Field Studies - 2010
Daily Update
Students enrolled in the Integrative Sciences major do experiential learning in and out of the classroom. Students enrolled in Dr. Robert Furey’s Field Studies in Ecology course, for example, spent a week off-campus studying ecology, economy and conservation issue in the Chesapeake Bay. The students visited the ecologically rich, as well as historically and economically important sites in the region. The class stayed at Matoaka Cabins in St. Leonard, MD. “The hands-on research methods we introduced to the students and their close participation in different methodologies will lead them to a better understanding of the environment and the ways in which we understand it,” says Dr. Furey, associate professor of Integrative Sciences at the University. The students worked through complex ecological issues, develop the skills to evaluate and design simple experiments as well as present their findings, too.
Browse the links to the right to read a daily postcard from the students who took part in the program.
Questions about the major or Field Studies? Email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu or call 717.901.5101.
Day 1: August 8
Day 1 we made our way from Harrisburg to Calvert County Maryland and the Matoaka Cabins where we would be living for the next week. It only took us two Starbucks stops to reach our destination. We also made a stop at the Chesapeake Visitor Center to visit and learn about the northern most social spiders that live there. After we unpacked and explored our new surroundings we learned about the experiment we would be doing with Wolfe Spiders. After it was dark we went out to look for spiders and also saw some really cool things like Bess Bugs, an Inch Worm, a Skink, and a Spider making a web. Looks like this is going to be a great trip!
Day 2: August 9
Day 2 several of us went for an early morning walk on the beach. Jellyfish dotted both the beach and the waves. A Horseshoe Crab washed up on the beach. Late morning we headed out to the Calvert Cliff State Park where we hiked 1.8 miles both ways to a small beach. Along the way we learned about succession and the plants and animals that make up the communities. We were lucky enough to catch a Black Racer Snake this year which most of us held. When we returned to the cabin we set up our spider grid, talked about succession and the bays grasses, and later went out to mark spiders. We marked more spiders in one night than all week last year.
Day 3: August 10
Day 3 we were up early, so, we could meet Kenny Kaumeyer at the Calvert Marine Museum. Kenny taught us about nautical navigation and took us out on the museum’s research boat. Kharimah got to drive the boat for a while because she remembered our heading from Kenny’s lesson. Along the way we learned about how commercial sports fishermen locate fish and Kenny caught a Blue. When we reached Barren Island we seine twice and caught Blue Crabs, Jellyfish, Pipe Fish, Killy Fish, Silver Sides, and others. On the way back on the boat we took a detour to see the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Natural Gas Loading Station, and the Cove Point Lighthouse. When we got back to the museum we got to go behind the scenes and see how aquatic displays worked and the research being done. That evenings PowerPoint was on Fossils and their collection. We again had a great dinner and marked 8 spiders. Best day ever!
Day 4: August 11
Day 4 we went to Scientist Cliffs to search for Miocene fossils with Kenny and John, a Calvert County Paleontologist. It was a long hike to Parker’s Creek, but the shells and sharks teeth were worth the trip. We ate lunch at the Starbucks in California, MD. After lunch we toured the Chesapeake Biological Laboratories where we were able to speak with several graduate students about the research they were doing. After a long and productive day we went out to dinner with Kenny and John. We had some down time and then did spiders. We marked 9 spiders and 1 of them has been marked every night so far.
Day 5: August 12
Day 5 we woke up to our first costal rains, so we moved all of our items inside and waited out the weather. When the day finally cleared up, we took a much needed visit to the local laundry mat, and then continued to the Patuxen Naval Air Museum. We watched a brief film on some of the earlier NASA space missions, and then continued through the museum. We were lucky enough to see some very cool aircraft engines and models of naval ships. Once we made our way around the exhibits, we took a quick walk outside to see the military aircrafts. They were very neat to see, and we took some fun photos in front of them. We then made our way to Point Lookout Confederate Soldier Memorial. To be continued…