A small portion of the complex turned into a public swimming pool
A house from the Margaretenhöhe neighborhood
The current, active sewage treatment basin from our bike tour
The adaptive re-use of another basin, planted with seating areas and a surrounding playground and cafe
A Sunday afternoon on the banks of the Rhein in Dusseldorf, reminded me a bit of the Seurat painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
One of most memorable experiences that happened this week was going to a weaving cooperative. There is a little town not too far from Oaxaca, which bases its economic income off of the making and selling of rugs. The cooperative was started several years ago by a group of women who wanted to become economically independent from their husbands. In rural parts of Oaxaca it is tradition for women to be bound to their duties at home and thus, they rarely have a chance to leave. Some women who wanted independence created the weaving cooperative to change this. At first, the men resisted the change and tried to keep women “in their place”. The cooperative went through some ups and downs over the years; most recently the business has settled down and become more stable. According to the women, when the men began to realize that the rugs were a good source of income, they began to encourage their wives in the cooperative. This complete turn-around surprised many of the women, but the women openly accepted the men, some of whom are still weaving with the cooperative today.
When I heard the story of the weaving women, I was not surprised at the hardships that they received from the men. To me, it seems that even though Mexico and the United States are completely different countries they still experience some of the same stereotypes about men and women. Men are looked at as the “breadwinners” of the family. However, after just spending some time in Oaxaca for a couple of weeks I am starting to see that this stereotype is falling away, similar to American culture. In the clinic, it is common for men to bring in their children to receive treatment. This behavior breaks the gender roles and is probably something that could only be witnessed in the last couple of years.
After learning the story of the weaving cooperative, one of the women there performed a cleansing ceremony, also known as a limpia. The limpia is a ceremony that is meant to cleanse a person of their physical and mental ailments. Because we attended a group limpia, we received a mild version of the ritual. The ceremony started off with the mixing of herbs and alcohol, then a handful of herbs was rubbed over specific points on our arms and head. The herbs were then placed in our hands and we were asked to remain sitting with our eyes closed until everyone had received their treatment. I thought it was ironic that the majority of our group is pre-medicine, but we were all receiving an alternative treatment.
The limpia reminded me of the value in alternative medicine; and that just because I am premed, does not mean that I should discount such practices. In fact, after the ceremony I began to think about my own career and how I would love to combine all forms of medicine. To me, it is upsetting that most people in America are quick to discredit alternative treatment. But here in Oaxaca it is common for people to receive many different kinds of treatment, ranging from clinical physicians to witch doctors. This open-mindedness is something that I hope to carry back with me to America.
I know I’m a little late on this one, but I thought I should start from the fourth. Instead of celebrating the fourth of July like a normal American, I was sitting working on my research project poster the night of the 4th. We all found it somewhat funny that a British Colony was celebrating the 4th of July, but I attributed it to the possibility that they host a good amount of Americans. (Later we saw a poster that said, come celebrate the tricountry celebration…or something to that degree, so I think they were trying to make it a celebration for all). I saw no fireworks, except for the picture icon which is my computer sign in screen, and it was the longest night ever. Our projects were due the morning of the 5th, and it was, to say the least, important. Only three of the 10 students went out to celebrate and came back to the rest of us all still sitting in the classroom working hard.
But now it is over. Research from sea cucumbers to algae were explained in a detailed manner, and in my opinion, everyone for college students did an amazing job. And if you read Ally’s blog, it was hard work, but formatting the poster was harder. Anyway, I was last and once it was done…the lunch bell rang.
We were so hungry we just went running, and when we sat down it just felt like a weight was lifted off our shoulders. After lunch we finally had a day to ourselves. Just one day, but after two and a half weeks all we wanted was one day and then we were ready to go home.
Ally, Marco, Phil, and I decided to go on one last snorkel and instead of staying to the inside of the barrier reef, we went outside it to where it gets deeper and the ocean really feels like it begins. We snorkeled around for a bit and on our way to the weather recorder station I saw a giant Barracuda, as long as me and I kind of jumped out of the water and according to those with me, made a slight noise. I tried to position myself away from the barracuda because I wont lie, it creeped me out. It eventually swam away and I relaxed. I was trying to look for sea turtles, but eventually stopped looking into the wide abyss. That was when I saw it. A nurse shark was swimming around and must have noticed us and started to swim toward us. I knew I shouldn’t be nervous because nurse sharks aren’t dangerous, but the way it was swimming toward us put me on guard. As soon as it got within 15 feet of us it turned away and swam a different direction. It was the coolest thing I have ever seen, but I definitely need to work on my nerves.
