2026-2027 School Year Journal Entries.

5/20/26

Today was the LAST WISRD class of the 25/26 (junior) year. I checked the basic inventory for the WILD Lab and then did 3D printing shredding.

5/14/26

Hydroponics Lab:

Today I helped assemble some parts of the hydroponics structure with the wood. I then did my WISRD skills for the year.

5/6/26

Because I have been doing frequent water quality testing recently, I have been able to do WISRD-general activities. I am almost finished working on my CV resume and will finish next class.

5/4/26

WILD Lab:

Today, I recorded the daphnia and pothos tanks and synthesized the information. The freshwater tank is maintaining a consistent water quality, while the water quality has dipped in the daphnia and pothos tanks so most daphnia have died. I will incorporate the last remaining daphnia into the freshwater despite their low numbers.

4/23/26

WILD Lab:

Today I gathered data for the rectangular and pothod-daphnia environments. I am going to synthesize this data in the next class and put it on my poster. I will discuss the decline in the rectangular tank’s health and what caused it, how we can fix it, and the surprising health and potential applications of using the pothos-daphnia tank as a breeding ground for both species, given the beneficial water conditions for both in the tank. The need for daphnia in tanks is high for the fish’s health and food supply, but finding a way to implement them is challenging. Daphnia support multiple water parameters, such as reducing nitrogen levels and increasing oxygen supply. There should be a way to measure water supply. They are hard to implement because fish eat them, leaving them no chance to survive. By breeding them and researching ways to implement them, we could drastically improve the freshwater environments.

4/22/26

WILD Lab:

Today, we recorded footage of a daphnia under the microscope to supplement our poster for the upcoming poster session. I then observed the effects that the water parameters will have on the beaker pothos, daphnia, and daphnia/pothos. I will collect more data next class.

4/20/26

WILD Lab:
Today I added more cultivated pothos to the freshwater tank to increase their presence, as the shrimp (most likely) consumed all of them. I also began taking water quality measurements of the pothos cultivations (with and without daphnia) to test the impact of daphnia on water quality and plant growth. I also took water measurements of the standard tanks. Next class, I am going to take photos of the daphnia under the microscope for the poster, as well as take water quality recordings.

4/17/26

WILD Lab:

Today, we experimented with the pothos cultivation by implementing daphnia into a beaker to create a functional cycle of nutrient production, consumption, and cleaning.

4/16/26

WILD Lab:

Today we found a huge issue in the freshwater biocube which killed three shrimp. There is an opening at the bottom of the tank identical to the sealed opening at the top. It sucked three shrimp into the filter and killed them. I spent the entire class sealing the opening. I plan to organize all the quantitative lab data (tank qualities, pH readings, Daphnia count) for the poster next class.

4/13/26

WILD Lab:
Today, we are back from spring break, and I prepared the poster for the WILD Lab by tracking all the new actions we have taken. We also established the procedure for a new pH recording method written into the tracking log.

3/26/26

Passive Cooling:

Today I had to redesign the first design to fix the error. This was difficult due to challenges in the design software. I will finish this design after or over spring break to start testing it.

3/26/26

Passive Cooling:

Today I received the first print, but it was flawed and was essentially a solid brick. This was due to a design error that caused the 3D print to fill the design, leaving no opening or hollow space. I am redesigning this design and will reference this base design with no passive cooling to create all the other designs with passive components.

3/25/26

Passive Cooling:

The first base design print (No passive cooling: no ventilation or shading) is being printed as a benchmark. It is printed in ASA Carbon fiber material, which can withstand high temperatures and mimics building materials’ heat resistance and durability. I am now looking for an adequate heat source that can produce nearby ambient air temperatures of 85°F-100°F to mimic hot local Southern California temperatures. A heatlmap with a 200Watt bulb will likely be the tool to produce this.

3/23/26

Passive Cooling:

Today I refined each design that I have currently (No ventilation, cooling intake vent, heat outtake vent, intake and outtake vent, no ventilation with shading) so they all have the same base design, other than their differing elements. I am currently waiting on the base (no ventilation) design to be printed and collecting the equipment for the project, which are vernier temperature probes, a heat camera, and a heat source. The heat camera was set up for the project. The next step is to determine the project's heat source.

3/20/26

Passive Cooling:

Today I began finalizing all my designs. The first experiment will be a prototype conducted with only ventilation variation in building designs, and if the test yields meaningful results, I will keep them. The actual progress today was determining which measurements I want, how to measure them with a Vernier probe, a heat camera, and a wind tunnel. The first prototype is being printed with ASA filament to test heat resistance, and I will go from there.

3/19/26

Passive Cooling:

Today, after finalizing my document designs, I began designing them in SketchUp. The details of each design are in the project doc, and I will explain each one in the journal when the SketchUp designs are done.

