Day 1 - A Safe Arrival

We made it!  A smooth flight into Tampa with no issues.  Everyone was great.  The weather forecast is looking beautiful, 80s and sunny.  We met up with Kim, our Program Leader who has oriented us the adventures in our future.  After a quick stop to pick up some dinner we traveled to Sweetwater Organic Farm.

Photo by Ms. Mowery

Sweetwater Organic Farm ~ by: Natalie R.

Today we went the Sweetwater organic farm. The farm is right next to the sweet water river. It is in the middle of an urban setting. The farm is completely GMO and pesticide free. The farm is full of plants, like kale, parsley, zaatar, and edible flowers. There was also a pig named sweetie! We ate our dinner with salads made entirely of ingredients found at the farm, they were delicious. We discussed Florida's natural fresh water springs.Next we took a sample of the water from the sweet water river. We did numerous tests on it, such as the amount of salt it had in it, how clear it was, its ph, nitrates, and temperature.Then we discussed the impact each aspect has on the environment.We learned that water does not easily change temperature, and that the amount of oxygen in water is important to the health of the organisms in it. We also learned that the greenhouse effect is when gases in the atmosphere traps heat. The data we collected will be added into a mass database that will be easily accessible to other scientists. The experience was educational and fun.

Photo by Mrs. Sutterlin