Soil magazine Jane Brynn Sabreen

BRYSANE

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

SAPROT EENO UG E MARCH23,2012

The newest trend on beauty products that you won’t see coming!

1, 2, 3, 5, 8…

Do you know what these numbers are? Look inside to find out!

The scoop on the Soil Unit for 7th Graders at Westridge!

Don’t forget to vote Saprophyte for the up coming election!

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THE ARLINGTON GARDEN& BOTANICAL URGENT CARE When we got to Arlington Garden we started of having a science lesson about fungi and bacteria. We went around collecting dirt and other samples to see what different organism lived on each of the specimens. Then we walked through the seventh circuit Labyrinth to relax and find our inner peace.

Then we spent about fifteen minutes writing about how the labyrinth effected our

sense of consciousness .

After that we had an English lesson. We wrote a poem about our surroundings. We used our sense of touch, smell, and sight.

Afterwards, we came back to our campus. Leigh Adams, a landscaper and botanical scientist, taught us how to detect physical problems going on with trees. We were given shovels and we dug “moats” around each tree’s

PROPAGANDA POSTER Our class learned about Victory Gardens and how they were used during wars and what their purposes are today. 40% of food during World War two came from Victory Gardens. Afterwards, we were assigned to create our own propaganda posters to encourage others to start their own Victory Gardens.

Our group’s slogan was “Get Some Dirt On Your Shirt”, and we used Mrs. Lukens, our

math teacher, as a model. In our poster, we were trying to show people that planting a garden was cool and hip, because it is! It took us a couple of days to finish it, but it looks great!

FIBONACCI SEQUENCE In our math class, Mrs. Lukens read “Blockhead”, which is a book about Fibonacci’s life and how he loved numbers, and we took pictures of flowers, bushes, trees, and leaves. Then we observed each of the pictures and looked for spirals. The numbers 1,2,3,5,8,13… have a great significance to the

sequence. For example, if a flower has 5 petals, then it would correspond to the sequence. And if you looked closely, you could probably see many spirals on the pistil of the flower.

trunk. We collected worms and other animals we found in the soil.

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DESCANSO GARDENS During P.E. We took a hike at the Descanso Gardens. We had an assignment to take pictures of the different aspects of the Descanso gardens. We had to take five pictures of the same color that occurs multiple times in nature. Or we could take two pictures of saprophytes in action! The hike was about forty-five minutes, and we got to see many different parts of the gardens, like the rose

garden and the Boddy house.

We also counted how many steps we took during the hike and we marked a map of where we took the photographs.

WORK SHOP On the second to last day of our soil unit, we had four workshops. The first one was making newspaper pots and seed balls. The newspaper pots are a temporary pot that you use to hold the plant.

Then you plant it in the ground and eventually decomposes, thanks to Saprophytes. The seed balls are little balls made out of clay and mulch. You mix together the clay, mulch, and seed of

choice and form a ball. Then you can throw it anywhere you like. Rain will break down the clay and mulch releasing the seeds into the ground. The second workshop was going around the Westridge campus to find and identify trees that need help. We identified 3 trees and wrote down how to help them. The third workshop was looking at the bacteria and fungi (see article below).

BACTERIA & FUNGI After we collected bacteria and fungi samples from Arlington Garden, on Friday, we put them in Petri dishes full of food, labeled them, taped them closed, and let the bacteria and fungi grow until we could see them. Then on Thursday we took them out of their box and looked at them.

Then we created a graph in

our lab journals. And created a hypothesis. Then we counted how many different types of fungi and bacteria were growing in each Petri dish. We also saw which Petri dish had the most fungi and bacteria and where it came from.

The last workshop was looking at the rain gardens made a few years ago. We learned about a lot of plants in the rain garden. After everything, our friend Madison Booth put her hands, that were covered in the clay mixture for the seed balls, all over our faces.

It was a great facial mask that made our skin very smooth! You should try it!

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BRYNN’S REFLECTION ON THE WEEK Throughout this week, I have learned a lot about conserving the planet and applying more good solutions to our environment. I enjoyed most our station activities on Thursday, and my favorite was using clay and compost to make seed balls. I also enjoyed digging around the trunk of the injured Ginka outside of Mudd. It was quite exciting to use Mrs. Lukens as a model for my group’s propaganda poster, and it looks great. Another thing that I enjoyed working on was the Organism of the Year Project with my group mates. I cannot wait for putting it all together into a digital magazine.

One of the only things I wasn’t very intrigued with was going around and observing trees to look for damage. I understand that it was meant to be an educational part of our Soil Unit, and it seemed that almost everything else was amusing anyway (so I just dealt with it). Along with that, I didn’t really like the Rain Garden Activity because we didn’t get to plant or prune anything like the first group at that station did. Fortunately, I liked going to Arlington Gardens and Descanso Gardens.

