Daily Life

Whenever I'm not working on my experiment or helping out with the aquaponics, I typically do some daily tasks around The Biosphere or I help out with the outreach program.

The outreach program is just the classes and labs done by the schools whenever they come to visit us. There are so many classes taught by The Biosphere 2 and after all this time, I still haven't shadowed all of them. There are squid observation labs (which I mentioned in a past post), data collecting labs (where the kids get to walk along the beach and the rainforest floor), plankton observation labs (in this one the kids get to go on boats into the ocean to collect samples), classes about climate change, 2 separate classes about water, and who knows how many more. There are also several different tours offered, and yesterday I tagged along on one that discusses all five senses in the different biomes (the lucky students got to eat dried fruit.) Because I've been helping out so much, the group of volunteers/workers I've met has slowly been increasing. I don't know why I was surprised to find out that a lot of the workers who help teach the classes or instruct the kids on what to do are usually retired teachers.

Another task that I need to do once a week is take a sample of the ocean to a research lab that is an unfortunate distance away from the main building. The longer I intern at The Biosphere 2, the more I realize that there is often no short way to get anywhere you need to go. No matter where you are, the place you need to go to is always at least 2 minutes away walking uphill. To help with this though, Dr. Lane showed me how to drive the golf cart! Observations:

1) In order to stop the golf cart you practically have to stand on the brakes because they will not budge if you just tap them

2) You must turn slowly because the steering wheel is also very stubborn and doesn't like moving very much. Trying to make a U-turn at 5 miles an hour is not fun. Also, the golf cart makes very wide turns.

3) Speed bumps, too, must be driven over VERY slowly or else you will go flying

4) In the afternoon, it is quite possible to be called while on the golf cart and told to drive exhausted tourists from the end of the tour back up to the front entrance and it is my job to ALWAYS show up when asked or else we don't get to use the golf cart anymore and I'll have to make the 5 minute uphill walk to the research lab and back.

In other news that I should have mentioned a long time ago: I got a fancy Biosphere shirt! I feel so professional with my official shirt and badge walking through locked doors like I know what I'm doing.

To celebrate, I shall post a bunch of pictures of the rainforest and the library