Diario de lindsaywalls

On Thursday, April 25th, 2019, I independently roamed around College of Charleston's Campus in search of different species to identify. The first place I went to was my professor's office located on glebe street. While there, I identified the common "Crape Myrtle," but it was not in bloom yet. Next, I wondered to the side of the Saint Phillip Street parking garage, where I captured "River Cane", a "Weeping Cherry" tree which was so unique, and an "Eastern Teaberry". I also identified "Liriope" and "Cabbage Palmetto" which I have learned are pretty common to see in the Low Country. Next I wanted to see what flowers were in bloom in Cougar Mall, and I'm glad I did! While in this location I noticed a "Baldcypress" which was extremely green and very needle like. I also was able to see purple "Marvel of Peru's," white "Dicots," and red and white "Impatiens". My favorite flower in this section was a "Purple Foxglove," it was so beautiful and its petals looked like little bells with specs upon them. I also really liked the "Oakleaf Hydrangea" which was a really full looking flower made up of little white petals. After spending time in cougar mall, I went to Addlestone Library where I observed "Japanese Pittosporum," "Sago Cyad," and a "Tsutsusi Azalea" which was vibrantly red and in bloom. Some more common species I found around the area were "Stately Maiden Fern," "Common Lantana," and "American Holly". I came across a hidden greenhouse while adventuring by the library and although I was not able to go in, I spotted "Carolina Roses," "Common Oleander," "Poison Sumac," "Chili Pepper," and "Tomato". One species that really caught my attention was "Rowan" because it produced red berries and looked very mystical. Towards the back of the library I identified a tree I see often which was a "Southern Live Oak", and also "Mountain Horopito" which was rare! Lastly on my way back to Berry residence hall I identified "Corosma fowerakeri" which looked like a tiny vine covered in vegetation, a classic "Red Maple", and a "Saw Palmetto". However, the most significant observation that reminded me of my childhood was seeing a "Red Buckeye" on the side of one of the paths near the Rita science center. My mother and I used to hunt down buckeye trees and collect the buckeyes when I was younger, so I was appreciate to have a little piece of home far away.

Our class was given the chance to go out on a DNR boat and catch organisms on April 18th, 2019, with beautiful weather surrounding us. There was a low of 60 degrees Fahrenheit around 6 a.m. and a high of 72 degrees at 2:15 p.m. (middle of the time spent on the boat). There was a 64% cloud coverage around noon, however, I remember the sky being absolutely clear and blue and bright. There was only a 5.4% chance of precipitation around 1 p.m. and an average wind speed of 10.0 mph throughout the day. We went to the Grice marine laboratories for take off and adventured to three different spots in the Charleston harbor. The first spot we went to was just a few miles off the shore and I remember it being 23 ft deep! During the first catch it was unbelievable seeing all the organisms such as "Sea Robins" which looked like aggressive little fish but were gentile and "Porcelain Crabs" which were in fact very small. Here, we also identified "Drums," and "Atlantic Croaker", they were very shiny in appearance and looked like a fat minnow. The coolest catch of the first haul was a "Stripped Burrfish," which was yellow and brown striped with little spines poking out of its back. It was very exciting to see this and see it puff up. The second catch was definitely the most eventful however, especially when it began with catching a stingray. On the second haul we identified another pufferfish called a "Northern Puffer" it looked like a regular small fish when it wasn't puffed! We also identified a "Northern Clingfish" which had amazing suction to the tables! We also caught lots of "Brief Squids" which I learned change colors in your hand because of chemicals, it was very neat to see it change before my eyes. The most unique organisms we identified was a little reddish orange octopus that I classified as common, because I am not completely sure. However, everyone was amazed to see it swim and ink! The third catch my phone sadly died, however, there were mostly repetitive species that were found in the other catches such as "Atlantic Blue Crabs", "Atlantic Horseshoe Crabs", "White Shrimp", and also " Windowpane Flounder" which were completely colored on one side and then see through on the other with two eyes on one side! Some other neat organism was a "Tonguefish" that truly looked like a big tongue, and a "Brittle Star" that was a small starfish covered in sand. This trip was an excellent ending to the great semester we had identifying and learning as much as we could about the nature around us!