I thought the hikes were beautiful, and the activities at Arlington kept my excitement high. My favorite activity was collecting specimens of bacteria so we could see how they reproduced and colonized in a week. Walking through that labyrinth was interesting. After drowsily scooching myself into the maze, my brain shut down. I tested it out by closing my eyes, and I seemed to turn at the right time even though I had no recollection of where I was going.

If I were to rate this week-long experience from 1-10, I would give it a 9 ½ . I believe this all wasn’t just learning about or being conscience of our planet, but it was a bonding involvement too. We all got to see how people work together to create solutions, what they do to educate others, and why each person is dedicated to each other and their way of life.

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SABREEN’S REFLECTION OF THE WEEK The Soil Unit was an experience that I will never forget. It was a great experience that has taught me so much. The first day it was so cool that we got to collect samples of bacteria in the dirt, and on other things during our science lesson. It was fun also to be able to just sit and look at our surroundings.

I was not happy to have to write a poem about it, especially how I brought it in and it had to be typed, but it turned out to be really fun. It was fun because I got to go on about the world and what it meant. I personally didn’t like the Labyrinth, partly because I had an anxiety attack. I am not quit sure why I had an anxiety attack, but I think it was from walking back and forth staring at the ground. It was also fascinating how we saw the baby trees and found out that they were going to die! It made me want to go hug a tree.

The second day was also fun but it was kind of boring at first. I did enjoy learning what a victory garden was. I like coming up with a slogan, but I found it challenging. It was also cool to learn about how the civic center was turned into a huge community garden. It was also fun to be assigned saprophytes as our Organism of the Year topic, because we were the saprophyte group.

The third day was also fun because we had the whole time to work on our projects. It was very helpful because we could finish everything. I had the most fun with the cover page for our magazine, Saproteenoug.It was the most fun because I got to computerize it and make it vibrant. I also had fun with the propaganda poster, because Ms. Lukens was our model!

The third day was the best, because we got to take a hike in the morning, we got to have the service learning picnic, and the soil unit projects. It was a lot to do in one day but it was so fun. I would have like to have more time to be at Disconso gardens, but it was alright. I loved how we got to make seed balls and newspaper pots because we could actually use that stuff. I also thought it was awesome that we got to go around campus identifying trees and what was wrong with them. It was sad that a lot of the trees were going to die, but we did get to help them. In the science room it was super cool to look at all of the bacteria and fungi that was ate the garden. It was funny how many different types of bacteria there are in the world. I also enjoyed being able to plant the rain garden, we were the last group so there wasn’t much to do but we still got to learn about plants. Over all it was an amazing thing to experience and get to take part in.

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JANE’S REFLECTION OF THE WEEK On the first day, I had a lot of fun. Arlington Gardens was a lot of fun. I liked going around finding different samples for science and taking notes for my poem for English. The labyrinth was really cool, too. It was funny how Sabreen was complaining about getting lost. She kept complaining about it for days. Then it was also fun digging up the dirt around the trees on campus. Emma Kuhlman and I found a lot of worms. Then after school, my dad told me that my great great grandfather owned the land that Arlington Gardens is on. It was cool to find out that my family once owned the place I see everyday. On the second day, Monday, I learned a lot of new things. I learned about Victory Gardens and about the animals in the soil. I was really grossed out about the story of Saint Phocus. It was disgusting. On Tuesday, it was fun to work with my group on our Organism of the Year speech and our propaganda poster. I was amazed at how great of an artist Brynn was. Then we had Mrs. Lukens model for our poster. That was so fun. In the end, my group’s poster looked really cool. On Wednesday, it was really cool to learn about the Fibonacci sequence. It amazed me how almost everything in nature has to do with Fibonacci numbers. Then on Thursday, I found all the activities really fun. Descanso Gardens was really pretty. I had so much fun. I loved seeing all the nature. I liked making the seed balls a lot. I also liked looking at all the bacteria and fungi growing in my group’s petri dishes, even though it was gross. I liked all the activities a lot. Overall, the soil unit has been very interesting. I learned a lot and had fun while doing it!

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Brynn’s Poem

Techno Classica The sun is asleep A cotton of blue Makes the warmth stay Within his keep.

While I look at Bright flowers, yellow songbirds, And pearls sailing into Silky milk, Images blur into a pallet.

Jade, Lavender, Indigo, Auburn, Rose, Black.

As the lids Of my eyes Droop to stupor, Gotye, M83, and Lana Del Rey Chatter As Maria Callas Otello Sang Ave Maria.

Why is life so cruel?

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Sabreen’s Poem Labyrinth Why does the sun hide behind clouds?

noun

Why does the wind strip the trees of their leaves?

7. the time gone by: He could remember events far back in the past.

Why does the traffic hide the sweet sound of the birds-chit chattering in the trees and bushes?

Why does the gas hide the sweet smell of the sticky dew from the cactus?

Why does the thorn hide the rose?

Now I Know.

You think I might as well tell you, But that would be cheating.

So stop wasting your time reading my poem and find out for yourself.

8. the history of a person, nation, etc.: our country's glorious past.

