Wonder Blog A UVM blog

6/21/2024, 12:30PM

Weather – 91°F, Humidity 55% (dew point 73°F), partly cloudy, 0% precipitation

The site I chose is a small island in the middle of a pond at Winding Trails called Walton Pond. Surrounding the perimeter of the island are tons of plants, such as tall grass, cattail plants, and a few other plants that I do not recognize. More plants, including different varieties of vines, oak trees, evergreen trees, ferns, and burr bushes were found more towards the inland portion of the island. Some of the vegetation was healthy and thriving, while other dead plants were repurposed by the wildlife into habitat. In the pond water, plants such as flowering Lilypad’s, and a variety of sea weeds and grasses were also found. The island was an oasis of serenity amidst the hustle and bustle of the world around me. I sat in science for around 20 minutes overlooking the island and water, as wildlife came out of hiding. Sounds of fish jumping, frogs croaking, birds chirping, and squirrels barking filled the silence in the air. I came across fish including sunfish, yellow perch, brook trout, and small mouth bass, and large mouth bass. I also came across eastern painted box turtles, snapping turtles, a multitude of bugs and termites, and also a deer. As I was about to leave I noticed a pungent smell filling the air on the path I took to get to my spot. After following the smell, I came across trees covered in a type of fungi bigger than my head. I saw a lot today but there is still plenty left to explore and species that I have seen but would like to educate myself further on what they are and how they affect the ecosystem of this portion of Winding Trails. I specifically would like to follow up on the fungi when I visit next. I found the majority of the fungi on a dead tree but only on parts where the bark was stripped. However, I also found the same fungi on other trees that were alive. I would like to follow up on if there is a reason for this, how the fungi may effect the tree, and what the cause and purpose of the smell is.