Category: Day in the Life

The Science Side of NYC

If you follow us on Tumblr, then you know I was away from my post at the beginning of August.  I traveled from the West Coast all the way over to New York City, New York to celebrate my engagement to that fella’ to the left.  I won’t take you through the blow by blow, but spending a lot of money on a ring just wasn’t our cup-o-tea.  Instead, we saved up and went on an adventure together to celebrate!  First, this is a decision I highly recommend because, hello, vacation.  Second, I hope you know I couldn’t go anywhere, even the maze of NYC, without scoring some science.  I know this city is just full of everything, so don’t consider this even close to an exhaustive list.  I would love to know about any of your favorite NYC science scores.

View from the Staten Island Ferry  

Most of my city going experience has been out west and in Chicago.  So one really special thing, for me, about seeing such an old city was the architecture.  I love that you can see a completely modern building with modern building materials and techniques right next to a church built in 1846!  Just look at that skyline.  You can learn by observation about changing technology as you look from the short, stone buildings to those shiny skyscrapers.  I’ll make my first tourist aside here to state that the Staten Island Ferry ride was both free and awesome.

Trinity church

You really have to admire NYC’s commitment to green spaces.  In such a densely populated urban center, I kept coming across parks, community gardens, and even an ecology center right on the walk home to our apartment.  The first park we really took the time to explore was the cemetery at Trinity Church.  Cemetery you say?  Yes.  Before the care and organization of public parks was formalized, cemeteries (or “memorial parks”) were some of the first public green spaces.  It was nice to see such a historic green area right next to such a historic building.  Some of the headstones were so old the inscriptions had completely weathered away.  

Graveyard at Trinity Church

Graveyard at Trinity Church

 From the oldest type of park, to one of the most famous.  Central Park was amazing.  It’s sheer size.  It’s location inside this huge metropolitan area.  It’s an impressive feat to be sure.  In the name of honesty, I have to admit that I was underwhelmed.  Maybe I was just tired, or maybe it was just that nothing was really in bloom when we visited.  Either way, I am fully prepared to be amazed by Central Park on my next visit (maybe during the fall season?).    

Central Park

You know what I was wow-ed by?  The American Museum of Natural History.  We spent 6 hours here, and I could easily have spent 6 days.  What a great museum!  We started off in the hall of North American Mammals, then on to the hall of West Coast Native Peoples.  Then we realized we had spent about 3 hours in two halls!  From there, we proceeded to crush the Human Evolution Exhibit (amazing.  wonderful.  on point.) and the Meteorite/Minerals hall.  I never ever expected this exhibit to feature the science behind crystalline bonding, but it did.  I know that Chelsea spent a summer at the AMNH doing space geology, so I thought about her the whole time I was losing my mind over the meteorites.  From there we buzzed through the hall of Marine Biodiversity before entering the hall of Vertebrate Origins.  I’m sort of an obnoxious ball of “Did you knows?” all the time, but I may have gone into overdrive when I saw all those amazing specimens.  Mammoth selfies ensued.        

   

We had grand plans to go to a few more museums, but it just didn’t pan out this time.  Always have to leave something to do on the next visit!  We did manage to make it to the Museum of Modern Art.  This is another great museum.  And though it is not an explicitly science based museum, I learned a few things that didn’t have to do with zips or color composition.  Mobile technology is changing lots of traditional experiences.  For example, free of charge, MoMA lends out iPod Touches containing free audio tours.  I really got a lot more out of my art museum visit as a result.  For example, I learned that the type of paint Picasso used was cheaper, because he was penny pinching, and that could be why some of the colors he used have been altred with time.    
Girl Before a Mirror, 1932
This brings us to my favorite find of the trip, the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.  I could wax rhapsodic about this space for quite some time.  I will sufice it to say that I loved it.  I wish I could return in the spring to see the cherry blossoms going.  And talk about affordable!  Even if you don’t want to shell out the $10 dollar admission fee (only $5 for students!), you can get in for free every Tuesday.      

Pollination

 I know I’m over selling at this point, but not only was this an amazing place to learn about botany and plant biodiversity, the buildings were a lesson in sustainability.  The visitor’s center had a green roof, which captured rain water and fed it into a nearby stream.  All the glass on that building was also bird safe (check the vertical stripes, birds can see that!), and they cooled their water efficiently by sending it underground.
 

