Log Entry 12/17/2013

This week is the last week before Winter Break, and I am trying to get as much done as possible. I plan to complete my Bill of Materials and Plan of Procedures before the end of the week. Yesterday, I didn't make any progress on my work because I was out of the lab. Yesterday, the Class of 2014 presented each of the three Senior Class choices to the Class of 2015.

Log Entry 12/13/2013

This week I have researched and nearly completed my Bill of Materials. We needed a backpack-type way to carry any succulent plants when collecting in the field. I have also begun to write my Plan of Procedures. Today we are having a party to celebrate the website reaching 10,000 page views.

Log Entry 12/9/2013

My calendar and schedule for Marking Period 2 is complete. I have a plan and objectives to complete for these next few weeks including Riker Boxes and their labels, plan of procedures, bill of materials and my models.

Log 12/6/2013

This week I am beginning my model. We have gotten the packet with information for our Plan of Procedures and Bill of Materials. I began to create an AutoCad representation of American Pokeweed and I have finished a template or sample label to serve as my model. Next week I plan to create my Bill of Materials for plant pressing and labeling.

Log Entry 12/4/2013

Yesterday we filmed the video for the Directed Field Research program for the National Blue Ribbon School Award. The Herbarium team went out into the field on the bike path and staged the collecting and pressing of a Juniper tree. We took pictures, coordinates and used the plant press in the field. The video will be completed shortly and submitted to the National Blue Ribbon School Award advisers.

Log 12/2/2013

After being selected to be a Blue Ribbon School, Directed Field Research has been asked to answer some brief questions about our life at MAST.
What do you like best about your school? What makes your school special?
My favorite part of MAST is the diverse community. Also we're mostly white.

How does the school make learning fun and interesting?
MAST makes learning fun by using different types of technology and a lot of hands-on work in order to keep us involved.

Is there anything else you'd like to say about your school?
I have definitely grown up since coming to MAST. It was the best decision of my life.

Log Entry 11/26/2013

Since the second marking period has begun, I have been tying up loose ends from the end of the previous marking period. I have finished the American Beachgrass label, which I had started a few weeks ago. We will be going over goals for this marking period such as Plan of Procedures, Bill of Materials and other documents. We plan to focus on developmental work for our finished product of the Herbarium.
I plan to go through to plants that are current in the plant press and process them into Riker boxes.

Rationale Report

Alternative Solution 1 is the process we currently utilize. This involves pressing only the part of the plant that appears above the ground in the wild, with whatever features naturally appear on the particular specimen. It results in each Riker Box being more organized because there is less to display. The Riker box does not appear cluttered. This makes plant collections more efficient because we do not spend time digging up roots or collecting flowers, buds or burrs from neighboring specimen. However, this design lacks specific details and therefore may lack accuracy. This solution satisfies our time restraints but is not the best solution because it is not the most informative for our viewers.

The Cocklebur specimen exemplifies
Alternative Solution 2

Alternative Solution 2 is the solution which involves pressing extra features from two or more specimen in the same Riker Box. Displaying the features off to the side of the box gives the viewer the advantage of seeing more than one angle of features such as flowers, berries, buds or burrs. Larger features provide the viewer with greater detail. This will make the plant easier for the viewer to recognize in the wild. This solution results in more informative and identifiable specimen. However, pressing plants in this manner is labor-intensive. Organizing the features in the Riker box demands a great level of skill and expertise from our team. As we become better at pressing plants, this solution seems to be the best solution for our Herbarium. 

Alternative Solution 3 is the solution which involves pressing all parts of the plant: above-ground and underground. This results in the specimen being more accurate because all parts of the plant are displayed. This is a more informative solution because the roots and underground portion of the plant may give clues to the viewer about other aspects of the plant. However, this solution also involves altering the collection process. In order to put this solution into effect, the plants must be dug out of the ground rather than clipped at the base of their stem. After collecting the plant in the field, the roots must be cleaned. Our time restraints prevent this solution from being practical. 

