Service Learning Blog Post

1.     For my service project I assisted Michael Wewer with helping students photographing and documenting old growth trees and pacific northwest organisms. I have spent about 12 hours total helping this event organizer each Sunday. His email is mwewer@email.edcc.edu.

2.     The purpose of the event was to assist students that are new to photography in documenting wildlife and nature, and to expose the students to native pacific northwest species.

3.     My duties at the event started with providing transportation to multiple state parks and regions throughout the Olympic peninsula. At the specific sites, I provided demonstrations on proper equipment and exposure techniques. Along with this we introduced the idea of isolating specific specimens for documentation.

4.     This experience has affected me by realizing how science has provided technological advancements to allow documentation to be much easier than it once was. It is very important to teach and practice the fundamental essentials to photographing wildlife. By providing this service, it allows students to adventure and document confidently rather than returning with poor images.

Some connections I made while working on this service project was really just appreciation and awareness. I truly appreciated the ability to be in a bioregion that was abundant with varieties of different organisms. The awareness of how humans have invaded the developments of nature and impacted the environment in more negative ways than positive. Through proper documentation, it allows society and people that do not have direct access to these areas to still be somewhat connected and aware of what exists. It is only through this awareness in which we can develop a plan to protect what remains of our earth, rather trying to patch up our mistakes in the future.

5.     When documenting new organisms how are illustrations developed if it is difficult to track and observe it for extended periods of time without a camera present?

Are there recorded organisms that don’t have photo documentation? If so, what?

Is the ecology of national and state parks effected by the constant presence of humans?

Why is it bad to feed wildlife in their native habitats?

My advisor setting up for a demonstration with an infrared camera. 

An international student I helped set up for photographs of moss at Sol Duc Falls.