3/16/26

Passive Cooling:

Today, I began finalizing the designs I want to create in SketchUp as a first prototype.

3/13/26

Passive Cooling:

Today I did more research into passive cooling techniques and how to apply them and also more research into various experiments and how they measured and tested heat. Work in doc.

3/12/26

Passive Cooling:

Today I did more research into the solely design aspects of buildings that passively cool through structure. I explored the design idea of ventilated house envelopes, where the space in the walls of the house has intentional air gaps within them to hotter hold air and maintain a coller air on the interior.

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, I ran recordings of the tanks and the new experimental pothos plants. One beaker is clean freshwater, one is dirty freshwater, and two are in fertilizer. I hypothesize that the freshwater will help them grow best because of the presence of nutrients but we will see.

3/11/26

Today, I did drafting and worked on my presidential speech.

3/9/26

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today, I began drafting the first basic designs for my house prototypes on Google Docs sketches. I want them to be basic first so I can gradually increase the project's complexity.

3/5/26

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today, I observed other passive cooling experiments online and studied their methods and how they worked. I observed that some experiments do not conduct a passive cooling design with house designs, but first with basic designs that first focus on the most effective passive cooling system, which is usually an open space protected by thermal reflection or a cooler area.

3/2/26

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today I began learning the software I will use to design my passive cooling architecture: SketchUp Free. I have started with basic structures and will continue my learning in the next class.

2/25/26

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today I further designed my methods for the experiment. I finalized four very simple designs that will be the first models I create to test passive cooling. I also designed the methods for simulating sunlight position: The source I use (TBD) will be high above the house to simulate summer heat. See the experimental design document for details.

2/20/26

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I collected water samples from the freshwater biocube. It looks very healthy thanks to the extra pothos. I also recorded the daphnia-soil-contaminated beakers to observe any changes in water quality over time.

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today, I further drafted the project design by writing the general purpose for my lab. I want to get. it formally approved.

2/19/26

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today I redesigned the project's experimental design: I will build four houses: one with no shading or ventilation, one with shading, one with cross ventilation, and one with shading and cross ventilation. These will then be tested for their passive cooling ability by heating them with a heat source and observing their heat gain, maximum, and dispersion, considering time and temperature.

2/13/26

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I threaded pothos into the freshwater biocube ceiling grid (newly implemented) to keep the leaves out of the water, hopefully improving the pothos’ health and longevity. Daphnia culture arrived too. This will be used as a sustainable food source in the freshwater tanks, so it can be more sustainable through its food source and continued survival. I took recordings of the freshwater biocube as a benchmark for the future (hopeful improvements).

2/11/26

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, I made recordings of the freshwater biocube to see its progress, as the tank looks visually cleaner and the quality evidently supports this. I then also deconstructed the pothos hatchery experiment as I collected all my data. In place of this, we set up a freshwater tank for Daphnia cultures.

2/6/26

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, we reorganized the structures and flora of the freshwater biocube to better cater to the fish’s needs, including floating cover, tall background plants, midground foliage, and plenty of hiding spots. We did this by raising the pothos plants up around the top of the tank and distributing the logs and weighted foliage more around the tank.

2/5/26

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today, I reviewed materials that sequester carbon, but also noted their disadvantages. I need to look further into the longevity, strength, and durability of each material in comparison to traditional materials.

2/1/26

Embodied Carbon Investigation:

Today I made targets of all the carbon sequestering materials I want to investigate, which are currently: hempcrete, timber, biochar, carbon-negative bamboo, carbon-negative concrete, timbercrete, and mycelium insulation. I am going to see how much GHGs these materials sequester and potentially emit in various stages of their use.

1/30/26

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today I investigated more construction carbon sink materials and will research more. I am finding their theoretical/researched absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, measured as “X” amount of carbon dioxide GHG emissions per “Y” amount of the material. I also now want to test these absorption rates. I will do research on more materials and how to measure their absorption next class.

1/29/26

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today, I researched common carbon sink materials and viewed similar investigations of what I want to investigate. I will continue researching carbon sink materials and their quantified impact/benefit.

1/26/26

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today I did not have time to do more research because of helping with my past project (WILD Project): What I will research in the future: What common carbon sink materials are used in construction, how a carbon sink material actually reduces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, how to actually measure the amount of carbon dioxide that can be absorbed/reduced, and how to do this measurement in the school lab.

1/23/26

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today I did more research in how to record and physically investigate carbon dioxide and pollutant content of materials when they are extracted and burned. I am realizing that by seeing the carbon dioxide content I am able to see how well materials store carbon dioxide, which will allow me to instead see what efficient carbon sink materials store and which ones are best to use in buildings.

