Changes since first visit: On my first trip to Rock Point, the vegetation in the deep forest was bright green and the cedars growing near the shoreline had needles on them. This time, as the weather is getting colder and it is getting closer to the winter months, I noticed that a lot of the cedars needles were turning brown and there were lots that fell off scattered on the forest floor. I was wondering why this would be since cedars are evergreens and do not lose their leaves in the winter. After doing some research, I learned that some browning of the needles is normal in fall and winter. In addition, many of the deciduous trees present are starting to lose their leaves, and many are already completely bare.
Wildlife: On this trip, I took the time to sit in silence both near the shore and in the woods to observe the species I saw. Near the water I did not see any wildlife running about, just some insects crawling on the rocks. In the forest, I saw many squirrels and a few birds flying overhead that I couldn’t identify. Although I did not see much in person, I learned from some additional research that the natural communities at Rock Point are home to many rare or endangered plants and animals, such as moose and Indiana bats!
