Blog Post 1 Serena Lytton

  I chose my sit spot next to the creek at Hollins because being a commuter student and having a fulltime job I’m always on the go. When I was tryng to decide where my sit spot should be, a few things came to mind. the first thing I though of was where I would actually be able to go and have time to go and sit for a long period of time. Secondly, I had trouble debating on if I wanted it close to my apartment, my moms house, or school. I decided it would be best for me to do it at school to have less distractions. My final thought about my sit spot was I really wanted it to be in a place I dont know much about.

My sit spot is right on the creek near the soccer field, its covered by some trees and has beautiful grass all around it. While I was sitting there I noticed a lot of birds singing, and a few squirrles playing. The area overall seems to be thriving, tall green grass, and big beautiful trees. I did not find many animals to identify. Looking at all the trees around me, I noticed some Sycamore Trees and what I believe to be Ash Trees. As I was sitting there, I took some time to really relax and just observe. I started to notice the different colors, shapes, and sizes of all the different plants and trees. This made me think about how diverse every environment is in a situation. For example, I saw some ants living among beetles and squirrels living in the same trees as birds. Watching the animals thrive with each other made me think that humanity can put aside their differences and least be sociable and possible neighbors.

Sitting there for what felt like was an eternity, I heard cars, people, bugs flying, and water moving. I felt the grass under my hands and the length and texture of it. I decided to not sit on a blanket or a chair while I was there  (later regretting it), I wanted to be a part of the environment and sit directly on the ground. The grass was cold, wet and very itchy. I was very cold sitting there, and wanted to leave within the first thirty minutes. I was very glad I stayed, I saw the birds sitting right next to a squirrel, and ants working together to move food. Overall it was very rewarding to sit and wait it out.

The three things I will be following over the course of the semester starts with a baby seedling. The second thing I will be following is the hollowing of a tree. The last thing I will be following is what looks like a tree dying, I hope to watch the seedling survive through the Winter. With the hollowing of a tree, I hope to seee some life left in the tree and how animals adapt to the changing environment. With the dying tree, I hope to watch how it affects the animal habits and how the tree prepares for Winter.

From my sit spot, I hope to see and learn more about the ecosystem prepare for the winter ahead and be able to keep up with the animals that live there. Also, I hope to find out how everything in the environment plays apart with one another. I felt peace, relaxation, and less stressed sitting there. It gave me a period of time to not worry about the world around me and just focus on listening and observing. overall I felt good with my fist sit spot session, I hope it will give me a time to wind down and focus on something other than school and work.