So long for now. :D The next post will be soon. I’m in the airport, want to catch some dinner, and I’ll update you on the latest news of abroad travels! Heather
So bloggers, we've reached the end of the road! I made it! Today I presented my finding in my first ever scientific poster.. Let me tell you it was harder than I expected, and in the words of the great Tom Frazer, "Posters are a blend of art and science!". He was totally right, because it took way longer just to format the poster then it took to actually compile the findings! Oh well, tonight is my last night on the island and the rest of the group, and even some from Kean U, are all making the most of the our last night with a bonfire on the beach and some dancing! This whole time has been amazing and exciting, from meeting new people to identifying 100+ marine species, so tonight will be the best! The crowning moment of a fantastic adventure :)
After working at my health clinic for some time, I got to know most of the staff personally, and what they do. For most of the day, the doctors spend their time consulting, writing prescriptions, and vaccinating patients. I help out by doing the initial check-in for patients; this includes checking their blood pressure, height, weight, pulse, temperature, etc. I also practice my Spanish by having small conversations with them.
The health workers and I get along great. Since nobody speaks English at the clinic, they love when I try to communicate with them because they compete to understand what I am saying like a game show. One of the doctors called me in one day to observe her consultations. There was an adult who needed an injection and after watching many times, she asked if I wanted to try. Of course I accepted the offer because in the United States I would never get the opportunity for something like this unless I was certified. I was nervous about messing up, but the doctor insisted that I try. The doctor guided my hand the first time I gave an injection, but I began to do them on my own as I got better. I must of did at least 20 injections since I started working.
I feel as if I am growing and learning a lot about myself from this experience. This new culture that I was engulfed in taught me how to look at life from a different perspective. I’m sure I want to pursue medicine AND public health as a career. Many patients came in with health issues that could have been prevented through health education. Public health is key for preventing patients from getting sick in the first place. My Spanish is considerably better than it was when I first started.
Time flew by and we have only 5 more days in Mexico. I made a lot of friends and connections down here so I will be returning in the near future.
So it took a little longer than I expected to find time to post a new blog, but here’s a long blog to make up for it, with lots of pictures, too! After a looong day last week, the 2 Seagliders I’m using for my research were successfully deployed in the Indian Ocean off of Western Australia!
Before we took the gliders out for deployment, we had to calibrate their compasses so they can navigate through the oceans, which is not a particularly difficult task, but a time-consuming and laborious task. The compass-cal’s went well. After that, we pressure tested the gliders in a hydrostatic pressure chamber to test their waterproof seal viability. We use hydrostatic testing (pressurized water) rather them testing with compressed air for 2 reasons: (1) It’s a more realistic scenario since the gliders will be in water during their operation, and (2) hydrostatic is MUCH safer. Water doesn’t compress very much…it already has a lot of molecules packed into a small space. On the contrary, air does compress…A LOT. The molecules in air are few and far between, spread over a large space, so they compress a lot until they’re tightly packed. Therefore, once the hydrostatic chamber is filled with water, it only takes an additional cup or 2 of water compressed into the chamber to makes a big difference in the ambient water pressure. About a cup or 2 of added compressed water results in a pressure of about 300 meters of water depth (almost 1000 feet). However, it would take A LOT, and I mean A LOT of air to compress to equal that same pressure. Therefore, if a hydrostatic chamber was to fail, the potential energy it holds is not very great. Once it lost about a cup of water, it would be back to a sea-level pressure…it doesn’t really hold and explosive potential energy. However, air pressure testing holds massive amounts of potential energy. If an air pressure chamber were to fail, a HUGE volume of air that is compressed into the chamber would want to rush out and expand to the natural area it would take up in a split second. In other words: HUGE EXPLOSION. Of course these chambers are well monitored and checked for safety, but anything can happen at any time. So since we have the choice, we choose hydrostatic testing. So anyway, all of the gliders we tested passed the hydrostatic pressure test to 300 meters water depth. The gliders will dive to 1000 meters (about 3280 feet) in the ocean, but a successful pressure test to 300 meters generally indicates a proper seal on the glider.