1/16/26

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today, I understood the use of combustion analysis. It tells you the carbon content that can be released from a material when it is extracted or demolished, showing how these materials’ carbon composition contributes to embodied carbon, not just the interactions with embodied carbon. Now, I have split my goals into three main parts: Designing high vs low embodied carbon buildings, measuring the embodied carbon of high vs low embodied carbon buildings, and measuring embodied carbon of common construction materials.

1/15/26

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, we fully emptied the saltwater tank and bleached it in order to completely reset it and clean all the contents within the tank, ensuring that when we reimplement life back into the tank the plant, animal, and water quality will be much higher and absent of the harmful health previously.

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today, I looked into whether I could also test the pollutant potential of materials myself. Using a handheld carbon dioxide sensor and burning particulates of a material can show how much carbon dioxide is within the material, but this does not necessarily indicate how much it could pollute an environment. I will do more research on it later and polish my experimental method. I will see what burning and detecting carbon dioxide content actually gives insight into.

1/14/26

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I took more data from the pothos experiment tank. We will begin synthezising the data in terms of how the presence and structure of pothos affects water health.

Embodied Carbon Investigation:

Today, I began to see how building material quantity can be quantified as it is needed to calculate carbon factor of a material.

1/12/26

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today, I researched the common design characteristics of a low-embodied-carbon building and a high-embodied-carbon building, as well as the differences in materials between the two. I am going to begin designing the low embodied carbon building first.

1/9/26

Architectural Passive Cooling:

Today, I began brainstorming the process of how I want to experiment with embodied carbon and low/no-energy buildings. My idea is to create two designs: one, a traditional high-energy/embodied carbon building that lacks climate resilience and natural ventilation; and the other, a passive, energy-saving design. The second, an eco-friendly, low embodied-carbon building that uses sustainable materials and design. I would then quantify the impact by measuring the materials’ embodied carbon and showing the total embodied carbon impact of each building.

1/8/26

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I have almost finished my inquirer. I am very interested in the topic and will begin translating it into a project. I will talk to Megan next class.

1/6/26

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today is the first day of the second semester of 11th grade. Here are long-term goals:

This semester, I plan to:

• Create my own project about urban design and how to create environmentally friendly architecture

• Move forward in the pothos project by synthesizing the data and creating a lab report

• Start working towards the goals of the project (How to make a self-sustaining environment)

Peer advice to integrate:

• Do things I am ACTUALLY passionate about

• Create mini-deadlines and small goals

• Use my time effectively by completing the small goals I set

During this class, I continued my inquiry and began explaining why there are high emissions when building materials are collected.

12/15/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today we cleaned the tanks as we prepared for break.

12/11/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I recorded all tanks. The main concern is the GH in both long term tanks and the parameters in the pothos tanks are as expected, other than the fact that the submerged pothos seems more healthy than the emergent one, a sudden switch likely due to the emergent pothos losing its leaves.

12/8/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I began working on the elements of my inquirer article about embodied carbon.

12/5/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today is the day of the poster session. Because the poster is finished, all I did today was record the progress of the pothos plants. I also went up with Brian to observe the plants of his branch project, which he will soon pass on to someone else.

12/3/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, we had all components of the poster finished but we needed to finalize things like the title and some last touches to the process and moving forward sections. The poster looks very good this year with data from the pothos experiment.

12/1/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today we did a majority of poster work to get all data onto the poster that we need.

11/17/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I recorded more water levels. The tank without pothos, as expected, has worse water quality than the tanks with pothos. We might worsen water qualities in the future depending on how visible the pothos plants are in cleaning the water.

11/13/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I recorded the water levels but they all seemed too healthy in order to see the real impact of pothos on water health. To worsen the water levels, we added more algae pellets.

11/12/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today we removed the heaters from the tanks and then lowered their water levels so the emerging pothos could actually be out of the water. We then added 200ml of dirty water to each tank and took water level readings afterward. After the recordings, we dropped one algae pellet into each tank to further deteriorate the water quality. The expected outcome would be that the pothos improves the quality.

11/10/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today we implemented the heaters but they caused the tanks to be too hot so we turned them off. We will remove them next class. We are tracking the length/growth of the pothos with a table on the board. We also tracked the water quality of each tank. I have a physical todo list on the board.

11/7/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I began measuring the water levels of each tank and added the fish. The fish will be identified next class. Next class I will put two equal strands of pothos in each pothos tank and leave the non-pothos tank untouched.

11/5/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I leveled the water levels of the pothos experiment tanks. I prepared to put in heaters, but we now only have two heaters and I need three. Additionally, I have decided that the fish that I will put in each tank will be the smaller fish from the freshwater biocube. There is a large quantity in the tank so it would not harm them if I took three. I will figure out the fish name from Oli. Next class, I will begin taking and collecting water samples every class.

