Hammond Pond Reservation

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!

Posted on October 18, 2022 04:17 PM by marrujom