Week 6:
Decompressing in Nature: A post-midterm blog
Day after a very windy and rainy night, around 12:30pm in the afternoon, currently raining, and temperature in the low 50s.
Noticing Phenological Changes: Every week I see more and more leaves and needles on the ground. This is the most obvious of all the changes at my nature spot because it is the fall season, and we have been getting lots of harsher weather recently. However, I have noticed that there are many, many more needles on the ground and I assume that is due to the weather. Many of the ground plants, for instance this ivy-like one on the fallen tree- have been slowly disappearing.
This directly above (left) is what the tree used to look like (week 1) compared to the directly above, right hand picture in week 6.
The pictures below illustrate close up, and from a distance the phenological changes I mentioned above, with the increased number of needles and leaves covering the ground, leaves, and tree branches.
PLANT: It shoots up out of the earth as if someone asked it to be there right then. You can't quite see the life inside of this organism but you can sense that it has its own specific timeline, separate from the rest of surrounding life, yet somehow through where it comes through the earth with a purpose and a job.
BIRD: A strange noise comes from somewhere within the trees around me. It is almost impossible to understand where, why and how this noise has flew through the trees for me to hear. These moments when this noise graces my ears is amazing because it confirms for me that life is up there somewhere and not just the trees itself.
CREEK: I can hear it, I can feel it, I can smell it, I could taste it, I can feel it, confirming to me that it is there and it is alive in some form. Nothing is to say whether or not this constantly moving thing has more purpose than it shows on it's surface. For it flows and runs with purpose and desire like a living thing. It's purpose is not clearly evident and one has to study what happens on top, within, and on the bottom of this part of nature to figure its life goals.
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/cmmaylor
Cassie Maylor
