emmaogata's Journal

For this nature walk, I decided to walk back to Newton Campus from the main campus one afternoon after classes. It was around 1:30, so the weather was very nice. It was sunny but with many clouds, yet still breezy and comfortable. I tried looking for examples of all 4 types of the main groups of plants, but had a difficult time finding Polypodiopsida (like ferns) along the sidewalks in the neighborhood. It was easiest finding plants in the Bryophyta group, because there were green mosses on nearly every tree, rock, or crack in the sidewalk. I thought it was interesting how some mosses took the shape of the tree, whereas others were clumped together in little spheres. I also included a picture of a lichen on a tree, because I thought it was interesting how it was living in close proximity to mosses, which makes me wonder if they have some sort of symbiotic relationship. Gymnosperms were plentiful in the neighborhood, yet many were cultivated so I did not include them. The Chinese Hemlock evergreen tree I observed had small pine cones in it, which I thought was cool. Lastly, the Angiosperms were also relatively easy to find. In some gaps/cracks of rock wall along houses I spotted wild plants with flowers growing. Overall, I think this nature walk was really helpful in connecting what we learned about the different types of plants to the real world, and being able to observe a variety of plants ourselves and categorize them.

For this nature walk, I intended to walk around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, since I had never gone before. When I got there, it was windy and pretty chilly. The sky was overcast and dark, which added to the cold weather. As I started walking around the Reservoir, I quickly realized that I wasn't finding any fungi there. The ecosystem by the path mostly consisted of dry dirt and many fallen leaves. There was not much moist soil or tree trunks that hosted any type of fungi, so I decided to leave. Before I left, I saw a really colorful berry-like plant that I am later learning is called the Porcelain Berry, which was a very interesting plant I'd never seen before. I walked back to the Pine Tree Preserve, and some of the woody areas near the road by the Rec Center and Preserve. Here I was more successful in finding fungi, though it was still difficult to find. I had to walk through the leaves and off the path in search for fungi. This surprised me, since on my nature walk last week in the same Preserve, I had come across much more fungi. This made me wonder if possibly the fungi in this area have not evolved to withstand colder weather, since the temperatures are lower this week than last. Perhaps evolution in future generations will occur so that the fungi will be able to persist in colder, windier temperatures, though it may all just be a coincidence that I couldn't find as much fungi today.

For my nature walk, I decided to explore the Pine Tree Preserve on our campus, since I had never been there before. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. The Preserve is right next to the Reservoir, so there's a really nice view as you walk. The Preserve has a ton of pine trees (as in the name), but also lots of other wild plants. I loved getting to see all the different types of organisms and biodiversity in the Preserve that's different from the types of organisms I'd see back at home. The weather was cool and breezy, yet it was still sunny and you could see the light shine through the trees if you looked up. The Preserve also had some benches along the path where you could sit and just observe your surroundings. This walk reminded me of the ecosystem services we learned about in class, and how a place like the Pine Tree Preserve is an example of a cultural service to the BC community. My favorite part of the walk was seeing an Eastern chipmunk (shown) hiding in the plants along the trail. Going on this nature walk was a really nice way of taking a break from all the school and work of the past week and being able to connect with nature in such a beautiful place!