Neighborhood Naturalist Online at Home
Complete 2-3 separate outdoor sessions during the week. Choose an area that you can observe safely and comfortably and remain in for several minutes. Visit the same area at different times of day, in different weather conditions, looking from a different viewpoint, etc.
Observation format – work through each stage intentionally until it becomes routine for you. Spend at least 60 seconds on each question or directive. Keep notes in a field journal. It is not required to complete all the steps as outlined below but please be intentional about noticing and wondering.
Once in your observation location -
What do I notice?
What do I wonder?
What am I reminded of?
Focused observation
Choose something within your observation area to sketch and describe.
What did you learn about your choice while sketching and describing?
What questions came up while observing?
Reflection
Were you surprised by something you observed or your responses? Did anything unexpected happen?
What ideas did you have before your observation? Were these ideas supported?
What questions do you have?
Science, Observation and iNaturalist Assignment
Upload at least 3 observations to your iNaturalist account
Complete at least 3 journal entries in the Mass Audubon's Neighborhood Naturalist Online project. These entries can be from your observations and reflections in the field or about your experience using iNaturalist.
Read and comment on 2-3 entries from other participants
If you are unable or choose not to join iNaturalist, keep a field journal to record your observations with sketches and/or descriptions and written entries. Be sure to include location, date and time, and general weather conditions.
Comentarios
May 1, 2020
I have become more conscious of groundcover. My own backyard where I would like to have more native plants seems this season to have groundcover made up mostly of redseed plantain and jewelweed. The jewelweed is fine. On a walk, though, I saw a small yard with widespread azure bluets (houstonia caerulea). That would be a lovely addition to the groundcover!
May 2, 2020
Walking along a short section of the Bay Circuit trail I noticed lots of small green plants coming up at the trail's edge. I focused on the most abundant sorts. There were alot of simple, oval and green leaves with a point at the end of a simple round stem coming up. I saw some leaves that were unrolling as they came up out of the ground, other plants had full leaves at the end of a stalk with the leaf folded back. I also saw small plants with 2 leaves facing each other and in the middle was a short stalk with a tiny green fluorescence/flower. As I passed these I wondered if they were different stages of growth of the same plant or all different species of plants. I periodically stopped to take a closer look. The almost unrolled leaves and leaves which were full and bending backwards were at the end of simple smooth stems with no other leaves or buds. The flowering plants had 2 leaves. One leaf was terminal (at the end of the stem) with the flower at it's base and the second leaf started lower on the stem. I was pretty sure the first 2 types of plants were different stages of the same plant, but not as sure about the flowering plant. Then I found a small plant with an unfurled leaf, thickened at the base of the leaf and close to the ground on the opposite side of the stem I noticed a small triangular shape that seemed like the start of a leaf. This seemed to be the missing link and I have concluded these particular small plants are the same plant at different stages of growth. They are all Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense), a native flower.
May 2,2020
Walking along a residential street I was again struck by the question: am I looking at the same plant or different types of plants. This time it was with big plants – trees. I saw dangling hairy catkins on a leafless tree. The bark was smooth, reminding my of beeches. Inaturalist suggested quaking aspens. I think of these as a native Western US species, but being in a suburban neighborhood, anything is possible. A little down the road, another leafless tree with dangling catkins. The bark was slightly rougher, but not a great deal different. Inaturalist suggested a black ash. I looked along the street and saw that there was a row of currently leafless trees with catkin flowers dangling, similar size trees and concluded that these are the same tress, probably planted at the same time to line the street. I think they are more likely to be quaking aspen, but I'll have to check back when the leaves come in.
I also am discovering what is in my own yard - all of a sudden noticing subtle differences and realizing there are a ton of variations in the
LGP's (little green plants) that I thought were essentially the same. Recognizing surrounding habitat (water, forested, cultivated garden area) and sense of water content /drainage helping me see the space with a different organizing lens. ( Just beginning to realize the magnitude of my ignorance in this regard )
Also looking to figure out why two seemingly different plants are so consistently comingled (not even totally sure what they are yet, or if they are two distinctly different plants-- in process of upload, so will let you know...
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