9. what has existed or has happened at some earlier time: Try to forget the past, now that your troubles are over.

10. the events, phenomena, conditions, etc., that characterized an earlier historical period: That hat is something out of the past.

But would you really want forever?

11. an earlier period of a person's life, career, etc., that is thought to be of a shameful or embarrassing nature: When he left prison, he put his past behind him.

You would be wasting your time thinking on these few topics, and I would take you forever.

But it’s already happened.

I don’t have forever to make sure your thinking of these things so why are you still reading this?

So how have you been spending it?

I bet you ten bucks that you can think of a billion better ways to spend this Forever.

Couldn’t you spend forever thinking of the past?

But that would take forever, So don’t or I would have to sit here forever listening to you talk.

Why does the word Forever show up in so many poems?

And I have many better things to do with forever.

I can tell you why.

Forever…

But That would be cheating.

adverb

So I still don’t understand why you are still reading this “Poem”.

Because we don’t have forever.

1. without ever ending; eternally: to last forever.

2. continually; incessantly; always: He's forever complaining. noun

This brings us back to forever.

But who understands anything?

I don’t and I am sure you don’t.

But we do understand that we have to enjoy life.

3. an endless or seemingly endless period of time: It took them forever to make up their minds.

Not computers or whatever else they make.

What does forever even mean?

But we have to enjoy,

You could spend Forever trying to finding out what this means...

enjoy the sun when it’s there,

But because we don’t know who made up this forever we can’t really spend forever doing anything.

enjoy the trees with the leaves,

Because wasn’t everything made up?

enjoy the cactus,

The birds, plants, animals, bacteria, amoebas, you?

enjoy the rose for what it is.

We have spent forever trying to discover what made up everything.

enjoy not being able to live forever.

But have we?

Because wouldn’t that get boring?

We have only spent the past, which apparently doesn’t exist.

When everything’s gone.

Past: Everything but you and the words you know.

So I would learn all of them if I were you.

But I would spent Forever.

enjoy it when you can hear the birds,

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Jane’s Poem It Is Everywhere The grey sky and trees stand above me in the coolness of the day Many more trees and birds singing happily on them within the soft fuzzy leaves The scent of wood lingers in my nose; in the rough grooves of the wood, I get splinters All around me are trees, shrubs, flowers, and rocks I see purple and white flowers cascading out of nowhere When I get up and move around, I see more plants…then…houses Houses, gardeners, leaf blowers, telephone poles tied together by electrical wires I see people talking, walking, running, their feet pounding on the gravel I smell the gasoline from cars flying by and feel the sleek, smooth surface of my iPhone In all this natural beauty, there is still civilization, the modern world; it is everywhere I cannot escape from it

SAPROTEENOUGE

Tree Pictures

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Brynn’s Tree Pose

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Organism of the Year Speech: Saprophytes

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We are Saprophytes, also known as decomposing fungi, and we are extremely important to your ecosystem. We think that we should be the “Organism of the Year”. Soil is our home, and without soil people wouldn't be able to do a lot of things. People rely on soil more than they think. They need soil for farming, foundations for buildings, and many more things.

Who had something to eat today that was grown, not processed? That got its nutrients from us!

Even right here where we are standing is soil. You need good soil to have a stable building.

Soil needs to be taken care of because it is such a necessity for survival.

When plants die, they need to be decomposed and turned into dirt. That’s where we come in. We secrete enzymes that break down dead organic matter. We decompose the dead organic matter into a simple substance that is taken up by living plants. Decaying organic matter holds essential nutrients such as iron, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. All of these things are necessary for forest growth. We constantly are working to get these nutrients into the soil for plants to use, and we work very efficiently if I do say so myself. Not only do we decompose plants, we are also edible! You can eat us! Let’s go multitasking!

Now for the sad stuff. Our planet is suffering from topsoil degradation. Topsoil Degradation is when soil resting on top of the Earth’s crust is blown or washed away from erosion. Another possibility for soil loss is not receiving the necessary nutrients from organic matter. We make sure that the soil gets all the nutrients it needs. We help keep the soil you use healthy!

Ya know, we’re pretty nice to you humans considering what you're doing to the soil we live in. If we didn’t decompose the debris on the forest floor, the debris would accumulate on the forest floor and the forest would turn into a pile of dead plant debris. And that is yucky.

So as you can see, we are very important in the soil ecosystem. We make sure that plants get the nutrients they need to grow and prosper. Then you eat the plants that we feed.

Soil is very important to the sustenance of life. And in the words of William Bryant Logan, “wherever there are decay and repose, there begins to be soil”. So when dead organic matter begins to decay, we decompose it and release the nutrients into the soil. We take good care of the soil you need because we’re just that nice. I have a secret to share with you. It is confidential, but I can trust you, right? Anyway, the secret is: technically, you are eating dead organic matter that we have digested!!! Haha. So thanks for listening and make sure you choose right, and vote Saprophyte!