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Wonder Blog Mini Project

By alpelkey

Monday, July 11, 2022 – 7:32 pm

When I arrived this evening it was later than my other visits because I was coming straight from work after a very long day. Arriving here with the beautiful scenery I was glad to spend some time in a more relaxed place that I have come to truly love. The blue skies were turning softer shades as orange and golden hues danced across the sky. The breeze was gentle and there were a couple of bugs out. It was still lovely and warm at this later hour.

For my mini-project, I have chosen to draw my own map of the Horseshoe Bend Natural Area. I noted some of my favorite places and some of the various ecosystems that I mentioned a lot throughout my visits to this site. I chose to do this sketch project because when I initially did the other sketch project for my second wonder blog I was very uncomfortable with my sketching skills. I wanted to push myself a slight bit to get better with this project and hopefully become more comfortable with a skill that I wasn’t as used to. I knew that the idea of creating a map seemed less intimidating than trying to make a real-life rendering of an object. Additionally, because I took a map-making course last semester I felt more comfortable trying to tackle something in that genre. I tried to use some simple things we learned from that sketching lab exercise to help my sketch, like making little arrows for the forested area before coloring over it to differentiate forest and meadow ecosystems.

Map of Horseshoe Bend Natural Area

1 – The Large Rock: is an excellent place to sit and observe and one of the most profound swimming areas at Horseshoe Bend Natural Area. This is the location where the sign about fishing for rainbow trout is located. On one side of this rock is a very deep pool of water and on the other is a muddy shallow area that doesn’t frequently see water unless heavy rainfall affects the flow of the river.

2 – The Pebble Beach: My personal favorite spot. After a short walk through forest and meadows you arrive here and can wade in; also a great place for dogs to swim. My husky always enjoyed going with me and cooling off. The river also widens at this location and opposite this pebble beach, you can see where numerous landslides occurred.

3 – Field Ecosystem: Large expanses of fields that are an absolutely wonderful habitat for many bird species and wildflowers. Most of the wildflowers I took photos of were in this field or on the edges of it. On my last visit this evening the Black-eyed Susans were blooming in full force and coloring the edge of the fields a vibrant yellow.

4 – Forest Ecosystem: Primarily made up of sugar maples and hemlock, and other tree species, this ecosystem provides a good home for many species like foxes, owls, and is where I located many snails crawling up sides of trees. It is also where I photographed many bark samples, some of which made it into the final photos that I added to my last wonder blog entry.

5 – Parking lot: This location was where I primarily parked upon arriving although there is extra parking further down the road. This was the location where most of the trash or things left behind by visitors ended up. Everything from towels to bathing suits to car keys were observed here over my visits to this site.

Wonder Blog: Part 3

By alpelkey

July 4, 2022 – 3:00 pm

Today the weather was very sunny with only a few puffy white clouds in the sky. It was about 72 and there was a soft breeze at some points during my exploration of the Horseshoe Bend Natural Area.

When I initially arrived today it was clear that this was the place to be; especially with young children. I think that the shallow water for the kids and deeper pools for the parents made this an ideal place for them to cool off on the holiday weekend. Additionally, I think it was because of the large number of people that I also observed far larger numbers of trash that are left behind by its visitors. However, it was not just trash there were numerous flip-flops left behind on a tree stump near the parking area. Another thing that I began to notice as I continued to walk down the trail was the change in wildflowers that were present in the area. The last time that I was here, only a couple of days prior were the red trillium, yet now most of them had lost their color and were beginning to decompose, while the three leaves that are a dark emerald green around the flower remained healthy and thriving. The new flowers that were blooming looked similar to Queen Anne’s lace but still had unique differences as these were more spindly and not as compact in the number of flowers on the end of the stem. It also appeared as though the water level wasn’t as high as when I had been previously and I figured this was likely due to the rain that came through the morning before I visited last time.

Natural History Mystery…

When I got to the site today I was on the lookout for anything peculiar and I found it in this plant. It was in a group of green plants but for some unknown reason, its leaves and only its leaves looked like a banana gone bad. It made me wonder if those in charge of maintaining the health of this area used pesticides to get rid of plants that are invasive or unhealthy for this natural area. What I ended up finding when I returned home was that the town of Huntington does in fact use some sort of action to mitigate invasive species, according to the Huntington Town Plan available for the public to see. However, this isn’t conclusive since I don’t know if this particular plant is invasive or if there is another reason behind the plant displaying this leaf discoloration.