Probably the coolest thing we saw in the gardens was this amazing piece of art. This sculpture was called “Sandy Remix” and it was made mostly  from garden trees killed during Hurricanes Sandy and Irene.  The trees are arranged to look like a swirling hurricane, and you can walk up into the tree house and, thus, into the eye of the storm.  The informational sign not only gave information about the art, but the importance of climate change and its impacts.  It was a very powerful experience, and a wonderful monument to remember the storm.

Last on my tour of NYC science and natures spaces was the High Line.  This excellent park is built on historic freight rail tracks elevated above the city streets.  It was high on my list of things to see due mostly to the amazing blending of natural and man-made items in this space.  There was a bit of cool interpretive information about which native plants were blooming at the time.  Overall, this place was a very peaceful way to take a walk uptown.       

 
I went to New York, I saw some amazing science related spaces and artifacts.  I know I must have missed some really good ones.  Go ahead!  Tell me what I should go and see next time I visit.  Also, if you have any interest in the hilarious amount of vegan food I ate or the less science-y side of my adventure, feel free to hop over to my Instagram.

What’s in Her (Field) Bag

Summer is a funny time for an ecologist.  As a student, my classes have all wrapped up (I’m actually all done with class now, forever!!).  My social media is full of people’s summertime adventures.  My partner, who teaches communications courses at community college, is in full on vay-cay mode.  Me?  This is my busy season.  I have been up to my eyeballs in marsh mud for most of the month, and for the month before that I was prepping.  
China Camp State Park.  Maybe my favorite site.

Ah, the field season.  The first day of the each sampling period, I’m always a huge stress ball.  By the time I visit my last site, I feel like Queen of the Marsh.  One thing I always do to minimize my first day jitters is prepare a packing list for each project I’m working on.  This helps minimize those “Oh crap, I left that sitting on the lab bench” moments.  This packing list is mostly full of project specific items (thermometer, pH probe, redox meter, etc.).  In addition, I have a mental checklist of things I never like to don my waders without.  These items reside in my trusty field bag, and today I’m giving you the grand tour!

I know we have an eclectic readership, from PhDs, fellow students, teachers, and amazing high school science enthusiasts.  Though you might not all be headed out to do field work anytime soon, I hope a look at my “must have” items gives you a taste for what a day in the life of a field scientist can be like.  Think of this as the field biologist’s version of those posts by lifestyle/mom bloggers about what they keep in their purses/diaper bags.*


Trusty field bag!
For Real Essential Things
Most of the things in my bag are things I find randomly useful, or things that keep me safe and comfortable while working.  There are a few absolutely, 100%, totally essential things in my bag.  All my official permits live in their own protective plastic baggie.  I’m not trying to become a marsh bandit, so I want to have proof of my officialness.  Next, for those just starting their ecology journey, field notebooks are your friends!  I have two, both made with write-in-the-rain paper (necessary).  You can even buy special write-in-the-rain pens that will write on the paper under water.  My former lab mate and I may or may not have spent a good 20 minutes doing this in the sink when I was gifted one of these pens.  Pencils work too, and you should have several!  Also, permanent markers.  Always, always, permanent markers.
Stuff to Keep Your Stuff Clean
In case you can’t tell by the state of my bag, I work in the mud.  Mud means water.  In addition, my muddy water is salty.  So, even though I don’t bring anything out into the marsh that I’m not willing to risk destroying, I like to take a few precautions.  A tarp allows me to place bags and equipment on the mud, not the vegetation, but keep them clean and dry.  I purchased that blue dry bag when Meridith and I were about to hike the Narrows at Zion National Park.  I usually keep my lunch in there, but it’s just a good thing to have on hand.  Occasionally, one of my undergrad crew will realize they tottered out on the mud with something electronic, and I’ll toss it in there for safe keeping.  On top, you’ll see my Lifeproof iPhone case.  I always bring my phone into the field with me for safety reasons.  Also, marsh selfie reasons.  I’ve been really happy with this case overall, though it does make the keypad a bit less sensitive and it can make charging difficult, depending on the charger.  Thus, I have a non-field case for daily use.  Apparently you can literally dip this case in the water and take phone pictures, but I just can’t live that life.  I think my camera itself also fits in this category.  I sport an Olympus digital camera.  This sucker is shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof, and dustproof.  Basically, Rachel-proof.  I bought an older version of the camera I have now when I broke my previous digital cammy by dropping it from a height into water.  I’d say each one I’ve purchased has lasted about 3 years.  Not trying to give a product review here, but that is three years of snorkeling, being dropped on the floor of canoes, hiking up mountains, and generally marinating in mud.  They aren’t the best cameras for capturing vibrant colors, but I’m still a huge fan.      
  

