August 5, 2026

ASED began the day with choosing our music video song. We had many strong contendors -- from songs that contained groovy beats to electronic dance music. After three deliberate rounds of voting, we settled on our finalized song: Alive from Empire of the Sun. Stay tuned to see our music video and all the dance moves, formations, and choreography we have planned.

Then, ASED returned to the Dartmouth Organic Farm, where Zig led a forestry lecture that encompassed the overarching theme of today: Use what you have. A universal rule that guides anyone and anything: naturalists, students, and forests. We dove into learning about Dutch Elm Disease, Norway maples as an invasive species, and samara seeds. Throughout the lecture, I wondered about questions relating to how  we observe resiliency in plants, and how plants respond to external stressors. The fascinating part of the lecture was how Zig's research was so connected and tangible to events in our local community -- from redlining in Newhallville a neighborhood in New Haven, Connecticut to undertaking participatory action research investigating maples. 

Then, we directly applied our scientific skills outside of the classroom in a forest where scientists  regularly conduct field research. After walking through a forest opening that led to a beautiful meadow, we bushwhacked into the greenery and observed the sugar bush. Zig taught us an important skill called pacing that allowed us to estimate the height of a tree; essentially, you count every pair of your step from one end of the measurement stick to the other end -- divide this amount by 33, and you get your pace length! We picked up sticks that stretched from our shoulders to fingertips and hoped that our calculations matched the trees height, which was around 92 meters. We also identified New York ferns and cinammon ferns that blanketed the forest ground. 

Afterwards, we participated in a thought experiment and research question that Zig wrestled with: why did some of the maple trees' sap flow out earlier in the spring while others were delayed by a couple of weeks? We mused over several possible variables influencing sap flow; slope level, sunlight, underbrush, and canopy cover. We then used our hypothesis to inform a possible study design. Our group considered measuring the humidity and temperature of the surrounding soil of each maple tree. This measurement is crucial because the freezing and thawing state of the maple tree determines whether sap flows outside. 

After an exciting visit to Mac's Maple, where we ate heapfuls of ice cream -- many which contained chunks of maple candy that melted on your tongue with a fluffy aftertaste of sugar -- we returned to Dartmouth, where we walked across campus to visit the Thayer School of Engineering and meet the coolest person ever: Zoe Courville. We went inside an ice core freezer, where we were hit by cold temperatures! We even touched authentic Antarctic ice! Zoe also gave us an eye-opening talk about her research in Antarctica and Greenland, where she would go on expeditions for up to four months at a time. Digging snow pits, riding over crevasses, and using ground penetrating radar were just some of the everyday activities that one can find in polar science. It was incredible to hear about Zoe's work!

Find us at Mount Moosilauke tomorrow!

Contributor and Photographer: Chelsea Zhu