Little Yellow Flower
I chose this subject because I really liked how tiny this flower was and I wanted to use the leaves as not only a stark contrasting background but also for size comparison.

Red Clover
I really enjoy photographing flowers which is why I chose this subject. I also wanted to try to capture the small beetle that was trying to pollinate this flower which I was unsuccessful in doing in this particular photo. However, I did try to frame the clover right in the center of the photo and make sure it was in focus.

Field Ecosystem at Natural Area
I chose this composition because I really enjoyed the various shades of green that were present in this photo and then the contrast with the blue sky was so lovely. I also like how it gives a better understanding to people when I now reference the field area at Horseshoe Bend. The tree line also does a good job of separating the sections of the photo.

Tree Bark
The way that I took this photo was meant to try to be from the perspective of some of the snails that I see crawling around at this site. I also liked how I was able to bring some of the bark into focus so you could see the shapes and rough edges of it while also having the crack in the middle of the tree drawing your focus through the photo.

The edge of the pebbles

I took this photo from just above the water level so that hopefully you could see how gradual the incline from the pebble beach to the water is. I’m not sure if the composition of this photo is quite what I was hoping for because it was hard to crop the trees out of the background while also showing the flow of the rocks into the water. However, I do like the contrast and the shadows that are between the trees in the background.

As I took photos I began to notice how few songbirds were out because when I was planning on coming to photograph I had been hoping to capture some of them and yet they didn’t seem to be present. It didn’t really change my understanding of this site but it did make me curious as to if the increased human presence was impacting their regular behavior. I am hoping that next time when I visit I will be able to see them and see if I can compare the number of people present to their presence in the area. This process did have many similarities to sketching on the idea that you are trying your best to convey what is in front of you through various mediums. I personally found this much easier than sketching since I am not as gifted in that area, but I did certainly have challenges with this process. I hope that on my next visit I’m able to bring a camera again to photograph any changes I see at the site in hopes of creating a sort of record during this blog.

Wonder Blog: Part 2

By alpelkey
July 2, 2022 11:10 am

Sketching by the River

Weather: Initially the sky was overcast and grey. The humidity was less dramatic than the day before and the clouds were breaking apart to allow the blue sky to come through. Over an hour or so the weather cleared to completely blue skies with soft fluffy clouds visible and a cool breeze flowing through the trees.

Red Trillium

As I had hoped to last time I was able to find out more about the rainbow trout that I was curious about. I waded into the water and tried to observe them the best I could. I wasn’t able to see their dorsal fins clearly enough to make out which stream they came from but I was able to observe their spots and coloration that is typical of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). I began to understand where they preferred to reside in the stream since I could only locate them in deeper sections of the river typically under fallen trees or behind rocks that created an overhang they could settle under. I continued to explore around the lower river section and found many fallen trees laden with snails, slugs, and various bugs and spiders that I wasn’t familiar with. One that really stuck out to me was a white moth that I came across. It made me think of the salt and pepper moths that people tend to associate with camouflage. I continued to move through the forest noting that between the sections of field and forest there were distinct differences in the vegetation. In the field, there were many wildflowers that has not been present on my previous trip. However, in the forest, the vegetation mostly consists of trees, some flowers, and species of ferns. I assumed that the changes in vegetation were driven by the amount of sunlight, substrate, and proximity to the Huntington River.

The Species that I worked to identify is the flower that I chose to sketch and is also pictured above. I came to the conclusion that the species of flower was a red trillium (Trillium erectum). I have had some experience identifying plants so this process of identifying came pretty naturally to me as I have taken a class in plant identification. I used a dichotomous key that I had left over from the class to narrow it down a bit and then used some of the common Vermont flower books I had to confirm the identification that I came up with. A fun fact that I found out about this plant is that it is pollinated by flies and beetles. 🪲

Snails on a Tree

I chose to sketch this scene because as I was walking through the area making initial observations I was intrigued by the ways in which they were bending and moving about on the sides of the trees. I tried my best to convey this here

Small Plant
I sketched this scene because I was amazed at the little plant that was growing up between rocks on the edge of the stream. I had subconsciously made the assumption that plants wouldn’t grow that close because they hadn’t adapted to that much water near their root systems and yet I was being proven wrong by this tenacious plant.

