claudiapritchyk's Journal

In between classes today, I decided to join a group of fellow classmates to walk near campus and look for fungi. We left campus and headed toward Houghton Garden, which is right off Hammond Street. It was lightly raining as we were walking through the garden. However, the rain made the walk that much more beautiful. Additionally, the weather was the perfect temperature, not too hot or too cold. I never knew this small garden existed and was very impressed by the beauty of it, especially during this time of year when the leaves are changing. Once I entered the gated area, I started walking along a little trail that loops around the trees. I reached the middle of the garden and noticed a small stream running through the center. The raindrops and colorful leaves were falling graciously into the water. Due to the rain, I didn't see many squirrels or chipmunks, who I assume were taking shelter from the weather. However, I observed many different species of trees, leaves, weeds, and, most importantly, fungi. Initially it was difficult to spot the fungi, but once I found one mushroom, it seemed as though there was fungi everywhere. I'm sure this patch of greenery and wildlife is the perfect environment for fungi to grow; the ground was mostly damp and full of soil and plant debris. I observed fungi of all different sizes, shapes, and colors. Some fungi stood alone, and others grew in colonies. I discovered some in the grass and others on trees. Overall, I was shocked by the amount of fungi I found. I loved exploring the garden as well as searching for different kinds of fungi. It was an amazing experience and I hope to go back in the near future.

During the afternoon today I decided to go for a walk to Houghton Garden. It was the perfect time to go for a walk because the weather was rather warm for a fall day. It was slightly windy but not too chilly. I noticed that from the last time I went there, many more leaves had fallen onto the ground. The trail running throughout the garden was practically covered in leaves and branches. Leaves of all different colors were floating on top of the creek and the lagoon. Multiple people were walking around with their dogs at this time of day. As I began walking around, I tried to look for ferns, evergreen trees, flowering plants, and mosses. I found almost everything relatively quickly except the flowering plants. The moss and evergreen trees were the easiest to find, as I saw many pines, spruces, and a variety of mosses throughout the duration of my walk. I assume that due to the time of year and the amount of leaves covering the garden floor, this was the reason I didn't spot many flowers. However, on my walk back to campus, I happened to find a little cluster of flowers along the base of a tree. This was the perfect observation to end with before heading back. Overall, I had a wonderful time experiencing the beautiful garden in the fall weather and appreciate the many different species of plants I was able to find.