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A Wolf Spider's Perspective

6/11/2018

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I see the sun slowly setting and I start moving. It’s nighttime now, and as a wolf spider, I need to search the garden for bugs to eat. I crawl through the garden, looking for bugs and possible pests that could ruin the plants. The plants give me shade and cover, and I don’t want them to die. My main target for tonight is going to be the ants. There have been too many in the garden, and, while being beneficial themselves, can protect harmful pests, so their population must be controlled. Then, I see an ant walking across the dirt. I quickly hide behind a leafy plant and wait for it to come close. I have to be fast , or the ant will try to escape, and it will be harder to catch. Also, it could alert other ants to my presence, and ruin my plan. Once it’s close enough, I spring out from behind the plant and pounce on it, not giving it time to move or run away. After I eat that one, I seek out more and more ants until the night is over and the ants’ population is sufficiently reduced and controlled. I go back to my home in the wood pile and stay in the shadows again, waiting for the next night.
I don’t really want to meet any humans, like the ones that own this garden. They freak out when they see me or other spiders, and I don’t understand why. I’m more scared of those big monsters. Well, it’s a good thing I can bite them if I need to in self-defense. The reason I chose to live in the garden is that when other wolf spiders make their homes in the wood of human houses, the humans almost always kill them when they find them. So I’ll just stay in the garden, keeping the plants well, feeding myself, and avoiding the daytime-roaming humans. During the winter, the cold is too much for me, and there’s nothing to eat out in the garden, so I’ve gone indoors occasionally in secluded places in the humans’ house, like the basement, hoping I won’t be found.

-- Ocean
Sustainable Agriculture Student


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From a Radish Point of View

6/11/2018

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This morning, I woke up to the familiar sensation of being almost completely submerged in soil. My fellow radishes around me were already awake, preparing our home for attack. When I was growing up, our mother had warned us of the dangers that would later come once we  were above ground. I hope to soon see my dear friend, Tomato. But since she is in the Nightshade family and I am in the Mustard family, her home is across the garden under the big sign with ¨BED 3¨ written on the front.

It's hard not to worry about tomato, I mean she has problems with the flea beetles and the aphids. Not only that, she and her family are particularly susceptible to diseases, such as Late blight. Catching that bug is one big deal, once contracted, their leafs begin decaying and they begin being insecure about it, so much so that they have a hard time being on time. It's in the name. If she caught Late Blight, I won’t be able to talk or play or see her for a long time. That makes me super sad!
Being in “BED 1” has been nice for me and my family so far. Our friends, the pea family are also with us. They’re nice, but the snap peas aren’t very nice. Everyday, the government gives us a little bit of nutrients to keep us alive. It’s not much, and it comes slowly, but it’s enough to live off of I guess.

Mother warned us of the root maggots, who crawl around our toes and make our brassica roots malform. Everyday we have to protect ourselves. We even take precautions like moving around and not living in the same spot very often. Living in the garden has been a trip for me and my family. The fall skies and the brown and orange leaves are my favorite things to look at. Mother said that when winter comes we’ll be gone. But that’s okay, we’ll be back the next year round.  


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Reduviidae (Assassin Bug) -- “Sherlock Bug”

6/11/2018

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I stand on a piece of smooth wood and survey my surroundings.  The forest in front of me and the large wood structure that emits light and noise is directly behind me.  All of a sudden the wood starts to shake from the vibrations of one of the featherless bipeds comes to get me.  I turn just in time for a large clear enclosure to be put around me. This was my plan of course. There have been quite a few disappearances as of late and I have pinpointed the source to be this abomination of a tree, right on the edge of the forest.  I formulated a plan to be caught by this biped so they would take me inside. Once inside I will then locate the bodies or rescue them from a fate worse than death.


