Hi all. i'm not exactly feeling great right now as I went on a 15 mile backpacking trip in Uwaharrie National Forest. It was 9 degrees Fahrenheit, which is pretty cold! Pair that with the wind and it made it sort of miserable. Two summers from now, I am going to have to do that distance times five when I go to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. There really wasn't that much that we did this week except for one BIG lab. The bio-dome. A three litter bottle high tower made up of clear plastic soda bottles, potting soil, randomly assorted twigs and leaves, and crickets, earthworms, shrimp, and snails. Paired with the plants in the habitat, the bio-dome is a self-sustaining ecosystem, which is really cool! It even waters itself through evaporation and condensation. Each level serves a different purpose. The top level is the terrarium level. It houses the twigs and leaves as well as the earthworms and crickets. The second level is the evaporation condensation level. This is how the top level is watered and how water falls into the aquarium giving it nutrients from the soil above. The bottom level is the aquarium level. It houses the most water as well as two pieces of elodea, a water plant, and shrimp and snails.The one problem is the shrimp in the aquarium level are suicidal.