Decaying Leaf
I wanted to sketch this one because I was curious as to why this leaf that was laying on the ground, in what I assumed would be a good area to decompose, wasn’t decomposing. It still had many of the qualities of a leaf on a tree but the only difference was it was brown in color.

Flower Growing

As I later found out that this plant that I chose to sketch was a red trillium. I initially chose it because it was one of the only flowers visible in the forest section and the red color was very lovely.

As I reflect on the drawing process I am very happy that it has drawn to a close. I acknowledge that I am a slight perfectionist and since drawing is not one of my better skills I can easily become distraught and irritated when attempting to draw something, especially when I know that it will be evaluated by other people. However, throughout the course of the sketching process, I do think, even slightly, that my skills improved. I would say that it affected my attention in that I looked for scenes that intrigued me but also were simple enough that I wasn’t going to be overwhelmed trying to present them on paper. On my next visit, I would like to find a way to photograph these and see if my photographs can capture more about their features than my drawings.

Horseshoe Bend Natural Area

By alpelkey

Travel to Huntington, Vermont, and arrive at the Audubon Society parking lot for Horseshoe Bend. A quiet, peaceful location to meander through meadows, and by the Huntington River. A special place to ponder nature and the beauty it possesses.

As I arrived this morning the air was cool and clouds covered a good portion of the sky only allowing some light to come through. The light reflected on the water as it bounced and flowed over stones and around boulders. The fresh air smelled cool as if there was rain approaching but it had hints of Summer flowers and as you watched the wind toss the leaves you could find tiny specs of pollen dancing in the air. The water, clear as ever revealed the bottom of the stream so that you could see the numerous boulders and pebbles that make up the stream bed. In the deeper sections, in the shadows of the low-hanging branches, minnows and larger trout were visible. The moss on the rocks edging the stream was soft and lush. Many species of birds could be heard singing nearby. Mushrooms sprouted from the decaying trees and panels of old metal roofing that had washed up rested against the down trees. A paradise, only minimally affected by human presence.

See case study ↗

Horseshoe Bend – Huntington, Vermont

Question Marathon:

  1. How have the rocks influenced the flow and depth of the river?
  2. How do landslides affect stream ecology?
  3. What unique species call this place home?
  4. Why did the Audubon Center decide to set up here in Huntington, VT?
  5. What effect does sound pollution have on the ecosystem being so close to the road?
  6. Why is this an ideal location for a firetruck fill-up spot?
  7. What impacts do perennial streams have on the economy of the local town?
  8. Where is all this water coming from?
  9. How have these plants adapted to live so close to this stream?
  10. Where did these large boulders originate from?

11. How many gallons of water pass through Horseshoe Bend in one day?

12. How has flooding impacted the flow of the river?

13. What draws people to nature?

14. What species of mushrooms grow on decaying trees?

15. Why are there few flowering plants?

16. How has the Audubon choosen to protect this place for future generations?

17. What does it look like in various seasons?

18. How has human recreation affected natural processes that occur here?

19. How does stagnant water impact the stream?

20. What percent of rainbow trout make it here to spawn?

21. What type of forest surrounds the river?

22. How is this stream essential for understanding rainbow trout?

23. Why is poison sumac so abundant here?

24. How do the field and stream ecosystems interact being so close by?

25. How many people visit this location every Summer?

Huntington River – Huntington, Vermont

Where does the water for this river come from?

According to the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation the headwaters of the Huntington River are in Buels Gore, Vermont. The river flows North and passes through many towns, Starksboro, Huntington, and Buels Gore, as it makes its way to intersecting the Winnoski River which is where it empties and ends. 

Department of Environmental Conservation. (n.d.). Huntington River. Retrieved June 24, 2022, from      https://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/documents/WSMD_mapp_13HuntingtonRiver.pdf

When I return I would really like to investigate more about the rainbow trout that inhabit these streams. As I was exploring today it was fascinating to see some of the research that the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife is conducting surrounding the rainbow trout that inhabit this stream. They were asking individuals to report their catch along with some information about the fish to get a better understanding of which fish that they are releasing and which ones make it to this stream and their respective breeding grounds. I think it would be a fun activity to participate in this study and become more involved in this site and would also allow more to better understand the science that is happening here.

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