The character of my place is a secluded and peaceful part of the forest. It is difficult to find if you are not actively looking for it so I just happened to find it when I was exploring. When I get to my place, it brings me a sense of comfort and feels like a stress reliever. I enjoy sitting by the brook and observing the organisms and the different greenery. The sound of the water dripping down and the leaves falling were really calming. I also like that my place is in a forest because I don’t spend much time in forests and this has redefined my relationship with them. My place seems to be man made but the trees surrounding the brook are hung over in a way shading the brook. The natural processes around the brook have seemed to impact it. The water runs over small fallen trees and rocks that look like a naturally made ledge.

I noticed that the level of water in the brook and the pull of the water going down the rocks increased since the last time I visited it. I assume this is from heavier rainfall and stormwater in recent days. The little hill around the brook and the ferns and woody ground cover make up my spot. Although now, the forest floor has a layer of orange, red and brown leaves from the fallen leaves of the trees around the brook. I saw mostly older pines underneath with maples and oaks on the top. The brook is hidden to the left side of the hill on the big clearing. Once I walk down the side, I can hear the water flowing and see the left side of the brook has a distinct fallen tree across the width of it. It is uprooted from the ground and seems to be the result of a storm. I know I am close to my place once I pass the footbridge by the very shallow stream with the invasive species. The brook is only about a two minute walk from that point. Compared to the last time I visited the brook, it changed a lot, especially the surrounding area and the surrounding impacts like amount of rainfall.