Boys just gotta have fun!
Sorry there was no lab note yesterday, but we took a much needed day off. Nathaniel and Elliot have been working hard and have collected lots of great data, but the grind was wearing a bit and a short break needed.
One of the things I have learned being a research mentor to so many undergraduates the past 30 years is that it is important to give them some opportunity to explore the natural areas where we do research beyond conducting the experiments. Both Elliot and Nathaniel have enjoyed the colorful shear cliff faces on the mountains, and early in our stay at SWRS took the truck up to Vista Point to get some pictures.
The above photo is a panoramic view of the mountains that line the entrance into the canyon where SWRS is located. I think I mentioned in an earlier lab note that I have taken this same photo more times than I can count, but the view is so impressive that you know that this photo will be the best!
A few nights back both Nathaniel and Elliot went out with some other volunteers and researchers at SWRS driving the roads down in the "flats" (the flat, more desert-like region at the base of the mountains) looking for wildlife (mostly snakes). On this journey they got to see javelins (kind of a wild pig) that are one of the area's highlights, a rattlesnake, and many other things. They even found a dead green rat snake (very uncommon)! Snakes sit on the asphalt roads to warm themselves at night so are always at risk of being run over.
During out day off yesterday Nathaniel and Elliot drove over to the other side of the mountain and visited the Chiricahua National Monument. They haven't shared photos with me so I have none to post, but the seemed to have a great time. The monument is on the west side of the mountain and at lower elevation so it is a bit warmer, but the rock formations are amazing.
Today is our last full day of data collection. Tomorrow we work half a day then pack for the trip home. We head to Tucson early Wednesday morning where I will drop the boys off before I begin the long drive home.
I hope all of you have enjoyed sharing this adventure! I will post another one or two lab notes before we leave, then take a break until we get back to work analyzing data on June 25. If you can please continue to share this project as we still have a ways to go with fund raising. Just 4 days left.
0 comments