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The enclosure starts to move.   It’s taking me into it’s wood structure, a mysterious realm only a few of us have had the chance to enter.  This particular animal seems to enjoy taking insects, especially ones with a shiny colorful exoskeleton, such as mine.
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Once inside I see the most disgusting display of power.  Containers of insects and plants all kept for the bipeds amusement.  Their is papers on the containers with symbols upon them. A bipedal language.  They must be “lah- bells” describing the insects trapped inside.

The featherless biped puts my container on the shelf and sits down to make my “lah- bell”.  It probably will explain my feeding process, injecting venom into my prey and sucking out their insides, while the description has a high shock value it isn't the weirdest way to eat.  I like to eat pest bugs like aphids and caterpillars. This helps the bipeds because they like to control plants, and the bugs I like to eat get in the bipeds way.

This is simply an accident of nature.  I begrudgingly help the biped’s efforts because I love eating those bugs  ,however the bipeds kill my kind in droves because of their use of pesticides.  It’s ironic how they kill the insects who kill the pests naturally. Featherless bipeds are weird like that.

I watch the others from my container.  What cowards, giving up the will to live free outside and so soon?  I shake my head. Captivity does odd things to us insects. My captor gets up from it sitting position.  The biped walks to my enclosure. I get in an attack position. My predator instincts are triggered. The featherless biped deformed tarsus puts a “lah- bell” on my enclosure.  A seal on my fate…To be continued

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​Day in the Life of a Ladybug

5/29/2018

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I wake up to the sun on my back and the warmth makes me want to go back to sleep.  But, sadly I can not. I have to get up and eat. Eating is how I pay the nice lady to be able to sleep in her garden. My name is Lady, I am one year old, and I am a ladybug. My mom was here first, but she died about two years ago. I have about two more years until I die. Winters are the hardest time for me but having others around helps with staying alive and then finding a mate. I get up and start flying around the garden to help me wake up. I am 0.3 inches long and I am on the small side. My shell is yellow with three black dots on each side. Standing out is how I tell the other bugs to stay away from me. They usually get the clue because why would they want to eat something that tastes awful?

Anyway that's enough background for now. I go to the plants where there are bites on the leaves because there is where I find my breakfast. Eating aphids are the most delicious thing on each! They are juicy and crunchy. After about ten aphids I am full so I fly back around the garden to give the lady my greeting. Landing on her shoulder is usually the best way to get her attention. After I land she says, “hi there you are, Lucky. Thanks for eating the bugs so my garden can live.” Wow, when will she realize that my name is not lucky? My name is Lady! Well at least she knows how much I help her. That is really all I can ask for.
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by Lauren

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Works Cited

Nelson, Angela. “6 surprising facts about ladybugs.” mother nature network. Narrative Content Group, 30 December 2016. Web. 28 May 2018.

Levy, Debra. "Why Are Ladybugs Considered Good Luck?" Animals - mom.me. No publisher, no published date listed. Web. 28 May 2018.

Meadors, Pamela. "Characteristics of a Ladybug." Animals - mom.me. No publisher, no published date listed. Web. 28 May 2018.

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Day in the Life of Syrphidae

5/28/2018

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Hello, my name is Saphy. I’m a hoverfly. I’m also known as a flower fly or syrphid fly. Being a hoverfly is really interesting and a lot more difficult than some people might think. When I was born, I was blind! I looked like a little green caterpillar and I had to crawl around to look for aphids to eat. My mouth worked differently back then, so I had to drink the inside of the aphids; like a tiny milkshake. Not all of us eat aphids, though! Some of my cousins fed off roots and plant material. Others even live in ant colonies. I’m not quite sure what they eat, but the ants don’t seem to mind!



Now that I’ve grown, I’m a vegetarian! Now that I’m an adult fly, I eat mostly pollen and nectar. My only job is help plants grow and prosper. But don’t think it’s easier for me now! Even with my bright bee-like coloration, some birds and wasps can tell I’m harmless. Solitary wasps will attack me and some even go after larvae! The poor things. There’s even the spotted flycatcher, a type of bird, can tell the difference. They won’t go after bees, but they’ll go after me if they have the chance. And of course, I always have to look out for spiders.

