Volunteer Service

Clean for Cats at Animal Aid, Portland OR
Thursday, December 15, 2011


John and Hoagie


John and Olivia


See Hoagie's tail?

Requirement 9B: 8 Species I Can Recognize on Sight

I can recognize these eight species of reptiles or amphibians on sight:


1. Red Eared Slider Turtle





2. TX Spiny Soft Shell Turtle



3. Bull Frog



4. MataMata Turtle




5. Red Belly Newt



6. Musk (AKA Stink Pot) Turtle



7. Pearl River Map Turtle



8. Common Map Turtle

Biodegradable Packing Materials -- Part 3

Three days later I completed the experiment.

Pouring the dirt out.


Looking at it.


There it is!!! the newpaper.


Thre is the penut.


This is the non exesting popcorn.


PoP POP pop POp POp POP pop, You gused right!! It's bubble rap!


Observations:

1. The packing materials that showed signs of decomposition were Popcorn and Newspaper.

2. I think the Popcorn and Newspaper. were biodegradable. The Styrofoam Peanuts and the Bubble rap were nonbiodegradable.

3. The differences between the materials that are biodegradable and the ones that are nonbiodegradable are: The biodegradable ones are papery substance like natural type; the nonbiodegradable are a plasticity substance.

Conclusions:

Based on the results of this experiment, I say that papery packing materials are biodegradable and would create less solid waste. Other kinds of biodegradable packing materials that would protect fragile items during transport are: cloths, paper, stuffing, leaves, stuffed anamalis.

Environmental Impact Assessment -- Part 2

Step 3:

This proposed Community Garden fits into existing plans for the area because no one is using it, and that it s close to homes so people can walk to the garden/plot.


Step 4:

Ways the proposed Community Garden project will likely affect the environment --

a. Will the project cause soil erosion? Yes, and we don't want it. We will level it out. Using terraces and frames for the garden beds.

b. Will it disturb forests, grasslands, deserts, or other ecosystems? No, not that much.

c. Will it disturb any habitats of endangered or threatened species? Not that we know of, NO.


Step 5:

Identify any harmful effects of the project that cannot be avoided --

Just cutting down trees, and smashing a few bugs aside:) No big deal.

Step 6:

Suggested alternatives that would protect the environment, yet still meet the needs of people --

Make it smaller, don't do it, or move it some were else.

Step 7:

This is just an overgrown, empty plot in a marginal urban neighborhood.

Short-term losses -- Plant life removed and small-animal habitats destroyed.
Long-term losses -- This plot will no longer be an empty plot; it will be cultivated for a community garden. The old trees on the property will be cut down.

Short-term benefits -- People will get food from their garden plots; animal life returns. Neighborhood becomes nicer.
Long-term benefits -- Big, thriving garden with pretty plants. Attracts beneficial birds and insects. Adds to the quality of life for the neighborhood. Is part of the Portland Community Garden Program.

The trade-off between the losses and benefits favor the benefits. That the plot will get more than it loes. Plants will be there people will be able to eat there food they they grew in the plot. The birds and the trees and the plants people grow will change the plot from an eye sore to an plot asset.

Step 8:

This proposed project would not permanently prevent other uses of the site because it is easy to rip it out and do something else.

Conclusion:

Based on my review of the proposed project, an environmental impact statement would need to include many kinds of important information:

There might be erosion.
The loss will be not as big as the gain of the plot.
The neighborhood might be better and look nicer.
Will it work for the space provided.
Will it afecdt indangerd speshese.
Are ther better ways and better placed to do it.

I think this Community Garden project should go ahead as designed.

Biodegradable Packing Materials -- Part 2

After a couple of days of keeping the bags near the window, I continued the experiment.

Pouring warm water in the bag.


Stiring the water in with the dirt in the bagy!

Environmental Impact Assessment Project -- Part 1

Environmental Impact Assessment : In this activity I will identify the items that would need to be included in an environmental impact statement for an imaginary construction project.

Step 1.
My proposed project is a Community Garden.
The vacant lot where the Community Garden will be constructed is approximately 100 feet wide by 200 feet deep. The Kenton neighborhood in North Portland will benefit from this project because familys can bond together with a great garden.

Step 2.
a. Types of animal and plant life at this site: Spiders, squrls, birds

b. Type of ecosystem: dry forest place,

c. Has it been disturbed before? maby in the far past.

d. Is it a habitat for an endangered or threatened species? Don't think so.

e. Does it slope? Yes.
Would the soil be in danger of erosion during construction? Yes.

f. Are there streams or wetlands such as swamps at the site? No.

g. Is there reason to believe important fossils or artifacts are at the site? No.

h. Are there activities on lands next to the site? Yes. Manufacting on one side, houses on the other side.

Here are photos of the site:

View looking up the slope to the south.





View looking down the slope to the north.










Some bushes and trees on the plot that will need to be removed.






manufacters to the east.


Houses to the west.


trafck to the north.

Nature Study Activity -- Conclusions

I observed two study area -- an undeveloped urban plot and a cottonwood grove. I made three visits to each area: one in mid summer, one in late summer, and one in early fall.

I saw more non-plant species, in early fall.

Some observations I made are: That early fall had more wilide life but the plants were all dieing for the wier.

The environmental conditions affected my observations Because the sessions were changing every time i went back.


Nature Study Report

I went to two plases to observe the Wilde life and nature for 1 holf houre for 3 times, kinda 3 seasions. The first place was the gaurden plot. The place wa a empty garden plot that no one used. It was full of plants that people planted a long time ago that came back over the years and weeds that come every season. Dureing the time I was there it was dry, dryer, and wet. It became no much plants because they all died and it looked flat.

The coton wood grove was in a dog park neer our house. It was a grove of cotton wood treed forming a circle of trees with really hard packed dire in the middle. This place was a favoir of spiders it looked like. There were lots of sspider webs, round ones, air ones, ground one, and spiders that did not live in webs. The grove was very dry due to that the trees did not let in much rain bt seemed to let in a lot of hot sunn light.

Environmental Science Merit Badge -- Field Study II, Part 3

Field Study II, Part 3 -- Cottonwood Grove

October 1, 2011 -- 5:30 - 6:00 pm

Early fall, cloudy and cool -- 63`F

Light breeze, light drizzle


Moss in the grove.


It is damp from the rain.


Spider web:!


Oak leavs from a babby oAK!


The plot stakes.


Grass is sharp.


The tree is getting ready to loes it's leavs.


Grass!::)!!:):!)!!:):):!):!)!:)!:)!:!):):):!:)):!)


The leavs on the ground.


Spiders are aboundent this time of year.


Atum is apawn us all.


Some trees.


Trees in the frove!!!!