Climate Change and Forests with Mr. Chasse

2008-12-06T05:45:00.000-08:00

Dr. "Jess" Parker of the Smithsonian Institute sat with us today in the Earthwatch office and explained that the research happening here couldn't be done without volunteers. We are the first group of teachers to work here, but people from other professions have been coming. A large bank has been sending its employees to learn about the science of climate change. Maybe the leaders of this bank understand that it is wise for the success of their business to begin educating themselves about the changing earth. Fortunately, this large company also understands the importance of funding programs to bring teachers like me here to learn. A new group of teachers, maybe from seven different states, will be arriving next week. They will be picking up where we left off, out in row 7, column 7 of the hectare where we were last measuring and identifying trees.
When I return to San Francisco, I will do my best to educate my students and family and friends about what I've learned here. Our earth is magnificently beautiful, but the 'picture' is not pretty. I realize that when we educate others about the crisis our planet is in, it is important to do more than just explain why things are a mess. People choose not to listen when they become overwhelmed by bad news. It is necessary to teach each other what can be done to make things better. Governments and businesses need to make massive changes but so does every individual person--after all, isn't a government or a business just a collection of individuals? I've learned about some things I can do differently in my everyday life to help the planet get better. Do you want to know what they are?
More soon.......

(My favorite painter, Charles Burchfield, showed me these trees!)

2008-12-04T17:08:00.000-08:00

Here's how a rain gauge works:

2008-12-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

My morning began with a presentation about different kinds of energy and how they can be both good and bad for the earth. Dr. Bert Drake taught us about fossil fuels, such as oil and coal. These fuels put carbon into the atmosphere. When we are not using these forms of energy, they are keeping carbon safely trapped (the word for this is sequestered). But as soon as humans dig up coal and burn it or pump oil up from the ground, the carbon gets back into the atmosphere and makes the planet's trees and plants work extra hard to take it out of the air. That's why we need to start thinking about other forms of energy that won't be as harmful. We also have to be more respectful of forests and protect them. Many people who damage forests do it because they need the land to grow food or they need the wood to build with. How can we help these people with their needs and keep them from destroying the forests? The Amazon rainforest is in great danger and so are many others.
Today we went to an area of the forest that was logged before SERC owned this land. Most of the good trees were cut down to be sold for their wood. Some trees were left standing. The scientists were upset that the trees had been cut down but they also realized it was a good opportunity to study this kind of landscape. How quickly will the forest get back to its old self in a place like this? What kinds of plants will start growing here? We checked the amount of rainwater that had accumulated in an instrument called a rain gauge. There are 20 of these in this field. Some of them have leaves that have fallen inside. After measuring the rainwater, it gets dumped out. The scientists keep visiting the field to check how much rain water is falling there over time. This data helps them understand what's happening to the forest and how long it might take for it to become healthy again.
On our walk back, we took an old carriage road from back in the days when this was a farm. We stopped to look at a gigantic blob of wood oozing from the base of a tree. Remember that bald eagle I saw yesterday? Well today, we walked right beneath its nest, high up in a tree overlooking a pond.

2008-12-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

Looking carefully at the forest floor I see that the turkey tail fungus seems to like all the dead woody debris.
A pumpkin spider looks for food among the dead leaves.
A box turtle shell poses a mystery? The turtle is long gone, maybe eaten by a fox or raccoon? It's shell looks as if it has been recently nibbled. Perhaps by a rodent that saw it as a good tool for sharpening its teeth? It's too bad the sun sets so early now because I could walk for endlessly in these woods.
Hmm..well I did bring a flashlight...

2008-12-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

Thousands of years before this land was used by the Java Farm, it was inhabited by the Piscataway tribe. They used the trees of the forest to make shelters and simple stoves for cooking the fish they caught in the Chesapeake Bay.
I wonder what they thought of the strange shapes the vines make as they wind their way from tree to tree?