So once the gliders passed the pressure testing, we were onto the ocean deployments! Time for an ocean story…the best kind!
We left the dock a little after 6:00 AM, and it took about 2 hours to steam out over 30 nautical miles off the coast to Perth Canyon– in rough waters no less. As the saying goes: “Red skies and night, sailors’ delight. Red skies in the morning, sailors’ take warning”. I’ll leave it to you to guess what color the skies were that morning, and they weren’t orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, white, or black. Enough of a hint?? Luckily, somehow we avoided all of the rain…though we watched it around us in all directions all day long! It wasn’t exactly “Deadliest Catch” conditions, but we weren’t on a boat nearly those sizes either! There was about a 6-foot swell and wind chop from about every direction you can imagine…not exactly ideal conditions, but about as good as they get at this time of year that far out at sea. Shannon was hanging over the side of the boat many times “feeding the fish” (aka throwing up from seasickness), and, though I didn’t throw up, I wasn’t feeling too great at times either.
If you’ve never been seasick, well…you’re lucky. It’s really something that’s very difficult to understand the effects of unless you’ve actually experienced it before. But it’s powerful enough to bring the biggest, burliest man to his knees in an instant. Not fun. They do make seasickness medicine, but some people (such as Shannon) say they prefer not to take it, because they still get seasick but they just can’t throw up when they take the seasickness medicine. So they prefer to not take medicine because, once they throw up, they feel better! At least for a couple minutes.
If you do get seasick, you’re supposed to stare at the horizon, which is supposed to give your brain a better perception of which way is up and what is level while the fluid in your ears moves around like a mini-ocean in a hurricane (the fluid in your ears gives you your sense of balance and 3-dimensional direction). The WORST thing you can do when you’re seasick is to engage in dexterously-intensive tasks, such as focusing on typing and text on a computer screen or tightening a screw. Well guess what we get to do! Focus on typing and text on a computer screen and tighten screws! What are the chances…?!
However, great oceanographers work through the perilous conditions at sea! And that’s just what we did. All in the name of (ocean) science! We actually deployed three gliders: SG514 and SG520 for our research, and SG516 for testing. SG516 ended up being ballasted too light and wasn’t able to dive, so we brought her back onboard to re-ballast her back in the lab to test her at another time. Luckily, SG514 and SG520, with some flight dynamics adjustments, are flying great!
We also rendezvoused with U209, the Slocum glider, to fix the science sensor issues, which was successful. However, two days after the rendezvous, the glider flight data showed a sudden, continuous roll to one side; a telltale sign of a lost wing. However, it could be caused by a number of other things as well, such as something stuck or attached to the glider. Dennis is out on a boat today to pick up U209, as her batteries are very low. Just moments ago, Dennis just recovered U209 to find that our suspicions were correct: U209 was missing a wing. Luckily, that is a very minor issue for a glider! Wings can easily be replaced, as opposed to other components, or gliders themselves.
On the way back home, the waters calmed and bit, and the sky opened up a bit for a gorgeous Australian Sunset.
So a little more about our research project! We’re studying the Leeuwin Current System, which consist of several different water masses contributing to two major water flows: the Leeuwin Current and the Leeuwin Undercurrent. The Leeuwin Current System is vital to the physics and biology of the waters off of Western and Southern Australia.
As aforementioned, we will mainly be flying SG514 and SG520 in the Perth Canyon. The Perth Canyon is a deep portion of the ocean, much like a trench. It is actually an ancient part of the Swan River. A long time ago, when the sea level was much lower, the Swan River flowed out much farther along land to reach the ocean, and, similar to the way the Grand Canyon was formed, the water flow from the Swan River eroded away rock and earth to form a canyon. The ocean has since risen and covered up the canyon, which is now a sudden, deep trench-like formation in the ocean floor (also called “bathymetry” – the ‘lay of the land’ under the ocean. Topography is the lay of the land from sea level and up, while bathymetry is the lay of the land from sea level and lower). The ancient Swan River canyon is now called Perth Canyon! It’s an important mixing zone for the Leeuwin Canyon and has physical and biological features not seen in shallower portions of the current system.
