Part 1:

Thursday, 6/22/23, 4:00 PM

Falling Springs Run Park, Oakmont, PA, 15139

Weather: The weather is fair, cool without being cold. Partly cloudy, as if it could rain later tonight.

Part 2:

The area I have chosen is the woods that directly connects to my neighborhood. It is only a 2 minute walk from my front door. I have walked through and played in these woods my entire life, so I am very familiar with the area. It smells earthy, earthier then most areas in town. I can hear the birds chirping in the branches above me, and the sounds of the leaves crunching under my feet. the O horizon soil level is very prominent in these woods, with inches of decomposing plant matter visible. There are many vines hanging off of tall branches in this area, and when I was younger we would swing on those vines like Tarzan. I can also see the remnants of a fort we built in this area, probably a decade ago at this point. further down in the woods there is a grassier area with a strangely placed picnic bench. There are also many trails through these woods, that have always been fun to explore. Further in, there is a ravine with a creek running through the middle of it. If I was to follow the creek the whole way up, I would eventually reach a golf course.

Part 3:

Part 4:

1. How did the vines form like that?
2. What geologic event created this ravine?
3. If the creek ends at a golf course, what is the true source of the water?
4. I wonder how thick each soil horizon is in this area?
5. I wonder what minerals exist in this soil?
6. What animals all exist in these woods?
7. How many types of trees are in these woods?
8. When I was younger there was no development in these woods, when did they come through and make the trails?
9. What birds am I hearing above me?
10. How long will this little worm live?
11. How long has his family been in this area?
12. What caused this one area to be more grassy than soil?
13. How long will it take this fallen tree to fully decompose?
14. If I go back to the same spot, will the deer skeleton from years ago still be there?
15. What life forms can exist in a small, shallow creek like this?
16. How much moisture is contained in this soil?
17. Why are some areas so much muddier than others?
18. Do the trails they put in here at all negatively affect the forest life?
19. If I stay here long enough, would I see a brown bear?
20. Could those vines still support me like they did when I was 8?
21. How many different people have sat exactly where I am sitting? Has anyone?
22. How many squirrels inhabit these woods?
23. Is there a way to tell how the slope of each side of this ravine affects the vegetation that grows on it?
24. Which tree here is the oldest?
25. How long does it take for a layer of leaves to decompose?

Part 5:

“I wonder what minerals exist in this soil?”

There have been many studies of the soil in the Allegheny Plateau since 1967. Based on these studies, the main minerals found are Calcium, Magnesium, and Aluminum. However, between 1967 and 1997, Ca & Mg concentrations experienced significant depletion. However, Aluminum increased in these areas at all depths. The loss of Ca and Mg was more significant than what would come from biomass accumulation, suggesting leeching of nutrients off-site.

Part 6:

Overall, my first journaling experience in these woods I know so well was a very pleasant one. One thing that was on my mind was the elevation change throughout these woods. There are so many high points and steep slopes down, much more random than it seems in the rest of my town. I want to try to learn about why this area has such a difference in elevation change, and if maybe that is why it was never developed like the rest of my small town.