Journal 2: October Ecoquest

The October Ecoquest was to locate the Common Mugwort, or Artemisia vulgaris. Before attempting this challenge I decided to research the Mugwort and learn about its origin and where it is usually located. From my research I learned that the Mugwort is a perennial weed from the daisy family that typically grows in sandy soils in forested and coastal areas and often along roads. It is one of the most common weeds found in North America and it thrives in Manhattan. Because I read that Mugworts are generally found in forested areas and along roads, I went to Riverside Park right by campus and looked around there. Although I found many weeds and posted them to iNaturalist, I struggled to find the Mugwort and ultimately did not succeed. It is likely that I walked by some and missed them, but despite photographing weeds and plants that I thought resembled the Mugwort, I did not find the Mugwort. I must admit that I was disappointed to have not fulfilled the Ecoquest challenge, however I still benefited from the activity in many ways. I was forced to go outside and not simply pass by nature, but seek it out and identify the plants that I observed. During the month of October I photographed Chrysanthemums. I read about them after and learned that they are flowering plants that are native to Asia and northeastern Europe and are used in fall gardens as a beautiful burst of color. Although not from NYC, in the month of October I also photographed a Monarch butterfly that was flying over a flower in my backyard in Long Island. This butterfly was huge and it was really exciting to get so close to it and take a picture, especially after I learned that the Monarch migrates over 3,000 miles from Canada to Mexico and that its numbers have been in serious decline. Although I wasn’t able to find the October Ecoquest, I had a really great time looking for it and finding other plants and species during my search.

Publicado el diciembre 1, 2020 01:50 MAÑANA por abigail364