We will be studying the Deep Chlorophyll Maximum (DCM) and Deep Oxygen Minimum (DOM) in correlation with the physical structure of the current system as well as phytoplankton blooms. The winter phytoplankton bloom off of Western Australia is not well understood, so we are hoping to help resolve the unknown!
In addition to the science portion of this project, we are also delving into a new wave of glider usage: flying more than one glider along the same transect at the same time. This is something that University of Western Australia/ANFOG has never done before, and we haven’t done this at Rutgers/IMCS before either! We will be flying SG514 and SG520 along the same path to gather better spatial data and comparative data. We will be flying them in different patterns throughout the mission to achieve different comparative opportunities.
For the past week, we’ve been closely monitoring the flight characteristics of SG514 and SG520 and making the necessary adjustments to get them flying as well (and as energetically efficiently) as possible in order to maximize the time the gliders can stay out in the ocean to collect data and to give the gliders the best fighting chance they can possibly have to fly against strong oceanic currents. They are both pretty well dialed in by this point, just a few more adjustments and they’ll be pretty close to perfect. From there, we’ll constantly monitor them for any changes that need to be made as they gliders become bio-fouled (ocean life growing on or attaching to the gliders) or enter ocean waters with different characteristics. Since gliders rely on finely-tuned buoyancy engines to function, even the slightest changes in temperature, salinity, density, etc, can have a huge effect on their performance. Therefore, we are constantly monitoring the gliders’ performance and ocean conditions in order to make necessary changes as pilots to maximize the gliders’ performance. It’s a 24-hour-a-day/7-days-a-week job…especially when you add more and more gliders out in the ocean at the same time.
I’m also monitoring the science sensor data to start to recognize the characteristics of the different currents and water masses. The primary oceanic science data we’re getting from SG514 and SG520 are water temperature, salinity (salt content), water density, dissolved oxygen concentration, chlorophyll-a concentration (there are 3 different main types of chlorophyll!), concentrated dissolved organic matter, and backscatter. I’ll get more in depth with the data in another blog post, as that’s a blog post in itself!But we’re getting some REALLY cool data so far, and I’m excited to share it with all of you!
This past weekend, Dennis and Kerrie took Shannon and me backpacking and camping out in the Australian Bushlands! We hiked along a short piece of a very long trail called the Bibbulmun Track. The “Bib” has little shelters for hikers called “Bib Track Huts” all along the trail for hikers to camp in, so we hiked out to a Bib Track Hut, set up camp, and then hiked out to a high point called Mt. Cuthburt, from which we enjoyed some really nice of the Australian Bushlands and Outback, and then we hiked back to camp where we started a fire and made some Australian-style s’mores! Shannon and I brought our backpacking/camping/travel hammocks with us, so we set up our hammocks to sleep in under the hut! Dennis and Kerrie were kind enough to lend us a couple sleeping bags so we didn’t freeze during the cold winter Australian nights! The night was absolutely pitch black and silent, and the stars were incredibly bright.
Dennis told us that if we put some peanut butter on a log, once it got dark, a bandicoot would come out to eat it. So we put some peanut butter on a fallen tree…and guess what. We saw a bandicoot! We also went to 2 national parks over the weekend and saw (and touched!) several kangaroos and saw an echidna!
It’s been raining the past week or so (the Western Australia wet season), and although the rain itself is not much fun, it made some waterfalls flow and made for some really beautiful scenery. After all, the rain is beautiful…it’s getting wet that sucks! Normally the waterfalls here are dried up for most of the year, so we were lucky to be able to see them the way we did!
