Time- 5:30-6:18

89 degrees Fahrenheit

 

This blog is a bit different from my last one. One, because I found a better, more biologically diverse sit-spot and two, I was able to tune in to a greater capacity because of this fact. I liked this spot a lot more because there was so much more to take in and really capture.  My sit spot is in front of the creek, between two sycamore trees. North, relative to me, is of course the creek, and on the adjacent side are more trees and lush green vegetation. There’s also a highway that runs past my sit-spot since I am so close to the entrance. Behind me, is a field that leads back to DANA.

This sit spot is better because it’s a good way away from my dorm so I wouldn’t be tempted to leave early. I also thought that it was better immersed and represented the different ecological identities that existed on campus. There’s a body of water, a large field of grass, trees, and multiple sources of vegetation that provide different sources for life. I figured that if I studied these, I could apply my knowledge to other areas and use it to study other ecosystems.

During my tune-in time, the first thing I noticed was the branches of a willow tree dancing over the top of the creek. It sorts of looked like a girl with her head flipped over, gathering her hair to tie into a ponytail. I also noticed how much lusher the grass looked on this part of campus, and how it grew taller closer to the creek. Unlike last time, the ground was covered in leaves. Without the occasional gust of wind here and there, the air felt relatively still. The heat sat heavy like a blanket and the humidity slowly seeped through. My skin felt like it grew another layer since the sweat stuck to me with such viscosity. As a result of this, there were bugs everywhere. I didn’t know it at the time, but mosquitos were feasting on me. There were also dragonflies and bees buzzing past my ears and sending shivers down my spine.

Despite so much activity, there was one noise that was unmistakable. Birds! I like to think that the ones I heard calling from the west were crows. I also saw many birds flying overhead, but they looked like tiny black specks in the sky. The occasional squirrel also many an appearance, disrupting the tree line and causing even more leaves to fall to the ground. Speaking of trees, most of them were almost completely bare unlike before, when the leaves still looked somewhat green and alive. Like I said before in my last blog post, the air smelled moist. Probably because of all the humidity and wet earth. It was almost comforting. The sky was dark and swollen. I was under the impression that it would begin raining last my last entry, but to my surprise, it stayed dry until the next day.

I decided to study a fallen tree branch, a blue lobelia flower, and the water levels on the creek. For the fallen tree branch, I figured I could note any discrepancies or erosion since it’s nestled in its own little hole that the creek runs through. For the lobelia flower, I could study the changes in its plant as we head into winter. As for the creek, I feel it’s self-explanatory, since changes in its level can directly affect the area around it.