Log Entry 11/19/2013

Today the Sandy Hook Interactive Herbarium team has been adding to and completing our blogs. We are finalizing our various reports for the end of the marking period.

Labels as of November 1, 2013

American Pokeweed

Choke Cherry

Helianthus

Phragmites

Cocklebur

Progress Update Poster

My Progress Update Poster describes the work I completed in the first marking period. It included the Background Information, Design brief, Specifications, Limitations and Alternative Solutions. I also discuss the Special Assignments that I worked on during the Herbarium's preparation for the NJEA Convention.

Log Entry 11/12/2013

Our display at the NJEA Convention

The Convention was a huge success. Mr. Alfonse and Ms. McD represented the Sandy Hook Interactive Herbarium and MAST in Atlantic City. In class, we have begun Formal Progress Update Presentations that detail what we have completed in Directed Field Research so far. Every person in the class is to present their project, research or product. Work will be put on hold until next week, as we begin the second marking period.

Log Entry 11/6/2013

The website is up to date with the pages for the new pressed specimen. The main page now features a paragraph about the Hipp Foundation. The display was finished yesterday and the day before with the mural displays, flatscreens, our Ipad, easel and project poster. QR Code label luggage tags for the various plants were created and printed. Our display is featuring luggage tags with links to the Hipp Foundation and MCVSD.

Log Entry 11/4/2013

The Riker boxes were finished a few days ago. The labels were printed, laminated and mounted on the boxes. We did a trail run of the set-up for the convention floor. I created a slideshow in case there is no wireless in the NJEA Convention Center. The plan is to display sandyhookherbarium.org on McD's laptop to allow teachers to navigate the site. In the event that there is no internet, the flatscreen will display a slideshow with screenshots from the site. I taught Ms. McD how to run the slideshow from her laptop.

Log Entry 10/31/2013

Recently, I have been completing Riker boxes to take to the NJEA Convention in Atlantic City. We completed Female American Pokeweed, Helianthus, Phragmites, Cocklebur and Choke Cherry.

Log Entry 10/29/2013

Completed Early Goldrenrod page with
updates research and information

The Sandy Hook Interactive Herbarium Team has been working hard every day completing the labels, boxes and web pages for each plant. The display is nearly finished with the mural panels (completed by Herbarium 2012-2013), televisions and riker box display.

Log Entry 10/25/2013

The labels are being printed for the Riker boxes and the display is being finalized for the NJEA Convention.

Log Entry 10/22/2013

Today my computer started working again so I managed to access my labels again. The display for the NJEA Convention was delivered last week, so Tad, Kevin, Alex and others are working to get it assembled and working. We will finish the riker boxes for the plants we already have pressed before we collect and press more.

Log Entry 10/17/2013

Labels for Phragmites, American Pokeweed, Xanthium and Helianthus are completed except for the QR codes. Once web pages are created for these specimen, I can finish the labels and finalize the riker boxes. The web page for Helianthus exists, but is lacking in any kind of valuable information. I have brought this to the attention of our website team, and we are working to make sure each page has a decent amount of information for each specimen.
My alternate solutions were finished a few weeks ago, but I have done back and revised them to ensure they meet all specifications.

Log Entry 10/15/2013

This week Ms. McD and I found the linen paper in order to begin printing labels. So far, three labels are completed and are awaiting revisions: American Pokeweed, Phragmites, and Xanthium. Once they are finalized, they will be printed and added to the riker box. Some of these plants do not have respective pages on the website, so they will not have QR Codes presently. In the classroom, the riker boxes have been categorized by completed ones, boxes that need to be redone, and boxes that require labels. After going through the DFR shed, Ms. McD and I came across a plant press with plants in it, which I plan to have pressed this week.

