Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wed, 4/27 AM: Weather & Cloud (Shaving Cream) Form at SERC
Another art session at the Botanic Gardens in the PM.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Frog Eggs
We have been on a hunt this Spring to collect frog eggs. Conditions were finally right after the recent warm spell and associated rains. Our eggs are now in a 10 gallon aquarium with a bubbler to provide aeration--and we have our fingers crossed. If we are successful, we are supposedly helping the frog population because very, very few eggs hatch and reach maturity in nature due to predation. If we are not successful, we are basically acting like another type of predator. Our major concern is the bubbler. It is important to oxygenate the water, but it agitates the water significantly. There was little or no flow in the pond where we collected our eggs.
From the calls near the pond and the appearance of the eggs, we believe they are wood frogs, but its really hard to tell. When/if they hatch, we will have a better idea.
To hear a wood frog call check out this youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ah_slM_F34)
Monday, April 4, 2011
Farm Expansion During the Harvest Season
We just modified two 18 gallon tubs to serve as bulk worm composting bins. These tubs significantly increase our capacity and will assist with the sorting process during harvesting. During the long, cold winter, our capacity was pushed to its limits. We allowed the outdoor bins to sit full and undisturbed, hoping that the compost would serve as insulation and protect the worms in a central thermal reservoir. By that mechanisms or some other, the worms survived, but they were clearly not munching much over the traditional holiday feasting season. The bins we moved indoors remained active and hungry. They served as our only repositories for compostable material during the winder months. As the weather warmed, all the bins moved back outdoors, but our available capacity was near zero. The worms in the outdoor bins grew active, but still needed to compost material that sat frozen in their bins during months of inactivity. The bins that had wintered in warmer surroundings were bursting with worms and compost ready to harvest. But, harvesting requires excess capacity to receive the livestock, which must be separated from the final agricultural product. So, we spent one evening with a drill constructing new habitat for our expanding herd. Now, we are waiting for some warm, sunny days to begin the harvest. Sun aids the culling process, because worms naturally withdraw from the sun, (theoretically) allowing a top layer of worm-free compost to be brushed into a harvesting container. Warm weather keeps the harvesters happy because you have to get in there with your hands. It is a gooey, finger numbing job if it is cold.
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