Scheduling

Today Ellie and I met 7th period to talk about project logistics and dates. Below is a tentative schedule for the next few weeks for our hands on survival.

5/1- Survival Practice (survival skill focus: fishing)

5/6- Survival Practice (survival skill focus: plant recognition) 

5/7- Survival Practice (survival skill focus: plant recognition)

5/12- Shop and Pack for trip

5/13- Depart for/arrive in the Adirondacks 

5/14-5/17- Second survival trip

Documentary Trailer Work

Last week, Ellie began editing and combining clips from our first stay into a trailer for our documentary. This morning after crew practice I went with Ellie to Mr. Cass's room to help edit. This was actually my first time editing, and it was so much fun. I loved seeing the different components of videos all broken up into sections that could be moved around and changed. It also made me realize how much work is put into all film in order to create something that flows well and in the most interesting way possible. I think the project as a whole will be more fulfilling to me if I pay more attention to the raw footage that is condensed into the documentary.

In class 4/27 "Happiness Revisited"

1) When do you feel most happy?

I feel most happy when I am well rested, doing what I enjoy and surrounded by people I care about. I find this frequently happening on weekends, when I am given free time and a chance to sleep in, at crew or hockey, or when I am simlply just talking with a group of teammates or friends.

2) React/Respond to article.

One concept that I found interesting was that we don't understand what happiness is anymore today than we did hundreds of years ago. That despite many modern conveniences, just as many people will end their lives feeling unaccomplished. I also enjoyed his thoughts that "the best moments usually occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile." Although I believe that these moments are often the best, I don't think these are the end all, happiest moments of our lives. I also think that we have the ability to be happy without using effort.

Flash of the Past: A Trip to Terra Island

Yesterday afternoon Ellie and I thought it would fun to go back into Ellie's woods and look at our old "civilization." We walked back what used to seem like such a long distance to the clearing in the woods known as "Terra Island" derived from Terabithia. Here we were surprised to see many of our structures still standing and we were filled with sentiments of the past. We walked down the old "Mall", (which was what we called the main passage through the civilization) and looked closely at our different forts. Thorns and weeds have overgrown the insides of them a considerable amount, and several boards/sticks have fallen down. It barely looked like a group of buildings, but as a child, it was nothing short of a town.

It was interesting to see what types of structures our ten-year-old selves thought of, compared to what we built on our survival stay. Most of them were nothing but a few sticks, marking off small plots of land. There were very few roofs, and the siding was quite lackluster. The shelters would provide no protection from precipitation and wouldn't conserve warmth at all. The reason for the lacking qualities of these structures compared to our shelter is that we made these with no drive for survival. We knew that if needed the house was a 5 minute walk away so there was no reason to build something so extensive that we could live in it.

"The Art of Manliness"

Today while researching a bit about fire building, I stumbled upon a very informative and interesting webpage, "The Art of Manliness." Here I found several articles that are applicable to my macro research interests. Things that I knew we probably wouldn't have time to try, but that I still enjoyed reading about them with the possibility of pursuing them in the future. One of the articles I read, '9 Ways to Start a Fire Without Matches,' included several obscure methods that I would've never thought of. My favorite was; filling a condom with water and using it to reflect the light of the sun.

Despite all of the cool things I learned, I thought the website was a bummer because of it's name. "The Art of Manliness" is pretty self explanatory for who it was meant to attract and because of the masculinity of it, it seems to exclude the entire female race. It makes me feel as if I didn't quite belong on the website, and that I was somehow being manly by reading it. I personally don't see myself as a manly girl at all, but rather, as a girl who enjoys adventure and ruggedness which is, unfortunately, stereotyped as a man's role. And just because I also like to wear dresses, doesn't mean that I can't fit into this category as well.

In Class 4/20

This podcast is about Brian Grazer who "produced more than 30 movies and 20 television series, and could retire to the golf course tomorrow if he wanted." Instead of doing this, he makes everything in his life difficult because he wants to challenge himself. To do this, he surfs in extremely difficult conditions and meets with several people to talk and expand his horizons.

