I just visited my spot for the last time (at least to add to this blog). It’s been raining for a couple days, and while all the leaves have fallen and are well into decomposing, I was pleasantly surprised at how much evidence of life I could see- some even revealed to me for the first time.

The chipmunk hole I’ve been watching seems to be covered with sticks and leaves, insulated for the winter. The absence of leaves makes it easy to spot several bird’s nests I hadn’t noticed- or weren’t there- before. I could see and hear many crows and the usual scampering of squirrels; I even caught a glimpse of a woodpecker (see video below). Fungi have thrived on the decomposing pine and some of the more moisture-retaining living trees

The marsh is even bigger and less grassy than in November, and the heavy rains have cleared it of the strange oily substance that has seemed ever-present in the past. I also noticed a patch of bright green plants on the forest floor near the pine trees that I couldn’t see through the thicker foliage in the trees and on the ground, which is likely Poison Oak according to iNaturalist.

I’ve become very fond of this spot and I’m definitely gonna be coming back on my own to keep an eye on all the processes happening here constantly! The thing I love most about the place is that despite its proximity to a big road, a research complex, and a golf course, it houses an incredible amount of mini-ecosystems and is a place a person can get away to- I see people walking their dogs along the little trail often, and it’s like a breath of fresh air to escape into a patch of trees and plants and marshes from the open exposed golf course trails. I like to think it’s appreciated by people who live here, and now that includes me!