Current Progress
Week 1: 19 Jan - 26 Jan
Began working on EcoCentre project
Conducted preliminary research and completed beginning assignments to include background topics, mission statement, project deliverables, etc.
Held first meeting with project academic advisors
Began preliminary website design
Sent first email to project sponsors
Created Trello task board to organize past, current, and future assignments and work
Week 2: 27 Jan - 2 Feb
Created an initial cover page and title for final paper
Outlined background necessary to understand context of citizen science and multiple other facets of the project
Held second meeting with project academic advisors
Identified urgent questions needed to advance project for both the sponsor and our advisors
Further developed project objectives
Week 3: 3 Feb - 9 Feb
Created a first draft of the proposal introduction and background
Flushed out background information on citizen science, environmental concerns, Port Phillip Bay, and the Port Phillip Bay EcoCentre
Sent a follow up email to the sponsors due to a lack of response to the first
Gathered list of interesting factoids
Created interview template document
Wrote introductory paragraph for methodology section of proposal
Completed mid-term feedback evaluation forms on group member performance
Week 4: 10 Feb - 16 Feb
Met with the Port Phillip EcoCentre sponsors and discussed key questions we had about the project and the Laboratory
Started Proposal document as well as created a section of the website for said document
Had a meeting with our project librarian who helped us find and access more background research tools and resources
Created authorship table for Proposal
Created Project Slides for Presentations
Fixed the Background section of the Proposal
Week 5: 17 Feb - 23 Feb
Sent Email requests to Pittsburgh, Leiden, and Boston Museum of Science labs for information on their projects
Presented Methodology Presentation
Produced final draft of Final Presentation slides of the Prep Term
Sent Proposal draft to the EcoCentre to get their feedback
Created first two week plan
Week 6: 24 Feb - 2 Mar
Presented Final Presentation of Prep term
Finalized Interview templates
Submitted Proposal for IRB approval
Finished Proposal and sent it to the EcoCentre
Met with our research librarian to clear up citing issues and fix citing for figures
IQP Term Start
Week 1: 14 Mar - 21 Mar
Scheduled meeting with the EcoCentre to cut down partner spreadsheet
Picked out several key partners that have room for growth in partnership with the EcoCentre
Communicated with Leiden University to set up a virtual interview
Sent survey out with questions for The Citizen Science Lab in Pittsburgh
Started Excel Cost Analysis template
Confirmed weekly meeting times for the two weeks before travel
Week 2: 22 Mar - 29 Mar
Interviewed Leiden University
Interviewed Boston Museum of Science
Picked out 5 key partners for interviews
Week 3: 30 Mar - 5 Apr
Traveled to Melbourne
Started working on Final Report
Drafted Partner Interview Questions
Week 4: 6 Apr- 12 Apr
Adjusted Partner Interview Questions to be partner-specific
Presented to EcoCentre staff on our project
Set up interviews with 5 key partners as well as an additional with Victoria National Parks' Association
Participated in Tangaroa Blue storm drain cleanup, mollusk survey, and beach fauna event.
Week 5: 13 Apr- 19 Apr
Sent out EcoCentre equipment survey to 5 staff members
Held interviews with Victoria National Parks Association, Deakin University, Melbourne Water, Hobson's Bay Wetland Centre, and Tangaroa Blue Foundation.
Participated in the Microplastics River Trawl on the Yarra River.
Week 6: 20 Apr- 26 Apr
Changed project objectives and mission statement to more accurately fit the project.
Sent out a supplemental survey to several organizations within the Port Phillip EcoCentre Partner network that weren't in the selected 5.
Brainstormed ideas for collateral and then finalized what collateral would be produced before the end of the project.
Week 7: 27 Apr- 4 May
Created Collateral that included two website pages and a slide deck
Finished compiling findings in order to more accurately recommend to the EcoCentre
Created a spreadsheet with estimated costs for wanted equipment and then recommended equipment using this
Prepped for final presentation and presented final presentation
Submitted Report