For my third field note observations I went to Government Island in Stafford. The park is focused on a lake and has some wooded walking trails and backs up into the Aquia Harbor sub-division. I had been to the park many times previously, so I knew the two best locations for doing my field work observations. I took notes between 12-2 on 2/20/17 and thought it would be interesting to note the parks use on a holiday weekend to see if on average the park received more or less use, and by whom. In my previous experiences, the park was used most by walkers/joggers of all ages equally and busiest in the spring between the 12-2 time period on the weekends.
I took notes at the main entrance to keep track of the cars going/coming, and then in the middle of the park where it faces the lake. I thought this would give me the most accurate count and description of users. The age, demographics, and park uses matched my predictions.
Field Notes:
Weather: 69, sunny & clear
Adult Men 35+: 8
Adult Women 35+:11
Kids 10&under: 6
Teens/Young Adults <25: 6
Cars: 5
White Men: 7
Asian Men: 1
White Women: 9
Asian Women: 1
Black Women: 1
Unknown Race: 2
Observed Uses: Running/Walking, Kids playing in water and on rocks, walking on wooded trails