a)    My name is Sudipta Sureshbabu and I am currently a sophomore at Brooklyn College, majoring in Chemistry and Spanish. I have a huge passion for research but I also aspire to become a doctor. I hope to one day be able to research cures of diseases as well as help treat my patients for these diseases.

b)   We all are aware that it is because science that our world and universe are able to function holistically. Every biological and physical aspect of human nature can be attributed to some field of science. For example, our bodies are composed of cells, which contain atoms and electrons and so on. However, these are all facts that we’ve absorbed from textbooks. In this class I am looking forward to learning about informal science and the ways in which others perceive and incorporate science into their own daily lives. I am excited to be learning about science no longer from a textbook but from other mediums that we will discover in class.

c)  and  d) During the BioBlitz, I was assigned to the bat team. Our group were able to see 3 bats. Two were big brown bats and the third one was the silver-haired bat. One of the researchers showed us the wings of the bat and we were able to observe the pattern on the wings. The researcher also told us about a recent illness, the white-nose syndrome, which has been killing off species bats. Through this bioblitz, we were able to see the biodiversity of Central Park and able to understand the importance of maintaining this biodiversity.

d)   This activity heightens our knowledge about the biodiversity we have in New York City. The city is home to many living creatures and this activity allows students to become aware of the other organisms in their environment. We learn to appreciate nature and also realize that it is important that we must preserve it, so that these species can live on and reproduce for many more years.

e)    The BioBlitz activity was a very unique experience. I was able to see bats up close and examine their physical structure. I also came to realization that New York City is filled with tons of biodiversity and its important to know about the species that inhabit our back yard.