It was definitely a lot of work both designing and conducting an ecological field experiment. I think the most challenging part of the process for me was logistically finding the time to go out to the field and sample. As a full-time student as well as someone who works multiple jobs, it was difficult to find the time to get out into the field for sampling. I think in hindsight, I would have amended my sampling effort so that each time I went out it was take less time, and I think I then would have been able to complete more sampling dates. I was also away for a while and unable to go to the field which limited the time I was able to conduct the research due to the seasonality of the project. Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed running my field experiment and it gave me a good reason to spend extra time outside which is always appreciated. It would have been really interesting to go more in depth and take more specific measurements. However, for the purposes of the course, and balancing the rest of my life, that unfortunately wasn’t realistic.
I’ve always had an appreciation for the research that ecologists do, but that has absolutely grown throughout this process. This experiment has really exposed the patience it requires to execute this type of research, and I was only doing a very minor version of it. It also highlighted the immense knowledge required to do this research well. There were countless instances in the field where I thought to myself how nice it would be to know certain things about a focal flower or bee. The development of ecological theory is such an intense and impressive process and takes such a deep understanding of the world and systems you’re working in. I hope I can continue to practice in a field in or adjacent to ecology. Overall, this experience has taught me that I still have so much to learn, and hands-on research like this is an excellent way to do so.