November 28, 2022

4th Nature Walk

For my final nature walk I decided to do it at my home in rural Maryland in order to see and record varying plants/animals from the ones in Massachusetts. Because it is almost December and the weather is getting colder, it was difficult to find many insects. However, I was able to find some very large black beetles (horned passalus beetles) in our firewood pile as well as stink bugs that frequent the indoors in the colder months. In addition, I found an eastern gray squirrel, which was not uncommon since my house is located in a very wooded area. Beyond that, the most interesting living things I could find in the forest were fungus (asian beauty) growing on tree stumps and an odd looking film growing on top of the stream water where a tree had blocked its flow. This film was recognized by iNaturalist as "genus arcella", which is a kind of freshwater free-living amoeboid protist. While this definitely could be something else (inaturalist is just a hypothesis since I was unable to take a close up picture of a single amoeba), it was interesting to see such varying kinds of life, even in the cold. The forest I was in is also home to a huge number of deer and birds, but I was unable to get a picture of either during my walk. Unlike looking for plants on a walk, searching for insects and animals was a much more challenging and time consuming task. I had to walk further and look in more remote and quiet places for small animals that may have been hidden. With adaptations such as flight, speed, camouflage, and more, animals and insects are better adapted to avoid potential predators (which, in this situation would be me).

Posted on November 28, 2022 08:21 PM by boussyk boussyk | 5 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

October 18, 2022

Nature Walk #3

On my third nature walk I tried to find organisms that I had not previously documented on either of my other walks. The weather was nice, slightly cool and damn as it had previously rained this morning. Our focus was on plants, specifically plats from each of the 4 main groups, Bryophyta, Polypodiopsida Gymnosperms, and Angiosperms. For the Bryophyta group I found moss, or Boulder Broom Moss, which was probably named like that as I found it growing on a rock. For the polypodiopsida group I found ferns, or Dennstaedtia. For gymnosperms I found a Red Pine tree and a Paper Birch tree. Finally, for angiosperms I found Blanketflowers, White Wood Asters, and a few other leafy flowering plants. I did not have a hard time finding a plant from any category, which emphasises the community nature of all of these groups living alongside each other. Had I stayed for longer I could've probably found even more plants for each group, as they are extremely numerous. Overall, I had a good final nature walk and may continue to go on my own.

Posted on October 18, 2022 08:53 PM by boussyk boussyk | 11 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

October 5, 2022

2nd Nature Walk

For my second nature walk I decided to return to the same general area that I walked last time because I had remembered there being lots of fungi. I walked around the wooded area slightly behind the trail to the reservoir. It was rainy, wet, and muddy, but I was able to find seven different kinds of fungi. Most of them I found growing along tree trunks, both dead and living, and the others I found at the base of trees or on rocks. I was surprised by the colors of the fungi, as most of them were more colorful than any of the surroundings plants, which were either brown or turning brown. While everything else has started dying with fall/winter coming, the fungi seemed to be doing fine, and I could've probably found even more examples if I had stayed out longer. This walk reminded me of alpha, beta, and gamma diversity as I was able to clearly note the differences in diversity based on what area I was walking. Generally, biodiversity increased the father away you get from the road or the man-made trails.

Posted on October 5, 2022 07:35 PM by boussyk boussyk | 7 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

September 30, 2022

First Nature Walk

For the first nature walk, I decided to go walk around the reservoir and see what I could find. On the way there I found the most adorable community garden for Chestnut Hill. I had no idea there was one so close to campus, and it was so fun to walk around. I didn't take any pictures here however, as everything was cultivated (planted). I kept walking and found some trails that led behind the reservoir, which put me in the forest but still able see the water. I did most of my observations here. I tried to find colorful plants to document, but that was a little difficult considering how cold it has been getting with fall coming. I still managed to find a few bright flowers, along with some different kinds of ivy and mushrooms. During the walk I was able to make connections with class material, specifically with Aristotle's "scale of nature". Though it wasn't perfect, he was the first to organize information hierarchically. That method of thinking was obvious visible even in a short walk, as you can clearly tell what kinds of plants/organisms look the most simple versus those that seem to have increasing complexity. Overall, I had a nice time on my walk and found some interesting things.

Posted on September 30, 2022 07:46 PM by boussyk boussyk | 8 observations | 0 comments | Leave a comment

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