Laura; Sit-Spot Blog Post #1

Laura Wampler

Group B (2020)

Location; Hollins Campus

Direction; 314° NW

37° 21’ 26’’ N 79° 56’ 33” W

1040FT Elevation

Arrived: 9:10PM

Departed: 11:33PM

It took me several days to select my sit-spot. At first, I was anxious about where I would go; The perfectionist in me spent hours overthinking. I needed somewhere with a lot to look at, things to follow, but not too much that I was overwhelmed. Somewhere not too far but not too close. Somewhere quiet but also somewhere full of wildlife. After days of thinking, I finally caved in and returned to the stream; I sat on the bridge for over an hour just staring into the water and watching the dance of the tiny insects across the surface. I believe there is something about the water that draws me to it and I was unable to resist. The variation of what it can be; Sometimes, after it rains, it is a heavy flow, taking leaves and debris from the bank with it. Other times, it is still and nonmoving; and that is when you can really see how many lifeforms take haven within the water. 

The first time I visited, it was nighttime and already raining. I forgot to take pictures as I was busy writing within my journal and I am sure that I looked insane to anyone that wasn’t aware of what I was doing, sitting alone in the rain and staring off into the distance as if someone just broke my heart. It was all very melodramatic. I picked the side of the stream facing away from the road. From the bridge, I am able to see the winding stream and the canopy of trees that protect it from the sun and elements. There is a small dip within the stream that I believe is one of the only parts that really flows the water besides when there is a rise in water level. I know that the part I chose tends to be very tame. The blooming foliage along the streambank houses all sorts of different species of plants and even trees. It raises the question of how long the stream has been there or taken to form, as the plant life is so healthy; one of the main things to help prevent flooding is a flourishing bank. Branches and roots of trees are also hitting the water. There is a small landmass, visible (for now) in the pictures, that is scattered with different types of sediment. I am terrible with plant and tree names so I am unable to name any of the plants, but I am sure this will change over the semester.

As for the experience, the air didn’t even smell good the first time I visited; I believe it was something to do with the wet grass and soil. However, the second time I visited (To take pictures and sit for a while) the predominant smell was the earth and plants. It has been a while since I have had the chance to really sit outside in nature somewhere not surrounded by buildings, so just smelling the plant life, water, and soil was really nice. The nighttime visit was very, very loud. The cicadas were screaming and when you mix that with crickets and the inevitable sound of traffic it can be a little difficult to concentrate. I have lived in VA my entire life so the sound of the cicadas really was nothing new, but the experience of really sitting and listening to them was. One of the most exciting parts was seeing the lightning bugs make an appearance. They were probably the most magical part, as they just floated in the air, bouncing between plants and branches. The rain stopped about halfway through, leaving me with the stars for a little while. The second visit, however, was overshadowed by heavy clouds and the sun peeking through. 

As for the three things that I have chosen to follow, I tried to pick things that would be easy to watch change. It was a bit difficult due to the fact that I wanted to choose things that would take years to really see (The stream becoming larger, more trees growing, etc.). I finally settled on 1) A tree along the streambank that I believe is infected, as Dr Gleim explained to us during the first lab the signs of infection. Obviously, there is a LARGE chance that I am wrong because I hardly know what I am talking about most of the time. I noticed that it had branches sprouting from the bottom half near the trunk, which was mentioned to be an effort for the tree to save itself as it works from the top down. It looked odd to me. Secondly 2), I chose this cute little purple plant. I wanted to see how long the flower blooms would stick around, especially because we are on the cusp of changing seasons. And lastly 3), I chose this little growing plant/tree. It is right beside the water, and I am wondering how it will look during the colder months, and interested in its resilience. If we are hit by a large storm of some sort, will it be alright? Probably, due to the shrouding of the canopy.

Overall, I am very excited to spend more time in my sit-spot, and hope that I will be able to see a lot of change throughout the semester. It is a very serene environment to be in. I have attached my very poorly drawn sketch of my sit spot (Scribbles are not accurate descriptions of plants. Please forgive me. Also the circles are supposed to be insects/rain hitting the water. Thanks for trying to make sense out of it.)