2008-12-04T15:52:00.000-08:00

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At the edge of a hilltop meadow sits a ruinous barn, sagging and overgrown by creeping vines. This land has many histories. One of these is the Java Dairy Farm. Today we found an old milk bottle with the Java name on it. You can see through the hole in the side that some mosses and a clod of dirt have found their way inside. Atop the chimney of the old manor house sits a turkey vulture, waiting for something dead to turn up in the landscape....

2008-12-04T14:02:00.000-08:00

The forest canopy ...

2008-12-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

For tonight's class, we learned about the science of global warming. Dr. Dan Plover showed us many graphs to help explain why global warming is happening (Dr. Plover is an expert on root and soil systems). Many people want to believe that the earth is warming up just because it's "natural" and that humans aren't doing anything to make this happen. For them, the truth is "inconvenient" and means they would have to change the way they live to be more responsible and less wasteful.
Dr. Plover showed us evidence from scientists all over the world that proves humans really are doing a lot of things to cause the earth to get warmer. The greenhouse effect is a natural process. It is the reason why there can be life on this planet of ours. Unfortunately, the greenhouse gases that keep the earth warm enough for life are building up to the point where it has become dangerous for life. Our water supply is shrinking, species of animals are dying, diseases are moving to new places, and floods, droughts, fires and storms are becoming more destructive. The gases that are reaching dangerous levels in our atmosphere are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen, and something called halo-carbons (this is the only gas that is not natural--it is used in refrigerators and spray cans). The gas that is causing the most trouble is carbon dioxide and most of it comes from the use of electricity in people's homes!
Do you think you could talk your family into using less electricity at home? Do you think they would listen to you if you told them that they could really help change the way things are going just by unplugging things when they are not using them? Imagine if every family and teacher at Fairmount did this? What if every school in San Francisco made a promise to be less wasteful? What if every school in California and then the whole United States started changing the way humans live?

"The world we have created is a product of our thinking. It cannot be changed
without changing our thinking." --Albert Einstein

The other teachers with me in this program are from New York, Texas, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Louisiana and New Jersey. That's already seven states that could get the ball rolling. Did you know that the United States is contributing more greenhouse gases and pollution to the earth than any other country? Do you want to be the 'bad guys'? It's a good time to start feeling love for our planet. Remember waking up at Slide Ranch? (Here's a reminder.....)

2008-12-03T18:59:00.001-08:00

So here's what happened: I was inspecting the interior of an old tulip poplar, pushing myself in head first on my back and looking up into the blackness of the tree. A few nut shells were scattered on the ground. This should've been a clue. Then I turned over and looked out the hole on the other side. At that moment I felt a thud on my back like the weight of a glove. I thought I felt a sensation of something running down my legs. The team I was with started laughing. When I pulled myself out they told me that a squirrel had fallen on my back and run down my legs to make its escape.
As far as these other pictures go, don't ask. Okay, I'll tell you. I had been working hard all day and needed to release some of my goofy energy. That thing on my nose is a mocker nut shell. That thing in my eye is a sweet gum pod.

2008-12-03T14:17:00.000-08:00

After lunch today, we climbed the 120 ft. tall tower that the research center uses to measure radiation from the sun. I took a long time to climb because I stopped every few steps to listen to the sound of the metal stairs and railings vibrating. On the platform at the top of the tower there are many scientific instruments and some of them move automatically as the sun crosses the sky so they can track its light. Light is made of different wavelengths or bands. The most harmful (and the one scientists here are most interested in studying) are the ultra-violet bands (UV-Bs). Much of the platform is covered with sharp wire to keep the birds from landing there and damaging the equipment. The view is amazing...miles of treetops, the SERC laboratories below, and the Bay in the distance!

2008-12-03T11:19:00.000-08:00

I can't stop taking pictures of all the beauty here! This sycamore tree reminds me of some of your camouflaged sweatshirts!
Here and there on the forest floor are vibrant green patches of moss. The sweetgum trees drop pods shaped like stars! (I'm wishing those clouds will bring some snow before I leave....)

