Archive for June, 2023

30 Jun

Entry #2: Thursday, June 29; 2:15-3:15 pm

Posted by Abigail Harjala in Uncategorized.

Riverbend Recreational Area, Findlay, OH.

Located along the river here, a small area contains tons of dead logs, twigs, leaves, etc; layer upon layer contains this organic matter. There are also many nuts, remnants of corn, small, sprouting plants, spider webs, and what looks to be animal-made holes (I am assuming many species have began to reside here in all of this matter). The spot looks quite untouched and dry so my best guess is that it has been here for quite some time, without any large disturbances having been in the area recently. I spotted many smaller bugs: beetles, flies, dragonflies, ants, and spiders. I sat there long enough for them to start crawling over me. I peered into a large hole in a log on the ground and saw a daddy long leg spider and ants making their way in. It was quite interesting to observe this small area of habitat but I wished that I could see what all was actually beneath the organic matter.

Small area of habitat I observed.

The weather here today was very hot and humid; 83 degrees Fahrenheit and partly sunny.

Photo of the log with the large hole.

Unknown Species: I noticed this plant (pictured below) stretching along the trail near the river. The plant itself feels dry and the “spikes” are hard and slightly sharp.

Carex grayi: Gray Sedge

Unknown species: Carex grayi, also known as Gray Sedge; I uploaded the photo above into Plant.id and got the species’ name.

*Seed heads of this species are often used in fresh or dried flower arrangements, which I had never noticed before, so I thought that was quite interesting.

Sketches I made while out in the site:

Sketch 1
Sketch 2
Sketch 3
Sketch 4

Overall, I found sketching relaxing and extremely helpful. Any object at first glance may not look like much, but once you really take a closer look, which I had to in order to sketch, there are many smaller details that can be noticed. Sketching helped open my eyes a little more to see all the parts and I find that fascinating. However, it was a little bit challenging at times sketching because of all the little details that could not be seen from farther away (from a normal perspective).

Next time I visit the site, I would like to remain in the little organic matter-filled habitat and take a closer look to see if I find any specific species living within (I want to poke around more but without disturbing the matter at the same time).

23 Jun

Wonder Blog Entry #1

Posted by Abigail Harjala in Uncategorized.

Entry #1: Friday, 23 June 2023, 11:30AM-12:30PM

Riverbend Recreation Area, Findlay OH.

The Riverbend Recreation Area is a small park filled with hiking trails, ponds, meadows, campsites, and other recreational activities. The weather today here was quite overcast and a little bit rainy. Everything was wet and it smelled very fresh. The location I was in had lots of coverage with many different grasses, trees, and shrubs. A lot of organic matter lay on the forest floor (twigs, dead trees, leaves, etc.). There was also a river near my site. Many birds could be heard but not as much seen, meanwhile I saw plenty of slugs, snails, spiders, dragonflies, and a raccoon.

Snail I found crawling along the trail.
Organic matter on the forest floor.
More organic matter and smaller plants growing.
Site which I did my observations/asked questions in.

Question I Researched: How does having a river in a woodland benefit the environment?

Having a river within a woodland habitat helps to prevent flooding and pollution. It can also aid in connecting habitats to each other that have been separated. The trees along the riverbank offer protection to the fish as they hide in the shade of tree branches or fallen logs and twigs. Many different animal species within the woodlands rely on fish and small aquatic organisms as a food source.

Woodland Trust. “Help Us Create More River Woodland.” Accessed 23 June 2023. Woodland Trust, www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/river-woodland/.

Questions I Asked Today:

How does lack of sunlight on the forest floor affect smaller, younger plants?

What is the difference between snails/slugs?

Where do some animals go when it rains?

What species come out in the rain?

How does a nearby river affect what resides?

What species live in the organic matter?

Why is so much organic matter present?

What species rely on the larger, dead trees?

How do smaller, underground species react to flooding?

Where are most species in woodlands located?

When are deer most active?

Do different species prefer different bark?

How does having a river in the woodland benefit the environment?

What kind of forestry (if any) occurs here?

Which moss grows on the trees/are there many different moss?

What lives in the many small holes in the ground?

How does time of day affect the presence of species?

What invasive species are here?

How do these invasive species alter the environment?

What is the most abundant food source here?

What bird species live in the woodlands vs wetlands?

Which trees are fungi most attracted to?

Why are some areas so grown in while other areas are more cleared?

When was the last time a disturbance changed the area?

How does rainfall affect the woodlands vs. where the river is located?

Overall, due to the rain I am assuming, I did not really observe many animal species other than smaller bugs/insects. It was wet and muddy in most of the parts I walked. Something that did catch my attention during my visit today was the river nearby the site. I did not take much time observing the area closer to this river, so in future visits I plan to more deeply observe the river area as well as woodland area at my site.

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