Log Entry 10/11/2013

I have contacted Nick Heins from the MAST Class of 2013 and he has agreed to be my mentor. I am continuing to research information about the plants we have collected and to contribute information to the website pages for the respective plants. Three labels are nearly completed. We are also continuing to prepare for the Convention.

Testing

The Plant Pressing Team is testing three different methods of pressing plants to display in the Herbarium. In order to determine which solution will benefit the Sandy Hook Interactive Herbarium the most, each possible solution as been evaluated based on a set of specific criteria. The Plant Pressing Methods are tested concerning Usability, Aesthetics, Maneuverability, Accuracy, Accessibility whether or not it is Informative.

Based on this criteria, Alternative Solution Two seems to be the best method of pressing plants for the Herbarium. Alternative Solution 2 concerned adding features from two or more specimen and displaying them in the same Riker Box. This solution is the most informative and accurate because it will be the most similar to a viewer's perspective of the plant in the wild.
This solution will satisfy our need of displaying plants in an accessible, good looking and accurate way. It will increase the level of detail and specificity of the specimen in the boxes. The only unfortunate aspect of this solution is that it may be more time consuming in the Pressing Process. However, Alternate Solution 2 will not be more complicated, require more expertise, or consume a significant amount of resources beyond what would be required for our current method.

Preparation for Testing

Each Alternative Solution must be tested in order to determine which solution will benefit the Sandy Hook Interactive Herbarium the most. Each possible solution will be evaluated based on specific criteria, and the best solution will be determined. The criteria is as follows:

• Is the label accessible to the average viewer?  
• Are the facts understandable?
• Are the facts cohesive and relevant?
• Is the font large enough and readable?
• Is the label factual?
• Is the picture an accurate representation of the specimen?
• Are all the characteristics true and correct?
• Does the color code correspond with the zone?
• Plant Representation
• Is the specimen accurate?
• Is it an sufficient representation of the plant? Concerning size, color and special features such as flowers, buds and burrs. 
• Is the specimen effective?
• Is the specimen accessible online?

Log Entry 10/8/2013

This week, my Alternative Solutions were completed and published. I have created a label template using the same font as previous riker boxes. I plan to contact my mentor Nick Heins from the MAST Class of 2012 for further information about Riker Box Labels, such as the color coding.I will be researching information about plants we have identified.

Plant Pressing Alternative Solutions

In a Herbarium, plant specimen are pressed in individual Riker boxes. The Riker boxes preserve the plants after they have been pressed. Riker boxes display important information about the specimen on the labels, such as the scientific name, size and general characteristics. There are multiple methods of displaying plants in the boxes.

Alternative Solution 1:

Flowers are included separately
 to show details

              The purpose of pressing plants is to display them in a way that is identifiable. When identifying plants, some of the factors to look for are size, shape or color of the plant. Most dichotomous keys or field guides depend upon the plant's most obvious identifying features, such as leaves, buds or flowers. Including these details in the Riker boxes is extremely important in making sure the plants are accurate representations of the wild specimen one might find on Sandy Hook.

This method of pressing the plants is to display the stem and leaves separately from the flowers, buds, berries or other special or unique features. The features would be included in the same Riker box.  Displaying the features off to the side of the box gives the viewer the opportunity to view closer details. Pressing flowers separately from the rest of the plant allows us to use a larger flower from a different specimen, 
which gives the advantage of displaying greater detail. 

The viewer is given the advantage of seeing the characteristics

 of these features from different angles, which will

 makes recognizing the plants in the wild easier for visitors. 

Representation of a pressed
plant with additional details

These unique characteristics are vital to anyone viewing the Riker boxes. In order to effectively and accurately display the plants, the boxes must include as much detail of as many characteristics as possible. Displaying the features separately allows the general public recognize the plants and identify the specimen. 

This solution offers benefits and drawbacks. Pressing plants in this matter is labor-intensive. Positioning the specimen in the plant press in a matter that will display each feature separately will demand a great deal of skill from our team of plant pressers. Expertise is required to display plants in the Riker Box in an understandable manner. However, this solution results in more informative and identifiable samples of the specimen. 

