My Wonder Blog A UVM blog

For my final mini-project, I decided to create a google slides containing a collection of photos I took while out at my site: Riverbend Recreational Area located in Findlay, Ohio. Rather than confine myself to the smaller space I have previously been visiting, I decided to expand to all along the river trail where my site was located. Focusing only on photography, it challenged me more than ever before. I have always loved taking pictures of things while out in nature, but stopping to photograph every small interesting thing was a lot more work than I am used to doing! I had to be extremely observant, patient, quiet, and still. Every creak had my head turning; I definitely improved on keeping my head up/focused on my surroundings (rather than the ground) when walking, or else I would miss things. Regardless, it was extremely relaxing and actually very fun. The weather was perfect: I went around 9 AM so it was mid 70s and sunny with a slight breeze.

Creating a photo album type appeal on google slides was what I thought would be the best way to capture this location. Honestly, photography opened my eyes more to the beauty that surrounds my hometown: Ohio to me always feels drab and just farmland, but if you take the time to look around you will notice some really neat things! I used to visit this location often as a kid, but coming here now has given me a much deeper appreciation and awe of the beauty here.

Here is the google slides link:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1aMu7srHeWVlm5cSYYh5lqTX9o_t3KNL7IJU2hgar5bk/edit?usp=sharing

Riverbend Recreational Area, Findlay, Ohio

Today was much noisier/active than any of the other times I have visited this site. I heard many different birds chirping/singing: red winged blackbirds, cardinals, blue jays, common grackles, song sparrows, indigo bunting, a great crested flycatcher, robins, and even a red-tailed hawk. I also heard many squirrels and saw two chasing each other and chatting a little aggressively. There were many different bugs I heard flying around me. I even spotted a fish jump out of the river! I have not seen any fish at all swimming around since I have visited: the river is not the cleanest so I did not realize that many fish were in there. On my walk to my site, I also spotted a doe and her fawn, which was the first time seeing them there and was a lovely surprise. Unfortunately they were too far away to get any good shots but I still attempted. I think that because I came earlier in the day that it was much more active; all of my other visits have been a little bit later in the day. Weather may also have contributed, for it was the nicest weather thus far in my visits.

The weather today was extremely sunny: 83 degrees Fahrenheit and only a few clouds. It felt very hot and dry.

Nature Mystery: Why are birds noisier/more active in the earlier hours of the day?

After doing some small research, birds are often heard more in the morning because they are awake and looking for food to start their day. Males may be noisy for mating purposes, loudly chirping in search for a mate (during mating season). Many birds are also warming up their vocal chords at the start of the day, which is why so many can be heard.

As I was taking photos, it made me actually look more at different plants and species to see what interesting details I could find. Rather than focus on small, drawable items like last blog, I instead focused more on things to photograph that I could not pick up or take with me. It gave me an even deeper appreciation for all of the processes involved with making the site the way it is today. Overall, today’s site visit was the most intriguing, for the many bird sounds and animals I saw (for once more than mainly bugs) and the thriving plants made it very enjoyable in the sunny weather.

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.

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

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.

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:

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).

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.

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.