I’m perfectly healthy now, though. I race and hover all over gardens. I zoom around oregano, garlic chives, and other smelly edible plants in hopes to find a mate! I can’t wait to make up to a hundred little eggs and start the process all over again. Wish me luck!

by Matthew
Sustainable Ag. Student
​5/17/18
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Works Cited
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/beneficial/hover-flies-in-gardens.htm
https://www.britannica.com/animal/hover-fly
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artmay07/cd-hoverflies.html


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Whats the buzz.com -- How the dragon flies.

5/21/2018

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Howdy doody everyone! I know it has been a while since I have posted but I have been very busy. My baby girl has just found herself a nice plant stem near the pond and she has just started metamorphosis! They grow up so fast… But alongside my baby girl, I have also just had a new batch of children! I was not able to find a good enough plant to lay my eggs on this time, but I'm sure they will be fine growing up in the pond waters. Luckily it is very warm this time of year. I just hope this time they do not eat each other…

Anyways with that out of the way, today I woke up extra hungry and you will never believe my luck! I just happened to find a delicious small fish as well as several mosquitos nearby! It was like a feast just for me! Sadly as soon as I had but one mosquito left, another jerk came and tried to take it! Despite the fact I was only going 30 miles an hour I felt like I was going to create a sonic boom at any point! I managed to just barely grab the mosquito before they got at it. I think they were a damselfly to be honest… They think just because they are thinner that they are better than us dragonflies? I swear, the nerve… I hope they realize looks aren't everything. Speaking of looks, my vision has been rather blurry lately. I talked to my doctor and he said it was completely natural and that seeing in all directions can be straining on the eyes but I think it is something worse. When I looked in the pond reflection this morning my eyes looked way bigger than usual but he pushes it aside like it is nothing! It has been about a month since I became a dragonfly but if I only have a month left to live I want to at least be able to see! He also gave me some sort of diagram and said that my abdomen was “abnormal!” How dare he! My abdomen abnormal my hindwing! Doctors these days will do anything to scare you and make you see them more often! I don’t have all the flies in the world to spend on useless appointments!

Gosh I sound like an old lady, rambling on like this. My apologies folks, I may need to end my update here. A larger dragonfly is coming my way and he looks hungry… Goodbye for now!!!


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Name: Ana

Class: Sustainable Agriculture
Date:5/16/18

Sources: https://www.dragonfly-site.com/dragonfly-life-cycle.html
https://www.ducksters.com/animals/dragonfly.php
http://dragonflywebsite.com/dragonfly-facts.cfm


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Could Selective Breeding be the Answer to Solving the Problems Ocean Acidification Have Presented?

5/20/2018

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There are many changes happening in our oceans right now, and the majority of them are proving to be harmful to the species that inhabit it. One of these processes is known as “ocean acidification”. Ocean acidification is just as it sounds- it’s the process of an ocean becoming more acidic. This raises a number of problems; most notably it is dissolving our coral and shellfish. They are dying prematurely, and the new spawn are growing weaker and weaker shells. It makes them more susceptible to diseases and predators, and it shortens their lifespan in general.

Of course, the declining sickly shellfish population hasn’t gone unnoticed by the scientific community, and currently there is work being done to counter the effects of ocean acidification. Jonathan P. Davis, a researcher from Taylor Shellfish Farms Inc., is currently leading a team of researchers and scientists in using selective breeding and genetics to harden up our Pacific Oysters.

Their efforts are proving to be successful. This team has produced 42 lines of hybrid oysters that are more inclined to survive our more acidic seas. As time passes, the oysters will be selectively bred over and over until the hardiest few have doubled, tripled, quadrupled, etc., in number. This could be the key to saving not only our Pacific Oysters, but all of the other suffering Oyster populations as well.


