Site Information: June 30th at 9:00 am in Alden, MI on Torch Lake
Weather: Sunny and around 80ยบ Fahrenheit
When I first arrived to my site today, I decided to pay extra attention to the birch tree that is located there. I have always had a strong love and connection to birch trees because of the connection my camp has to them. I find them so beautiful. We have two birch trees next to my site that at taller than the houses near them. The bark is flaking off of the tree in large sheets that have fallen onto the ground. Does this indicate anything in particular? The two trees are directly next to each other and seem to be growing together.
I have also noticed that there aren’t a ton of plants in the immediate area that I sit. I wonder how my family being here has impacted that area. Surrounding areas are filled with European Lily of the Vally and Ostrich Fern but this patch has some grass and not much else.
A question that I would like to ask about my visit is what makes this area suitable for birch trees?
In Michigan, it is very common to have Yellow Birch tree in the Northern Hardwood forests which is what is growing in my yard. You can find Yellow Birch trees in “moist, well-drained soils” which would explain why they occur in my yard (YELLOW BIRCH). With my site being near the lake, the ground is very moist and drains very easily.
YELLOW BIRCH Betula alleghaniensis Britt. (n.d.). Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_beal2.pdf
M. (2015, November 4). Forest Type of Michigan: Northern Hardwood (E3202-2). Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/forest_type_of_michigan_northern_hardwood_e3202_2
I took this photo because I wanted to show the observations I was making above. The birch bark is pealing away which I also think makes for beautiful textures to look at.
I took the photo this way because I wanted to capture how it grew. Seeing the center and how it grows out and at you is really intriguing to me.
I took this photo because I wanted to show how much of this plant it growing at my site. They span such a large area behind where I sit and look like a sea of green.
In my posts, I talk a lot about all of the fallen sticks and branches near my site. I wanted to try to capture exactly what I was trying to describe with words.
Lastly, I want to try to find a way to show the view that I see while sitting at my site. I find it absolutely beautiful and wanted to share it with more people.
Looking at my site in this way was very impactful. With sketching, I felt like I was looking at one piece of entire site. Taking a photo made me look more at how that one piece fit into a larger area. I enjoyed this experience and want to continue to taking meaningful photos of ecosystems to better understand them.