11/3/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I began thinking about how to prevent evaporation while still being able to access water for the pothos tanks. I plan to make a lid for all the holes of the tanks out of a rubber foam material. I also want to ensure that the airflow to all tanks is the same. I need to figure out how I quanitfy air flow to show they are constant. I also will implement heaters to every tank and ensure the same heat is being output. Every must be constant except for the pothos presence. Each tank will also have a shrimp or fish too. Animals will need a food source, so I will add more plant matter to each tank too. The animals will be red rili shrimp from the freshwater biocube.

10/29/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I continued setting up the experimental setup for the pothos experiment. I am trying to make every tank as identical as possible, except for the pothos plants. All tanks have: small base substrate, larger substrate, freshwater algae, wood, coontail, and some sand. All tanks have also been given slightly dirty water, with detritus gathered from the flora and objects added to each tank. The water that I put into each tank was from the freshwater biorectangle. I will measure the water quality next class, begin setting up the technical equipment, and take initial measurements. The entire purpose of the experiment is to observe how and if pothos plants increase water quality through cleaning properties.

10/27/25

General:

Today we reviewed Dark Matter Day and observed successes and errors

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

I have begun creating the bases for the environments for the pothos experiment. In the report, I will measure the approximate mass/amount of both types of bedding I used. Next, I am going to begin putting in a base of plants and water. I will gather base plants and water from the freshwater biocube to ensure I maintain as many cotrolled variables between the three tanks.

Today we

10/20/25

New Project:

Today I researched potential new projects I want to create. My best idea was creating a model strucutre/building made common construction materials in Vectorworks. Then, I will analyze the embodied carbon level through each material and the entire building. Then, I will change the materials to more environmentally safe materials to improve the embodied carbon measurements. I will also model these buildings physcially by 3D printing or lasercutting these designs for visual aid.

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I cleaned the workspace and also observed the freshwater biocube was looking very healthy after the water change and pothos lid removal.

10/17/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, we did work on the freshwater biocube. We removed the pothos plastic holder to remove the waste it was holding. Then, we used a siphon to clean the tank and also created more freshwater to fully fix the tank.

10/15/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I helped track the progress of the biocubes and I want to implement some changes to the freshwater biocube and rectangle tanks. I want to remove the pothos holder for the biocube as it seems to be trapping excess waste from the plants. I also want to add further plants to the rectangular tank.

10/13/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

It has been a long time since I was in WISRD due to school breaks, so I have work to do when I return. I tested and observed the progress of the pothos biocube freshwater plants. They seem to thrive when submerged, but out of the water, they are too close to the light and start dying. I hypothesize they will keep growing because the roots are healthy. I tested the tank and the pH and GH are slightly off-balance. Additionally, to prepare for Dark Matter Day, I have made posters for two of the three activities that my group is doing.

9/29/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, I gathered a biocube freshwater sample for the 10th-grade biology class. I observed many microscopic animals, such as copepods. Additionally, I did more preparation on the tanks for my pothos experiment.

9/26/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today me, Oli, and Brian prepared the group’s slideshow overview of the project to share with people at the next WISRD mixer.

9/25/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, I implemented the freshwater biocube lid and fastened the pothos around the lid so they reach a larger area throughout the tank.

9/24/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

I am observing the recordings of the sustainable tank. We need to add more pothos plants, driftwood, and Indian almond leaves to the tank. I also designed a lid for the biocube tank, and pothos plants that Megan will cut for me soon. I also cleaned out the tanks again that I am going to use for the pothos experiment.

9/22/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today we recorded and preserved a dead freshwater fish and also tested the biocube freshwater and sustainable tank. I also organized the tanks for my pothos experiment that I will try start soon.

9/8/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I did not do much. We planned an activity for Dark Matter Day, which is elephant toothpaste. We are planning to remove the saltwater biocube and implement two freshwater tanks

8/29/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, I observed the sustainable tank and ensured the plants were positioned correctly for the fauna. Additionally, we are noticing the significant positive effect the pothos plants are having on the tanks they are in. I plan to conduct a research experiment on pothos plants, studying their impact in an aquatic environment.

8/28/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I designed and printed the sustainable tank lid and also fitted pothos plants into the lid for better integration of natural elements, ultimately allowing less maintenance as I now do not need to change, clean, and rearrange lids.

8/27/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, I put up one of the WILD Lab posters in the classroom. Additionally, we began decluttering the self-sustainable tank by clearing it of detritus and dirt. We also treated the freshwater biocube. We are also trying to put a camera in the freshwater biocube and connect it to the TV.

8/22/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today we cleaned and refreshed the tanks. We fixed and replaced the bio-cube filters and the sustainable tank filters. I also put pothos plants in the freshwater biocube to hopefully clean it which I will monitor. Finally, we tracked our inventory which we will continue.

8/21/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today was the first day back into WISRD for the 25/26 school year and 11th grade. We assessed the tanks to plan what we need to do. Seeing Figures 14, 15, displays the importance of pothos plants and their cleaning and health ability for a tank left long-term.