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Article Source

Image Sources:
Shell Dissolving
Handful of Oysters

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Bring

5/1/2018

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My family has a four-generation long tradition of eating Olympia oysters on Christmas eve, so I for one am glad that people are trying to help get them back! Right now, they are so rare, that buying just a pint costs over 100 dollars! Back in the day of my great-great grandparents, there was no shortage of Olympia oysters. They could go down to the beach and be able to gather as many as they wanted. These oysters are special because they are very small (about the size of fifty-cent piece), but they have a big distinctive flavor. I have never tried them myself, but my dad says they have a smoky, coppery taste.

As you can see from their price tag, the Olympia oyster (Ostrea lorida) plays a very important role in the Puget Sound’s ecology and economy. Even though efforts have been made to clean up the water and stop commercial harvests, the Olympia oyster still hasn’t been able to reestablish itself. Researchers are trying to find out how the oyster seeds itself and other sites and how it exchanges larvae with other populations. They are using specific chemical signatures of seawater in different locations in order to determine what the connection is between different Olympia oyster populations.
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Recently Bonnie Becker from the University of Washington, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences wrote an article about the Olympia Oyster. The oyster was very important to the puget sound ecology and economy but sadly it hasn't been able to reestablish itself. There is a project that is under way that will come up with a system for tracking movement of larval oysters. There is also a reference map that shows the chemical signature of of shells gathered in the sound, this oysters and the see will help find the origin of the distance of the larvae!

Our old family recipe cooks these oysters in tomato sauce-based pan roast. Someday, if I am able to break away from that
particular recipe, I’d like to try the Olympia oyster raw, right out of the shell, because that’s the
way I think they should be eaten. Not drowned in tomato sauce. That doesn’t feel like it does this delicacy justice!
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A little history of the garden...enjoy!

11/14/2017

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Check out this awesome picture slideshow of the garden being built 8 years ago.  Thank you Madison and Avanti school communities for helping to make meaningful, place-based, and hands-on learning experiences!!!!

Also all these articles that have been written over the years!
  • in GreenPages -- local environmental news
  • in Thurston Talk -- talks about the garden's beginnings
  • another Thurston Talk  -- donating produce to FoodBank
  • Island Time Kayaking Blog -- talks about the start of the garden
  • The Olympian -- Student-led project for native pollinators
  • Fish and Wildlife Website (published our newsletter) -- about the Pollinator Project garden
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Bein' Crabby -- A story of Frankie the crab spider

6/22/2017

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Written by a Sustainable Ag. student

Bein’ Crabby:

Misumenoides formosipes (Crab Spider)

The names Frankie, Frankie Crab. I may look like a tiny crab but I hate the ocean. Fish stink man. You know what I love? Flowers! They are like soft fluffy pillows of color. I usually blend in with flowers that match my color. I am yellow and it’s cute. Other females can be white or brown, what drab colors. We also have spots which make white and brown look so cute. We can have red or black or brown spots. It’s like how humans paint their weird plastic things on their fingers. Except that’s like, really weird.
My friends and I live in a garden by a human's habitat. It is huge. It has so many different flowers. My favorite is lavender even though I don’t blend in. It just smells really good. It has roses in like, 5 different colors. All of us blend in to ATTACK!
Unlike other spiders I am too lazy to build one of those webs. They are gross anyways, all of your old food stays there forever. And no one cleans it up?! As if. Basically anything that comes close to me I will not hesitate to eat. What can I say? I get hungry. Men get lazy and will just drink the flower nectar but us women know how to kill and we never get tired!
I use my legs to grab my foods. I just grab em’ really fast you know? I hate eating butterfly’s because it’s so unflattering. Like, you have to open your mouth really wide to get the wings in there. It’s like eating salad in public. Not that I would know.
This blog will only last a year probably because after that It’s my time to sleep forever. I hope I have a bunch of kids before I die though.  They better not get so hungry they’ll eat my or I’ll be so mad. They will be grounded forever. No more lady bugs for them!  
http://www.spiders.us/species/misumenoides-formosipes/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misumenoides_formosipes
http://bugguide.net/node/view/6591/bgimage


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