For my project, I have gone outside my comfort zone in several ways. One thing that was out of my comfort zone was the interview process. Having to call the office and talking to somone who is highly skilled in the field of survival was very intimidating for me. I also consider my project in general to be outside my comfort zone because the survival trips involve no modern commodities including technology.

My favorite quote from the podcast:

"If you're not growing, you're dying"

-Brian Grazer 

"Stones: Their Collection, Identification and Uses" by R.V. Dietrich

I In order to further my micro and macro research for my project, today I began reading the book "Stones: Their Collection, Identification and Uses" by R.V. Dietrich.

Using a combination of skimming and reading, I conquered a large part of the section 'Places Where Stones May Be Found' 

• Rock to stone transition: Weathering- physical and chemical processes that take place as a result of exposure to the elements. Disintegration- loosening and breaking up or large fragments into o smaller ones without changing the chemical composition. Decomposition- involves chemical activities. 
• The size and shape of a stone is due to transport. The cycle of a rock breaking down is as follows;
1. Breaks off the parent bedrock
2. Makes it's way to the stream via gravity or other external forces
3. Transport along stream or by glacier
4. Deposition in a location that is far from start.Over 
• Abrasion, attrition and solution.
• Abrasion- mechanical wearing down produced as the result of friction or impact.
• Attrition-reduction of the tools of abrasion caused by impact breakage
• Solution- chemical dissolving of a substance by a fluid

In Class 4/13

Reflect on your project practicing - what are you doing well? What could you do to improve your practicing? 

While in the woods, all we did was practice. Every day we would go through the same required tasks; collecting our wood, starting our fire, cooking our beans, collecting and purifying our water, cleaning our dishes and preparing our shelter for the night. At first, all of these things were new and difficult, however, we did every task so often that by the end we were able to do them all with ease.

Reflection on the article "Need Motivation..." AND your motivation-- what keeps you going? Record a passage from that has a suggestion that you would consider. 

The thing that keeps me most motivated is my fear of failing. Although I do slack off sometimes, I always come through in the end because I'd rather put in the effort and succeed than waste my time and fail. A passage that stood out to me in the article by Phyllis Korkki was "First, divide the work into smaller tasks and set deadlines for every one of them. Then find a tough and reliable person to hold you accountable for meeting each one." I think this would work extremely well for me because it would give me incentive to get my work done, that isn't just to succeed in the end. I would also try hard to get my work done to save myself from the wrath of this person. I think one of my largest problems right now is that I am not afraid of my mentor, so what he says seems more like suggestions than demands.

Ithaca Survival Trip: Day 4

It's finally over!!

Today was the only day we got up at the crack of dawn. This was because we were so ready to get out of the woods and back into normal civilization, that we were willing to spare a few hours of sleep. With haste, we packed up our belongings, double checked the grounds of the site for any trash or forgotten items, took a few pictures of camp and then hiked the long way back through the woods.

It was hot, even at 8:00 in the morning, and we had to stop halfway in to delayer. The hike felt never ending because we were so drained of energy. The only thing that kept us going was the thought of a toilet, a shower and chocolate cake. When we finally made it back it was a little before 9:00 and nobody at Ellie's house was awake yet. We let ourselves in the back door and A-lined it for the kitchen, where we enjoyed a tall glass of ice water and some chocolate cake. Yum!

The END! (of this stay)

Ithaca Survival Trip: Day 3

It only rained a tiny bit over the night, nothing heavy enough to cause any more leaks, and we were warm and dry until this morning. We slept a hearty 10 hours, and only got up when we did because it was surprisingly cold, I definitely could've enjoyed a few more hours of sleep. It's funny that I can still manage to be so lazy while lying on the cold ground, testing my ability to survive.

We ate some nuts for breakfast which, when hungry, taste nearly as good as a piece of a gourmet chocolate mousse, yum, so good. For much of the day, we found ourselves aimlessly sitting and doing nothing but talk to each other. And as great as this is, the woods don't exactly give us much to talk about so it get's pretty boring after a while. Doing nothing also forces us to focus on our hunger and dehydration, which is not ideal. We even created a game called "What food would you eat right now?" during which we take turns describing in detail the food we want at the moment. It's quite fun, actually.

