marrujom's Journal

I went on a nature walk over the fall break with one of my roommates who's not in this class, and we walked through the Hammond Pond Reservation. It was bit hard to find the starting point for the trail, as we entered through the Chestnut Hill shops, but once we found it, it was as if we were completely immersed in the reservation. The trees surrounded us completely and you could barely hear/see any nearby cars or foot traffic. It was about 50 degrees out, as it was roughly 2 hours before sunset. The walk lasted almost an hour, and I was able to find 3 of the 4 main plant groups: bryophyta (e.g. haircap moss family), polypodiopsida (e.g. cinnamon fern), and angiosperms (e.g. siberian crabapple). I had to look much harder for the bryophyta specifically, because a lot of times it was hidden beneath fallen branches or slightly off the foot trail. We also spotted some animals (mainly rabbits and flies), as well as lots of fungi. This reservation had a pretty diverse selection of fungi, probably due to its size and protections status. Overall, this nature walk was a great way to enjoy the fall break, and potentially convince my roommate to take this class!

I walked through the Pine Tree Preserve right after I got off my work shift. The sun had already set, there was a slight breeze, and the temperature was ~50°F, making it necessary for me to throw my jacket on. It had rained most of the day already, and was still slightly drizzling as I walked on the pathways. The ground was littered with twigs and fallen leaves, and was damp and muddy. The fungi I discovered during my walk was residing on the bark of the one of the larger trees on the top of the small hill. It consisted of a thin white green layer, which covered most of the other trees nearby as well. I even caught a picture of a hare later on! It stopped and munched on some leaves or grass, and didn't even seem spooked when I made noise or moved. Overall, the walk took me about 40 minutes and was a good way to wind down after a shift!

I took a little walk along the Charles River, right along Nonantum Road. The weather was pretty cool (~55 °F), especially right by the water. There were only a few people walking along the pathway for the hour or so that I was out. My observations consist of really only plants, as the little insects and critters roaming about would stay still enough for a picture. The river itself was pretty calm and the walk as a whole was pretty relaxing!