NEW ENTRIES → OLD ENTRIES

5/14/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, I made a recording of the saltwater tank and hatchery tanks for their water quality. These will be some of my last recordings for the end of the year. Additionally, I scooped moss that the amphipods reside in inside the saltwater biocube and put it into the saltwater hatchery. In the next class, I will put some amphipods into the saltwater hatchery and leave most in the biocube to compare which group will survive next year.

5/13/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

I figured out why the hatchery was utterly devoid of life. The wrong algae were fed to the daphnia, causing the water to become toxic. The right algae to use is algae liquid. I cleaned and watered the algae, ready for a new culture. I also found and observed a black shrimp living in a freshwater biocube. See Figure 13 to view the shrimp.

5/12/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Unfortunately, the daphnia died in the freshwater hatchery for unknown reasons, but I will investigate the water quality next class. The water quality for the sustainable and freshwater biocube tanks was. tracked, and they are both very healthy. Both hatcheries and the saltwater biocube are very unhealthy, however. To prepare for the summer, we may ignore the tanks that are already unhealthy and without flora/fauna, and focus on the healthier tanks so they remain healthy. We are preparing all tanks for summer maintenance, and we want the healthy tanks to stay healthy.

5/8/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, we were delivered saltwater and freshwater daphnia. I implemented the daphnia into the freshwater amphipod hatchery (They are being used instead of amphipods), and I put the saltwater into the saltwater hatchery. See Figure 11 and Figure 12 for the progress.

5/5/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Because the laser cutter is not fully available, we drilled holes in the acrylic as we have an excessive amount of pothos that need to be hung. We drilled one part of the acrylic lid and put most of the pothos in it. Megan is planning to buy saltwater for the saltwater amphipod hatchery and freshwater for the freshwater amphipod hatchery.

5/1/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, I made another hatchery for freshwater amphipods. I set them up and filled the freshwater hatchery with the sustainable tank water because it was very healthy. Additionally, I cleaned and added more pothos plants to the sustainable tank. I have also made a

4/30/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today we fixed the pothos filter and also added a cage filter around it to stop plants and shrimps from getting sucked into it and being harmed. I also rearranged the hatcheries and am planning to create a saltwater amphipod hatchery. I also made a plan with a partner to do an experiment testing the water quality improvement abilities of the pothos on tanks.

4/29/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, we completely eliminated the cylindrical tank with the amphipods, as we transferred them to the self-sustaining tank. We are slowly adding more flora and fauna to the tank so it can run entirely on its own.

4/28/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I finished the design for the pothos plant lid for the rectangular sustainable tank. It will be a massive step toward tank health and self-sustainability. See Figure 10 to see the design. The pothos Lid will hold and support pothos while its roots grow down to the bottom of the tank, perfect for shrimp and fish to feed on and inhabit.

4/24/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

We repaired a break in the freshwater biocube because some fish and shrimp fell into the filter system. Pulling some shrimp out, we were able to observe the “cave shrimp,” the black shrimp that avoid light and camouflage very well into the darkness. We took pictures of two of these shrimp and then added them to the self-sustaining tank to see how they would survive.

4/22/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today we finalized the poster, and I also began working on the pothos lide for the self-sustainable tank.

4/15/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, we added the first new batch of Pothos to hang exactly over the tank. This is optimal as it allows the roots to grow into the tank. I plan to design a hanger that will allow several Pothos to hang over all the plants so the animals and plants can thrive. After this, we cleaned the cylinder tank and moved all the shrimp into the rectangular tank. I plan to track all the shrimp in this tank, so I took pictures of all 8 shrimp I moved into the tank. I plan what I want to do with the amphipods, as I need to find an optimal environment for them.

4/14/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, we planned how to rearrange shrimp throughout the tanks as there is a deficit. We plan to implement more hiding and shelter spaces so they can hide from fish. We also began our poster for the upcoming science night. We copied over our previous poster and began from there.

4/8/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, we rearranged the Pothos plant and changed the rectangular tank filter to make it longer and closer to the ground.

Personal:

I prepared my speech for the joining the WISRD Board.

4/7/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Coming back from spring break, we conducted water testings of every tank. Some tanks seem to need a complete redo, whereas some only have small issues that can be fixed with some changes or additions in mostly flora. After this, we cleaned out the freshwater bioube of algae and excess plants.

3/20/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, I continued designing the submersible. We decided it would be smarted to design a boat-like system and we are currently designing the motors on TinkerCAD.

3/19/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today we fully cleaned the freshwater biocube with a siphon and razor. After this we began prototyping a mini submersible we want to create to put into the tanks. I am designing motor circuits for the prototype and also figuring out how we want to use these motors.

3/17/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

We tested the four main tanks and assessed what is needed to improve them.