Safety and Well being Essentials
 

The next group of things living in my bag are there to keep my happy and safe during the whole day.  My Platypus hydration bladder was also purchased when Mer and I were on our road trip.  This system  makes it easier for me to carry enough water to actually stay hydrated all day.  A water bottle or two just doesn’t cut it for 7 hours of physical labor.  Sunscreen is also essential for a long day.  I usually have the lotion kind to apply first thing in the morning and the spray kind for reapplication when my hands are covered in mud.  It’s also a good idea to have a chapstick with sunscreen in it, as the skin on your mouth can easily get burned too! Bug spray, enough said.  Mosquitoes love me, but it’s not mutual.  The first aid kit I’ve put together is by no means extensive, but I think it has most of the essentials.  I love the spray antibiotic ointment (thanks Meridith’s mom!) especially.  It’s good for after you have a chance to wash off, usually in a gas station bathroom, and you notice all the wee cuts that were covered in dirt.  I also always have a headlamp with me, just in case.  The last, and maybe most awesome, thing isn’t pictured…because I thought that might be weird.  This is a lady specific item, called the p style.  Basically, it allows women to pee standing and without having to totally drop trow.  This is 100% amazing for me as I work in a system with zero trees, and my sites are often ringed by running trails.  Maybe you think it’s weird, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.  My sister, who hiked ~300 miles of the AT last summer, was gifted one by yours truly and told me it was amazing to be able to pee without having to take off her heavy pack each time.  You’ll thank me for this one day.


Things I Need Surprisingly Often
This is the category of odds and ends things that I often need, but I’m never really sure what I’ll need them for from one day to the next.  These are maybe a bit specific to my own work, so I’d love to hear from other scientists about the odds and ends that are always randomly helpful to them!  I carry a trowel for digging up things.  I also have a hammer, usually for banging PVC into the ground.  Spray paint is great for marking the ends of the PVC that show where your study areas (transects, blocks, etc.) begin and end.  White PVC seems so visible when you first put it in the ground, but when you come back months later and the grass has grown, and your PVC is dingy, a little red spray paint can really help you find things.  Rubber bands (or zip ties depending on what you have), extra ziplock baggies, tape (electrical pictured, but duct tape is awesome!), and a ruler are great things to have on hand.  I literally cannot even list all the uses of these items.  Last, I think every person who works in the field should own a good knife, preferably a multitool.  Seriously, so many uses!


On My Person (but sometimes in my bag)
Lasty, there are a few things that are sometimes in my bag, but usually just on my person.  I almost always wear a hat or a bandana.  I also generally have on polarized sunglasses.  Your retina can get sunburned too!  Additionally, polarized lenses help you see through glare.  Layers are essential as well.  Even in the summer I have a tank top, a light shirt, a long sleeved shirt (or sweater in the cooler months), and a waterproof layer.  Last, always always wear a watch.  You need to know when the tide will be coming back in, or how long till sundown, or how much longer to leave that instrument in place to get a reliable measurement.  A waterproof watch with seconds displayed will only cost about 20 bucks, and it’s totally worth it.
I’m not kneeling, I just have one leg sunk in mud up to my knee.
Shew, so you have gotten this far and you are now wondering “Holy crap, Rachel why do you carry around so much stuff?!”  True story, one time I got lost in the woods.  My little sister, my college roommate, and I went on a short hike that turned into a 15 mile hike.  It made an impression on me.  While lots of the stuff detailed above is to help me with my work, there are a few things that I now refuse to go without if I plan to be outdoors for more than an hour.  So, for those who maybe aren’t as obsessively over prepared as me, here is the Reader’s Digest Version of what I think must go in your field bag/day hiking pack.


Don’t Hit the Trail Without    
– Enough water to hike twice as far as you plan to go
– Several energy dense snacks
– A headlamp
– A watch
– A map
– A first aid kit containing at least a compression wrap for sprains and an emergency blanket
– Your phone.  Maybe you won’t have service, but maybe you will.


And there you go.  A full tour of the inside of my field bag!  I’d love to know what you keep in yours.  Any hikers or backpackers out there?  What do you refuse to venture out without?
* True confessions.  I adore both lifestyle and mommy blogs.  Sorry, not sorry.