At the research farm - by Cai Diggs

A sweep sample I processed from the Wye.

There are many situations where I had to use critical thinking during this internship. At the research farm, we were tasked with building an apparatus efficient in transporting tomato plants across long distances in a truck. We went about solving this problem through trial and error. We retrieved different wooden boards and ropes. The wooden boards were to provide protection for the tomato plants and ropes were used to provide support. Many of our initial designs did not work, but we continued to try and build something effective. We were eventually able to build something that would assist in the transportation of tomatoes across long distances. In the future, I would likely retrieve all my materials at once.

At the extension office, I was tasked with processing sweep samples from a farm in Queenstown, Maryland. This involved moving insects collected via bug net into vials filled with ethanol. This was a very meticulous task, so I had to be creative in ways of completing it efficiently. For one, I found it easier to transfer small insects with a wet paintbrush and bigger insects with tweezers. Also, instead of pouring ethanol into a vial from one big container, I found that moving it into a measuring cup and then pouring it into vials made it easier. I was successful in the sense that, along the way, I started processing insect samples faster. In the future I will be more deliberate in wanting to achieve efficiency.

Another task I had to complete in the extension office is processing pitfall traps. This was a much more daunting assignment and involved moving insects in antifreeze into cups of ethanol. The cups had an unpleasant smell to them, and the bugs were decaying, so it was naturally challenging to complete this task. I had to find ways to make processing the samples easier to complete. First, I put on a respirator and longer gloves. I also closed the bucket I would strain the antifreeze into once I was done so it wouldn't attract too many flies. I was successful in the regard that I finished the task. Next time, I will make sure to have maximized my comfort before attempting a task like that. Masks and long gloves will be the first items retrieved!

At the research farm, an intern and I were tasked with stringing tomatoes.  This involved wrapping a string around tomato plants to support their growth upwards. To execute this assignment correctly we had to work together. Shiwei focused on wrapping the string around the stakes and I focused on pulling the plant through a string. We successfully completed the task because all the tomatoes were stringed. Next time, I would probably ask more people for help with this task. 

Ethanol cups I processed from pitfall traps at the Wye.

The materials I used to process pitfall trap samples.