lokakuu 22, 2020

Chestnut Hill Fall Nature Walk: 10/21/2020

On Wednesday, October 21 I went for a nature walk at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. After completing my first nature walk at the Res earlier in September, it was fascinating to come back and observe how the passing of seasons has affected the biodiversity. For example, I maple tree I took a photo of was a textbook example of the gradient of foliage in the fall: leaves going from light green to deep red. I was also able to make an observation of a bee landing on an Indian Blanket flower. This made me think about what we learned this week about the success of the insect group. The example also made me wonder what bees who pollinate flowers do in the winter seasons.

Julkaistu lokakuu 22, 2020 05:26 IP. käyttäjältä thompsuk thompsuk | 5 havaintoa | 0 kommenttia | Jätä kommentti

lokakuu 13, 2020

Plant Nature Walk: Skinner State Park

For this week's nature walk, I decided to take advantage of Indigenous People's Day weekend to visit Western Massachusetts and hike Mt. Skinner. While walking through the beautiful foliage, I was able to observe several types of plants: mosses, flowers, and fungi. My observations encapsulate 2 of the 4 major groups of land plants: angiosperms and nonvascular plants. Something that struck me while in nature was the sheer variety of each type of land plant. The forest was dominated by angiosperms and gymnosperms, which makes sense considering their evolutionary success. It is also notable how crucial nature reserves like Skinner State Park are to preserving the biodiversity of plant life in the Western Mass region.

Julkaistu lokakuu 13, 2020 08:51 IP. käyttäjältä thompsuk thompsuk | 5 havaintoa | 0 kommenttia | Jätä kommentti

lokakuu 8, 2020

Pine Tree Reserve and Reservoir Nature Walk

My nature walk on October 8, 2020 was focused on the theme of fungi in the ecosystem near Boston College. Although I was not able to find many examples of fungi in the netural ecosystem, I was able to observe some of the processes that mirror the role of fungi in nature. For example, I was able to see the process of decomposition in different stages, especially the example of an apple decomposing. I saw the roles of insects and fungi working together to perform this essential function. This symbiotic relationship I also saw in the example of ivy growing on an oak tree. Reading about protists and fungi this week left me able to contemplate the interconnectedness of nature, even in the ecosystems around BC.

Julkaistu lokakuu 8, 2020 08:09 IP. käyttäjältä thompsuk thompsuk | 6 havaintoa | 0 kommenttia | Jätä kommentti

lokakuu 1, 2020

Nature Walk 1: Oct 1, Chestnut Hill Reservoir

For my first nature walk, I walked along the Chesnut Hill Reservoir on the afternoon of 10/1/2020. The weather was 75 degrees and sunny, an ideal environment for scouting the local wildlife of the greater Boston area. The Res is known for having lots of local waterfowl, and sure enough, my first observation led me to the sighting of a Mute Swan or Cygnus Olor. There were several on the res today, and the presence of the geese and swan led me to wonder when they would be migrating for the winter. I then did some research on the migration patterns of the geese and swans I observed and was surprised to learn that mute swans do not migrate in the colder months when geese migrate South. When looking out for examples of fungi, I mostly looked at the bark of trees and the surfaces of rocks. There I found many examples of moss and lichen, which I noticed that exist on various surfaces. This suggested to me that lichen must be able to withstand a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions. My observations of squirrels and chipmunks noted their behaviors: primarily eating and creating habitats. For example, I noticed squirrels and chipmunks feeding on nuts, which to me was an indication of their preparation for the winter.

Julkaistu lokakuu 1, 2020 07:22 IP. käyttäjältä thompsuk thompsuk | 0 kommenttia | Jätä kommentti

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