ESSRE 2004

E.S.S.R.E. 2004 began a little early this year, running from June 28 to July 16. We were a little smaller than usual, with six interns from grades 9 and 10 at Roland Park Country School participating. But in spite of our petite size (and even one less day because of the holiday weekend!), we were still able to accomplish the program's standard soil biota surveys on three of the four microclimates at the research site. The worst flash flooding in recent memory made mucking through our little backyard wilderness a tad more challenging than normal, but the two research teams and their trusty T.A., Emily, ventured forth with resolve in their hearts, extra socks in their packs, and LOTS of mosquito repellant.

As usual, the data collected (available on the E.S.S.R.E. Microclimate Databases web page) allowed us to perform a statistical analysis to determine any significant differences between the sites, and we then used this information to aid in designing the research projects. One major difference this year, though, was that with the completion of a fourth year of biota surveys and three years of studies, research teams were finally able to start looking for longer term patterns and to use these to guide the development of this year's investigations. Exciting questions about protozoa and arthropods that have appeared time and again in the past were finally able to get the attention they deserved:

All in all, in spite of floods, quicksand, and more mud than imaginable (we only thought we knew what mud was last year), everyone learned a lot, made new friends, and had a good time. To learn more about our adventures this summer, click on any of the pictures below to see short movies (3-8 Mb) of our time together. If you have comments or questions, please feel free to contact the founding project director by e-mail at STEMteacherEmeritus.rpcs@gmail.com or directly at 410/323-5500 ext 5500. Contact current project director, Cheryl Carmona, at carmonac@rpcs.org