My last visit to the spot before winter break! Today I took my friend Liz to see the spot. We braved the cold and walked over to the woods mid-afternoon. It was a nice trip despite slipping on mud multiple times on the way there and back. There was some snow scattered on the ground, allowing us to find some animal tracks.
The plants are slowly crawling back into the ground for the winter. Many ferns are still present, but are definitely settling down into the ground as the cold grows.
We were asked this week to observe if any leaves remain, and if so, which species? At my spot there are barely any trees with leaves left on them. However, a significant amount of American beeches are holding onto their leaves (pictured left).
The ground cover is full of mostly oak and beech leaves, and is decomposing into moist, nutrient rich soil.
signs of wildlife: woodpecker marks in tree, some paw prints in snow
So, what part of my place do I enjoy the most?
I love the chance I’ve had to observe a certain place at a much deeper level. I’ve noticed this especially because I usually visit my spots alone, meaning it gets really, really quiet. This makes my ears much more in tune to the sounds and interactions around me. I actually got freaked out the other day because I thought I heard someone coming up the hill and rustling the leaves around, when it was actually a pair of squirrels fighting in the fall debris. I feel like I become integrated with the environment around me when I sit still, and I am looking forward to continuing this throughout next semester.