A summer’s night had fallen on Sapelo Island, Georgia. Despite the coastal breeze, the air remained humid and sticky, the buzz of insects singing an evening chorus. The island was more crowded than normal. In addition to the usual researchers, graduate students, and interns, a group of K-12 teachers had gathered for a week-long immersion…
Month: April 2018
LTER Road Trip: Hemlock Hospice
I walked along the shaded paths of Harvard Forest with Audrey Barker Plotkin, Site and Research Manager. The air was cooler in the woods, despite the warm June afternoon. Wildflowers covered the forest floor in patches, while large white pine rows told a knowing observer that this property used to agricultural land. I knew this was…
LTER Road Trip: Real Time Evolution
The montane forests of Western North Carolina provide excellent habitat for one of my favorite creatures: salamanders. Unlike most other land creatures, salamanders don’t have lungs to breath, and must directly absorb oxygen through their wet skin. Because of this trait, they thrive in the humid environment of the mountains, especially underground or undercover. Though…
E. Zambello Writing and Art 