2008-12-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

Walking back from our plot this morning, I started getting very dizzy looking up at this intricate forest canopy. A small vehicle driven by hunters went by with two dead deer sticking up in the back. There are many kinds of trees growing here but it's a challenge to identify them without their leaves! I've been learning to look at patterns on the bark and in the growth of their branches. Sometimes a few dead leaves are left on the branches.

2008-12-03T09:43:00.000-08:00

I took a quick bike ride this morning (on a very small bike!) and rode out to the ruin of the original farm house from this property back when tobacco was grown here. There are a few small cabins where slaves who worked in the fields used to live. From the hilltop where the ruin is, I could see out across the Rhode River, shimmering in the sunlight. As I climbed back down to the road where I left my bike, I stopped to wonder at some monstrous roots erupting from the hillside!

2008-12-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

This boarwalk winds across a marsh to a place called Hog Island. The wind sounded amazing in the tall plumes as the sun set over the distant forest. Nearby is the Rhode River that leads to the Chesapeake Bay. I set my sound recorder down while I listened to the small waves coming up on land and the wind rattling the leaves.

2008-12-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

When we were identifying trees today, one of the things we had to look for was if the tree had any damage or injuries. This ironwood tree had something called buckrub. Can you guess what this is? Well, let me tell you... It's when a deer (did you know that the male is called a 'buck'?) rubs its antlers on a tree. This tree had all of its bark for about 14 inches rubbed completely off. Dr. Kahn thought the tree might actually die from this injury!
Here's a little more to the story about deer: SERC (the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, remember?) has so many deer in its woods that it allows hunters to come on the property for two weeks and hunt the deer. This sounds terrible for the deer but there are so many of them that they are having trouble finding enough food to stay alive and healthy. Too much of their land has been taken over by humans. Also, their predators--such as large cats and bear--are becoming scarce, so the balance of nature is shifting. Things aren't really very balanced anymore! That's a big part of what I'm learning this week. I'll tell you more later....

2008-12-02T19:37:00.000-08:00

Even though most of the forest seems to be sleeping for the winter, if you look closely at all the grays and browns you can find the bright green of new life growing.
This afternoon, the sky clouded over and seemed to be a solid white. It felt heavy overhead and reminded me of how things feel before the snow comes. If the temperature drops enough, the rain that's predicted for tomorrow could turn actually arrive as snow!

2008-12-02T16:20:00.000-08:00

Today we shook an ironwood tree to make its seeds fall. You can see them spinning like tiny helicopters in this video!

2008-12-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

I can't describe how much I love spending a day in the woods! When I get back I'm going to do a similar project with all of you. I'm thinking that we might be able to go to Glen Park Canyon and measure and identify some trees there. It would be fun to make some videos of our work too!
Here's a nightcrawler we found crawling in the leaves today. Some of the scientists here are doing an experiment with worms. They put metal rods in the ground and hook them up to wires. Then they send an electrical charge through them to give the worms a light shock that make s them come up from the ground!
I also saw a very strange insect hive on the building where I'm staying. Dr. Kahn thinks it might be a wasp nest!

(By the way, it was so nice to hear your voices just now! I'll call again tomorrow and talk to more of you.)

2008-12-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

Here's how it looks from a satellite. Somewhere down there is SERC and my little room with the deer eating grass outside the window, under a crescent moon with Saturn and Venus nearby!

2008-12-01T18:04:00.000-08:00

We practiced measuring the circumference and diameter of trees today after Nancy Khan gave us a lesson about how to read the measuring tape. Ms. Khan is another scientist working here (we found out that we both went to the same college in Philadelphia!). She taught us how high up a tree's trunk it should be measured (1.3 meters, to be exact!).

We also learned about a tree's crown. As you might have guessed, these means its 'top'. The tallest trees in this forest (about 120 ft.) get all the sunlight and, when they have their leaves, they block the sunlight from the shorter trees, making those trees work harder. In addition to recording the size of the trees, we have to take notes about their crowns. Tomorrow we will be tagging every tree in a certain area of the forest (called a hectare) with a number tag so the scientists here can keep track of how they grow and change over time.

