Yesterday I took pictures of our ecocolumn and we observed what was happening. There was a lot of condensation and our insects were moving about. In our plant and animal habitat Lizzy and Freddy seemed very content. We added some water to our decomposition chamber and placed the column back into the window.

Eco-column review

Eco-column up-date: At the end of the 2nd day of the eco-column, condensation was showing in the terrarium chamber. The frog and lizard seem happy in their environment. In the decomposition chamber, the mushrooms and beetles needed a little water. When we set up the chamber, water wasn't added so the insects and the plants were thirsty. Approximately 1/2 cup of "rain" was added.

The EcoColumn seems to being doing what is should based on what I viewed today. Our group added more water for the aquarium part through the porthole located above the decomposition chamber. We also added more water at the very top chamber so that the frog and lizard would have enough water to survive on. The fish seem to enjoy their new homes as well as the meal worms and spider in the decomposition chamber. I did view more condensation occurring in the top and bottom chambers of the EcoColumn.

Well the eco-column is looking very healthy. In the terrestrial section plants are growing well, the lizard is green now and moving around. The decomposition area is active. The mealworms are moving around as are the beetle and spider. The mushrooms don't seem to have been adversely affected by the transplant process. In the aquatic area all organisms are moving about. We added about a half cup of rain to the system today. No algae is growing on the containers yet.

I have enjoyed the experiences that we have shared in our MSP Project. I look forward to this continued education and friendships that we gain from the project. Today we made an ecocolumn which was really fun. We put a lizard that we named Lizzy, a frog we named Freddy, a snail we called Snuggie, a leech named lucy, and two fish we named Frank and Frenchie in our ecocolumn. This was so much fun and I can't wait to see what happens.

Today was a new experience for me. I had never made an ecocolumn, and our group created a 5 tiered column. The bottom section was the aquarium which contained several minnows and a small leech along with salvinia. The next chamber was the decomposition section. We put in a humus from one member's backyard. Mealworms and beetles were added to this section. The next chamber allows us to add items to the decomposition section. The 4th chamber was the terrarium in which we used garden soil and yard soil. We added a frog and a lizard along with grass and a vinca flowering plant. The brown lizard soon became a green lizard. The top chamber is designed for rain. When "rain" was added to the ecocolumn, the frog seemed to be drinking.

The eco-column is a success so far. In the aquatic section we put 2 minnows, Salvinia, a leech, and a few unidentified macroinvertebrates. In the decompositon chamber we added grass clippings, rotting tree matter, leaves and some soil with cow manure added. We also included some moss and 3 mushrooms. We added mealworms and beetles in this chamber also. In the terestrial chamber we put potting soil, living grass, a vinca plant, a small lizard and a small frog. All seem content at this time.