Thursday, June 22, 8:17 PM – Charles River, Waltham, Massachusetts
Weather- Cloudy grey and pinkish skies in the low to mid 60’s (Fahrenheit). Enough of a breeze that I can feel it, hear it in the leaves, and see it ripple the water of the river. Between 5 and 10 mph wind. No precipitation of any kind.
Description-I am sitting along the bank of the Charles River in Waltham, Massachusetts. I am just off of a paved path that leads to a boat launch parking lot. I am seated on a bench on a concrete slab that goes all the way to the edge of the water before creating a concrete barrier up against the river. The river itself is quiet, without much movement or life other than the breeze moving over the water creating ripples. The sides of the river are thoroughly covered in two distinct aquatic vegetation, one being Lily Pads and the other I am unsure of. This is a green long stringy plant that seems to be tangling around itself and the Lily Pads. The center of the river is free of any vegetation or greenery, the water a deep brown and blue. Across the river to the left is a hotel and the other right is a large stone structure that functions as a boat rental. I’m sitting on a bench installed concrete surrounded by trees, flowers, weeds, and greenery. this vegetation is all growing lusciously from cracks in the pavement below me. I can hear many birds around me, so far I have counted four distinct calls, I am unsure of what species they are and have not gotten the chance to see them. I can also vividly hear the roar of the cars on the Mass Pike nearby. Plants are alive with color, there are bright yellow flowers, and so many varying shades of green in the other trees and shrubbery. I have been hearing lots of scurrying behind me and saw two small mole-like animals that I believe to be shrews. There is also a swarm of bugs surrounding my head and flying around but they don’t seem to make any noise or land on me to bite. Based on the trees and leaves I am seeing around me there seem to be at least three tree species surrounding me and along the banks of the river. As the sun goes down and it gets darker some more ducks and geese have come out onto the river, I would estimate at around 15 ducks and 10 geese so far. As I end my time here today I am most amazed and enthralled by the growth and power of the vegetation growing all around me directly out of cracks in the pavement and concrete. They seem to be trying to and successfully taking up their space in nature that was taken from them.
Questions?
- What species is the bright yellow flower?
- What impact does the sound pollution from the highway have on this environment?
- Does light pollution affect fish or any aquatic life?
- What is the current health of this section of the Charles River? What is the general current health of the Charles River?
- Was the pavement cracked and pushed up by water, roots, just by time?
- What sediment/kind of sediment is beneath the pavement/concrete barrier along the banks?
- Is there a balance of nutrients in the river? Algae overgrowth? Other imbalances?
- What human contaminants are present in the water?
- What species of birds are here? Are they specific to the aquatic environment?
- What is the health of the fish population?
- There are a lot of people fishing. What regulations are in place?
- Litter is very present along the banks of the river? How does this affect specific species?
- There is clearly a lot of recreation on the river. Are there other uses? If so, what are they?
- How has the shape of the river and the geology of the river changed naturally over time?
- How have humans changed the flow of this river with infrastructure?
- How do kinds of sediment and layering of soil under water versus on land differ?
- Is it hazy do to the weather and atmosphere today or due to air pollution?
- On the sides of the river the plants go from very short flowers and bushes to large and tall trees wihtotu many in between, why is this?
- Is the water at it’s normal level?
- How much does the water level in the Charles vary throughout the year naturally? Has this changed in the last few decades?
- The buildings along the river are very close to the water, what regulations are in place for building, and who sets these regulations?
- Why do the birds get drastically quieter here as the sun goes down?
- What kind of small rodent was it that scurried by?
- There appears to be a whiteish lichen growing on the pavement? What causes this, what is the biology of lichen?
- Does the water quality vary on the two sides of the river? One that is heavily developed and one that still developed but more natural.
- Why did the ducks and geese appear on the water as it got darker?
- The sides of the river have lots of vegetation while the center has little vegetation. Is this natural/where the plants prefer to be or has the center been trimmed or pushed down by boaters and recreation?
Research Question: Does light pollution affect fish or any aquatic life?
In the research I did to answer this question I was unable to find data on fish populations in the Charles River, or even Massachusetts more broadly. I did find that extensive research has been done on the health of Salmon in California due to light pollution. In that research there were extensive affects on the Salmon’s population, food sources, growth etc. I would need to and would be excited to dive deeper and find more research focused on Massachusetts fish populations. I did, however, find that light pollution has been shown to have extensive affects on bird species across the board, as well as some frogs and amphibians. These studies have been completed largely in Western Massachusetts however have and could be replicated in Eastern Massachusetts were there is even greater light pollution. Through this research I found that light pollution is the only form of “pollution” not regulated by the EPA, although many states like Massachusetts have begun to set their own standards for light pollution. In the end, I was unable to answer my original question but found that light pollution can be a big factor and problem within river environments like the one I am located.
https://www.gazettenet.com/Light-pollution-25896451
https://theberkshireedge.com/27432-2/
Conclusion- My first wonder blog experience opened my eyes to many things I would not notice in any given environment just passing by or even sitting for a minute or two. I also find my spot to be extra interesting as it is a very natural environment bordered on either side by extensive human development. I am incredibly excited to return to my spot again and again and learn all of the lessons that it has to teach me and ask more questions. For my next wonder session I would like to focus in on the species of wildlife and vegetation a bit more, learning their names, habitats, needs, etc.