2008-12-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

This is Dr. Parker, the director of the program. He took us on a tour of the forest this morning and told us the names of many kinds of trees. Everything growing that is more than 1 centimeter thick has an identification tag. That furry brown vine on the hickory tree is poison ivy!

2008-12-01T05:27:00.000-08:00

2008-12-01T05:18:00.000-08:00

Can you infer what this might be for? I saw it when I was walking in the woods this morning (hint: it's not a hammock).

About 25,000 years ago, Native cultures lived in this forested area of the Chesapeake Bay. This drawing shows how a Powhatan village might have looked.

2008-12-01T05:10:00.001-08:00

Are those Canadian geese honking in the rain I'm hearing?

I just ate a delicious chili dinner with corn bread and learned a lot of interesting things about the other teachers I'll be working with for the week. There's a teacher from Hawaii, one from Oklahoma, another from New Orleans (Mr. Weaker's hometown!) and another who teaches in Brooklyn (which is next to New York City). We also had a chance to meet with some of the scientists today and ask them questions about what we'll be doing. They showed us where the first aid kit is and gave us a long list of safety rules. I also found out what days I'm on cooking duty and what days I'm on clean up duty!
I'm feeling very excited about trees, especially since I began a book on the plane last night called The Wild Trees, which is about some people who go looking for the largest trees in the world. Their search leads them to northern California, to the redwood forests. Just before the sun set tonight, I took a walk by myself into the forest. The trees are mostly bare now--the forest floor is covered in rotting leaves (a smell I love!)--and the branches look like amazing line drawings against the white sky!

I followed a path to a place called Muddy Creek and waited for a great blue heron standing in the water on the other side to fly away. When it did, I could hear its gigantic wings beating the air and as it disappeared in the mist I heard it squawk! On my walk back I noticed some strange scientific-looking objects in the forest, but I'm not sure what they do? I imagine that I'll learn about them tomorrow when we meet with the head scientist, Dr. Parker. The kinds of scientists who work here call themselves ecologists because they study living things and the places (environments) where they live. I found out today that SERC (the name of this research center) used to be a farm. Two stone chimneys from the old house are all that is left on a hilltop nearby. And long before that...25,000 years ago!...this forest was lived in by Native people (such as the Nanticoke and Powhatan tribes).
Please take your 'tree journal' homework seriously and get to know a special tree. I'm looking forward to seeing your work when I get back. I already miss you guys but I know you are in good hands with Ms. Lemon. Be peaceful and enjoy your week.
To be continued......

2008-11-21T18:12:00.000-08:00

Getting to Know a Tree

Where did you find this tree? What is nearby?

Where can you see it? From your street? A window in your house?
A park? On your way to school? Do you ride by it on your way somewhere?

What does it look like? Does it have leaves on it? How are they shaped? What color are they? What does its bark look like? What are the patterns and colors? Can you see the tree’s roots? Can you see anything resting in its branches?

DESCRIBE IT…
DRAW IT…
MAKE A RUBBING FROM ONE OF ITS LEAVES…
DO SOMETHING NICE FOR IT…
(Leave a gift. Take away some litter. Give it water. Help it get rid of its dead leaves.)

Does the tree make shade with its shadow? Can you see the sky through its branches? Can you wrap your arms around its trunk and touch your hands together on the other side? Can you make it move?

Does your tree make a sound in the wind?
Do its leaves rattle or hiss? Do they sough? (This is a special word to describe the sound of a tree a tree makes in the wind).

Does anything about this tree change from day to day?
Do you notice anyone else looking at this tree? Do you think anyone is taking care of it? Is it losing its leaves? Is anything growing?

Draw your tree each day for a week. Write about it each day (a story, a poem, a song, or just describe what you see). If you can, read a book underneath it. Or stare up at the sky through its branches. After a week, once you think you know it a little bit, give it a name (and tell it
yours!)