On April 11th, 2019, I adventured to Sullivans Island (Northeast of COFC campus) for the second time with my classmates. There was a low of 59 degrees Fahrenheit around 6 a.m. and a high of 71 degrees around 3 p.m. The time we identified these organisms was between noon and 3 p.m. with temperatures ranging between 68 and 71 degrees Fahrenheit. There was a 62% cloud coverage at 1:30 p.m., and a 5.2% chance of rain around 1 p.m. The daily wind speed average was 10.1 mph. When we first got to Sullivans Island, the plan was to try and discover a certain type of lizard. However, instead we were able to identify a few common species that we have seen before such as "Sheep's Sorrel", "Pepper Vine", "Bushy Bluestem", "Dotted Knotweed", and "Beach Evening Primrose". I remember discovering a vine like organism that turned out to be "Saw Greenbriar" which had little thorns and almost looked like a grape vine. The "Twisted Leaf Yucca" also reappeared as it is distinctive and always sits on the dunes. I remember seeing a few pretty orange and yellow flowers that turned out to be "Indian Blankets" they were very bright in appearance and surrounded by many other organisms. We also identified "Red Mulberry" which has little red Berrys that look like crab apples. Lastly, I remember looking across the dune area in between the houses and the ocean and seeing a vast amount of "Wax Myrtles" that were all cut evenly so residence could still have an ocean view. Even though we did not find any of the lizards we were looking for, we found its feces which was composed of black ants! However, someone spotted a little sand frog catching some sun on this beautiful day!

On April fourth, 2019, our class ventured to the off-campus classrooms where the Grice Marine labs are located in Charleston, SC. The temperature reached a high of 69 degrees Fahrenheit at 2:00 p.m. and reached a low of 57 degrees earlier that morning at 6:15 a.m.. There was a 62% cloud coverage around between the times of 12-3 p.m. (duration of trip). There was a 5.1% chance of rain around 1:30 p.m., and the wind made the temperature feel slightly chilly. Humidity also accounted for less than 14% during the day. We began our trip by walking through the a knee covered area of ocean to reach a beach area where we began to examine organism. We had access to nets where we would drag the bottom of the net across the sea floor in order to capture organism and examine them. Over the course of three or four tries with the net, we discovered a few fish species such as a "Stripped Kill-fish", and "Atlantic Silverside", which are the fish that you usually observe swimming fast near the shore. It was interesting to see the various types of jellyfish that were scattered along the beach which included: "Cannonball Jelly," "Lion's Mane Jelly," "Moon Jelly," . I remember a few unique organisms that were new to my knowledge, one being a "Sandy Sea Squirt," that shorted water when it was squeezed and a "Caprellidae" family organisms that looked like a little branch. A few interesting shells that we found, some including their host, were "Eastern Mud Snails," a "Knobbed Whelk," and a "Shark Eye". After we captured organism in the net and released them, we walked up and down the shore to collect shark teeth and any other organisms that washed up. The most neat thing I collected was a 2-3 inch Tiger shark tooth!

On January 24th, 2019, I visited Folly Beach, SC, with my class from College of Charleston. The weather was a bit chilly that day with a high of 57 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of 45 degrees. The hottest time of the day was at 2:45 p.m. with temperatures rising above 51 degrees. The cloud coverage remained on average about 47% coverage throughout the day. The precipitation average was less than 4% when our class adventured between the times of 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. The wind averaged around 12.7 mph when we visited, although it felt a lot windier than that! I remember the waves being epic that day, with sets. Our first stop was at a beach access near the middle of the beach. We were given bags to collect shells and other interesting things we wanted to research. We often stoped were there were many rocks gathered in hopes of finding a starfish, however, another classmate found a sand dollar which was neat. The coolest thing I found was a sand tiger's tooth! The next stop we drove to was known as the "washout" which was on the north side of the island by the lighthouse. On the walk, our professor spotted a monarch Butterfly which was fluttering near pine trees. We picked up more shells on that side of the island and walked through what seemed to be mud. During this trip I gathered around 2 Jingles, one was black and the other was gold in color, they were very fragile. I also found one Eastern Oyster shell, and 3-4 Ark Shells which had ridges in lines that started from the opening of the shell to its end. The other shells I gathered were Ponderous Arks shells and one Baby's Ear. The Baby's Ear was white and oval shaped with a small swirl near the left bottom. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed collecting these shells and going back to the lab and trying to identify them!

On March 14th, 2019, I visited Dixie Plantation which is apart of the College of Charleston's property. Dixie Plantation is located 18 miles southwest from the heart of College of Charleston's campus. The temperature was perfect that day with a high reaching to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and a low 52 degrees. The hottest time of the day was at 1:45 p.m. with temperatures reaching above 59 degrees. Around noon the cloud coverage reached 58%, with lower than a 5% chance to rain. The wind averaged around 11.3% while visiting at the plantation. When we first arrived to the planation, our professor led us to a dirt trail area where rain was once high accumulated, but decreased. At this trail we looked for organisms that our professor set in two traps. In the two traps, there was an abundance of Crayfish (Red Swamp), and a Mole Salamander decided to sneak in as well! We were able to capture a few fish species such as "Mummichog" and "Lepomis". The next trail we visited was a lot, and I mean a lot more swampy! We put waiters on and walked through the water to find what had been caught in the traps set there. In these traps we were able to see Tadpoles, Redfin Pickrel and Olive Rockfish. The next trail we adventured on was unique because I remember someone finding a Locus looking bug that was covered in what looked like gold. I have not yet been able to identify it, but I remember how shiny it was. The last trail we looked at was on a lake where we pulled up traps that had huge minnows. As far as trees and plants, we were able to identify Red Maples, Sweetleaf, Pines, Palmettos and even Common Blue Violet. I really enjoyed this trip and the wide range of organisms we were able to observe.

