ORGANISM OF THE YEAR—SPECIAL EDITION
Mites Monthly Find out why the mighty mite should win the award!
Featuring • Poems by our team members • Pictures and artwork like the mite above! (by Eryn Boken ‘18) • An Organism of the Year cover story about the might mite!
April/May 2013
Our own co-editor, Sofia! We were honored to have her join us!
Our classmates transporting silt and compost into a 12 by 4 planter, for the community
Yet another great picture of our co-editor, Sofia S.
Our classmate writing a poem in Arlington Gardens.
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The Mighty Mite! Organism of the Year ———————
By Sofia Santoro, Siena Giljum, Talia Haddad, and Eryn Boken
Mites are similar to ticks, they can bite you and cause itching or irritation to your skin. There are different species of mites, such as clover, house dust, itch, rodent, bird, chiggers, and scabies mites. Some of those mites can transmit disease. A mite is on average 0.4 mm long. BUT... these are the mites that most people know of. Our super mite is called a soil mite! This little critter likes dead organic matter-- not your blood! Mites aren’t really true insects, but are closely related to spiders. Under a microscope their features are clearly visible. Mites spin webs from glands from their bodies, just like spiders. Their webs are more visible than themselves. They usually eat fungi, algae, and dead plant matter; they do this by sucking through their piercing mouth parts. There are different stages in the growth of a mite. The life cycle lasts about two weeks, they are a problem outdoors during their major growth stages. They stay indoors on house plants all year long. Adult mites come out in winter and stay on trees or under the soil, but the baby mites don’t. We believe that the mite should be awarded the Organism of the Year Award (OOTYA) because decomposure to humus would be a lot slower without the amazing mite. These little buddies are extremely important. They eat their favorite foods, poop it out, and add vital nutrients so plants, therefore animals, can survive! Without soil mites to recycle organic material, we couldn’t survive! So that rich beautiful soil that grows so many wonderful things? Mite poo! So now, its up to you. Vote the Mighty Mite for Organism of the Year.
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Barbaric Yawp A new spring day has come into bloom I go outside in my bare feet To feel the wonder of the grass through my toes, As the trees give me shade. I take a look through my garden And I see the different bushes of roses And other colorful flowers. They grow bigger and more beautiful each day. I walk close to the tree to the right. I’m a tree hugger. I feel the rough texture It gets dirt on my hands. It doesn’t take much For me To see all the nature around And its meaning of life to all of us. -Eryn B.
Barbaric Yawp Earth is spirit within my wings rising to reach me It listens and explains my thoughts forward and back Earth is nutrients listening to your heart as it grows Wildlife lives beneath our trees and preaches
Oh I see a hawk flying through the cold air It screams in anger and yells oh why what a lonely woman I say I am not a lonely woman I am a listener to nature Nature is a god it’s a blessing to the world
It’s loved! -Talia H.
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Barbaric Yawp Yuck, soil. Why is soil the home for so many disgusting bugs and organisms? Why is the soil so scary? Why can’t I enjoy myself when I am around the bugs in the soil? I am scared, disgusted and uncomfortable around soil. They contain some of my worst fears BUGS The bugs bodies are oddly formed Their faces smashed together by its maker, with no care Why are they scary to me? I ask myself this everyday. -Sofia S.
The Un-inert Dirt Tell me, how does the soil takes anything? How does it open up its forgiving brown arms and say, “I forgive you of your sins, come to me and sink back to where you came from!”? The soil will overpower your bodily chemicals, It will give you new life, it will forgive. I bounce into the lush dirt, I let it sink under my toenails, I hop, skip, and jump! I let out a savage howl, I jump to the sun, I scream. I holler, “Love the planet, love the earth, it loves you!” I do not care if I am not loved, or cared for, or if anyone smiles because of me. I do not care if no one accepts me. I do not care because the soil, the dirt, the muck... It loves me, it cares for me, it accepts me! The soil will take me as I am! The soil shall praise my name! The soil will be my only true friend, because it made me, and it will make me again! Rejoice, the world knows good! -Siena G.
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I Need Above me I see a blurry blue bunch of striking, glowing minerals I see ragged jeans, bright blouses and tan skin tones pass me As I peacefully sit in the serene garden The sound of running engines disrupts my thoughts The scent of dirt and red blossoming flowers tickle my nose Some of what I sense is musky dry air full of offence
The Garden In front of me I see the bright orange poppies, the sun hitting them from every angle
I think sharp my heart feels vibrant and full of light
Above me the blue sky looks down upon my every move
My grasp is dull and shaken of in rage
I hear the sound of girls mumbling across the massive garden
It feels in disgust of the wet brown rocky dirt upon my webs I need to breathe; I need beauty in time being Feelings venture in my heart Feelings of green oak leaves spreading on my limbs -Talia H.