For dinner, we made our usual; kidney beans, corn and potatoes cooked over the coals of the fire. As hungry as I was, I couldn't eat much of it. I think it's because of the repetitiveness of the food and my dehydration, but it really made me feel like vomiting. Ellie finished off the pot herself, then we decided to go for an adventure across the ravine. This wasn't very eventful, but it was quite pleasant, and certainly broke the monotony of the day. It is getting dark now, and I have very little left to say, so long for now! 

  

Ithaca Survival Trip: Day 2

April 10, 2015
4:30 PM

It rained almost the entire night, however, our shelter kept us relatively dry with the exception of a few drips and some damp, cold feet. When we woke up, quite cold and damp, we tried to get a fire going, but EVERYTHING was soaking wet, making it difficult to get a flame. After an hour or two, we finally managed to get a blaze and by about 11:00 we had purified some water and cooked a large pot of oatmeal for breakfast.

It's weird to feel as dehydrated and hungry as we did, yet know that you won't be able to get food until you exert yourself to make it happen. Then, the food that you manage to produce (in our case, the plain oatmeal with some raisins and almonds), tastes better than anything you've eaten before. For me this was enlightening because it shows that in situations of pressing need, we value smaller things much more. As a modern, middle class, American citizen, I have been spoiled by the availability of necessities. Right now, we are living without many of these comforts we take for granted, and because of this it's easier for me to understand how privileged I am.

It is also the largest form of motivation. Take away something that literally keeps your body going, and all you will think about is replenishing that thing. At some points, however, your ability to do these things is overtaken by a feeling of hopeless drowsiness. 

Ithaca Survival Trip: Day 1

8:30 P.M.

I'll begin by saying that I'm in the middle of the woods. Ellie and I arrived this morning at about 11:00, and we will be here for the next 3 days. Currently it is raining heavily and approximately 35 degrees, conditions that aren't ideal for surviving, but definitely make it interesting. In order to prepare for the predicted bad weather, we spent all day building a durable shelter. We've been inside for about half an hour, and so far it has kept us dry and toasty. To build it, we placed a ~17 foot long log in the Y of a tree and laid sticks off of both sides of the log. Then we wove skinny, bendy sticks horizontally into the others. Next we insulated the shelter, covering it in about 1 1/2 feet of debris (damp leaves, mosses, etc.) and topped it off with lots of bark.

Although I've only been out here for 9 1/2 hours, I have already noticed a significant different in my and Ellie's behavior. I feel refreshed, clear and focused. Everything I do is for the purpose of our survival and things I wouldn't notice in everyday life, like gathering water and exerting myself to cook food, are the center of my attention. Things I would normally focus on, like my appearance, school or being places on time are entirely forgotten. 

I'm cold and tired, so I'm going to retreat into the warmth of my sleeping bag. Goodnight!

Survival Trip #1

This is it! In just a few minutes Ellie and I are going to be heading out into her woods for our first survival trip. Last night we both went shopping, Ellie bought extra memory cards and batteries for our cameras and I bought the food (2 potatos, 3 cans of beans, a small bag of rice, 2 carrots, 2 onions, almonds, cashews and raisins). We are now ready to go, dressed in our rain jackets and muck boots, and our bags loaded on our backs.

For the past couple of days, it has rained a considerate amount, so everything outside is soaking wet. For the next two days, we are expecting even more rain, but hopefully it will clear up by Saturday. Now it's time to go! So long until Sunday!

List of Med Kit Items

As previously recommended by Sr. Morales, I have made a list of items for a simple first aid kit. It includes bandages and other items that will alleviate minor injuries that may otherwise cause discomfort. I'm hoping to be able to find these items at my house so that we will not need to buy them. 

