STEM / Technology

The Soil-Jar Study tests how recycled cardboard liners, daily humidity pulses, and simple amendments support microbial activation in jars that will eventually grow plants. Its core questions focus on how liner type shapes fungal growth, whether regular humidity cycles improve visible activity, and how low-cost additions like coffee grounds or pine-cone fragments influence pH and moisture retention.

To explore these points, I prepared six glass jars with specific liner and amendment combinations and used a basic humidifier with a hygrometer to track environmental changes related to early microbial responses. The study uses consumer-grade tools and an accessible workflow so that any home researcher can reproduce the method. The full project moves through several stages including calibration, humidity cycling, amendment testing, soil preparation, and microbial-growth assessment to build a practical, low-cost protocol for revitalizing indoor soil.

Currently, my avian research focuses on trust dynamics and micro-social behaviors among Great-tailed Grackles and Rock Pigeons in the desert Southwest, United States. I study these birds’ flight and trust behaviors, specifically, how they signal comfort or caution, and how flock structure shifts around food, temperature, and daily movement cycles. Much of this work comes from recurring field encounters where the same birds recognize me, sometimes even feeding directly from my hand. By mimicking vocalizations and posture shifts, I am learning about the intricacies of bird communication.