Diario de emilychapman18

This week in lab, we went straight to work taking pictures of as many species as we possibly could and doing some work on our video projects. Luckily, not only was today warm and sunny, I had a friend offer to give me a piggy back ride over the overflow from the river. I was very thankful to make it through the entirety of lab without having soaked feet.

Our group decided to film for the project first. This was a great experience for me to reflect on what I had learned and what I expected vs did not expect to find on the farm. I learned a lot about my love for nature and respect for all the beauty that can be found in it. When traveling through the woods before, I might have remarked on how everything looked almost the same and how there could not have been that many species living within the woods. After this project, I have learned that there are countless species all in one small strip of forest. The variety of fungi, bugs, and plants is not something you notice until you are up close and personal with it. However, once you see all of the amazing diversity, there is no going back. I cannot help but notice the exquisite details nature has provided for the woods.

After we filmed for a bit, I set out to capture a few different species. I looked at the many different kinds of fungus growing on the tree trunks. I was able to find a myriad of colors including green, white, purple, red, and orange. I also studied the plants for a bit, and learned that the small, green, shrub like plants are not all just one kind of plant but instead a variety of different organisms. At one point, I found a spider's nest and got some beautiful pictures. Unfortunately , the spider that visited a minute later was much larger than I thought it was going to be and caused me to have a bit of a startle reaction.

As the time was nearing the end, I noticed that there was a robin sitting in its nest at a distance. I decided to use my 15 minutes of silence to get closer to the robin and capture some excellent pictures of it. As I approached closer, I got a few blurry photos. However, the loud crunch under my boots sent the robin flying far away out of fear. I got closer to the nest and waited quietly for around 15 minutes, standing as still as I possibly could. Unfortunately, I was never able to get a great picture of the robin, but I was able to get some pretty good ones. During this period of stillness, I was able to hear all of the sounds of the woods around me and observe how the wildlife acts when it thinks that no one is watching. Although, I waited and never saw the robin, this was a great experience of patience and stillness.

Overall, I enjoyed being in the woods a lot. I never found anything in our biocube, which was unfortunate but almost expected. I learned that much of the biodiversity in the woods is farther off the ground around the trees. Animals utilize the trees for all of their benefits. As it would be hard to get a biocube there, it makes sense that we never found much within the cube. I'm so excited for summer to begin so I can be outside in my own woods, and hopefully identify some species out there.

This week in lab we got right to work taking pictures and looking at different species. I had a bit of a difficult time reaching my cube however, due to the large puddle on the other side of the bridge. I made it across but my boots filled with water during this time, leaving my feet cold and wet. As unpleasant as this was, it was still a beautiful and sunny day.

When we got to the location of our bio cube, I struggled at first to find new species. While digging through the earth I uncovered A LOT of earthworms. Every couple of scoops of dirt would have another one buried inside of it. There were so many and they were all moving around under the ground, so it may it a challenge to find other species. It was especially hard because each earthworm I pulled up, I had to put back in the soil and cover over again. My true finds began when I started peeling bark up off of the tree. I found all sorts of bugs hiding under there. I suspect that they not only gain shelter and a moist covering from living underneath dead tree bark, but also some kind of nutrients. I was able to find termite like bugs, beetles, and a long, yellow bug with pincers.

Once I felt very cold and wet, I decided to take a break and sit in silence out on the field next to our ecosystem for a few minutes to soak in the sunshine. I noticed while sitting there just how quiet the surrounding area was. I really focused in on the birds calling back and forth to one another. It was interesting to listen to one call out in the trees, and then have the other repeat that call from farther away. I was also able to watch the trees sway in the wind and examine how the world moves when no one is around to disturb it. This was a nice time for me to get away from the world, and enjoy nature.

After my quick break, I went back to hunting for new species. I was feeling sick of looking at creepy crawling things, so I decided to focus on different fungi and small plant life. I was intrigued by just how many different colors of fungus grow on trees. Their diversity on just one log is truly amazing. I also pulled up some shrubs and roots to look at them. While trying to identify these, I learned that I struggle greatly with labeling plants. It is my personal goal to have a better eye for identifying different types of wild plants.

All too soon, it was time to head back to home base. Fortunately this meant more time to watch and play with the chickens. However, unfortunately this meant that I had to make the trip back through the icy water. I made it through and was sure to pour all of the excess water out of my boots that was not already soaked into my socks. I cannot wait for next week! I hope to listen for more birds and maybe even get a chance to observe some. I assume this is the time of year when they begin to mate so they will probably become increasingly active.