Today I visited my spot for the last time this semester! It was overcast and about 38ยบ but once I was surrounded by trees, it seemed to get warmer. Every single leaf has dropped from the trees in my area and completely cover the ground, but I noticed that my walking through the leaves is not as loud as my last visit. Additionally, the brook was flowing much stronger due to a lack of fallen materials in the water and the leaves on the ground had holes and were broken apart. Perhaps it’s because of the recent rain, or maybe decomposers are hard at work breaking down the mushy leaves. Contrastingly, the ferns on the hill in my spot are still bright green and thriving! I expected them to last longer than the other species but as of right now they look as though they will last all winter! The barberry bush alongside the brook is the only other plant species that is displaying signs of life, as it has numerous red berries that stand out in comparison to the rest of my spot. I looked around the bank to find scat or tracks but there were none to be found. I additionally looked and listened for signs of birds but I only saw a single crow fly overhead. The woods are definitely quieting down in preparation for the months to come. I love that my spot is a combination of both the quiet and noisy aspects of the woods. I can enjoy the background noise of the brook while also enjoying the peace and quiet from the mature hardwood forest to my back. It fosters an environment of reflection where I can observe what’s around me as well as hear the wildlife.