Behind me lies a bee and wasp infested bushIt is dangerous To my right stands a tall sprinkler, with many spouts coming out of the dirt, rising like a deformed tower The sprinkler is orange and remains camouflaged with the bright orange poppies, Still looking unnatural in the garden’s community. I feel the same as the bright orange sprinkler. I wonder how I’ve spent my time. -Sofia S.
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Lazy Men and Idle Dreaming Society whispers through air, “rush, rush, rush.” But the jasmine bush says, “stay with me, please. everyone is always rushing.” I want to scream, but no words form. I don’t give an apology to the jasmine bush as I am whisked away in a colorless blur.
Above me is a tall tree covering the sky Providing me with shade. I look around and see a rainbow of color in the flowers And a beautiful arrangement of trees, Creating a forest. I can hear the low buzz of bees As they gather pollen from the new spring flowers.
In my next life, I find myself sitting next The smell of mulch and pollen fills the air as I take a to the jasmine bush. breath. It does not lift its roots and vibrate words into the air. I sit on a bench as I enjoy the coolness of the shade It must have held a grudge. The smell of its tiny white flowers oozes of sweetness and despair. I focus on a flower. Pure white, like snow. Unbearable. My hand lifts and nervously shakes toward it. They touch. White silk encases me. A glass tomb, stuffed with silk, no way out. I break my focus. Above me, a hawk circles in the cloudless sky, searching with determination. A cry of muffled laughter draws my attention another way. The breeze lifts my skirt. I push my clammy palms down onto it.
And as I close my eyes I feel as though I am in the wild, Having all the flowers and trees around me And the sound of animals. Next to me is a tall tree Protecting me on this hot day. I try to be relaxed, but I realize there is a beehive next to me. The buzzing becomes louder, As the bees go out to collect more pollen. I also see butterflies flying to find flowers as well. Why can I only see these things when assigned to?
This is what the jasmine bush wanted. Is it impossible to nature with distractions around us? For me to sink into the mulch, one with -Eryn B. earth. Should I let myself go, to the stars? Should I let myself go to what sets lazy men to idle dreaming? -Siena G.
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Eryn’s Tree Drawing
This is a drawing of a cherry blossom tree. It comes from a section of Westridge School. and it resembles the beauty of nature around us. I chose it because I love this type of tree
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Letter from the Editors Starting school after spring break with the soil unit was very exciting. Before I started the soil unit or even during first day, I thought soil was just plain old smelly brown dirt, but I was wrong. Soil is a process and a way of living. We started out the unit with learning the basics. Then later on in the unit, we went into great detail. Soil is a thin layer of material in which plants sink their roots. It is made up of things, such as weathered rock and decayed plant and animal matter. Soil forms over time; it can take hundreds of years for soil to fully form. It takes many different aspects for soil to form; it needs air, water, rocks, animal life, plant life, and many chemicals. The specific process of soil starts with weathering which is the process of breaking down rocks into small pieces. Soil is a huge thing in life, it has meaning. Soil’s main value is to help plants grow, which is a big connection to food production, because without fruits and veggies, we would not have a wide range of food supply. But soil can be used for other reasons as well such as housing. Soil is compacted under buildings for foundation. In this unit it was not only about soil, it was about working together as a group and to find ways to make a difference. One of my challenges during this week was working with my group and keeping everyone on task. Once everyone concentrates, we do really well and work great together. Another challenge I had was keeping up with the environment. What I mean is that our generation is all caught up with technology, and I think this unit was a good refresher to remind us that the outdoors can create a difference in our lives. My favorite part of this unit was going to the local Pasadena garden. My favorite part about it was the labyrinth because it taught that nature can really control your emotions in any way you guide them. -Talia H.
During my soil unit experience, I learned many different things, I had different challenges, and had many surprises. Our first field trip of the soil unit was to the Arlington Gardens, we learned about the three different types of soil- Sand/ Silt/Clay. I also tried my best not to freak out when there were so many bugs surrounding me. Even though I was scared I am so proud of helping build a community garden. Our next big lesson was working on our propaganda poster and having a mini lesson on things that depend on soil. There are so many things that depend on soil. I also learned that there are more than a billion organisms in 1 teaspoon of soil. It was a little difficult to keep my team on track while working on our propaganda poster. Our last mini field trip was around campus. We had rotations to different stations such as, the herb garden, making seed balls and planting our own strawberry plants, making a rain garden, going on a tree walk, and learning all about worms. That experience was my favorite so far, and I think I learned a lot especially about worms! Over all the soil unit was such a fun time learning and having fun with my friends. -Sofia S.
