Peace River Biology II CANOE TRIP
You may call it the outdoors, but I call it my classroom
Expectations
This was my second time going on Canoe Trip. My first year experience was absolutely amazing and breath taking. Holding that this year would be just as good I forgot to consider the fact that there would be twice as many people attending the trip. We took eight canoes
Preparation
In in order to prepare for this trip we had to take a couple things this included a lot of plastic bags, waterproof containers and a lot of sunblock. We were also using very old canoes so before the trip we had to re-patch the canoes. The trailers tail lights also need to be replaced so we had a canoe trip makeover before this big event. One of the coolest and scariest things we had to do was to load eight canoes onto one trailer in order to do this we needed to use a lot of teamwork
Canoeing experience
My biggest fear on this trip is that I would not have a good partner when you were canoeing it is very difficult to canoe with someone who does not know how to canoe properly luckily I had miles we had a very good trip this was the smoothest 25 miles I have ever experience. Last year I wasn't that good at paddling so me and my partner ran into a lot of trees and got stuck many times. With hard work and teamwork we were able to make it to our destination quicker than we thought we didn't have any problem and it was all smooth sailing luckily we didn't have as low of a tide as we did last year
The River
Peace River is a unique paradise. The farther you go the more exotic and untouched it begins to look. One thing that seems to be a downer is the clumps of trash you see that has been carried down the river. It eventually becomes less of a problem the farther down you go but it breaks my heart when people pollute the river. Every turn of the river brings something new. Large palm trees, alligators and trickling water makes everything seem so beautiful.
Break time!
Dinner time
Meal time is very important because after miles of canoeing you need all the energy food you can get. For dinner I used a jetboil to cook Spanish rice with vegetables. I do not like to sell myself short on trips so I make sure I cook great gourmet outdoor meals. Bon appetite!
Arrival at the campsite
Because we had started late and said stop longer than we had expected to we were surprised by the fact that we made it to camp and hour earlier than we were supposed to because the river level was higher than last year it was much quicker nothing had changed
Worship
One of the beauties of nature is that it brings us closer to God through worship we realize that prayer breaks the laws of nature. We discussed the miracles of Christ and how He, through the power of God the Father performed miracles and doing the indescribable.
Loved before I knew myself
Forget drugs Jesus is my addiction
The ultimate satisfaction is following Jesus
Jesus, Son of man never fails
Give me more God, I'm ready
Free your mind let God take over
God's nature is that of purity
In His eyes I am valuable
Get the best high with Jesus
Broken paddles still provide unbroken blessings
During the silence He will speak
Life's incomplete but He completes it
He'll guide us through rough waters
All you ever need is Jesus
Oh His love still amazes me
Reason of being is God-given
Forest bathing is a natural high
One of the most fascinating things about being out on Peace River is the fact that there is barely any light pollution and on a perfect night, we were able to see many constellations shooting stars and identify galaxies. We saw be Cassiopia constellation the Big Dipper, Orion's belt and many other constellations.
Biology II
The main purpose for this trip is to help us understand the biological and ecological demographics of the things surrounding us...
Benthics
One of the biological aspects of this program is to study the macroinvertebrate species living in bodies of waters. We tested in Peace River and found these results. According to the data we found, the water quality of the river is poor. This means that all 4 groups of macroinvertebrate can survive in this lake at some point but it does mean that the river does carry a lot of bacteria and macroinvertebrates.
Chemical Test
Another tool used to determine water quality is chemical testing. The overall total showed us that the water quality wasn't that good. With expectations of a clean river we must keep in mind that the river is a tourist attraction and an pathway for a lot of junk. While going down the river you will see clumps of trash inbetween the trees growing on the bank.
Stream Flow Study
Stream flow study was quite an interesting experience because it was my first time doing it. We worked together as a class to measure the width, the amount of time it takes for a object to float down the river and a lot of other important information. With these numbers we can calculate how many people could live off of the river and how many gallons flow through the river each day
Reflection
Despite the fact that this was a educational trip, it becomes an escape from ones regular busy schedule. My focus was shifted from reality to what was ahead of me. Twenty five miles of river carved into the earth there for me to rediscover. If only we could stay longer it would have been better. Going out into nature reminds me of how good God is and appreciating the opportunities that I have it is good to go out and let in that good old nature vibes. There were a lot of great memories made time to meditate time to grow and time to learn