Personal:
With free time I did some research on potential projects I could do. I was inspired by soft robotics and how it mimics and integrates into biological systems. This gave an idea for creating a mini camera submersible that I can design and then implement into the tanks. It is a difficult project, but it is a possible option that I could work on.

3/13/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I added to the W.I.L.D. Lab page. The group’s effort means the tanks look good and we do not have to tend to them. We will work on the slime mold experiment next class.

3/11/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today we observed various water samples as we had planned. We collected samples from different areas of the biocubes and compared them, and also identified different organisms. Today we also ordered slime mold for the slime mold branch/experiment. See figure 9 for the findings.

3/10/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today was very productive. First, we observed the new acrylic lid and it was containing the evaporation that would constantly empty the tank. It also allows a more transparent view into the tank. After this, Oli and I began planning out the laboratory report for the slime mold urban mapping experiment. We started to create a research question and a clear mission that can define our project. We are referencing back to previous school lab reports to frame the report. For the next class, I plan to look at some water samples under a microscope from various filters and tanks to observe the conditions and compare them to quantitative data.

3/6/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I was alone so I cleaned up the lab and fully finished the rectangular tank lid. I had to saw off a large piece of acrylic using a dremel, which I then lasercut. See Figure 8 to see the finalized tank.

3/5/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today was a productive and varied day. I finished off every lid design so the last part is ready to be lasercut. After this, Oli and I tracked the progress of the plant/fungi studies by taking pictures and measuring the growth of the plants in each planter bed. After this, I added more to the W.I.L.D. Lab project page and plan to add more, such as abstracts and backgrounds. After this, we tracked the tanks' progress and water conditions. The tanks’ conditions are improving, but the saltwater biocube needs much renovation.

3/3/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I spent most of my time fixing and rewiring the pothos plant filter for the rectangular tank. I had to move the filter to a new location on the tank, so I had to redesign some of the lid parts.

2/25/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, I began laser-cutting the lid designs I had previously made. See Figure 7 to see the lasercutting process. I laser cut the terrarium lid, which worked and fit immediately. The measurements for the terrarium lid did not fit as well, so I had to add another lid part, which I will solder or glue with the other parts for the terrarium lid. All the lids are see-through, so it will allow us another angle to view the tanks. I am aiming to finish them all next class. After the lids are complete, I will go back to defining and specifying the project goals and its branches, as well as trying to create experimental design/a mission for my part of the project.

2/24/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, we reviewed the lab review that the WISRD Board conducted on our project. They believe the lab has the potential for extensive research and papers, but they find that we lack specific research questions for the branch of our project. We have been redesigning our website project page with research questions and project descriptions so everyone feels clear about what our project is. I want to begin doing specific research on each plant and animal motivated by my branch’s research question.

2/20/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today I finished designing the lids for the tank and terrarium. We are laser cutting all these lids for accuracy because they must fit well. I made to-scale measurements on TinkerCAD and then exported the files into Glowforge to be laser cut. See Figure 6 to view the process and design.

2/19/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today we worked on maintenance so we can start to begin our experiment on mushroom pathways to various locations to see the most efficient train routes throughout Los Angeles. First, we cleaned and siphoned the freshwater biocube as the water conditions were not looking overly healthy. After I began designing new lids for two tanks. For the new sustainable rectangular tank, we need to use a different material instead of wood to better contain the water evaporation. I am also designing a new lid for a terrarium that a PI is creating. I will continue designing the lids in the next class. I also want to begin directly studying and observing various flora and fauna and how they interact, so I will begin thinking about that.

_________________________

OLD ENTRIES → NEW ENTRIES

8/21/24 - 8/23/24

Personal:

This first week of W.I.S.R.D., I acquainted myself with the W.I.S.R.D. space, staff, and equipment and began research and minor work to help others with their projects.

8/26/24 - 8/30/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

I joined the Wilderness Immersion and Local Discovery Project (W.I.L.D. Project). I became familiar with their standard practices and goals for their project through working with a project investigator.

9/3/24 - 9/6/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

This week, we worked on tank maintenance and adding new flora and fauna to existing tanks. We conducted several logs of water information on each tank and tracked its health and needed improvements. I designed a copepod and amphipod cage to inhabit and feed them to other fauna.

Personal:

I explored various engineering and design projects that interested me and observed various coding and robotic limb projects. I am using these current projects as an inspiration to my own

9/9/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Me and Oli conducted tank maintenance and monitored the conditions of each tank. We saw in the uninhabited tank that was to be a shrimp breeding tank, the conditions are not valid for life. Most other tanks are in good condition, but the salt water and small bio cubes have concerning P.H. and G.H. levels.

Personal:

We had a lab meeting about The Inquirer and Dark Matters Day. I am planning a pitch to create an article for The Inquirer.

9/10/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

We retrieved old 3D-printed animal skulls for Dark Matter Day, as the group will be using them again for skull identification activities. We also researched new skulls to 3D-print for the activity.

