Since the start of my service term with Green Mountain Conservation Group all of the new things I have experienced have helped narrow down slightly what I want to do or don’t want to do in life. Going to various lakes, rivers, and streams and conducting a bunch of water quality tests, I find it enjoyable and can see myself doing that long term. Being able to work outside and be near water most days beats any day sitting in an office. Learning all of the water quality test has been a really fun experience although tedious sometimes. Seeing what dissolved oxygen and conductivity probes are and learning how to use them with a meter, using a kemmerer bottle to collect water samples from each layer of a lake or pond, and learning how to use a ph meter are a few of the tools I’ve come to use quite often during the last few months here. In addition to that I’ve learned that using a hose to collect a composite water sample is super tedious and and becomes extremely tedious when one has to do it in a rowboat while the sky dumping rain on you at 10 in the morning.
Beyond the water quality testing I’ve done, GMCG has allowed me to take on other tasks that have interested me when the idea of us being able to do it has been brought up. One of those tasks was being able to going electrofishing with NH Fish and Game, and the other was helping start a microplastic study using freshwater mussels. The trial and error stage of figuring out what we should do to the mussels before filtering them was a period of learning a lot. We either digested samples in different strength acids or tried to grind up the inside of the mussels after they were frozen/dried out. After seeing that the acid worked better, I also learned that there is a limit to how many mussels can be filtered after digesting, something I didn't think was possible.
I’m looking forward to the second half of my term cause by going by how my first half went I’m sure the second half will be as fun if not better.
Zach is a half-year member serving with Green Mountain Conservation Group. You can learn more about him here!