Outdoor places to go…………04
Choice story…………………......06
YOU’RE STILL IN SCHOOL?
TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE
So what am I supposed to wear!? In school... Outside...
THE PRESENTATION
The week before... The night before... The day of...
By Yeju Seol
Winter melted away as the blazing hot sun greets us welcoming summer. The tall soft grass swayed back and forth from the occasional warm breeze as insects buzz around the humid air. Students’ minds drift away as teachers let out huge sighs. Those minds drift off to summer plans, what they’d do once free from the cage that traps them. Most people do not have a concrete summer plan; where to go, what to do? Well, they are in luck. The Coralville Reservoir is a great place to visit with friends and family to spend time in nature. The Coralville Lake, made by the Coralville dam, is home to many creatures, from fishes to birds. Activities to do there include; swimming, camping, fishing, hiking, and exploring around.
A view from a small piece of land protruding from the land next to the Riverwalk Trailhead.
On days that could roast one’s skin off, being in the soothing cool waters of the West Overlook Beach will make an enormous difference.
Open to the public, Devonian Fossil Gorge is full of interesting fossils. Coralville used to be covered in water and today fossils of aquatic organisms can be found scattered around the Coralville Reservoir, but mostly concentrated in the Devonian Fossil Gorge.
There are many campsites in the Coralville Reservoir, but some only allow camping cars. These are the campsites worth your time;
1. West Overlook Campground
2. Tailwater West Campground:
4103 Prairie Du Chien Rd NE, Iowa City, IA 52240
3. Tailwater East campground:
4163 Prairie Du Chien Rd NE, Iowa City, IA 52240
There are many fishing spots in the Coralville Reservoir. Here are some of the spots recommended;
1. The small protruding land
2. Large pond next to the Tailwater West campground
3. Near the outlet of the dam
4. On the rocks below the Trailwater East campground
A view of the Trailwater East campground.
MADE
BY YEJU SEOL
Ants are insects with amazing teamwork. There are many species of ants, like the ants you see on the sidewalks, most likely the Black Garden ant, and then ants that use their larva’s silk to build their nests, the Weaver ant. With many species come many different ways of life. This life you will live as a Black Garden worker ant. Such an extraordinary event unfolded before your eyes, one moment you were walking through your local park and the next instance, you were surrounded by tall green blades with the occasional boulders. Taking a deep breath in to calm your nerves, you reexamine your surroundings. Tall blades, you noted, are most likely extremely tall blades of grass. The sky and the clouds above seem to be farther away than ever.
You got used to looking at the vast sky when leaving your new home. Your new home resides underground, dark and cozy. You can see many chambers filled with broods and their caregivers while moving through the tunnels crowded with moving bodies. Today is another day to finish your tasks.
First on your to-do list is to bathe the younger brood. You arrive at the chamber quicker than normal and pick up a small larva...
You picked up the larva with overwhelming frustration and you ended up doing the unthinkable. Filled with grief, you spend the rest of the day contemplating your action.
Next on the list is to help excavate a new tunnel. Recently the population has been exploding in number because an increased amount of food is being brought back. Since more eggs are coming, you and the others decided to excavate another tunnel. Moving hastily, you bump into others who are busy with their own tasks. Turning right, you reach a cluster of black bodies moving in and out of
You push into the crowd to begin digging. You picked up small loose dirt, carried it out of the tunnel, and repeated the process. The rest of the day you helped dig up the tunnel with the rest of your comrades. A job well done you thought.
...go
You decided there were enough of your coworkers working on the tunnel.
You picked up the larva with great care as you washed it with your saliva to make sure no harmful bacteria damages or kills the larva. You also clean yourself for a brief moment before you continue to bathe the rest with considerable care.
Last on the list is to go look for food. You went up to the dirt opening into the open air. You remember enjoying going out on walks in the open fields, but now it is one of the spinechilling things to do. You use your antennas to pick up on any scents. You smell one of danger and another one filled with excitement.
You follow the trail until you arrive at a clearing. The clearing was not one of dirt, but one of cement. It has been a long time since you saw a man-made structure. Curious you went unto the cement and walked around continuously following and not following the scent. You soon arrive at a crushed carcass of an ant. Poor fellow, you thought as you turned around to go back home. As you did the sky had turned dark as your life flashed before your eyes.
You found yourself in a little line of comrades all following the trail. All excited you all arrive at a carcass being torn apart. You help the others tear up the poor cockroach and move the torn-off pieces back home. After a while, you grew immensely tired and decided to call it a day.
Myrmecology is the scientific study of
Carpenter ants have strong mandibles, or jaws, to build nests in wood. They mostly nest in dead wood.
Bullet ants have one of the most painful stings. They live in Central and South America
