Environmental Sample

The very first step of the Tiny Earth research flow is to collect your Environmental Sample. To create an entry of this type, visit My Entries, click "Add New Entry," then click "+ Environmental Sample."

Use This Entry to Record

Conditions under which your sample was collected
Distinctive features of your sample
Private Donor Form if the sample was collected on privately owned land

Required Information

Nickname: A name for the sample, no more than 20 characters. A good nickname is short and captures what is important for your hypothesis about the sample's location, features, and/or conditions it was collected under
Date: The date the sample was collected
Location: The exact location the sample was collected. For best precision, use your phone to record your exact longitude and latitude while you are collecting your sample

Use Negatives for Southern and Western Hemispheres

The location 43.0730849 N, 89.4086011 W is the location of Tiny Earth HQ. However, it would be entered as 43.0730849,-89.4086011 into the database, with the second number negative and no N or W. This is because Soutern hemispheres (the first number, or Latitude) and Western hemispheres (the second number, or Longitude) are represented in our system by negatives, not by a S or W label.

Sample Type: The type of environmental sample, such soil, water, or so on. In almost all cases you will leave this as "Soil" by default, but your instructor may have you change this if you are working with other kinds of samples.
Private Donor Form: If your sample was collected on privately owned land, you must show that you had permission to collect the sample. To do this, upload a copy of the signed Private Donor Form to your entry. If your sample was not collected on privately owned land, then skip this field

Optional Information

Site Description: Provide details of the soil, weather, and other conditions affecting the tested site. See your professor for clarification on what details should be included.
Air Temperature and Air Humidity: The temperature (in Celsius) and the humidity of the weather at the time your sample was collected. In most cases, students use their phones to record these weather conditions while collecting their samples
Sample Temperature and Sample pH: The temperature (in Celsius) of the sample at the time it was collected and the pH of the sample measured in the lab. For best precision, bring a thermometer with you as you collect your sample, and follow your instructor's instructions to test the pH of the sample in your course's lab
Soil Type, Depth, and Water Content: The type of soil, the depth the sample was collected from it, and the water content in the soil at the time it was collected. Only enter these if your Sample Type is "Soil." To determine the Soil Type, you may follow a soil texture by feel guide or use your instructor's method. For best precision to measure Depth, bring a ruler with you as you collect your sample. And follow your instructor's instructions to weigh the water content of your soil in your course's lab

Suggestions for "Additional Notes"

TODO