Alternative Solution 2:

Specimen pressed to display root system

The Sandy Hook Interactive Herbarium provides a resource for the general public and professional botanists alike. Because of this, every specimen must be perfectly accurate and display every detail of the specimen, including roots. Currently, plants in the Herbarium are pressed without roots. During the collection process, plants are clipped at the base of their stems with their roots excluded. 

This method of pressing plants allows the entire plant to be displayed, including their underground portion. This provides more information to each viewer, rather than simply showing the portion of the plant that is usually visible. Roots give evidence of the vegetative zone in which the plants live, as it can be indicative of the type of soil in which they grow. 

Specimen with roots before
the pressing process

This solution involves altering the collection process. Plants must be unearthed from the ground by digging in order to preserve the root portion of the specimen. After collection, the intricate root systems must be rinsed clean in order to remove any extraneous materials such as soil, sand or insects. Pressed plant specimen with roots provide the most informative display.  
This solution offers benefits and drawbacks. More time must be spent collecting plants in the field in order to carefully dig up root systems. Pressing plants will now include an extra step of cleaning the roots. The Riker boxes will be more informative and the specimen itself will be indicative of its vegetative zone. 

Alternative Solution 3:

Riker box displaying only stems
 and leaves of original specimen

In the Sandy Hook Interactive Herbarium, there are many current plant specimens available. Each Riker Box displays the plant with stems, leaves and any unique characteristic or feature in tact. Only the portion of the plant generally visible in the wild is able to be viewed in the Riker Box. The important information of the plant is described on the Riker Box's label. 

This method of pressing plants results in each box being more organized. The empty space created by omitting the extraneous features causes the Riker Box to appear more concise. The viewer is not overwhelmed by a lot of factual information at once.

Plant specimen on display in
Sandy Hook Herbarium

Unique characteristics of each individual specimen are displayed as flatly and as clearly as possible. No additional features are added in the Riker box with the plant specimen. Only the part that is cut from the wild specimen is pressed and displayed. This method of
pressing plants is relatively accurate. Flowers and leaves are a good indication of the species, and leaf arrangement or leaf type are identifiable in a Field Guide. 

This method lacks details of the root systems. Pressing plants in this manner also lacks details of any unique characteristics such as flowers, berries or buds, because these features are only able to be viewed from one angle. This is one of the most widely used methods of Herbaria around the world, and presents many benefits with few drawbacks. Plant collections are efficient. The display is more concise but lacks more specific details and therefore may lack accuracy. 

There are many methods of preserving plants in Riker Boxes. Alternative Solution 1 involves pressing unique features and characteristics separately from the rest of the plant. Alternative Solution 2 involves pressing the roots and underground portion of the plant specimen. Alternative Solution 3 involves pressing only the above ground portion of the plant with no additional features.  

Log Entry 9/30/2013

Members of the Sandy Hook Interactive Herbarium
are all required to collect and press the plants

Collected plants on Horseshoe Cove (north side)
Wind SSE 5-7 kt
Mostly sunny
62 Degrees Fahrenheit
Collected and pressed samples of Cocklebur, Sea Rocket (flowering), Early Goldren Rod (one specimen flowering and another with buds), Pickleweed (beginning to change colors with the changing seasons), Russian thistle and an unknown marsh grass.
I have contacted Nick Heins from the MAST Class of 2012 about riker box labels. He agreed to be my mentor and we will be in contact in upcoming days.

Log Entry 9/26/2013

The Herbarium had a meeting to discuss our group specs and limits. My individual and group design brief, specifications and limits have been finished, edited and published. My blog has been edited to reflect the Sandy Hook beach. In the next few weeks, I will be evaluating the specimen collected this summer and during this week. We will assess the quality of the pressed specimen and determine which ones need to be redone. We will then identify and research the plants and put them in the riker boxes to add to our collection.

