Things have been going well, we're starting to get into our set routines now that we've been doing our IPs and COD days for two weeks. My IP is still just a mishmash of things going on in the department that I get to sit in on, but I know that within the next few months I'll get a better idea of the projects I'll be working on and what is expected of me and I'll most likely be doing more self-directed independent things in the office so I'll feel like I can plan out my time more efficiently. But as it is now, I think it's good that I've been spending most of the day doing whatever my service partner is doing so I can get an idea of how things run and what is expected of me.
Some COD day highlights, we accepted a proposal to help a middle school create a community garden that will also be part of their math curriculum for kids who need more hands on applications of math instead of just learning in the classroom. I agreed to be the lead for that project, and we've been to one site visit at the school and we'll be going next week to get a better idea of the scope of the project and to help them out with the beginning of the process. We're also going to be planning lessons for the kids for future dates, including teaching them about composting which they want to get started at the school.
As I'm sure I've mentioned before, we have to do Saturday service at least once a month, so last week I went to Oyster Fest, a big annual event in Wellfleet where people go to eat oysters, shop, and have certain oyster-related contests. My job there was to help make sure the recycling process went smoothly because they were recycling the oyster shells back into the ocean so that the smaller oysters, or spat, that are stuck to the shells have a chance to stay alive and the population can be brought up for more fishing in the future. I was excited about getting to experience Oyster Fest, but honestly the 4 hours that I was there were pretty boring and by the time I got done working I was so fed up with the huge crowds that I just got one oyster and then left. I'm still not a huge oyster fan but I figured since I was there I had to get one haha. Here's a taste of what the crowd looked like:
Another highlight, one of our group service projects this week was with my IP service partner, and it involved installing a netting called jute on a trail near one of the local ponds to prevent more erosion in that area, because the paths have been worn down a lot by foot traffic and sediment has been flowing down the trail when it rains and contributing to a decline in water clarity in the pond. The pond is called Duck Pond, and it is one of the ones I will be working on a condition assessment for as part of my work at my IP, so it was cool to see firsthand some of the measures that can be taken to help improve these ponds. Here's what the finished project looked like:
And here's a bonus picture of two of my housemates doing headstands during some downtime:
And then finally I just feel like showing off my new-found interest in baking which most recently has resulted in trying a recipe for zucchini bread. I think it came out good, it tasted great even though it was slightly undercooked in one spot in the middle, but I think it was pretty good for a first attempt. Here it is (I had already taken a piece or two when I remembered to take a picture lol):
Well that's it for now, I know this entry was a jumble of different things, hopefully my next one will be more cohesive. Tomorrow I'm doing another Saturday service (I've been doing all of them for the most part because they sound interesting and also so I can get a jump on getting extra hours in), and tomorrow's is a live wolf show which I'm really excited about! I'm sure you'll be hearing about that in my next post. :)
I want some zucchini bread! Have any left? :)
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