Sprains  

• assorted elastic bandage
• athletic tape

Cuts/ wounds/ blisters

• sterile bandage
• band-aids
• tape
• gauze
• blister band aids

Additional Items

• Painkillers
• Antiseptic
• Tweezers

Gleaning from the Past

Over the break I read and evaluated Tessa Parrish's WISE project. Although I did not see the final presentation, I got a good understanding of what a completed WISE project should look like from her journal entries, research commentary and information.

1. 2-3 things this student did well. One thing I thought she did well was the thoroughness of her journal entries. They provide a lot of information to readers and are quite informative. I also thought her final dressage show was a great idea because it showed the progress she made over the course of the project.
2. 2-3 things this student struggled with. One thing I thought could've been done better was more sources of information. Another thing she struggled with was having a large variety of posts. Many were similar, which made it a bit boring to read after a while.
3. 1-2 things you'd like to borrow from this student. I would like to borrow her informative journaling style. 
4. Qs that linger after reading this former WISE student's material. One question I have is whether or not Tessa plans to further develop her dressage skills?

Overall, I thought that Tessa's project was extremely well done, and after reading her blog entries, I realize I should be more thorough in my blogging. 

Easter

Today I woke up to a snow covered ground. For the middle of February or even March, I would shrug this off, but by Easter?! Come on Mother Nature, cut is some slack here! As annoying as it is to celebrate a white Easter, I am more worried about the fact that our trip is in 4 days. It is going to be challenging enough to survive in moderate conditions, however, snow and cold temps will make this so much more difficult. I am also annoyed by this everlasting snow because it continues to impede with our outdoor practice.

Here's to hoping for a bit of luck with the weather for our trip!

Supplies!

Tonight I ordered and collected various supplies needed for the trip. Below are brief descriptions of the items we have.

• One thing I ordered off amazon is a 2 quart kettle pot, which is pretty much just a normal cooking pot with a handle that crosses over the top like a bucket. This will be useful so that we can hang it from a tripod over our fire to boil water and cook. 

• The next thing I ordered is a portable cell phone charging box, to ensure that we always have cell phone capability. I also ordered a dry bag for our cell phones to protect them from water.

• For Easter, Ellie got some twine, and in addition to this, I found a lot jute twine in my shed. The jute twine is particularly good to use because it decomposes, so we won't be littering if it is left behind.

• I also have my extreme weather sleeping bag that is good for as low as 0 degrees or something. Ellie also has a sleeping bag, however, hers is made for temperatures as low as 30 degrees.

• We will be bringing a saw, hatchet, machete, shovel and knife. Ellie has the saw, hatchet, machete and I am trying to convince my brother to let us use his knife.

• I have a couple of dry sacks in which I will pack my things. We will also need to use these for camera gear. 

• We each have a pair of work gloves that we will use to prevent cuts on our hands. 

• We will be bringing in 1-2 tarps. Although this is not ideal in the hardcore survival aspect, looking at the forecast, we predict at least 2 days of rain so it will be nice to have these just in case.

Excluding our clothing and food, this is a pretty decent overview of our supplies. I'm sure we will add some additional things, however, nothing that significant. 

Shelter Building!

After reading a few articles on different types of shelter possibilities, I decided that the debris shelter, or any modification of it will be the most advantageous to our needs. This shelter is designed for warmth, and is easy to make.

• Wedge a large, sturdy stick in the Y of a tree, or anything equivalent, in order to create the base of the shelter.
• Lean slightly smaller, but still sturdy sticks against the side of the base stick. This will create a "wedge-shaped ribbing effect" which will be the base framework for the shelter.
• Now weave finer, bendy sticks crosswise in the base of the shelter in order to form a lattice for the insulation that will be put on top.
• Now that the skeleton of the shelter is complete, it is time to add the insulation. This should consist of light, dry, if possible, soft debris. Continue adding these debris until the the insulating material is at least 1 meter thick--the thicker the better.
• Place an insulating layer on the ground of the shelter, and around all the bottom cracks.
• When making the shelter, try to leave as small an opening as possible for the entrance. Also, craft a door the best you can using the materials at your disposal. This is not necessary, but will be desired if the weather is bad.
• Finally, add any shingling material or tree boughs on top of the debris to keep them in place.