In this project, we chose a plot of land in Novato and planned out changes that would be beneficial for the future based on predictions that we researched. Our plot of land was in the Hamilton area. There had been a proposal to create an athletic field on that land, but it had been turned down by neighbors due to the noise. Our plan for the area is to create a large circular garden with hiking trails behind it. This would reduce stress, help erase Novato's carbon footprint, and restore biodiversity to the area. This garden would be made up of all California native plants that attract a plethora of organisms from insects and birds to deer and raccoons. These changes would help the mildly toxic soil be restored to its original pH. Doing this would allow other plants to thrive in the area in the future rather than simply waiting as the last remaining plants die off.
To complete this project, we explored the abiotic and biotic factors in the ecosystem, along with food webs and density-dependent and independent factors. All of these things are key when trying to determine the future of a plot of land and the organisms living on it.
This project allowed us to investigate our impact on the world and how the smallest of changes can make a big difference. It was extremely interesting to explore changes that could be made so close to us that would impact the future. Some things to work on for the future are not getting so stressed in projects, and making sure to delegate well. A good leader doesn't try to do everything on their own, and instead assigns tasks to others. During the start of this project, when we came across a problem, I tried to fix it single handedly. However, as the project progressed, I realized it would be more effective to explain my concerns to my group mates and organize who would take care of what.