emmaogata's Journal

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!