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Busines Name
Letter from the Editors As you explore our magazine, we hope you get a sense of what the Soil Unit was, and how the class of 2018 was totally enlightened by it. Our class got to do so many cool things, even carry on a Westridge legacy. This interdisciplinary unit taught us so many things, such as how soil really isn’t just “dirt.” We were able to discover some amazing places in our own community that show how, with some love and good soil, pure nature can break out in a completely urban landscape. On one day, we learned about victory gardens, what they are, and why they are vital in hard times. We went back in time to hear about how victory gardens thrived in the 1940’s because of all the food going to the war efforts. We also read poems, short stories and essays about soil and the human connection to it. Our class wrote two poems based off of some we read. (The poems can be found in this issue!) We hiked in Descanso Gardens for PE, but saw beautiful wildlife along the way. There were amazing views, and we had an amazing time. As we hiked (or slid) back down, I thought about how lucky our class was to experience something like this, and how so many others aren’t able to learn about how to make our soil better. The class went into a garden and had a photography and sketching assignment. We also ate apples and saved the cores, which we composted later. Which leads me to my next topic! After our great trip to Descanso, we had a much-needed lunch and came back to Mudd, where we started our rotations around campus. I first went to the Rain Gardens, were the class of 2018 helped to carry out a legacy. The fourth Westridge Rain Garden was planted on April 9, 2013. We tilled soil and learned about some native California plants that will thrive. My second rotation was our vermicompost bins, where we helped to start our own compost bins and used those apple cores! We were fascinated when we learned why worms are so vital to our world. The third stop was all about trees. We learned about identifying the trees on campus, how to know if they’re healthy, and how to keep them healthy. My fourth station was lead by Ted, an expert at the Los Angeles Arboretum. We planted our own strawberry plants, poppies, and made seed bombs! Izzie even got some :) ! My fifth and final stop was the new Westridge Herb Garden, where we planted every herb from cilantro to thyme to tomatillo! It felt amazing to know that the food we were planting was actually going to be used! When our herbs bloom, the Commons will use them in the food that Westridge will eat! That day was definitely my favorite, because it was hands-on, and what we did was for the benefit of so many people around me. Overall, the Soil Unit was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I think this was because the activities were so hands-on and enlightening. Like, who knew that bat guano has high nitrogen content, which is great for a garden? I also think I enjoyed this so much because I could see what was happening right before my eyes. I could see that the Rain and Herb Gardens would bring smiles to faces, and that I would be able to plant my own strawberries. In the Water Unit, I couldn’t see that the money I was raising would benefit people halfway around the globe. But, I don’t think I can get into the exact details of why this unit was perfect for me, because it went to my heart in a way that can’t be touched with words.
-Siena G.
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Letter From the Editor During my soil unit experience, I learned about the soil in different environments. For example, there is silt, which is normally found in our own gardens and backyards. There is also sand, which is found in a desert environment like California. I also learned how soil is helpful to our daily lives. Soil can provide our society with food, shade, and oxygen. But soil is not just given to us, it forms based on the environment it's in, like forests, deserts, and our own backyards. I enjoyed the soil unit because my class and I really got to get our hands dirt and get involved in planting, learning different facts about soil, and getting creative with our poster. One of the highlights for me was getting to go to Desconzo Gardens to look at all the different flowers with colors ranging from pink, purple, and blue! There was also a labyrinth like the Arlington Garden, and small benches in the center. Myexperience was great because I got to learn so much and had a lot of fun getting involved in the environment. I would love to start a garden at my own house to plant strawberries, carrots and flowers like the gardens we went to. The Soil Unit was a great chance for us to connect with nature. -Eryn B.
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Busines Name
Sofia’s Photo Collage
Our own co-editor in descanso gardens enjoying the labyrinth in the gardens.
Madi and myself writing poems inside the center of the Arlington garden.
In this picture our own teammate sienna, our classmate demi, and our other classmate Caroline walk towards the tree and pond area to investigate the trees and shrubs.
In this picture our classmates Ali and Ella collaborated and discussed the plants in the garden.
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Talia and Siena’s Photo Collections
This tree is very significant because it shows how slowly trees die depending on soil, water, and sun
In this soil unit I learned a lot about nature guiding emotions and this picture shows it.
If you touch nature and believe it can change your way of living to happiness.
The trip to Descanso offered beautiful photo opportunities.