Microcosms in the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden

I have many pictures of the botanical garden already, but it really is one of my favorite places on campus. A few of us in some mechanical engineering labs took a "field trip" to the gardens as a way to get some sunshine and socializing. This was my first time really testing out my iPhone 6 camera, and I'm pretty happy with how the pictures turned out.

Microcosms -- I put particular focus on the greenhouses.

First stop was the carnivorous plants, ferns, and bromeliads.

Probably the only picture taken outdoors.

Tropical house.

Arid house.

These two require a bit of explanation. I was looking for plants in the Echeveria family because the mechanical engineering building on campus is Etcheverry Hall. We found a few of them, but these were some more interesting ones.

I always enjoy a trip to the garden in spite of the >1 mile walk uphill/through the woods to get to it from campus. We didn't have time to look through the native California garden or the redwood grove, but it was a great social event.

And forecasting: I'm heading to Orlando for my first academic conference (Orthopaedic Research Society annual meeting) this week and am absolutely excited and grateful. I'm planning on doing zero schoolwork while I'm away, go no-contact with the Berkeley Free Clinic, and focus only on working on my code for lab. Because I'm starting to more seriously consider orthopedic surgery as a specialty (now that I've actually gotten into medical school), immersing myself in all facets of research in that field, talking with other students, researchers, surgeons, and vendors will be the main focus of this trip. I'm rattling with excitement.