Anyway, gotta get back to work! I’ll have many more things to update you on, and perhaps an excited surprise depending on several factors. Also, although I’m really enjoying being here at UWA/ANFOG, I’m also getting very excited to visit Cairns in August! Thanks for reading everyone! Until next time…
From Berlin we took a 4 hour ride on one of the high speed German regional trains(that put Amtrak to shame in speed and comfort) to Dusseldorf. Dusseldorf is nestled in the Ruhr region and home to the adaptive re-use of various post industrial sites, the reason for our journey. This adaptive re-use that I talk of is using, for example, an old coal manufacturing plant, as a park space and also a place for educating the public about its past without losing the character and identity of the site. The region is very well suited to these types of uses because it has a strong link to manufacturing, mining, and refining from back when these entities were thriving, but now remain unused. These old sites were once very productive, back since the 1850’s and most remained active until the past 30 years or so. Just recently these places have been given historical preservation statuses, and the opportunity to be reshaped by Landscape Architects to make park spaces that celebrate this industrial heritage, and preserve the cultural heritage that is attached to it. Often times there are various contaminants in the soil, issues with degrading architecture, and various problems associated with a site that has been left to itself for quite some time. These things are often contained by different methods like specific plantings to help improve soil or water quality, or other remediation methods.
Our first day in Dusseldorf began with another walking tour of the neighborhood, and also the main open space of the city, the river promenade. This was also the scene for one of the best meals I would have on the trip. In Dusseldorf there are four main breweries, and they all make the same variety of beer, the alt, and each would tell you that theirs is the best. The breweries are interesting in that often people stand outside at tables just drinking with friends. Waiters constantly bring out beers, as soon as you are done with yours, a new one is brought out to you and a tick mark is placed on your coaster as a means to keep track of your beers, thus making your coaster your receipt. Once you have had you fill you simply place the coaster on top of the empty beer and no more will be brought to you. But onto the best part, the food. Growing up my mother used to make a dish called Rouladen that her stern German grandmother taught her how to make. It happens to be one of my favorite homemade meals, and I was quite looking forward to finding it in Germany. It is thinly sliced beef wrapped up with various stuffing’s, usually bacon and onions and served with gravy, sounds good, I know. So naturally I wanted to try the real thing, and to my surprise, they stacked up even, in taste. In size the German dish was more than three times the size and served with boiled potatoes.
Zollverein Industrial Complex
The Zollverein coal plant was a once functioning plant, but has now been turned into a museum and park space. A few floors of the old plant have been turned into a museum to the old coal plant, the industrial region Ruhr, and some general history of the area and some of the area surrounding the plant has been turned into a park space. The museum was excellent and thoroughly explained and celebrated the Ruhr region. However, the landscape areas, could, to put it nicely, use a little more work. The park space wasn’t clearly defined and was difficult to get to. From there we took a tram line a couple of stops down to Margaretenhoe. It is currently a very exclusive neighborhood, with a very long waiting list for renters. However, it was once used as housing for the workers and their families of the factories in the surrounding areas. The development was actually built by the owner of the factory in an effort to bring people to work for the plant as there was a worker shortage during the industrial boom. We walked around a good portion of the neighborhood, and it was very well kept, but the actual houses were rather small and didn’t seem like the exclusive title was rightfully attached.
Benrath Palace
A rococo mansion just outside of Düsseldorf was the next stop. It is home to a European garden museum and a baroque garden in addition to the impressive mansion. The baroque garden is characterized by a strong axis coming from the mansion framed on the ends by different focal points. The museum was very comprehensive and the landscape was equally impressive. Similar to Sans Souci in some ways, but much smaller in scale.
Bike Tour #1
What a different way to see a vast landscape over the course of the day. We began with a train ride to Duisburg where we were renting bikes for the day. It was to be a bike tour along the Emscher river and along old rail lines that used to run close to the river. It was a little bit of a nervous bike ride out of Duisburg, but once we found our way to the bike path it was smooth sailing to various stops along the river. One of the first stops was along a German cemetery. This sounds uninteresting initially to us in America, as we are used to the large open more arboretum set up. The German cemetery is made up of small garden plots that are maintained by the families. They are maintained by the families because it is said to help with the grieving process. Also unlike the US, the plots have lease periods, and after the lease is up, the family has the option to renew the plot or to allow another person to rent the plot. The next main stop we took was at a sewage treatment plant. This was also another example of an adaptive reuse site. There are two treatment basins, one is still functioning, and the other has been converted to a wildflower garden. They are located close enough to each other that when you are in the middle of the park you can see the stark difference of the spaces. Other features of the park include a childrens playground, interactive water fountain, and small café. The last stop on the trip was a raised soil mound left over from the mining of the area. It has been transformed into a terraced walking and bike path up the hill culminating in a large plateau with a very tall observation tower. The tower had several platforms leading to a small one 70 meters above the ground. The climb to the top was slightly unnerving, only made worse by very, very strong gusts of wind. The was the last stop on our journey for the day, we arrived at a different train station and dropped off the bikes. Everyone was pretty exhausted after a day of riding over 40km.
