Part 1
Day: July 3rd, 2022
Time: 8:47 A.M.
Weather: 75ºF, dry, humid air with sparse cloud cover
Part 2
In the woods I can hear the snapping of branches as various wildlife step on leaves and branches. The common milkweed plant does not look as vibrant as it did last week, though I am not sure if the cause is due to the time of day I am here or if they are starting to wither and die off. Walking along the shore I came across red rocks in various sizes. I believe these rocks to be red rhyolite, though I am not sure. They are different than the ones found near the boat launch, which are shades of grey. The presumed red rhyolite rocks are about twenty feet from the grey rocks. What I noticed about the red rhyolite rocks is that they are abundant on the shoreline that is on a steep slope, but the grey rocks near the boat launch are few and far between. I found these red rocks in the water, but the rocks that are on the slope look similar to the grey rocks found near the boat launch. The reservoir is stocked with large and smallmouth bass, trout, and land panfish, but there appears to be no fish near the shore, which I believe to be due to the loud noises of the boats entering the water.
Part 3
Something that I am curious about on the reservoir is: Why is the invasive species (Brittle Naiad) such a huge problem in this body of water? Invasive species are not only a threat to the Waterbury Reservoirs ecosystem, but also in bodies of water throughout Vermont. The reservoir is passionate about making sure that no aquatic invasive species are being transported from one body of water to another. Through research I found out that the main reason that Brittle Naiad is able to spread quickly is because it fractures easily. A second reason as to how it spreads is because mass seed production allows for seed scattering and overwinter triumph. Brittle Naiad favors alkaline waters found in streams, ponds, and lakes and is able to withstand eutrophic conditions and turbidity.
Part 4
Part 5
I felt as though I went at the right time for taking photos because the morning light cast a good reflection off of the water which created a good background for some of my photos. I think that looking for the right lighting, subject, framing, and such allowed me to appreciate the beauty of the reservoir more than I already do. Sometimes when looking at weeds or types of grass it is hard to see the beauty in it but when you take time and really look at them it allows for someone to see more beauty in something as simple as orchard grass. When looking for various subjects, I initially did not think that a bunch of weeds and grass would be captivating enough but after figuring out the lighting and background, I started to love the photo. Compared to sketching I found taking photos to be much easier because I find drawing extremely difficult. With a photo I am able to capture tiny details that I would not be able to draw. In all, this assignment was fun to do because it allowed me to capture the beauty of the reservoir. I was also able to learn more about aquatic invasive species of the reservoir through this assignment, which is an important part of the reservoir.
References:
Vermont invasive patrollers. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wsm/lakes/ans/docs/2019%20VIP%20Manual%20Final.pdf