9/15/19 10:00Am-10:46AM

In all honesty it took me a long while deciding where I would like my sit-spot to be. I wanted it to be somewhere with multiple aspects that were likely to change with the seasons. I eventually decided on a spot across the bridge over Carvin’s Creek that opened up to a small clearing that was lined with tall trees from the NW to the SE. On the edges of the clearing that were unlined with trees was a row of purple wildflowers that caught my attention. ‘Why are these flowers only in this specific line and not anywhere else about the clearing?’ And even amidst the single line of purple flowers was a lone yellow flower. ‘Now I thought the first was weird, but this single plant peaked my interests.’

As it is mid-September, the majority of the vegetation in the area still holds a vibrant green hue. Despite this, littered on the ground was a light sprinkle of fallen leaves from the surrounding trees. With the start of autumn coming shortly, I expect the leaf coverage to be denser during my upcoming visits.

As for what I heard during my first experience: there was a lot. From a steady hum of crickets to the gentle rustle of the breeze brushing threw the tall grasses, there was an abundance of different sounds in my area. One in particular that caught my attention was a group of birds calling nearby. It seemed as though they were hidden in a bush behind me towards the SE. Their calls were short, piercing and clear, but not in a shrill kind of way. It went on for a few minutes and ended shortly after a cry of the same kind was heard several hundred feet away towards the North.

During my time there, I was completely relaxed. Before this assignment was introduced, I already enjoyed separating myself from the distractions and filters that consume our everyday lives in order to embrace the simplicity of nature. Besides feeling relaxed, I felt, especially after, energized and excited for what more I was to discover.

From my first sit-spot experience, I decided to follow the changes of the single yellow flower, a long blade of grass that was oddly far away from the rest, and a tree (as specified in my sketch). I chose these items because they were some of the first things that caught my attention once I sat down, and. I kept diverting my attentions towards them from time to time.

Overall, my first ecology blog-spot experience was honestly very fun and relaxing, and I am excited to continue this experience 🙂 .