1998 Summer Science Institute!

SSI is the seven week science program that I am in at the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. I am currently in the second year program. My group, currently of four students (Frank, Shawn, Majiedah and me) and two mentors (Tammie and Becca), is working on a LIMNOLOGY (that's for my bio teacher, who dreamed of becoming a limnologist) project. In this project, we hope to determine if there is a correlation between distance from what we believe to be a source creek and diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates. We also are looking to see if water quality correlates to land use near certain streams. All the creeks tested will be in the Baraboo Hills region of Wisconsin.
Frank, Majiedah, Tammie, Shawn, Becca, and Me at Natural Bridge State Park


Click Here for Our Methods!


Here are photos and data from each of the eleven testing sites:

Misty Valley Creek

Pan Hollow

Pine Hollow

Hemlock Draw

Honey Creek

Seeley Creek #1

Seeley Creek #2

Seeley Creek #3

Provorse Hollow

Otter Creek #1

Otter Creek #2


Here are some pics of my group, hard at work.....

July 1-Lake Mendota Testing

This is me, after collecting a sample of beautiful Lake Mendota water....

Shawn, Majiedah, and Becca attempt to conduct some water quality tests of Lake Mendota

Sample of water from Lake Mendota...Doesn't it look tasty?


July 2-Seely Creek #3-Our First Sample

Shawn and Majiedah get our first sample

Shawn and Majiedah return with sample

I collect a sample for turbidity tests

A neighbor of Seely's Creek, Garrett, is interested in our sample


July 7-We Get to ID Some Bugs

Shawn uses a microscope to identify a macroinvertebrate

After hours of "ID"ing, this is the result


July 15-We Get to ID Some More Bugs

A sample from Honey Creek in a pan to be separated randomly

Becca toils over her sample, randomly selecting the macroinvertebrates to ID

This isn't your ordinary macroinvertebrate...(It's a pretty big leech!)

July 16-Sampling at Misty Valley and Pan Hollow (with a hike at Natural Bridge State Park)

Our view of Natural Bridge

Shawn poses next to a really big rock!

Majiedah and Shawn wait to enter Misty Valley Creek

July 21-Sampling at Otter Creek #1

The mentors demonstrate how to take the sample

Tammie and Frank pick through their sample of Otter Creek #1


July 23-Sampling at Otter Creek #2; Our Last Site :(

It was an interesting trek to the site...

That's one big ant hill!

Shawn, me, and Becca- sad to be finished gathering data


July 29-Lake Mendota; Boat Trip

Shawn uses a meter to read the dissolved oxygen and temperature of Lake Mendota

Majiedah takes a break

Becca feels the sample of mud from the bottom

Majiedah, me, and Shawn on the boat


More pics later!