DAY 2- September 27

Today was the first day of serious investigation. So we began the day by considering questions on bison. After clearing up what procedures we needed, we went into Antelope Flats in Teton National Park, found our bison herd and settled in to making observations. We collected our data on our PDAs (Palm Pilots M515) for later computer analysis.

Then we hiked into the Tetons. On our way to Phelps Lake we began to see how the mountain environment differed from the sagebrush community of the Jackson Hole valley.

On the way back to our host (the Teton Science School - TSS) we stopped at the Teton Natl Park Visitor Center, picked up some supplies and observed beaver behavior on the Snake River.

Then after dinner, the TSS staff conducted a very interactive discussion on research, data analysis and a landscape ecology study on human impacts on Wyoming bird populations. Then the students began to review their bison data from the morning.

Check our photographs on the IMSA Ecology students at work on Day 2 in the Tetons.

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	Here is the mess hall. Arbor should take lessons from these guys- the pie rocks!!! The view isn't too shabby either. The Tetons are on the right (you can't see them in this picture).
	This building houses the lab and Murie Museum. This is our home base, analysis, and presentation room. The next picuture is inside this building.
	This is the Ted & Joan Major Lab which serves as our classroom while we're here. This is also where we connect to the internet.
	In this picture you see where it is that we are living, eating, and learning for the next few days. The cottages, which the faculty refer to as dormatories, are where we are residing. We are surrounded on all sides by mountains... it is truly beautiful!
	Here I am (Tiffany) observing the bison with Lynda and Grace and Susan. Chris is just standing there with us.
	Here's me (Kel) and Mackie doing research. I took down all of Dianne's data on the age and sex of all the bison visable from our location... 225 data points entered into the PDA. Mackie put in info on what the herd was doing.
	I (Maggie) took this picture by lining a digital camera up with binoculars. In reality we were 100 meters away. Our job was to count males, females, calves, etc.---then we're developing a mathematical model.
	Maggie, Amanda, and I are taking a break for a fabulous picture after collecting data from bison observations. The three bisoneers!!!
	Dianne and Mackie survey the bison trying to determine age, sex, and activity while Kel records the data.
	Duhhh duh duh duhhhhhh! Here are the bison that we observed all of today. We really were much closer than this picture makes it seem. There were a lot of bison... a truly amazing sight.
	So here we all are hiking through Death Canyon...no one died. Take that Death Canyon! HA! The hike was a little under a total of 4 miles long. Thank goodness for Cross Country training!
	Lynda and Maggie pose at a break on our scenic hike.
	This erratic rock overlooking the Phelps Lake was dragged down the mountain by glaciers and now overlooks the magnificent lake.
	After about a mile and a half of hiking, everyone ate lunch at Phelps Lake. The lake's borders are morraines left by glaciers.
	With our cognitive forces combined, we were able to put laminated paper on a string of yarn: "Geological Timeline Construction." Psh.
	This is a picture of the beaver dam we visited today.......in it resides a family of beavers and we caught one of the members in action!
	Dam--That is one gorgeous view. A little while after we were able to see the critter that made it. Or was it a paddling log...?