Personal:

I researched what I wanted to do for my Inquirer piece. I will be pitching the functions of an internal combustion engine and how it interacts with the environment.

9/12/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

This was an extremely efficient class. We integrated two new pump filters into the small freshwater and the shrimp breeding freshwater bio cubes. We also implemented a large 2-gallon tank and set it up with water, flora, filter, L.E.D. light, and an aerator. The filters cleared and revitalized all tanks that the pumps were used on. We are preparing for new fauna and environments for them to interact with.

Personal:

I reviewed the inquirer pitch and plan to pitch the functions of an internal combustion engine and how it interacts with the environment.

9/16/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

We maintained the tanks by recording water tests and organizing the information spreadsheets. I cleaned the filters and ensured all tanks were functioning to their best ability to apply more life.

Personal:
I drafted and wrote my inquirer pitch, revolving around the functions of internal combustion engines and how they interact with the environment.

9/17/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

I conducted tank maintenance of every tank and tracked unhealthy factors of each tank. We are researching a way to track and locate shrimp and also creating a misting system for the large terrarium.

9/18/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

We organized our entire workspace from other projects and also cleaned filters and moved a copepod cage into the shrimp biocube. I plan to start helping Ronin in coding a misting system.

9/19/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

We cleaned the filters and also researched the bands to use to track shrimp activity. The shrimps are using the copepod cage, as the copepods and box have not been implemented yet.

9/23/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

I have begun tracking trends in the unhealthy elements of each tank, allowing us to record the progress of each tank and exactly what needs to be improved. I am designing a copepod cage lid and grate for copepods to reside in for feeding.

9/26/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

There was an issue in the project today. The superglue contaminated the entire tank while attaching the amphipod cage to the holder. We moved the shrimps from the tank away from the tank into another tank and cleaned the water. The tank is now in safe condition.

9/30/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

I am redesigning another prototype for the amphipod cage holder and also beginning to work on the creation of a multi-environment tank. For this tank, I have already 3D printed two basic rectangles to begin separating parts of the tank.

10/1/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Oli is absent today, so I conducted tank maintenance and filter cleaning. The condition of most tanks is improving, with some unhealthy factors. I am designing an improved filter funnel for both large cubic tanks to combat this.

10/7/24

Personal:

I worked on my WISRD Inquirer and began refining my ideas on the subjects of engines, how they impact the environment, and how we can reduce their impacts.

10/8/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

We reorganized and cleaned all tanks and their filters, as it had been too long since they had been last maintained. After this, I added more water to the small shrimp breeding cube that is currently empty due to glue contamination. After the cleaning, we began implementing a water camera using the WISRD television, a Raspberry Pi, and connection cables. We could not connect it to the television during class, but I will attempt to connect it next class. We will use the camera to observe more independent tanks that do not require as much intervention or ones that are harder to observe in general.

10/14/24

Today, we only prepared the Dark Matter Day materials. We made the poster and prepared the activities for the skull identification stand.

10/15/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Oli and I conducted tank maintenance, cleaned filters, and provided treated water to freshwater tanks. We also significantly organized our workspace to accommodate a large tank that is soon going to become a main project involving several types of flora and fauna in order to have a fully self-sustaining ecosystem.

10/21/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

In this class, we organized the activities for Dark Matter Day and also looked at how we can connect the camera feed to the TV for Dark Matter Day. We did maintenance on the tank and are planning to re-implement amphipods into the tank systems.

10/22/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

We cleaned and re-organized our space because it had been moved around significantly. We also fully cleansed a large tank. We began building an environment with sand. The tank will become a large fully self-sustaining project with minimal human intervention.

10/23/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today is Dark Matter Day. We have prepared all our activities and are readying a camera so that people can see the inside of the terrariums. All the animal identification activities are ready.

10/28/24

Personal:
I did Inquirer work and developed my ideas on how to combat the environmental impacts of engines.

10/29/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

We maintained the tanks and cleaned the filters. We are researching natural interventions for maintaining the new tank we are designing, such as animals that can filter and balance the environment.

11/4/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

I finished designing the filter and the most efficient water intake.

11/5/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

The first prototype of the filter canal is finished. We observed different organisms and objects under the microscope of each tank, especially used animal matter like snail shells and shrimp sheds.

11/6/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

I implemented. cleaned out, and prepped the filter canal into the first tank: I need to make a larger second prototype.

11/7/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

The large rectangular tank now has water and aeration, filtration, and temperature monitoring. The flora is set up, as well as the Pothos plants used for the natural filter. The next step is to build a lid for the tank that fits a light that can provide adequate wattage to plants and animals.

