A very large and rapidly growing population of cydippid ctenophores must be present in order for a bloom to occur. Therefore, it can be concluded that a viable population of protozoans must be present to support the cydippid population responsible for the bloom proliferation. Or, more precisely, a bloom cannot occur without the presence of a sufficient numbers of protozoans. Gut content data also demonstrated the predatory versatility of M. leidyi in conjunction with an ability to shift nutritional dependence from one major class of prey to another with variation in seasonal abundance and range. For some, all it takes to gain an appreciation for the natural environment is exposure to the natural environment.
Many people go their entire lives without really exploring the world that they live in.
I believe that environmental education and publicly accessible conservation areas can provide a chance for all to explore their world. Village Park is a conservation area in Swansea, Massachusetts that directly adjoins the property of Case Junior High School. The objective of this project was to better acquaint the residents, teachers, and students of Swansea to Village Park so that they may use Village Park as a means to facilitate environmental education in Swansea. I performed ecological research including the geology, hydrology, flora, and fauna of Village Park and compiled a report in the fall of 2000. The report served as a foundation for the environmental education curricula that I wrote and taught at Case Junior High School in the spring of 2001.