Limitations

Group Limitations

• Time deadline: NJEA Convention
• Display limited to 100 sq. feet
• Sustained losses during Hurricane Sandy
• Limited to flora of Sandy Hook
• Limited expertise in website design, plant pressing, scientific drawings, GPS collection, and design of convention pieces

Individual Limitations

• Collection of seasonal plants
• Plants take weeks to press
• Must be finished before NJEA Convention
• All information must fit on a small label
• Limited skill and knowledge so far
• Riker boxes have limited space

Specifications

Group Specifications

• Must be an interactive herbarium 
• Must improve the website (sandyhookherbarium.org)
• Must incorporate GPS coordinates into interactive maps 
• Must finish plant collection 
• Must recollect specimens lost in Hurricane Sandy
• Must have accurate, scientific drawings of all specimens displayed in riker boxes 
• Must incorporate QR codes 
• Must present the herbarium at the NJEA Convention 
• Must have a portable display Must be 10' x 10' 
• Must create professional, informative labels for the riker box displays

Individual Specifications

Plant Pressing

• Must accurately display each plant
• Specimen must be completed for NJEA Convention
• Specimen must showcase each part of the plant including berries, leaves and roots
• Must follow plant pressing procedure 

Identification

• Plants must be identified using field guide, dichotomous key or mentor
• Must be accurate and specific

Labels

• Labels are color coded by vegetative zone
• Labels must include all information about plant
• Common Name
• Scientific Name
• Location (Zone)
• Collection Date
• Collector
• Size
• General Characteristics
• Interesting Facts
• Image
• QR Code

Design Brief

Project Design Brief

Design, create and maintain an interactive Herbarium to include a website component, GPS/GIS coordinate integration, pressed/preserved plant specimens, an interactive display, and artistic renderings for display in the Sandy Hook Visitor's Center to educate or inform viewers on the seven vegetative zones of Sandy Hook as well as to function as a way to preserve Sandy Hook plant life.

Plant Pressing Design Brief

Design and create Riker boxes with the collected and pressed plants for use as visual aids for the visitors of Sandy Hook.

Riker Box Label Design Brief

Design the labels for the Riker Boxes to display the information about each plant including scientific name, common name, location found and other facts.

Log Entry 9/24/2013

I have completed the background information, and additional changes to my blog have been made including a map. The map will be updated with collection locations every time we go in the field. My individual and group design briefs are being edited and finalized and will be published at the end of this week along with specs and limits. I am preparing to meet with my group to discuss specifications and limitations.

Log Entry 9/20/2013

Taking GPS Coordinates in the field

Collected plants along the multipurpose trail, behind Mortar Battery in the thicket zone at 1105-1205.
73 degrees F with a south wind 5 to 8kt with mostly clear skies. Collected Phragmites, Early Golden Rod, Choke Cherry, Juniper, and Johnny Jumpup. Plants are pressing in the plant press and have been identified in the field guide. Map of locations is available at the bottom of my blog.

Log Entry 9/19/2013

The Interactive Herbarium project team has met every day for two weeks to address the tasks that need to be completed in the coming weeks. The Herbarium is now beginning to prepare for the NJEA Convention in Atlantic City this November. New specimen were collected earlier this summer. On July 25 and August 41 of this year, other members of this project and I collected plants in multiple areas of Sandy Hook and pressed them in the plant press. These new plants have not yet been identified. When completed in the Riker boxes, they will be added to the remaining boxes from last year. This will help complete our collection.

Background Information

Sandy Hook, New Jersey

The Sandy Hook Herbarium is located on the barrier island of Sandy Hook, New Jersey. It features a variety of pressed plants from the area. The Herbarium's collected plants are on display at sandyhookherbarium.org. Our missions is to educate the public about plants they would otherwise not have known. The information available to everyone is ideal for botanists, students, and all Sandy Hook visitors. The riker boxes and labels provide a hands-on experience, so anyone can hold the                                                                    actual specimen.

