Channeled Scablands Herbarium Foray
I went on the best science field trip ever this last weekend (Thursday through Sunday). 21 people both from the Biology Department and outside Herbarium volunteers drove to Sun Lakes State Park, near Coulee City, WA. We camped there for three nights and spent our days roving around the area to collect specimens. They were collected in triplicate: one specimen for our Herbarium and two specimens to trade to herbaria across the country. We collected only things that were in flower or this year's fruit (otherwise identification is nearly impossible, which I believe now!), and everything we saw that fit that description we collected. We gathered the entirety of herbaceous (green non-woody) plants - flower, stem, leaves, root - and samples of the woody plants (trees and shrubs). I estimate that from the three days of collection we got about 600 specimens from 220 populations and around 100-120 unique species. Amazing given that only a small fraction fit our collecting criteria, so there are probably 1000 unique species present in the Scablands. Which is astonishing given that the entire area is sagebrush desert! Really gives you an idea of biodiversity.
Also brought my new camera and played around with it - took about 190 pictures! Figured out how to deal with exposure compensation (boy, is that dial on the top handy!) and manual focus of macro work with flowers, which was a big frustration on the more point-and-shoot camera types.
Car camping is fun, but I think I prefer backpacking. Fewer distractions, fewer RV generators and barking dogs, etc.
Also brought my new camera and played around with it - took about 190 pictures! Figured out how to deal with exposure compensation (boy, is that dial on the top handy!) and manual focus of macro work with flowers, which was a big frustration on the more point-and-shoot camera types.
Car camping is fun, but I think I prefer backpacking. Fewer distractions, fewer RV generators and barking dogs, etc.