think of vacations as something far from home, but sometimes the best destinations are close by. We have Alsea Falls, a small drop but incredible organisms within a cool coniferous rainforest. Develop a photo album and journal highlighting the resources near you.
On a photo safari? Fishing guides map out easy river access, and you can select areas that are not too isolated, with amenities like free parking and rest rooms.
River Sampling
This stream riffle had snails, freshwater clams, caddisflies, water striders, and plenty of fish.
Old Friends
The Juga snails may not catch the eye at first, but individual snails have different behaviors: some stay in one place and consume all of the algae around them, others travel extensive distances to greener rocks.
Recommended Books
Data can be fun: an illustrated look at data in daily life.
Data collection varies with the research questions being asked: see how different fields collect and manage data.