11/11/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

We added more flora to the new tank so we could almost fully finish the tank's environment and begin moving forward by implementing fauna. We conducted tank maintenance using a more accurate chemical testing kit, which I have been taught to use and can now use moving forward, though it takes more time. The Pothos plants are successfully supporting the filtration systems. In the saltwater tank, the red algae contaminated every surface. By turning off the lights for multiple days, the algae could not receive any nutrients, so it successfully died off. The tanks are improving internally and it is an exciting move forward as we try to create fully self-sustaining ecosystems.

11/12/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, we planned how we can track shrimp movement in the Freshwater tank by placing a rubber band on their torso. We also stained a planter for the other branch of our project, where we are experimenting with vegetation plants and how mushrooms affect growth.

11/14/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, I performed simple activities such as cleaning the filters and observing how well the new tank functions. I also implemented the filter canal into the tank filter, which I enlarged from the prototype by increasing its length and width.

Personal:
I finished up my inquirer and began incorporating graphs into the writing.

11/18/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, I fed all the tanks and cleaned the filtration systems of the copepod tank. I also implemented the moss that the freshwater tank has an excess of into the copepod and shrimp cylindrical tanks. The copepods can feed on the detritus from the moss, and the shrimp tend to hide and spend most of their time in it when it is present.

Personal:
I fully finished my Inquirer and am also thinking about how I could potentially further explore the topic of engines and exactly how they interact with the environment.

11/19/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

I reorganized the workspace and tank and managed the filters that were actually needed. Some filters were not even on in various tanks, so freeing up the cable space was helpful as it allowed me to connect more aerator systems if needed.

11/21/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

For the last day of WISRD before Thanksgiving, we ensured that instructions on how to take care of the tanks were clear. We logged tank statistics so we could compare them when we came back. The cylindrical tank will also be ruled out for a new square tank for efficiency and maintenance reasons.

12/2/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Because of the overflow of duckweed inside the freshwater bio cube, I implemented that duckweed and the moss into the new tank and the amphipod tank, as they will both feed on the detritus from those tanks.

12/3/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

We worked on the poster for our project today. We incorporated images and descriptions. I created a graph of our tank test tracking to implement into the log and into the poster. Observe Figure 3, which is the graph.

12/10/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

We organized and revised the poster so it is fully prepared for next week's poster session.

12/11/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

We measured and designed lids for the exposed tanks to prevent the water inside them from evaporating too much, eliminating the need to refill them. We used electric and manual saws.

12/11/24

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

We have implemented the lids into the scud breeding and rectangular tank. The scud thrives in darker climates, so their tank has been covered in tape to lessen the lighting. The scud have multiplied enormously in the cylindrical tank for unknown reasons and are constantly attacked by shrimp. I have taken scud from the cylindrical tank and implemented them into the scud breeding tank.

1/13/25

Personal:

We are slowly returning to school and norms after the Palisades and LA fires.

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Because of the long break, items and tanks have become unorganized and need maintenance. We cleaned and organized the tanks and are making next steps for our project, such as making a mushroom maze and writing a paper about it and doing further studies on the new tank.

1/14/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today we primarily did tank maintenance and tracking. We did water changes on the freshwater bio cube and amphipod breeding tank and we tracked the conditions of every tank we have.

1/21/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

I redesigned the floral structures of the rectangular and cylindrical tank to connect the animals that dwell on the bottom of the tank to the ones that stay in the weeds. I notice that my funnel filter designs are also not big enough, so I will need to redesign them.

1/22/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

The tanks were water tested, and we observed the conditions of some of the tanks that we need to improve. The amphipod bio cube also needs more attention to its physical water flow conditions and where the filtration is going, as they thrive when there is slight water flow. Look to Figure 1 for the amphipod tank.

1/23/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

I designed a new funnel filter for the two biocube tanks. I took measurements and enlarged and slightly improved the design to make water flow more easily. Observe Figure 2 to see the new design. I am unable to print them today as Megan is not here. We also observed dead shrimp from a sustainable rectangular tank of fresh water under a microscope.

1/28/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

I implemented the filtration funnels that I designed into the two biocube tanks. I wanted to keep the amphipods that live inside the saltwater biocube alive, so I transferred them to the new funnel and filter area. See Figure 4 for the new funnel.

2/3/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Today, I cleaned filters and monitored the amphipod's condition by doing a water test. I recorded the conditions and also observed the past conditions. I want to work on the tank's carbonate hardness and chlorine level. See Figure 5 to view the table of water conditions.

2/10/25

W.I.L.D. Laboratory:

Due to my absence last week, the amphipod tank had to be shut down due to its failing water conditions. I slowly captured the remaining amphipods to relocate them to the freshwater biocube. When cleaning and emptying the tank, I collected two water samples: One from the general open area of water and one from the calcium and detritus buildup on the sides of the tank. I will observe both of these water samples next class to study what this dying tank looks/looked like and what factors had the most significant influence on the tank’s failu