Duisburg Nord
Duisburg Nord is the example in postindustrial sites. I was abandoned in 1985 as a steel and coal plant. There was an international design competition held in order to get fresh ideas for the future use of the site. The winner of the competition was the office of Peter Latz. This was to be his first attempt, of what would become a career specializing in this area. We were very fortunate in that Peter Latz had strong ties to the technical university of Munich in Freising, where we would be doing our one week intensive design workshop, and that our professor on the trip worked for his office. Latz would also be giving a lecture on some of his current projects when we got to Freising as well. The site itself is the perfect blend of industry and park, excelling where the Zollverein complex dropped the ball. There are areas where contaminated soils are being treated by phytoremediation, old waste water areas are also being treated. Recreational areas, both active and passive are provided. An old gas tank has been converted into an underwater ruins for scuba enthusiasts. There is a covered seating area that holds over 1000 people for small concerts and performances. Over an acre of the sites old building infrastructure has been converted into a post industrial rock climbing haven. River and meadow walks are provided. Even swimming areas in a once polluted, but now cleaned and safe canal exist. Some of the larger industrial towers have been kept open, to climb up the old plant and see the old machinery that was used. They provide view points from about 5 stories up over the park and the surrounding area. And like any good park, there are a series of cafes for visitors who, like our group, wish to spend the entire day there.
It’s pole pole going slow But still we’re keeping time We’re facing forward looking up Forgetting what’s behind Twende Afrika heyo! (Let’s go Africa heyo!)
Twende Twende song by Eric Wainaina
I was taken away by another EcoLife guide to go back to Pretoria for the next two nights. My friend, Rima, and I were to go to the US Consulate to get our new passports. After paying to get two sets of photos taken (the first weren’t the correct size) and waiting from opening until closing we had temporary passports in our hands.
We soon joined back up with the group at an elephant sanctuary. Here we learned how amazing elephants are and what they are capable of. These trained giants can respond to over 80 commands, including ones that help to find poachers. Elephants have a sense of smell that is 50 times better than a dog and they can follow a scent over water.
This makes them extremely valuable in tracking poachers, especially since you can ride them so you don’t have to worry about keeping up. Eventually we mounted them and went for a short ride around the ranch. We ended our tour of the project by discussing culling and how we could utilize the elephants to prevent overpopulation.
We retreated to the bus for an hour long bus ride to Sondela Nature Reserve. While Rima and I were in the city, the group relocated and settled camp. Sondela had animals that roamed the land: sheep, goat, kudu and horses. Every morning the kudu joined us for some breakfast and snacked on some of our bread and the horses would sniff at our tents at night. We were coming up to our last full day in South Africa and spent the morning at the Sondela Rehab Center. There, we bottle fed some of their young antelope and giraffe. We got a VIP tour of the facility and got to walk into some of the cages. A caracal was allowed weave between our legs and a zebra came to sniff our hands. The Sondela guide told us stories about hippos and rhino they have rehabbed and showed us where they were kept. In the afternoon we had a final essay about wildlife management where we had a case study to solve. That evening we had a catered dinner and a little graduation ceremony. We had a campfire that night and stayed up way too late. The next day we were all packed up and said our goodbyes at the OR Tambo Airport. A lot of things were left in South Africa, and a lot was also taken away from it. These three weeks seemed like forever, yet I was in New Jersey before I knew what happened. I want to go back and there is no doubt in my mind that I will. I want to work more closely with game capture and try to work beside a wildlife vet. My first goal is to land an internship at the Six Flags Safari Park since it’s just a tad bit closer and tad bit cheaper.
I would like to thank Monica Emery and Dean Young for this wonderful opportunity, without their help South Africa would have been hard to conquer.