On February 28, 2019, our class decided to walk downtown Charleston towards the highway on bull st., and bridges which I believe was south of College of Charleston's campus. I remember this day being extremely hot for winter time with a high of 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and a low of 45 F. There was a 54% cloud coverage, and there was 11 hours and 27 minutes of daylight this day. The humidity only made it to 3% this day, making for a beautiful, sunny and warm day. There was a 10.4 mph wind speed, yet it did not feel chilly. We first began our trip by walking through the cistern of the college and we were told a story about a type of pine tree that is located near the clock and the science center. The students at the college saved the beautiful, tall tree from being cut down and it still remains here many years later. Next, we strolled down sidewalks and observed different types of trees such as maples, palms, and magnolias. One of the most unique observations I remember was coming across vibrant "Yellow Jessamine" that was vines all across a fence. We observed many magnolias on the way to the end of bull street which included a "Saucer Magnolia" and a "Southern Magnolia". These are unique and make lovely features in the homes we came across. Along side of the road, our professor found a "Green Anole" and showed us how you can pull down on its chest. It was really awesome to see all the detail up close. We reached our destination when we arrives at a little doc near the highways where we were showed where clams were and how they were used in modern construction today. There were little boxes where clams were gathered. I really enjoyed this trip because I was able to observe the things that were most close to me.

On February 21st, 2019 our class decided to take an hour drive north in order to arrive in McClellanville, SC, at the Francis Marion Park. That Thursday was a beautiful sunny day with a high of 77 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of 52 degrees. Around noon that day there was a high wind speed of 12 mph and a low of 5 mph later that night. The air pressure for the day was a high of 1022 MB around 10 a.m. that morning. When we first drove in we rode down a long winding dirt road covered by a canopy of trees, where we eventually reached a field with a map showing different nature trails we could walk along. The first path we went down was full of muddy, swamp like terrain where water seemed to of recently been. Our professor pointed out how the tree stumps we saw sticking out of the dried up forest were cedar trees, if I am recalling correctly, and they were peaking out like that in order to receive air. On this first path we encountered a Horned Passalus Beetle, it was hiding along a fallen tree. Its shell was very hard and it had what looked like horns at the top of its head. We concluded this trail by walking down a bridge area where we were trying to spot birds, but we unfortunately were not very lucky. The next path we adventured to encompassed a huge lake on the left and a small creek/stream on the right with a dirt path in-between the two. On the left we saw a baby alligator grazing along the water and a beautiful white egret searching for food. On the right, there was also a blue Heron in the water looking for food as well. This area was very unique to me because it seemed like a very suitable environment for local organisms in the area. The last trail we went to consisted of a woody pine like area full of pine trees. Our professor brought us to a pine tree that had a white slash painted on it which he indicated that it was painted for a reason. He explained how when pine trees mature they begin to develop a white sap like substance that oozes down the trees from a hole. The sap produced helps local woodpeckers to protect their nest and themselves from predation due to the sickness of the sap. I found some sap on the ground and shared it with our professor and both of our hands became sticky very quickly, it really was true! The last unique aspect to this trip I remember is when we spotted a Bald Eagle flying above mixed in with other turkey vultures. It was so fascinating to see all of the wild life that surrounded us and all we had to do was truly look for it.

We took a trip to Sullivans Island, SC on January 17th, 2019. The weather on this day was very sunny around 59 degrees Fahrenheit with a little bit of wind. We walked around the south side of the island and searched along the waterline on our way to the tip of the island. On the way back we walked along the dunes in search of animals, plants, fungi and any other neat things that caught our eyes. On the way out we walked along a nature trail which was full of all kinds of plants and trees. One of the coolest things I found was an Atlantic Horseshoe Crab buried beneath the sand. It was freshly deceased but we rinsed it off and its full structure was in tact. Another cool observation I remember was encountering a beautiful tall Cabbage Palmetto in the middle of the woods. I though it was so neat to see just one of its species in a forest, and the sun was shinning through it perfectly. The last observation I remember distinctly was laying eyes on a Saltwort. This bush was absolutely covered in long thorns all the way around. It was so large for being a thorn bush I thought, and I remember how it was just propped in the sand. I will cherish this first destination we took as I learned a lot about the local organisms that are all around me.