![\"mesocosm\"](\"http:\/\/blog.riley.rackliffe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/mesocosm.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThis is what I built:<\/p>\n
But it leaks, not because I built it wrong but because the sediment is both too hard and too soft. It\u2019s too hard to push the plastic deeply into it and too soft to create a water tight seal if I try to manipulate the water level. I may not be able to manipulate the water level. It doesn\u2019t ruin the project, but I have to pay attention. This needs to work or I need to make it work.<\/p>\n It has been nice to visit the wetland a few times this week. The flows are high, the water is clean. The reeds are pretty small right now so there is good visibility. I love walking around the apparently abandoned beaver dams and seeing the complex engineering they built. Clever beavers. <\/p>\n I\u2019ve been working in Hobble Creek for two years now. Donating blood and sweat in the name of science as I collected invertebrates and measure temperature, depth, flow, vegetation, oxygen and so forth. I\u2019ve seen dozens of species come through. I\u2019ve seen it frozen, flooded, drying out, under construction, burned by a blazing sun and soaked by a rainy sky. I\u2019ve seen it at all hours of the day and night. These few acres are my laboratory and my church in many ways, although the nearby campus serves more formally in both roles. <\/p>\n All this work has been possible because some pioneers overfished a once abundant large fish from this area. After allowing this fish to save them when crickets destroyed their crops (sure the seagulls helped kill the pests but where did the food come from until the crops could grow?) the pioneers introduced carp for some reason. The June Sucker became endangered and millions of dollars were sent to save it. For two years those monies have paid for my research and dozens of trips to this small wetland in the shadow of a freeway. All to save a fish that I have never seen outside of a fish tank or a bucket of alcohol. <\/p>\n Today I was out there and decided to explore the new culvert under the freeway. As I entered the dark cave with water up to my knees hundreds of swallows nesting under the bridge attacked me like bats. Okay, attacked is strong. They flew out in force leaving droppings to pling on the water as they took off. I fixed my eyes on the bright light on the other end of the tunnel and walked through the mucky water. I could barely hear the thunder of freeway traffic over my head. I could see the salt forming crystalline formations as it seeped through the cracks in the concrete. Cold, dark, and wet. What place could be less pleasant? Oh, I was alone.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n