Scientific Drawing of a plant used
to identify plants in the field

Plant pressing is the process by which plant specimen are dried and preserved for display or transportation. The Sandy Hook Interactive Herbarium displays pressed plants in riker boxes with factual labels for identification for the nation park's visitors. Plants are collected along Sandy Hook trails various vegetative zones of the barrier island. zones such as thicket and tidal flats. After collection in the field, plants are identified using dichotomous keys, or illustrations and photographic references.

Wooden Plant Pressing

After identification, The specimens are flattened in a wooden plant press and left to dry for several weeks. All parts of the plants are involved in the press, including leaves flowers and roots. Silica gel packets are added to keep the plants dry. This results in the plants lasting indefinitely.

GPS device similar to the one used by our team. 

The coordinates are collected using Global Positioning Satellites in the field. The information is then included to a google map on the Herbarium website. Our website is the focal point of most of the information included in this project This enables each visitor to locate and visit each plant on their own.

Completed Riker Box

The label is added to each individual riker box. Each mounted specimen includes information such as scientific name, common name, location, and size. The labels may include pictures of the plant in the wild for identification for visitors. A QR code is featured on each box. The QR codes can be scanned by smartphones for additional information available on the Sandy Hook Herbarium's website.  

The Sandy Hook Herbarium group is looking forward to providing the public with informative and accessible botanical facts. This will be a valuable source for Sandy Hook visitors and botanists worldwide for years to come.

http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/plant_info/identifying_plants/processing_plant_specimens/Preserving_plant_specimens

            This is the website from The Royal Botanical Gardens & Domain Trust in Sydney, Australia. The botanists there dry their specimens with microwave ovens. They also use our method of pressing a drying using wooden pressers and silica gel. The botanists offer advice about long term storage and preservation.

http://msuextension.org/publications/AgandNaturalResources/MT198359AG.pdf

            This is a webpage form the Montana State University about how to collect, press and mount plants. They feature the same plant pressed we use, along with guidelines. They include details about label construction and what information to include.

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening/uploads/documents/Making%20a%20herbarium%20specimen%20leaflet_1638.pdf

            This is the PDF guide from the Redwood Health Services about how to mount and press plants specifically for display in a professional Herbarium. This source includes pictures of scientists working in the field and detailed lists of what to include in each label.

http://www.brit.org/herbarium/plantcollecting/press

            This is the plant pressing guide from the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. They have advice about how to effectively dry your specimens after pressing them in the press. They describe the mounting process.

http://herbarium.usu.edu/k-12/collecting/specimens.htm

            This is the website from the Utah State University with specific information about creating labels for the boxes after plants are mounted. They offer advice on how to avoid insects ruining your specimens.

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herbarium/voucher.htm

            This is a website from the Florida State Herbarium on how to create a professional voucher plant specimen. They provide information on plant identification and where to display your plants. They give a lot of information about what information to include in labels.

http://www.ibiblio.org/pic/preserving_plants.htm

            This is a website from the Plant Information Center focusing specifically how to create Labels for specimens. They give examples and pictures of real pressed plant labels.  

http://www.botany.unimelb.edu.au/herbarium/files/MakeHerbSpec.pdf

            This is the website from the University of Melbourne about how to press plants and what to include in each label. They offer information about where to place labels on the boxes and how to position them with the dried specimens.

http://www.nps.gov/Plants/sos/training/How%20to%20Create%20a%20Herbarium%20Label.pdf

            The US National Park Service offers information about how to press and label Herbarium specimen. It is simpler than other University-based Herbarium websites but is still gives general information about the importance of pressing plants properly.

http://www.herbarium.lsu.edu/makingherbspecimen.html

      This is the website from the Louisiana State University. They detail how to create professional labels concerning what to include and what to omit for each specimen, depending on the type.