Keira Adams

While volunteering at Vern Community Garden, I was able to learn more about various different plants and how taking care of them is essential. My main responsibility was cutting down the dead parts of plants in order to improve their overall health. In order to do so, we used shears to carefully cut away the dead parts of the plants while also avoiding the green parts and roots. We did not throw away the dead parts of the plants, but instead reused them as compost by cutting it into small pieces. Not only did I find this interesting because it’s resourceful, but something that was no longer living could still be useful in helping new plants grow. To add on, I also participated in picking tomatoes from the tomato plants. The color of the tomatoes ultimately helped us determine if they were ripe and ready to be picked. During my experience I also realized that maintaining plants isn’t just about watering them. Removing dead plant material, reusing it as compose and knowing when fruit is ready to harvest are all important aspects of keeping healthy plants. This can also be connected to my biology lab class as the only part of conducting experiments isn’t just observing materials but to also create ideal environments for the experiments we conduct. For example, heating up or cooling down materials are ways we can create a stable habitat. Overall, volunteering at Vern Community Garden provided more insight to maintaining the health and productivity of an ecosystem while staying resourceful.

As I volunteered at the Fall Garlic Planting, I was fascinated by how intricate and every little thing connected to each other in nature. Even as simple as planting garlic involves many biological processes. The one thing that stood out to me was the compost we used to plant the garlic, which was made from worm waste. In order to produce the worm waste, there was an inside area that I toured where the worms could reproduce. Being able to see this process actually helped me understand that what may seem unideal or just trash, can actually contribute to plant growth and become a part of a natural cycle. The process of planting the garlic started with us separating the garlic cloves, but still keeping the skin on the garlic to prevent rot. Then, we made holes in the compost that was about six inches deep and placed the cloves inside of them facing down. Because the roots would have to grow back around before growing in the correct direction, it was important that we placed the cloves in the ground root down, rather than the stem. At the end, we covered the holes with hay. After attending this event, I left with a clearer understanding of how the little things really contribute to a bigger purpose regarding farming. Since we also learn about living things, growth and organisms in my biology lab class, this also connected really well by seeing those concepts in real life while also doing the physical labor that comes with it.

Attending Vote Early Day was an engaging and informative experience for me. Being able to physically participate instead of just learning about voting from a classroom was is something I enjoyed. During the event, I helped people with the voting process by giving out stamps, "I Voted Stickers," and directing them to a QR code for additional information all while passing out refreshments gifted to us by sponsors. Although some people may be uninformed about voting, this event helped create a welcoming and organized environment in order to promote it. Personally, one of my favorite parts was having the opportunity to be interviewed about why voting is important. Because it is important to have a voice within your community, I believe everyone should be asked the same. While voting is crucial, this event also changed my perspective that being involved is just as important even if you did not vote. Just by volunteering at different organizations, helping to spread awareness about topics, and encouraging people to participate can make a difference too. Because we often observe, communicate, and collect accurate information in Biology, this experience connected to what we practice in class. By paying attention, giving accurate directions and communicating information, I was reminded that being able to observe and convey info is clearly important both in a laboratory setting and in real-world situations. Overall, Vote Early Day was a meaningful experience that allowed me to apply what I have learned in the classroom and gain a new perspective on how small actions can make a difference.