Diario de katielavelle13

This week I went for a walk around Hammond Pond and the surrounding woods. Fall was visibly in full swing and the leaves fell from the trees and blanketed the forest floor. It was a sunny afternoon and I was amazed at how many people I saw out and about walking through the woods. While walking around, if I kept my eyes down, I could find a number of different mosses. The moss was damp to the touch but the variety of different types of moss was fascinating. I also found a few ferns growing in the brush. There were very few flowering plants but I was able to find one plant with a few half-dead flowers still hanging on. Other low-lying lefty greens covered the ground and I even found a small collection of plants that had berries growing from them. Very few evergreens live in this forest area, but I did see a few off in the distance at the top of a rock formation. The biodiversity of all the different types of plants was clearly displayed in even this small natural area.

This week I went to the Pine Tree Preserve next to the plex. It was an overcast morning with a slight breeze and everything was wet from the last few days of rain. I know that fungi are organisms that feed on organic matter so I started to look for examples of this in the Preserve. Right away I noticed how many organisms live on the sides of trees. Each trunk and branches contain its own neighborhood of living organisms. Three of my observations include such organisms. I spotted the most well-known fungi, a mushroom, growing alongside some grass and other leafy green plants. On the side of a rock, I found a small patch of green organisms and it lead me to believe it was fungi feeding off the organic matter that rests on top of the rock. I stepped out of the preserve to take a quick look at the res. Right next to me on the sidewalk, I saw a goose. It did nothing as I walked past and just continued to enjoy its breakfast.

Friday morning I went for a walk around the chestnut Hill Reservoir. It was cool with a slight breeze and the sun was shining. Before I got to the reservoir I walked through the Pine Tree Conservatory right next to the plex. I saw a leafy green ivy type of plant growing in a patch of tall wild grass. As a walked around the res I found a bunch of wildflowers growing from the rocks and dust of the walking path including the white and yellow flowers. Halfway around the res, I was a few swans sticking their long necks underwater looking for breakfast. Staying above the water and still relying on fish as their main food source I can imagine that birds with longer necks would have more success obtaining resources than other birds. Being able to easily access a food source would help increase the fitness of longed-neck birds and could have been a trait that was selected for. Also around the res, I found a leafy green plant growing right on a large rock. Lastly, I discovered a plant with soft, fuzzy leaves.