Laura Wampler
11-18-2020
Clear; 47°F
Arrived: 5:03PM
Departed: 6:22PM
I cannot believe that the first semester is almost over! Time went by so fast. As always, I procrastinated and did not visit my sit-spot until the day before it was due; it was pretty cold, but at least it wasn’t as windy as it has been the past few days. Overall, the weather was clear and it was my ideal day: cold, no clouds, and minimal winds. I love the colder seasons. Since my last sit-spot, it has definitely become a bit colder. I believe the water is also a little higher than it was during the 5th sit-spot. Compared to my first ever sit-spot, a lot has changed!
There is less foliage for sure. Things seem to be hit by the fall/winter months and have lost all of the green that used to surround the bank of the stream. This time around, I saw more of the stream and fewer plants. It was really weird to
see, a little, the way that it has changed so much since my first visit with how it looks now. It is so much more clearer
in terms of there not being algae and no plants to hide the water.
Just look at how different it looks! There used to be sooo much more to look at, honestly! I mean, I knew it was going to happen because fall exists, but it is still fun to know that I documented those changes. It was definitely a very interesting experience and brought me closer to the wildlife and gave me insight into the experiences I am able to have on campus revolving around nature. I am so lucky to have a university with such a pretty campus that isn’t destroyed with concrete and brick buildings. I would say that while it hasn’t particularly brought me closer to nature, it has allowed for a new appreciation for it. The way that nature doesn’t care about us; it has to keep doing what it is doing, preparing for the cold, protecting animals, growing and dying and we are lucky that we are here to experience that as well.
As for my three things, there are a few changes to report. Of course, the purple plant is still no longer easy to see because the blooms are gone. I wasn’t really sure what to take a picture of, so I just took a picture of the general area…
This is from my 2ND VISIT, where the plant is visible to see and I first chose it as a focus.
This is from my 6TH VISIT, where the plant originally was visible but is no longer.
The pictures are a bit different, but you can see how much the greenery has really changed during the fall.
This is from my 2ND VISIT, where the tree actually has leaves.
The tree, of course, has visible changes; including losing what little leaves it had!
This is from my 6TH VISIT, where the tree is leaf-less.
A change that I would like to point out is that where I can see the roots of the tree, I am able to see that it actually comes from out of the water, or at least is attached to the side of the stream. The base of the tree was wet!
Lastly, the infected tree is hard to see visible changes on; but they are still there. You can see in the picture taken during my 6th sit-spot that there are new branches growing higher and higher along the tree, as the bottom is still full.
This is from my 6TH VISIT, where you are able to see the way that the branches are continuing to grow up the tree in an effort to save it.
This is from my 2ND VISIT, where you are able to see the branches sprouting from the bottom of the beetle-infected tree.
I loved learning about how to identify this issue and will definitely take this with me. I find myself looking at all of the trees and seeing if they are also affected, as the branches are an easy tell!
Something that I wanted to share for my 6th post is how I finally had the chance to see some larger wildlife! I was so excited, as this is exactly what I would’ve wanted for the blog-post where we were actually instructed to find a little animal to talk about. There were four ducks in the water. I loved watching them! They always knew where to swim together and it was interesting that they knew the best places to go to get food, which was typically the edge of the stream. At one point, they were all moving and one stayed behind to find an extra snack; the others turned around to stare at him for a few seconds as if to say, “Come on, man!”. They were very cute. I enjoyed the one time that they stood onto the bank and I could see their little webbed-feet.
The four ducks visiting my (6th) sit-spot.
I would say that this is the coolest thing I experienced, as I missed seeing ducks when visiting the water back in my hometown. I used to feed them with my grandmother. For those of you who do not know (but I hope we all do), bread isn’t good for ducks and cereal isn’t either! It is far too sugary for them and bread has no nutritious value. Please be careful when feeding any sort of wildlife and make sure it is actually something that can sustain them if you are to feed them!
I believe I will remember in later years as an experience to catch up with nature and have a BREAK. It has definitely made me more conscious of my surroundings and the way that nature is constantly changing. I hope later on that I am able to see more and more changes, as I plan to visit my sit-spot regardless of if it is a class assignment anymore! To end this, I am going to attach the pictures from my first sit-spot and my last one side by side. It has been really cool seeing everyone’s posts. Stay safe and warm.
My sit-spot during my 6TH VISIT.
My sit-spot during my 1ST VISIT.
Your sit spot is GORGEOUS!! I loved the front on pictures. The changes were so cool to see and read about! I loved the duck picture, very cute. It seemed like a great spot to spend time in!!!
Wow!! I loved your in-depth explanations of how your sit-spot has changed over the semester! You chose a very lovely spot by the creek, it looked so warm and vibrant during your early sit spots. Also, I’m so glad you got to see the ducks! I saw them one day as well, and I think they were so pretty and thought they were a perfect addition to Carvins Creek. Awesome job!
You explained how your sit spot changed really well and it made me think of ways to improve my own blog post!! I’m so super glad that you got to see the creek throughout the year, it’s so pretty.
Seeing the pictures of the stream and the bank side by side between seasons is so cool! It’s interesting how much has changed just in a few months as some of the plants and shrubs have died back to prepare for the cold. The ducks are also super cute and it’s a shame they didn’t visit the oyster pond while I was observing.